China’s Ambassador to Grenada has described the turning of the sod to signal the commencement of work on the football and athletic stadium as a Christmas gift to the people of Grenada from her country.
“It is a witness of the friendship of the two peoples. This is a gift for Christmas and New Year, but not for it only. It is a gift for the people of Grenada in future life,” said Ambassador Ou Boqian in her remarks during the sod-turning ceremony last week Tuesday.
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| Ambassador Ou Boqian (left) and Sports Minister, Emmalin Pierre, turn the sod while Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell looks on. |
The Ambassador believes that when the stadium is completed, more and more national, regional and even world level games will be held here.
“I hope and I am confident that more Kirani James will run out of this stadium to the field of Olympic as the World Champion,” she said, while explaining that sports make one strong and bright.
“Sports-loving people are bright and friendly people, because when people are doing sports together, they are communicating with each other and sharing their friendship. And I believe that is the reason why, as a foreigner, I can always experience the friendship in this country,” she said.
In his remarks, Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell asked the Chinese constructors to push work on the constructions for the remodelled football and athletic stadium, so that a major event can be held there during the first quarter of 2015.
The construction project is scheduled for completion and handing over by the summer of that year, but Prime Minister Mitchell hopes that the country’s inter-college athletic games will be staged at the facility in early in 2015.
The next Inter-College Games in 2014 is expected to be staged on the grass tracks at the cricket stadium.
The US$20 million project is being undertaken by the China State Construction Engineering Corporation. It will include the building of three main stands with 7018 seating capacity, international standard athletic tracks, a professional size football field, and media facilities.
Sports Minister, Emmalin Pierre, said that with the immediate start of construction on the new athletic facility, Grenada will be vying to host the 2016 CARIFTA Games.
The CARIFTA Games is the region’s foremost junior meet, and was staged once before in Grenada.
Priorities
The New National Party (NNP) administration, which was voted out of office in 2008, had signed an agreement eight years ago for the refurbishment of the facility following its destruction by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. However, only the cricket stadium was built before the NNP led Keith Mitchell Government lost the general elections.
The incoming National Democratic Congress government, which replaced the administration, had stated that rebuilding the athletics and football stadium was not among its immediate priorities.
The demolition of the existing facility will be done by March of 2014.
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