The performance of the Jaguars at the recent Gold Cup Games is still the subject of debate. The lack of resources was a rallying cry, but tonight here is some good news for the Football Federation of Belize. This morning the organization sealed a deal with a Central American company to modernize at least one aspect of the stadium in Belmopan. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Since being skipped as a venue for the 2013 CONCACAF Champions League in June, the Football Federation of Belize has been making every effort to meet the requirements of the regional soccer body, one condition at a time. While having three first class hotels within proximity of the FFB Stadium in Belmopan is still a distant dream, the organization has proceeded to put to bid a more realistic target. According to president Ruperto Vicente, the job of re-lighting the FIFA-certified arena was advertised near and far.
Ruperto Vicente, President, Football Federation of Belize
Ruperto Vicente
“We were very disappointed, you know, when we could not get the Champions League to be played in Belize because of our lighting system and the stadium in general, you know. And so, I immediately got word to FIFA letting them understand that Belize is trying, we’re doing our best to promote the game here in Belize. We need our stadium improved and we need our lighting system improved in order to play in the Champions League and to give our clubs and players an opportunity to play international football games.”
Police United FC, despite winning the recent Premier League of Belize Championship, was denied this opportunity because the sports ground was not up to par with universal standards. Those specifications, some a bit too excessive and others far more practical, include the illumination of the entire field. Successful in its tender was Cancha Deportivas de Centro America, a regional outfit from El Salvador specializing in stadium lighting.
Juan Carlos Sanchez, Representative, Canchas Deportivas de Centro America
“Basically, all of the lighting fixtures need to be removed and a new lighting system needs to be included, added, because the lighting system, any lighting system in the world, with time has a depreciation. So, basically it has a lifetime and there has been a lot of additions to the lighting system that were not designed originally.”
In August 2010, a new set of lights, fittings that remain in use, was installed through financial assistance from Caribbean Tires Ltd. Those lights, however, are well below the required units of illumination. Since international games are broadcast in high definition there is an obvious need for upgrade. This morning, contracts were signed to get the job underway.
Ruperto Vicente
“We got a Central American company to come in and do the lighting for us because we do not have this type of expertise in Belize and so, the bid was put out and some Belizean companies that made the bid. But, you know, the lighting system being as sophisticated as it is, you know, we’ve got to get a professional company to come and do it. So the company from El Salvador, Canchas Deportivas de Centro America won the bid, you know, and FIFA is very happy about their proposal of giving the lighting system to twelve hundred lux, you know, and that’s what we need. That’s the maximum that FIFA requires for the Champions League.”
The project, says Juan Carlos Sanchez, should be completed within two months.
Juan Carlos Sanchez
Juan Carlos Sanchez
“Normally a project like this takes between ninety days. We have conceded in doing it in a shorter time so our goal is to be able to have this done in sixty days starting from today. So basically the product is going to be produced in Iowa and is going to be shipped within the next forty-five days and the installation takes about ten days in total because all of the lighting fixtures are pre-aimed at the factory based on the design. So, everything is preassembled and pre-cabled from the factory, so we just do the assembly and installation on sight.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
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