Repairs will cost $1million

By Lanuola Tusani Tupufia 14 September 2016, 12:00AM

The rundown sports facilities at Apia Park damaged by Cyclone Evan will cost about $1million to install wood flooring. 

Confirmed by the Samoa Sports Facility Authority Chief Executive Officer, Moefa’auouo Salale Moananu, he said the wood flooring is expensive and the authority is looking at other options. 

One of those options is a cement floor. 

The building at Apia Park, which had a small office, was deserted after the 2012 cyclone rippled through it, forcing netball and other sporting bodies to utilise facilities elsewhere.

Inside the building today, it’s filled with rubbish, metal scraps and chairs that were used at the Apia Park. 

“We are looking at a proposal in the supplementary budget to fund it,” Moefa’auouo told the Samoa Observer. 

“The whole structure of the building is still in good condition but we cannot have games there because the cement is rough, the area where you place the netball post is damaged. 

“It (Courts) used to have a wooden floor and quotes to install another wooden floor costs about $1million for that alone which is quite expensive.”

According to Moefa’auouo S.F.F.A had initially made a proposal to fix the courts but “it did not go through the main budget and we are hoping to push for it in supplementary in December.” 

The C.E.O. said he understands the government is prioritising other developments for the country. 

The netball court building was constructed for the South Pacific Games in 2007.

Since the cyclone, netball games have moved to the Food Court area at Tuanaimato and the National University of Samoa gymnasium.

Just down from the Courts are temporary houses used by a Chinese construction company in previous years as a temporary headquarters.

As of today grass has outgrown the houses and are an eyesore.

 Asked about this, Moefa’auouo said the temporary houses were built by S.S.F.A. for the company that came to repair the Apia Park during 2007 games. 

The company had leased the houses for some years before it relocated to its new headquarter at Falelauniu. 

“It belongs to S.S.F.A. not the Chinese,” the C.E.O. explained. 

“It was also damaged during Cyclone Evan. We had looked at moving there but it’s only a temporary house and saw that it’s quite far from here (Tuanaimato) where the facilities are.”    

By Lanuola Tusani Tupufia 14 September 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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