Photos by Luis Angel Espinoza
President Arias placed the first stone of the New National Stadium. The Thursday March 12th, in a historical and long-waited official act, the first stone of the New National Stadium was placed. It will be constructed from this date with an investment of the Government of the Popular Republic of China of $83 million.
The President of the Republic, Oscar Arias; the Ambassador of the Popular Republic of China, Wang Xiaoyuan; Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias; Sports Vice-Minister, Osvaldo Pandolfo; and the National Director of the Sports and Recreation Costa Rican Institute (ICODER), Jorge Muñoz, were in charge of the ceremony in the center where the majestic architectural piece of work will be located, in the La Sabana Metropolitan Park.
Joined by a great amount of actual and former sport figures, sport leaders, Government members, deputies, public in general and nearly one hundred of Chinese workers, who came to work on the building; President Arias carried out the ceremony, which consisted in the underground placement of a tile with the written details of the events with a concrete cylinder that guards national newspapers headlines, coins and other things that can serve as archeological witnesses for tomorrow.
Thanks to the huge generosity of the Chinese people, this dream will be possible in a few months. Today we placed the first stone of a stadium proportional to our people’s passion; a stadium that will be the heart of a country, in the middle of the city’s lung. Here, we’ll yell ‘GOAL’ from our seats. Here, we’ll wear the red jersey. Here, we’ll flooded the field at the end of a victory. And we’re not only following soccer events. Many other disciplines will find their home in this stadium, said Arias.
The president added that sports will never feel relegate to uncomfortable and inappropriate spaces because the new property will have a soccer field, a track, offices for 32 sports federations, eight meeting rooms and halls for practices and competitions for disciplines such as ping pong, chess and fencing.
Ambassador Xiaoyuan
Besides, the project includes special salons, one for the historical conservation of the National Stadium and others to host special guests in events like presidential ceremonies, press conferences and art and cultural expositions.
On the other side, the new stadium will work as a sport shelter with a capacity of having 350 people, because of its location. This will help in the programming of the different international competitions and it also will function as a key place in case of national emergencies.
I want to thank the Popular Republic of China, the visitor’s team of this party, for giving us the support and joining us in every step of the road. I want to thank to the Costa Rican team, sports and administrative authorities that have struggle against the wind and the tide for this project be finished on time”, expressed Arias.
Ambassador Xiaoyuan, expressed that President Arias idea of re-building the National Stadium with a non-loan help was
a praiseworthy initiative, because there isn’t better gift as a new stadium for the people who love sharing and sports, and there is no best monument as a stadium to clear the friendship between the Chinese and Costa Rican people.
Xiaoyuan commented that an old Chinese saying prays like this: a building of thousands feet rises from the ground, a march of a thousand starts from the first step. Mister President, today we lay the first stone of the New Stadium and at the same time we placed the foundation of a great building of the Chinese-Costa Rican friendship.
We trust this building will have much more taller stories; for this, it already has a solid foundation and will need the work of both parts, not just politicians, but educators, jurists, artists, industrials, businesspeople; so, all social sectors of our two countries.
Here, I invite all to invest in efforts. Meanwhile, Vice-President Pandolfo said that today begins to materialize a dream that the athletes have had for many years; which is having a scenery that will be the pride of all Costa Ricans and the New National Stadium will be the best in Latin America.
He added that after stepping over many obstacles, the time has arrived to thank hundreds of Costa Ricans who have been identified with this project, to the government of the Popular Republic of China and to the President of the Republic Arias, “for accepting our proposal over the need of a new National Stadium”, which it was planted as a cooperation project during his first visit to China in October 2007.
After the ceremony, Father Leonel Chacon had the blessing of the project on his hands.
Courtesy of ICODER **
