The Imo Sports Council has inaugurated a 10-man governing board to pilot its affairs.

The Chairman of the board is Chief  Tony Ajaelu, a former cricket coach in the state, while the acting Director of Sports in the state, Mrs Chizotam Aritola, is the secretary.

In his inaugural speech in Owerri on Thursday, Ajaelu urged members of the board to brace up to 'the daunting task ahead with a view to addressing it'.

He reminded the members of the major mission of the board which was to make the council more viable.

He enumerated some of the areas of focus of the state government to include hostels for the state athletes and players, a games village and the Imo Sports Academy.

Ajaelu, however, expressed displeasure at the dilapidated facilities at both the old stadium and the Dan Anyiam Stadium in Owerri.

The acting Director of Sports later conducted members of the board round both stadia to ascertain the present state of the facilities.

She decried the poor environmental situation in the stadia, saying that the board had a lot to do to make the place healthy for sportsmen and women in the state.

Other places visited by the board included the Grasshoppers Stadium, the SWAN office, the tennis  department, board building, Heartland office, Hockey Flickers, and the sports medical department.