The Chairman of Oyo state Cricket Association Okon Ukpon has begun a ten meter expansion of the cricket oval on every side at the Obafemi Awolowo staduim to increase the pitch by seventy meters diameter on every side in order to bring it to international standard.
Speaking at the site in Ibadan, Ukpong an ex Captain of Nigeria Cricket team between 1975 to 1985 stated that the expansion was begun because they observed that the size of the crickets oval could accommodate the expansion hence the reason to bring it to international standard through his personal initiative along with the Indian community in Ibadan.
He explained that the support can not be quantified would be in the region of millions of Naira noting that the initiative crystallized because the Indian community thought the concept was a good and fruitful one adding that he intends to build four Cricket oval in Ibadan to enh the growth of the game.
To this end, he revealed that plots of land had been procured along the Lagos Ibadan express road around the Technical University site stressing that the only hindrance is the approval from the Oyo state government to commence work on the site.
He decried the attitude of some administrators which he observed is antithetical to the growth of cricket game which he argued was retrogressive as they are not geared towards development or growth.
Ukpon revealed that the intent and purposes is to have an all year competition in Ibadan and its environs which we produce talents which will replace the old ones that will represent the state and Nigeria at large in competitions.
