Guyana Hockey Board submits proposal to construct astro-turf facility

Aug 06, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....astro-turf-facility/

Requests permission to use land west of CASH

Two years ago the presidents of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Leandro Negre and the Pan American Hockey Federation, Alberto ‘Coco’ Budeisky paid courtesy calls on the Guyana Olympic Association and the Ministry of Sport along with Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) representatives, seeking to ensure Guyana came in line with other federations around the world to have an artificial pitch for the sport by pledging substantial funding for such, once land is provided.

Now, plans for Guyana to have its very first astro-turf hockey facility are moving along as the Guyana Hockey Board has submitted a proposal to the National Sports Commission to use the vacant plot of land west of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to house the facility.

That proposal will be subsequently forwarded to the Minister of State Joseph Harmon who will have final meetings with Hockey board officials.

Director of the National Sports Commission, Chris Jones, is confident of a successful meeting, “They (Guyana Hockey Board) have indicated that once land is acquired, their parent bodies (International Hockey Federation and Pan American Hockey Federation) are prepared to fund the project and I can’t see us as a Sports Commission and as a Government not grasping this opportunity.”

In addition of providing a year-round, all-weather practice surface, the facility will expose players to artificial turf conditions that will better prepare them for international tournaments overseas.

GHB head Phillip Fernandes, speaking to Kaieteur News, further stated some of the immediate benefits of having the proposed plot of land on Homestretch avenue approved for hockey development, which will help offset some fixed costs, “Being near to the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall affords us (the GHB) the use of a parking lot and the use of dressing rooms which will save us some initial costs,” Fernandes stated.

The facility will cost around US$100,000 -150,000 excluding preparatory works on the land if the proposal is successful. Fernandes stated that the pledge from hockey parent bodies, the FIH and PAHF will be around US$50,000 – 60,000, leaving the GHB to acquire the remaining funds through corporate sponsorship with proposed sales of billboard advertisement as one means.