Photo: New stadium in Luang Prabang, Laos
Luang Prabang and Champassak provinces are repairing their football stadiums and other locations required for use during the 25 th SEA Games, to be held in Laos next year.
The Lao National Sports Committee has selected the two provinces to host the football events, and is urging them to have everything ready in time.
Two years ago the sports committee agreed Savannakhet province would stage the men's football matches, because there was a new stadium of the required standard and a seating capacity of 15,000.
The province had earlier hosted the 7 th National Games in 2005.
But it was later realised it would be difficult for spectators to travel to Savannakhet province as transport there was less reliable, according to an official in Vientiane last month.
The committee has since agreed to stage the matches in Champassak province, because of its better transport, including a larger airport.
Champassak has been allocated more than 7 billion kip for stadium improvements, to bring seating capacity up to 13,000. Work began in February in 2007 and is slated for completion in September.
The province will also host the 8 th National Games in December.
The committee will also grant more than 26 billion kip (US$30 million) to Luang Prabang province to repair the old football stadium, and will build new football training fields to be used for the SEA Games' women's football matches.
This work will begin in June and expand seating in the stadium to a capacity of 10,000. The stadium was originally built in 1996 for the 5 th National Games.
Luang Prabang is still awaiting 7 billion kip from the government to improve a 4.5km road around the stadium, and provide adequate transport for visitors to the city during the football events.
“We have received about 5 billion kip for road repairs from the Thai government,” said the Director of the Public Works and Transport Division, Mr Fasananh Thammavong.
Most of the construction is in the vicinity of Phousy market and is taking place from March to August.
There are plenty of parking spaces nearby, on a piece of land 1km long and 400m wide.
The airport, which was renovated in 2000, is expected to be able to cope with the increased passenger load.
“We received more than 55 billion kip from the Thai government to renovate the old airport,” said Mr Fasananh.
Source: Vientianetimes
