FIFA UPDATE


On one visit I was very surprised to see drain tracks being dug by hand and the soil being


”


removed in baskets without any mechanical machinery at all


Local contractors dig drains out by hand


taken to a new level. The pitch team will have to get used to dealing with stray animals, such as cows which are sacred in India. On one visit I was very surprised to see drain tracks being dug by hand and the soil being removed in baskets without any mechanical machinery at all. One of the objectives is to help local labour by encouraging contractors to provide them with up-to-date equipment.”


Training site in Navi Mumbai


The COVID-19 outbreak affects different


” countries in different


ways. Whilst Panama is under virtual lockdown, things in Costa Rica are a bit more relaxed. Contractors can still work under guidelines


Morerra Soto stadium in San Jose Costa Rica - WU20 Group Games 56 PC June/July 2020


In similar circumstances to the finals in India, the tournament in Panama and Costa Rica will also benefit from having extra preparation time. Since qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, there has been a great desire in Panama to use that success as a catalyst to improve their football infrastructure. This has included major works at training grounds and stadiums which, despite the initial delay, will give them more time to complete building projects. The tournament will be played in two cities, San Jose in Costa Rica and Panama City in Panama. Three stadiums and ten training sites across the two countries will host the


thirty-two-game programme, with key staff from both host country Football Associations already seconded to the LOC and plans at an advanced stage.


With the new dates, the U-20 finals and U- 17 finals will be played back to back, but Alan is confident the pitch team has the adequate experience and resources to facilitate them in such a short space of time. He explained: “The COVID-19 outbreak affects different countries in different ways. Whilst Panama is under virtual lockdown, things in Costa Rica are a bit more relaxed. Contractors can still work under guidelines and, with the help of modern technology, myself and Andy Cole from iTurf can maintain regular dialogue with the grounds teams. The GrasPro data collection system has really come into its own during the current restrictions because grounds teams working on the respective tournaments can load the operational data to the site, which enables myself and the iTurf team to track the progress of the pitches. So, even though we can’t be there in person for a prolonged


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