CONCACAF President Jack Warner revealed plans to construct a new artificial playing field at the Marvin Lee Stadium as he opened the new Futsal Indoor Playing facility at the Dr. Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence on Saturday morning.
An excited Warner said the new turf at the Stadium would be the second phase of the FIFA Goal Project for Trinidad and Tobago to follow the Futsal facility which came as phase one after previous plans to construct a Training Centre for national teams had to be abandoned following Government’s failure to grant land for originally proposed centre.
Warner asked guests to take their minds back seven years when the venue was a mere warehouse that had been transformed with swimming pool, playing field, state of the art indoor facility and now the Futsal court which has seating for 900 fans and will be able to facilitate other sports as volleyball, basketball, netball, hockey and of course the five-a-side football.
“It shows the tremendous strides that have been made right at this venue over the years,” said Warner who took the place of FIFA President Sepp Blatter who was unable to visit these shores for the opening of the facility which Warner said cost $5.2 million and was fully constructed in three months by C&H Associated Limited.
“President Blatter had asked me to represent him here today and of course I told him I would do that. But I don’ t think that I would be his carbon copy. I make his carbon but never his copy. Therefore I say on behalf of President Blatter that FIFA is committed to the development through the goal project and this facility here is only the beginning,” added Warner who didn’t forget to mention that it would be easier for a country to qualify for a Futsal World Cup than the regular World Cup played every four years.
He revealed that FIFA had given $2.5 million towards the facility with a little more than $2.5 million coming from CONCACAF. “There is no other facility in the Caribbean like this. But this is not the end of FIFA but the beginning rather because in a few months time FIFA and CONCACAF will dig up the Marvin Lee Stadium surface and put the first artificial turf in the Caribbean. Before the end of the year we shall have an artificial turf which of is the highest level and one which is used in Champions’ League football and can be played 24 hours a day.”
TTFF President Oliver Camps also expressed deep appreciation towards the efforts of FIFA and CONCACAF in helping the Federation through the first phase of the Goal Project which had been stagnant in this country while other countries had been benefiting from the exercise.
“It is with great pleasure that we accept the facility that has been afforded to us by FIFA and CONCACAF. These facilities will go a long way in contributing to our development and we will definitely look forward to making the best use of what is before us today,” Camps said. Also giving the facility high marks was Harold Taylor, FIFA Development Officer for the Caribbean. Invited guest, Minister of Sport Roger Boynes, did not show for the opening of the latest Football facility in the country.
Derek Hamilton, the registered engineer for the facility, explained that the facility which has full lighting and is air-conditioned, also comprises of a playing and training court along with dressing rooms for two teams, match officials and media. He also spoke about the automatic operating retractable seating for the fans.
“It is extremely important to note the retractable seating accommodation because it allows use of the entire area when fans are not here to be seated which occupies 160 feet in longitude by 40 feet transversely. The tech gym surface is also the
accepted one by FIFA for indoor football. It is also important to note that the facility was not designed purely for Futsal but can also be used for indoor sports and other functions,” Hamilton told TTFF Media.
To mark the opening of the facilty, an exhibition match between the T&T national Futsal team and a President’s Selection made up of national players as well was played with the latter coming away 4-3 winners. Francis Pascall and Derrick Balthazar netted a double each for the winners with Anthony Small (2) and Ako James scoring for the T&T side.