On Thursday evening, February 29th, 2024, the Anguilla Football Association’s (AFA) new turf field, located adjacent to the football stadium of the Raymond E. Guishard Technical Centre in the Valley, was dedicated.
The ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of the field had taken place some eight months earlier, on June 6th 2023, and actual work had begun in late August. During the past six months, a turf creation team, led by Contractor, Mr. Franclin Ngwese Ngabe of Greenfields in Holland, had been working assiduously on the project to bring it to completion for commissioning at this time.
Mr. Jair Bertoni and Mr. Jameel Rochester
The creation of the turf field was sponsored by FIFA, and the facility will certainly serve to enhance the quality of football played on the island.
During the ceremony, prayer was offered by local sportsman Mr. John Millington, in which he thanked God for the vision given to those who had seen the development of the turf field far into the future, and which had now become a reality.
General Secretary of AFA, Mr. Jameel Rochester, said: “It is with immense pleasure that I stand before you as we mark an important milestone in the history of football in Anguilla. This artificial field is a testament to the unwavering commitment to the wonderful game of football, and we are proud that it is the first of its kind in Anguilla. This state-of-the art facility will change how we train, compete, and host football events domestically and internationally.”
“We owe a debt of gratitude to FIFA for the generous funding through the FIFA Forward Programme, making this project a reality,” he said. “FIFA’s support in the construction of this field underscores its belief in the power of football to unite the world.”
“I would also like to extend our sincerest appreciation to the Government of Anguilla, headed by the Honorable Premier, Dr. Ellis Lorenzo Webster,” he added, “who facilitated the land lease agreement that allowed this development to flourish here. The Government’s dedication in the advancing of sports infrastructure is commendable.”
President of the Anguilla Football Association, Mr. Girdon Connor, highlighted the quality of the field, its features and the advantages that it offers to the footballers of Anguilla:
“The full-sized artificial field with complete lighting and irrigation is detailed to precision,” he remarked. “This is a masterpiece that adds to the significance of what we have as football features in Anguilla today.”
“This astro-turf field is the first of its kind in history for us in Anguilla. It is the highest quality sporting facility on the island to date, and it is one of only a few throughout the Eastern Caribbean. This is a superior field which compares to the ones on which legends like Messi, Ronaldo and Maradona trained,” Mr. Connor commented.
Minister Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers is the Honourable Minister of Sports. She remarked: “The partnership and collaboration between the Government of Anguilla, the Anguilla Football Association and FIFA has been one of shared vision for the development of sports, and specifically, the development of football for the benefit of the young people on this island. I believe that football plays a very important role in building identity.”.
Among those on hand to address the gathering was FIFA’s Regional Director of Association Members of the Americas, Mr. Jair Bertoni, who had also been on island for the ground breaking last June.
He promised FIFA’s continued support in the further development of football locally: “For us, this is only the beginning,” he said. “We have a vision for football in Anguilla, and we want the Government to contribute together with FIFA. With the FIFA Forward Programme, we want to make our plans for football here a reality.”
“We want to finalize community fields at the schools; expand AFA dormitories, as well as to build a gym, construct stands on the turf field, and provide changing rooms for the players,” Mr. Bertoni pledged.
Other FIFA officials present included Mr. Herve Blanchard, Lead FIFA Regional Office; Ms. Malaika Church, FIFA Member Association Development Manager; and Center Back Player, Mr. Carlos Diaz.
