PHILIPSBURG:--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, Dhr. Rodolphe Samuel is excited to announce the start of the work for the replacement of the football pitch at the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex, benefiting over 1,500 users on a weekly basis.
The much-needed replacement of the football pitch is the result of a proposal for Capital Expenditure being requested in 2022 by the Department of Sports, which was approved on September 26th, 2023. We thank the Ministry of Finance for their collaboration in this process.
An agreement was signed with the Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetball Bond (KNVB), through its affiliation with the Sint Maarten Football Federation (SMFF) and its extensive experience in overseeing football-related projects, to execute the replacement of the football pitch.
The KNVB will install the Edel Soccer Diamondblade turf, to adhere to the highest standards for attaining the FIFA Quality Pro certification. This certification is in alignment with the Sint Maarten Sports Facility Policy, the Concacaf Stadium Guidelines 2022-2023, and the FIFA Quality Program for Football Turf.
The agreement marks a significant milestone in getting the Raoul Illidge Sports Complex restored, but also meeting the international standards of sports facilities to host our National Team home games and (international) tournaments in the future. The removal of the old turf and leveling of the subbase will start in February, followed by the installation of the new artificial turf. The replacement of the pitch is expected to be completed at the end of March.
