Major renovation works on two Fiji Sports Council facilities- the Damodar City Aquatic Centre and the National Hockey Centre, will commence on April 25, 2022, and both venues will remain closed to all members of the public for the next 15 months.
According to a statement by the Fiji Sports Council, this follows two years of continuous interruptions and a result of restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The venues were initially scheduled to close for renovation works end of March. Works on both venues will proceed simultaneously.
“The change in date is attributed to delays in shipping schedules and other logistics beyond the Council’s control. The Council is, however, very relieved that this rehabilitation project will begin soon and our patrons will benefit from hosting their events and participating in competitions in improved venues,” Fiji Sports Council chief operations officer, Ashni Sharma, said.
Sharma said that the Council is indebted to the government of the People’s Republic of China for funding the long-awaited capital project renovations. Both venues were gifted to Fiji by the Chinese government for the 2003 South Pacific Games.
The four-member project team from China arrived into Fiji last week and has successfully completed the mandatory three-day quarantine.
“We are pleased to have the expertise of the technical team, and encouraged by the long-term outlook that our patrons and members of the public will eventually receive, utilize, and enjoy much improved facilities for hockey and swimming,” Sharma said.
