Track and field events unaffected by repairs at Stadium
Published:Sunday | January 26, 2025 | 12:09 AMGregory Bryce/Staff Reporter
General Manager of Independence Park Limited (IPL) Major Desmon Brown says repairs at the National Stadium are on schedule despite being unable to host the Reggae Boyz international friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago at the venue in the upcoming weeks.
The Reggae Boyz are set to face the twin-island republic in a pair of friendlies at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in St James and the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex in St Andrew on February 6 and 9.
Brown explained that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) had approached the IPL regarding the use of the National Stadium for one of the friendlies. However, the request had to be turned down as the venue would not be ready to meet the fixture’s demands.
The IPL general manager stated that the JFF’s request had come after the IPL had already confirmed their 2025 calendar of events, which meant the upcoming friendlies were not factored into the time they would need to do their repairs.
“The JFF had scheduled an event, the Trinidad friendlies, that we did not have on our calendar originally. It is something that they wanted to do but we were not able to meet that,” Brown told The Gleaner.
He, however, insisted the IPL is on schedule to meet the demands for the Reggae Boyz March fixtures, a two-legged tie against St Vincent and the Grenadines in the Concacaf Gold Cup preliminaries.
“We told them that we are on schedule to meet all the others starting in March,” he said. “I do not think people are aware but at this time of the year, grass grows very slowly because of the temperatures at night so it doesn’t recover as quickly but we will be ready for March.”
Brown also stated that the IPL is also doing annual repairs to the track. These repairs are being done by its installers, the German company BSW Regupol.
“The majority of the repairs you see here today are a part of our annual maintenance programme. We have an arrangement with BSW, the track installer, that they come every year just before the start of the track season to do the repairs,” he explained.
Brown said their annual arrangement with BSW Regupol ensures that IPL is able to provide the best quality surface for Jamaica’s athletes over a long period of time.
“We chose this type of track which is the kind of track that allows you to do repairs. That means it can last longer and we’ve been repairing mainly the start and other areas in the middle.
“For us, it gives us more value for money because it lasts longer and when you have to take up the track, it destroys the base and that’s a very expensive base,” he said.
Brown stated that all track and field events which are scheduled for the National Stadium will be unaffected by their repairs and maintenance work.