Football: Inauguration of Goal Project 2-Guest of honour Platini welcomed by Patel |15 February 2006

Widely regarded as one of the most elegant midfielders of his generation, Platini, who has completed the switch from famous footballer to football administration, where he now occupies key roles within the European and world bodies, UEFA and Fifa, arrived here on Monday night on board the Air Seychelles HM 054 flight from Mauritius.

He is accompanied by Montpellier Hérault Sporting Club president Louis Nicollin; Jean-Michel Benezet, a Fifa development officer who has visited Seychelles on numerous occasions; and Pascal Toress, Fifa’s head of development management team.

Platini and his delegation were met at the Seychelles International Airport, Pointe Larue, by SFF boss Suketu Patel, SFF vice-chairman Hugh Adam, SFF treasurer Justin Mathiot and SFF director for administration and operations Louis Nourrice.

After having sipped a fresh welcome drink in the VIP lounge, the Fifa delegation hit the road for Bel Ombre, precisely Le Méridien Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, where they will be hosted for the whole of their four-day stay here.

Today’s opening ceremony is set to start at 5 p.m.

Work on the technical centre, the second phase of the Fifa Goal Project, started in August last year.

Although the building is 80% complete, it will be inaugurated because this is the only time that former French midfield superstar Platini can come to Seychelles.

Financed by Fifa, the Seychelles government and the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF), the second phase of the Goal Project has cost R6.6 million.

Goal Project 2 will house the SFF’s new headquarters, offices, a technical and residential centre with a state-of-the-art 80-seat auditorium, 20 self-contained bedrooms, two massage rooms, changing rooms and a restaurant which will cater for 60 people.

The facilities will be used by the country's different national teams, teams from Praslin and La Digue, foreign teams and even other local sporting federations and associations.
It was designed by Alex Ellenberger of Locus Architecture and constructed by Vijay Construction. The building covers an area of approximately 1,800 square metres and has been built adjacent to the existing astro-turf pitches.

It is worth noting that Goal Project I, consisting of the construction of a full-size and two futsal size floodlit astro-turf pitches at Roche Caïman, were handed over to the SFF in 2003.

G. G.