Newly installed football pitch ready for play!
Education, Culture, Youth and Sport
Newly installed football pitch ready for play!
Wed Mar 20 2024
While work will be continuing at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, the replacement of the football pitch has been completed. The facility re-opened for league play last Saturday, as the Sint Maarten Football Federation Youth League hosted their first matches on the new artificial turf and a Sint Maarten selection team played a friendly match against the Anguilla National team on Sunday.
The much-needed replacement of the football turf, initiated through a Capital Expenditure proposal, was finalized with the execution of a FIFA-accredited field test to obtain FIFA certification and ensure the highest standards of play. Moreover, the maintenance team at the National Sports Institute underwent specialized training to ensure optimal upkeep of the field.
The installation of the football turf started on February 11th with the removal of the old turf and ensuring a solid subbase and drainage, followed by the installation of the new artificial turf, lines, and goals. The final roll of turf was laid on March 4th by the honorable Prime Minister, Silveria Jacobs, and Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion, in the presence of Representatives from the Sint Maarten Football Federation, the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB), and the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) during a ground closing ceremony, underscoring the significance of this project both local and international.
The Sports Department will continue with the repairs at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex facility within the Capital Expenditure budget, as the replacement of the athletics track is the next project to be executed. Furthermore, the repairs to the building and bleachers will be carried out by the NRPB/Worldbank which has opened the tender process for all sports facilities repairs.
