PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – Organisers of the Under-17 Girls’ World Cup are confident that they can improve the outfields and the infrastructure at the venues for the tournament, starting on September 5.
This follows a report, which gave the fields at the five stadia a Grade-C rating by FIFA pitch consultant John Lockyer.
“We are at this stage, 65 per cent ready, and we are working to finish the other 35 per cent between Wednesday and Thursday of next week,” Local Organising Committee Chairman Felix Hernandez told the Trinidad Express newspaper.
“It’s a close finish. It’s a challenge for all of us, but we will make our country proud. We are working at a pace, and despite all the rumours, the World Cup will come off successfully.”
“We started very late, mainly due to the approval of funding. Contracts were awarded over the weekend, and all contractors are working 24-7 to make sure that we are ready for the World Cup.”
Lockyer has been in the two-island republic over the last week, and has been supervising the outfield improvement programme, a similar initiative he undertook for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The Hasely Crawford, Manny Ramjohn, Larry Gomes, and Ato Boldon stadia in Trinidad, as well as the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago are being used to stage the tournament.
The T&T Under-17 Girls will play in the opening match against Chile.