SSKB Stadium Ready For Use - Kemoeng

MOSAH MOKGANEDI
Correspondent | Monday May 10, 2010 00:00

 

Botswana National Sports Council (BNSC) executive secretary Kitso Kemoeng told the media on Friday that SSKB and University of Botswana Stadiums were renovated to deliver top quality playing grounds ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa in case Botswana was fortunate to attract any of the World Cup-bound teams for pre-competition training.

'In recognition of the shortage of playing pitches in the country, we have taken a position to avail the SSKB stadium for events that it could handle,' Kemoeng said. He, however, said the stadium is delivered with understanding that it will be used properly to allow the turf to settle to the desired level.

 Kemoeng said the stadium would continue to be under BNSC maintenance until August while the administrative management would continue to be under the Botswana Defence Force (BDF). Kemoeng indicated that the government had availed P1.6 million for the regrassing of the SSKB and the UB stadiums, which, he said, was not enough for the two projects. He would not say exactly how much was spent on the project but said it was 'something in the region of P3 million'.

South Africa's Top Turf Group of companies regrassed SSKB Stadium. Kemoeng thanked the BDF and University of Botswana for the patience they exercised during the renovation phase. 'We trust that they will pick up the maintenance of these facilities and even effect the development of other necessary auxiliary facilities like floodlighting,' he said. The BNSC chief explained that maintenance equipment, valued in excess of P600, 000, would be shared between the two stadiums 'and to some extent the National Stadium'. 'We thank other organisations and members of the corporate sector for developing facilities and availing them to sport both at community and national levels,' Kemoeng said.