The construction of an artificial football pitch worth more than D30 million in the Lower River Region has been completed with the field ready for use.
The project, a FIFA sponsored project under The Gambia Football Federation, is geared towards the GFF’s drive towards decentralising football participation in The Gambia.
The pitch was installed by a Netherlands based company called Edel Grass Company. The goal posts have also been installed.
Speaking in an Observer Sports interview, Ansumana Sanneh, President of the Lower River Region Football Association, said the newly built pitch in Jarra Soma is of international standard and part of the FIFA Goal Project designed to support Member Associations on capacity building initiatives to encourage and promote the game of football especially at the grassroots level.
“Yes I can confirm that the construction of the FIFA funded artificial football pitch at the Mini-Stadium in Jarra-Soma is ready as the contractor is done with the work required; but I must also say that work on the Mini-Stadium is yet to be completed,” he told this reporter on the sidelines of the Region’s Workers Day celebrations at the weekend.
“Yes the artificial football pitch with green colour and white mark lanes is completed, but then the task that remains is the issue of the incomplete perimeter fence surrounding the field as some of the necessary adjustments needed in the main fence of the Stadium remain another challenge for my Association.”
Sanneh also highlighted that the issue of Stadium pavilions and dressing rooms plus a gate for the main entrance are amongst the other challenges, something he said, is a threat to the Stadium’s security and income generation. He further explained that his Association has engaged other stakeholders and partners like the GFF to that effect.
He seized the opportunity to call on the people of LRR to take the opportunity accorded and make best use of the pitch, noting that the millions involved in its construction is enough reason for the need to ensure that the project is sustained for the interest of everybody.
Papa Fofana, the LRR Youth and Sports Desks Officer also acknowledged and expressed appreciation over the construction of the pitch in his Region. He thanked FIFA for the support and commended Edel Grass Company for completing the project on time.
“I have no doubt in my mind that the coming up of this project in LRR is timely and important in the sense that the initiative will go along to encourage and improve youth participation on the game of football,” he said.
by Salifu M .Touray in LRR