Still Awaiting – By Neto Baptiste
Still Awaiting Materials Needed
The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) is still awaiting materials required to carry out repairs to one of its artificial surfaces at the body’s Technical Center located on Sir Sydney Walling Highway.
This is according to the FA’s technical director and former national player, Sowerby Gomes, who said he is still hopeful that the APL could return to its regular night fixtures in short order.
“The materials are not in as yet, so it’s in the same position where it was. We are hoping that the materials will be in sometime this week and I can assure you that as soon as the material gets here, we have the workmen in place to get the job done. I think they would take maybe just about 24 to 48 hours to get it done. They would use a 24-hour curing period to have it properly sticking to the surface,” he said.
The FA, four weeks ago, announced that, for the first time in well over 10 years, matches in its top flight would return to all daylight fixtures after damages to the body’s only lit field at the Technical Center forced them to move matches to a second surface. The second field is however unlit.
Questioned as to why the necessary materials have not arrived despite earlier assurances by the FA, Gomes said the body has done its part and can only await word from the supplier.
“If I could tell you, I would, but I really don’t know but we would have wired the funds off to the agents who are shipping the materials. They should be coming air freight, and we are hoping that they can be here as soon as possible,” he said.
Prior to a decision to switch to the unlit field, there had been no top flight football for two weeks due to damage to the synthetic surface at the Tomlinson’s venue. The FA had attempted to remedy the issue in hopes of having matches return but the fixtures were eventually called off after clubs and officials expressed dissatisfaction.
