BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE world governing body for football - FIFA- is expected to assist the Government in giving directions on how to make Warner Park one of the top venues for football.
That comes as the top football venue in the Federation was made an embarrassment due to the fact that it was repeatedly flagged for its poor lighting quality making international games during the World Cup qualifiers either being shifted to the cricket ground or being played during the day.
This topic was raised repeatedly by SKNVibes Sports reporters during the elections campaign, where a number of commitments were made to rectify the lighting situation at Warner Park while also seeking to upgrade other sporting infrastructures.
Samal Duggins, Sports Minister, insisted that it is an area the Government is working to have fixed, especially when it comes to the challenges faced by Warner Park - telling SKNVibes that the local governing body for the sport - the St. Kitts-Nevis Football Association- is currently speaking with FIFA on a solution.
“As far as Warner Park complex, football, that is, we have two different facilities, cricket and football. But as far as football, we are in discussions with the Football Association which is also in discussion with FIFA international on the future of Warner Park Stadium,” Duggins revealed.
For a long time, the football stadium has faced a number of hurdles as the sport discipline grows locally. It is also challenged by the layout with the international cricket venue posing a challenge for further development of the ground, located in the heart of Basseterre.
Considerations were made for the possibility of moving the ground out of Basseterre altogether. But as talks continue, Minister Duggins noted that based on the current discussion with the world governing body, there would be a “world class” facility in place in the near future.
In the meantime, there has been no word yet on how the local season will be played when it kicks off in the new year.
The lighting quality has been described as being poor from both a local and international standpoint.
“We are working on that! There were a number of challenges that we are working to have rectified. But we are looking at medium term solution which is having a world class facility, and FIFA is seemingly coming on board to deliver that shortly,” disclosed Duggins
No timeframe was given on when the FIFA-assisted project will come onstream or when it will begin to have the “world class facility” ready.
