Praslin to get R10 million sports complex |11 September 2006

The complex, which will be constructed on the ex-Amitie playing field next to the former Youth Residential Treatment Centre (YRTC), will comprise a 2000-seater stadium, a standard playing field, track and field facilities, a one-storey building which will harbour changing rooms, offices and a conference room, all designed to provide for sports, leisure, administration and other communal needs of the sports community and residents of the island.

A dormitory and more offices for use by National Sports Council (NSC) personnel on the island are also to be built on the site occupied by the ex-YRTC building.

All the facilities, apart from the astroturf which will surface the playing field, will be financed by the Seychelles government at a cost of R10 million. The astroturf will be provided by the World Football body, FIFA, through an assistance to the Seychelles Football Federation (SFF).

 
If everything goes according to schedule, the sports complex, the construction of which is being undertaken by local company Allied Builders, should be ready by the end of next year.

The facility is the latest in a long line of developments undertaken by both the government and the private sector on the island, which is undergoing considerable growth of late, considering the large amount of investment it has attracted recently.

The foundation stone laying ceremony on Friday was attended by top officials of the Ministry of the Arts, Culture & Sports, namely principal secretary Denis Rose, Special Advisor Patrick Nanty, NSC managing director Eric Arnephy, as well as Member of the National Assembly for Baie Ste Anne, Mitzie Larue, NSC personnel from both Praslin and Mahe, community development officers from Praslin and members of the sports community on the island.

In his address during the ceremony, Special Advisor Nanty thanked the different partners involved in making the project a reality.

He had special words of thanks to the SFF for providing the turf's surface through FIFA aid, and the Ministry of Land Use & Habitat for making the land available for the project.

Mr Nanty also noted that the project “is one of the largest sport investments” undertaken by the government in recent times, thus is of “an utmost importance, not only for Praslinois but for future of sports for all Seychellois”.

In the absence of the District Administrator for Grand Anse Praslin, stand-in official, Community Developer Moses Barbe, described the project as a “milestone” in the history of sports on the island, adding that “it should be used as a catalyst to spur young sportsmen from the island to the highest level”.

On behalf of Praslin sportsmen, young Renick Esther thanked the government for “delivering on its promise” to provide a facility, “so high in quality and that is sure to stimulate their development in sports”. 

Esther also pledged in the name of all Praslin sportsmen, to use the complex to its maximum and appropriately for the betterment of sports as a whole in the country.