TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
MAPUSA:: The second phase of laying the artificial turf at Duler Stadium has been completed and it is now ready for the first quality tests to be carried out by FIFA inspectors, who are due to arrive in Goa, on June 7.
After laying approximately 1,000 cubic square metres of soil, the drainage sub-system were laid and then 1,500 cubic square metres of metal stone was emptied and levelled on the ground.
“We have done our checks and are ready for the visit. If there are any minor areas to tweak, it will be spelt out by the inspectors and we will happily oblige,” remarked the contractor Deepak Khanolkar.
With the monsoon rains set to kick in soon, Deepak is not losing any sleep as the drainage is already laid and should not harm the work done. There are nine drains on each goal line and four have been laid on each touch line. There are also safety channels for extra protection, around the stadium.
Once the FIFA inspectors give the clearance, it will take a further week to lay the FIFA two-star rank turf. This is when a little sunshine is needed in order for the turf to glue to the surface, which is valued at close to Rs. five crore and comes with an eight-year warranty.
The turf has already arrived from the Netherlands and is awaiting the necessary clearance at Mumbai, which should not take long. FIFA have set a deadline of June 30 and Duler ground should be ready much before that. The turf will be rolled one last time on Tuesday morning in preparation for the FIFA visit.
Deepak is looking forward to visiting the stadium after it is completed. “When these turfs are created, it is like giving birth to a child, you want to make sure it is nurtured properly and want to see it grow,” added Deepak.