The Chief Executive Director, Monimichelle Sports Construction Company, Mr Ebi Egbe Monimichelle has described the newly constructed stadium in Awka Anambra State, as a true definition of a future playing turf in Africa.
Egbe stated this in Awka, over the weekend, during the finals the Governor Chukwuma Soludo Under 17 Championship at the newly built state of the art edifice by Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.
He thanked governor Obiano for ensuring the establishment of the project, noting that it meets required FIFA standard.
He said, “We have to give kudos to His excellency,the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, this is a hybrid-synthetic pitch. It’s not a regular sythetic pitch that players are used to.
“They have gone for the best one anybody can buy in the industry and it is a top notch grass, FIFA quality pro with resilient technology. It has gotten the latest technology for sure power and draining system and also a top-end 21st century performance.
“Also, we have the athletic track which is a full pitch track with a life span of over 20 to 40 years if well maintained.”
Egbe bemoaned the lack of maintenance culture in Nigeria and Africa as a whole, as it affects quality playing turf.
He went further to posit that natural grass turf is not obtainable in Africa because it won’t last the test of time, citing the example of Cameroon that hosted the recently concluded AFCON.
“Like I’ve always told Nigerians and my clients, it’s all about maintenance. If these facilities can be maintained properly, Anambra State won’t worry for a playing turf for a very long time. If you don’t maintain them you can’t get the best from them.
“It has a spring grass system because pitches are not meant to be dry, they are meant to be wet. You will get top notch quality.
“It’s impossible to maintain natural grass pitch in this part of the world because we lack maintenance culture. We try natural grass pitches all over Africa and they all failed us. Typical example is the recently concluded AFCON in Cameroon, they got it all wrong because they went for a natural grass pitch which are not sustainable pitches.
“Africa does not need tournament pitches, Africa needs pitches that outlived tournaments and a future of a playing turf in Africa is what you are looking at here today.
“Once we get this pitch watered, it plays like hybrid-natural and hybrid pitch so this is the future of Africa football becuse we are tired of bad pitches in Africa. They need to start constructing pitches that can outlive the AFCON.”
Egbe roled out the qualities of what they were able to put out in Awka as a first grade hybrid-synthetic pitch that will serve as a true reflection of a good playing turf.
“It’s a first grade of hybrid of course the hybrid pitches are the future of playing turf right now in the world. This is an hybrid-synthetic pitch, its not an hybrid-natural pitch.
“All we need is water to get on the pitch, ones it gets on the pitch all you need is the infuse on the top will go underneath on the ground, then you have a green field to play. The full stability is 100% just like hybrid-natural and hybrid pitch.
“It’s a money play, this stadium might look small but trust me it has one of the best facitlities you might think in the world. The truth of the matter we have banks that fund our projects right now in Nigeria.
“We are on the drive to eradicate bad pitches in Africa and this is the future of playing turf because the maintenance is very key.
We can partner them to give them good playing turf.”
