President Arias, ministers sport leaders and athletes assisted to the act where the first stone was placed. Besides, a cylinder was buried containing “Tico” and Chinese coins, and a copy of the plan.
This will be an important step for sports and Costa Rican society”
said Arias on a speech that inaugurated the beginning of the infrastructure, in La Sabana Metropolitan Park.
The President explained that the National Stadium, besides promoting sports, it will work as shelter in case of a national emergency. It will also work as ideal scenery to develop big cultural activities. The infrastructure will have 35,000 seats and will cost $83 million donated by China.
Cai Lin, the director’s project from the enterprise in charge of the construction, affirmed that the work will be finished and inaugurated in November 2010.
We have to carry out the contract that we signed with the Costa Rican Government and have it done in 23 months. This is a China commitment with the country”, said the director yesterday.
These declarations were given immediately after the placing of the first stone of the building. From last Saturday there was a mobilization of 100,000 m3 to compact the land and lay the foundations.
In the act, The President of the Republic, Oscar Arias; the China Ambassador in Costa Rica, Wang Xiaoyuan; Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias; Health Vice-minister; Osvaldo Pandolfo; Jorge Muñoz, president of the Sports and Recreational Institute and Cai Lin, the director’s project.
With athletes, sports leaders, members of the government, deputies, public, and Chinese workers placed a concrete cylinder under the ground. Previously, newspapers, Costa Rican and Chinese coins, copies of the plans and other artifacts were placed for the future archeologists who will witness part of the history of the activity.
Speeches.
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”, said the president in a colorful speech full of applauses.
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”, added Arias.
On his side, Xiaoyuan said 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. Today, we placed 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.
Courtesy of La Nacion **
