La Retraite playing field to be turned into stadium |17 February 2018

Work on the La Retraite playing field to bring it to the required standard to play competitive football will start on Monday.

The whole project is expected to cost US $1 million or less, Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) chief executive Georges Bibi told Sports NATION yesterday.

He added that Benoiton Construction Company Limited (BCCL) has been entrusted with the job of preparing the ground for the laying of the artificial turf.

Mr Bibi explained that apart from the artificial grass turf, there will be changing room, stands that can hold at least 1,500 people and other facilities at the La Retraite playing field, where teams from the northern region currently train.

He has called on all those who use the La Retraite playing field for different purposes to immediately stop it.

The SFF with the help of the International Football Federation (Fifa) will soon begin a project to lay an artificial pitch, build changing room, stands, public toilets, parking space and picnic areas at the La Retraite playing field.

The artificial turf will be laid by Edel Grass, a company with over 30 years of experience in the market for artificial grass pitches and sports fields.

Mr Bibi pointed out that the project originally fell under the Fifa Goal project initiated by former Fifa president Sepp Blatter, but since the new man at the helm of world football, Gianni Infantino, took office, the slogan was changed to ‘Fifa Forward programme’.

During a public meeting in August 2016 at the Anse Etoile community centre organised by the SFF to give more details about the project, SFF chairman said “we aim to decentralise league football and what we want with this project is to have a venue for official league matches in the future”.

He added: “We do not only want this area to benefit footballers, but we also want to promote fitness among the community and that is why a fitness trail will also be added”.

G. G.