Naomi Gabriel
Sporting infrastructures serve various significant purposes, from giving a host nation an opportunity to attract international and local tourists to building new or upgrading existing infrastructural amenities, even adding more prestige to the international standing of a nation.
Since a nation seeks for ways of improving the lives of its citizens, a chief benefit of hosting major sporting events is the building or development of new infrastructures. They become lasting beneficial legacies to an entire society.
This is one of the reasons most countries vie to host sporting activities like FIFA tournaments ranging from age-grade competitions to football national teams. Amongst other benefits that it provides the nation, it presents a government with an opportunity to build new infrastructures, houses, hotels, transportation networks for the use of foreign and local visitors. This is the reason they are considered one-time opportunities to secure resources for development efforts and to create global exposure.
Sporting events such as the Commonwealth Games, Olympic Games, and World Championships are becoming increasingly popular. Countries and Cities vigorously compete to host these events because they are envisaging the economic impact it will bring. They see that doing so will enhance the opportunity for more infrastructural development for the masses. It will remain there for the citizens to enjoy and explore. For instance, new 5 Star hotels, new roads, railway systems, airport facilities built for a particular sporting event will still be there for the populace to make use of after the main events would have ended.
In a broader sense, sporting events are not just seen as an event but, a catalyst for urban restructuring, encompassing more general improved urban development and planning. Hosting large sporting events requires a host country to carry out mega projects which results to direct economic impact. It leaves a lasting legacy for residents of host cities. This leads to an increase in employment in the engineering, procurement and construction sectors related to infrastructures.
Hosting such events will require the government to build or upgrade quality building of infrastructures that will accommodate foreigners and even locals since an international event of a high magnitude attracting persons from all works of life globally is taking place. Most visitors may be eager to explore investment opportunities as they enjoy their stay in a host country. Some may decide to do repeat visits. These lead improved consumer services and revenue for a nation.
In conclusion, developing countries like Nigeria has the advantage of learning from developed countries in the area of hosting major sports events that comes with new or upgraded construction facilities for short and long-term benefits. It canact as catalytic project to bring more economic developments on other sectors of an economy and at the same time, benefitting the citizens of a country.
