ST KITTS AND NEVIS KICKS OFF PLANS TO DEVELOP FUTSAL FIELD

Basseterre, St. Kitts, June 10, 2021 (SKNIS): The unveiling of a billboard on Thursday, June 10, 2021, marked the future home of Futsal in St. Kitts and Nevis as the Ministry of Sports continues its community concept in sports to promote active recreation throughout St. Kitts and Nevis.

Futsal is a FIFA recognised form of a small-sided indoor football game. It is played on a hard court, smaller than a football pitch and features two teams with five players-a-side on the field.

Minister of Sports, the Honourable Jonel Powell, along with his Permanent Secretary Valencia Syder, Director of Sports, Charles Morton, and community residents participated in a brief ceremony for the Shadwell/Pine Gardens Futsal Field located in Pine Gardens.

Director Morton noted that the Ministry and the Department of Sports embrace the obligation to comprehensively engage youth through sporting interventions. As such, the government is committed to establishing active community spaces across St. Kitts and Nevis.

“This Futsal will provide an athletic outlet for the Pine Gardens and Shadwell communities, and it will serve as a resource for the general area,” he said. “Ideally, the Ministry of Sports hopes that this space will serve as a gathering point where residents can learn about physical fitness, sportsmanship, healthy lifestyles, and overall wellness.”

He added that as a result of the positive engagements there should be increased youth advocacy, teamwork, and peace-building capacity.

Minister of Sports Powell said the Futsal Field, which will be the first of its kind in the Federation and other neighbouring countries, will serve to advance the technical skills of local football players.

He expressed that the only Futsal facility in the sub-region recognized by FIFA is located in Trinidad and Tobago. The plans to develop a facility here has generated interest further afield.

“I have already begun discussions with relevant international bodies who have shown significant interest in providing financial and technical assistance in developing this particular facility,” Honourable Powell stated.

The design of the Futsal Field, followed by the groundbreaking, will take place in the near future.