Stadium under pressure
Published:Sunday | May 12, 2024 | 12:12 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
THE NATIONAL Stadium in Kingston is set to undergo a strenuous few months with a series of football and track and field events following closely behind each other. Still, general manager of Independence Park Ltd, Major Desmon Brown, believes the facility will handle it.
Last night the National Stadium played host to the inaugural Jamaica Athletics Invitational and in the coming weeks, it will feature events such as the InSports All Island Championships; Jamaica Premier League final; Racers Grand Prix; and a Concacaf World Cup qualifier between the Reggae Boyz and the Dominican Republic.
There is a bit of fortune in the Stadium field, in particular, being able to stand up to the many events.
“We’re fortunate in this case as the only event that gives us a problem is the shot put and the two International meets will have no shot put,” said Major Brown in an interview with RJR Sports.
“We’ll be having the Jamaica Premier League final next week and we’ve started working on the field. Therefore, I can assure you that the field will be in perfect condition for all the football matches,” added Major Brown.
What could be perceived as the overuse of the Stadium, Major Brown explains, is unavoidable.
“The fact of the matter is we have to host some of these events as we have to raise the money. That’s the bottom line, but we know that sports are the premier reason for the usage of the facility. We can assure the patrons and organisers that both the field and the track will be ready for all the upcoming events,” he said.
In recent times, the quality of the football surface at the National Stadium has been publicly criticised by players and officials of the national team.
But Major Brown has not heard those complaints in an official capacity.
“I’m not sure as to how relevant those concerns are as, first of all, this is not a dirt field. This is a sand field and we try our best to maintain national standards. I’ve heard rumours but I haven’t received any official complaints. The discus and javelin events don’t do much damage, as we would need only one or two days, but for a shot put event we would need about three weeks.”