Africa-Press – Mauritius. The football pitch, part of the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex, will be assessed in late November according to the requirements of the FIFA Quality Programme for football turf. The FIFA Quality Pro field certification is awarded to pitches that meet the criteria for international professional-level football competitions.
The Chief Operating Officer of the Mauritius Multipurpose Infrastructure Limited, Mr Ben Hiddlestone, stated, today, at a training session of the Liverpool Football Club International Academy (LFCIA) Mauritius, in Côte d’Or, that the certification will enable the Complex to host professional football matches and is another endeavour to enable local sportsperson to enjoy world class facilities.
Currently, informed Mr Hiddlestone, training for the LFCIA Mauritius is being carried out in batches of 50 players, under strict conditions and with minimal contact. Full training with batches of 70 to 80 youngsters will resume on 18 October 2021, he added.
It is recalled that the Côte d’Or National Sports Complex also comprises a High-Performance Centre to, among others, support top senior and junior athletes to improve their performance through strengthening, conditioning and physiological assessments, using state-of-the-art equipment and with the assistance of experts.
The young players of the LFCIA Mauritius, who are back on the field of Côte d’Or National Sports Complex after the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions for their training schedule, are participating in the strength and conditioning programmes developed in collaboration with the technical experts of the High-Performance Centre. The Head Coach of LFCIA Mauritius, Mr Neil Murphy, pointed out that the collaboration benefits the young players. The strength and conditioning programmes are currently running twice a month, but will be brought to a weekly session, he said.
Some 275 young players, including 40 girls, are being trained with the LFCIA. They are coached by 25 Mauritians, among whom three women. During the lockdown, explained the Head Coach, players were provided with training schedule to be completed once a week so that they keep fit and healthy. Mr Murphy affirmed that since training has started, it is taking place within the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s protocols and guidelines regarding Covid-19.
