Anse Etoile to get football stadium |17 August 2016

Imagine for a moment, after a long day’s work, instead of staying in town to catch your favourite second or third division football action, you travel up north to Anse Etoile instead, by the sea-side and still get to see your team in action… Soon, it might become a reality.

The Seychelles Football Federation (SFF) with the help of the International Football Federation (Fifa) will soon begin a project to lay an artificial pitch, changing room, stands and other facilities at the La Retraite playing field, where teams from the northern region currently train.

The project will be done in phases.  Fifa is sponsoring the artificial pitch, stands and other football equipment.

A public meeting was held last Saturday at the Anse Etoile community centre where SFF chairman Elvis Chetty and construction engineer Michel Savy gave more details about the project.

“We at the SFF aim to decentralise league football and what we want with this project is to have a venue for official league matches in the future,” said Mr Chetty.

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 and a beach soccer training pitch will also be constructed.”

Through a PowerPoint presentation, Mr Savy outlined all the features and facilities that will be available at the site, including picnic area, children’s play area, offices, parking, rest rooms, and night lights.

“We have had to make very long discussions in order to meet Fifa’s criteria to begin the project and we hope that the first phase, which is the laying of the football pitch, lighting and fencing will be done by the beginning of January 2017,” said Mr Savy.

The pitch will also have a spectator stand that will hold around 100 persons, which will be a big boost to teams of the region including second division side Real Maldives.

There were a few questions from those gathered for the meeting and it was the representatives of Real Maldives and Glacis teams who wanted to know where they will train when construction is underway. Mr Chetty told them to contact the federation so that alternative arrangements can be made.

S. N.