Eket Stadium set for unveiling

Eket Stadium, the second biggest sports arena in Akwa Ibom, will be inaugurated on Friday.

Complete with floodlights and tartan tracks, the 18,000-seater facility sits on the site of the original Eket Stadium, which was demolished in 2018.

Its official opening — which will be attended by the Akwa Ibom Governor, Udom Emmanuel, and his Niger counterpart, Abubakar Bello — coincides with Akwa Ibom’s 35th anniversary.

Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Monday Uko, on Thursday, speaking to members of Sports Writers Association of Nigeria, Akwa Ibom Chapter, revealed that various activities — including an exhibition game between state-owned Akwa United and Katsina United — have been lined up for the inauguration.

On why Katsina United — owned by Katsina government — were picked for the event, the commissioner explained that the northwest state and Akwa Ibom have something in common.

“Katsina United were chosen because Akwa Ibom and Katsina were created on the same day,” the former Obot Akara chairman said.

The stadium’s football pitch will ease the pressure on Godswill Akpabio Stadium, which has been the home ground of Akwa United, Dakkada, Ibom Angels and FC ONE Rockets in recent years.

According to sources, Dakkada and another government-owned team, from next season, will play their home matches at the beautiful facility.

Also, there’s a strong possibility that second-tier side Vandrezzer — who announced their return to Akwa Ibom last month after spending two years in Lagos — will share the stadium with the two state teams.