Courtesy: The AFC.com


Chengdu ceremony poignant for AFC Chief

Wednesday, 21 July 2010

Chengdu, China: It was a poignant moment for AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam as he attended the ground-breaking ceremony of the Chengdu Futsal Park here Wednesday.

Bin Hammam was in Chengdu, which is the capital of Sichuan province, two years back in 2008 when a devastating earthquake struck the region and left behind a trail of disaster and misery.

AFC and its allies collected more than half a million dollars and donated the fund to the Chengdu FA, making possible the dream of a modern futsal park come true.

“This is a touching moment because I was in Chengdu two years back in 2008 when the earthquake struck Sichuan province,” said Bin Hammam on the site of the futsal park. “I remember the trail of disaster left by the earthquake.

“The FA of Chengdu has decided to build a futsal park to commemorate the courageous attitude of the people of Chengdu and AFC has joined the Chengdu FA’s efforts to build this park,” added Bin Hammam.

Chengdu FA General Secretary Gu Jianming thanked AFC for their continuous support.

“The people of Chengdu thank AFC for their continuous support without which this project wouldn’t have been possible,” said Gu. “Now local fans have a place to enjoy football.”

Gu reminisced about the terrifying moment when the quake struck, killing thousands of people while the damage to property ran into millions of dollars.

“We (AFC and Chinese Football Association) experienced the earthquake together…we experienced life and death together. It is unforgettable.

"This ground-breaking ceremony is an announcement that we are ready to move to the next stage of construction."

The futsal park ground was secured after the Chengdu FA signed a deal with the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone Government for a 20-year lease on 26,680 square metres of land.

The Chengdu FA revealed a stunning design for the Park with a horseshoe-shaped pavilion leading out to 12 futsal pitches, 10 of them using artificial turf. The building will also have a gym, restaurant, conference rooms and other facilities.

The Park is expected to open around spring next year and Bin Hammam said he was looking forward to being present at its launch.

“I would like to assure them that they will always have considerate and caring friends and I look forward to coming back here when the futsal park is completed,” said the AFC President.


Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com