By Bockarie Allieu
FREETOWN, July 25 (SALONE TIMES) – In three months’ time, the first stage of the rehabilitation of the Siaka Steven Stadium which is the demolition done by the Chinese construction company, Gunsu Construction Investment Group Company (GCIGC) has almost come to an end.
Lats Thursday 21st July, a tour at the stadium was led by the Sports Minister Ibrahim Nyelenkeh, Director of Sports Korgie, NSA officials and other Sports Ministry officials’ including the media was done to enable the media to assess the rehabilitation project and report to the people.
In his statement, Sports Minister said the stadium has been closed to the public for some months now to allow the Chinese company to do the rehabilitation work.
Even at that he said the project did not start during the month it was closed. This, he said led to doubt on whether the rehabilitation was real.
In this case, he said he invites the media who are the mouth piece of the public to tour the stadium and report to the public how far the project has gone.
The delegation was welcome by the company workers headed by the Project Manager of the company Qiuo Shubin. He first took the delegation to the stadium main bowl area. He told the media that the first stage of the work which is the demolition of some parts of the stadium the Swimming pool and the hostel has almost come to an end.
He went on that by next month they will start to do the steel beam work concrete and connecting the steel bars and other works that he said will be the most important work of the project.
He told the media that the Sports Ministry and the government are giving them full support which is making the work easier for them, noting that, the only constrain they are facing now is the heavy rains.
The soil of the main bowl pitch will be changed to plant a carpet grass there, he added.
He told the media that they will also be constructing the practice field that will have artificial turf pitch, tarter track around and with a stand of 1500 capacity with toilet and showers facility.
The swimming pool, he said will be an ultra-modern swimming pool with dressing rooms, showers, office, medical room and sitting accommodation for the fans.
The stadium hostel will be upgraded to a 3-star hotel. The stadium will have an outdoor Basketball court, Volleyball court and Tennis court. The stadium will also have a dam that will contain 500,000 Liters of water. The company assure the media that they will finish the project in two years’ time.
At the end of the project, he said they will be taking two people from the stadium management to learn more on how to maintain the stadium. The capacity of the main bowl they said will remain the same.
