Sports Council Moves In After Progresso FC Exposes Stadium Conditions

Earlier this week, Progresso FC went public with concerns over the condition of the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk, pointing to broken changing rooms, no working bathrooms or showers, and players often forced to prepare for major matches without proper facilities. The post quickly went viral, and within days, action followed. The Belize Sports Council sent contractors to the stadium, and work began almost immediately on repairs, including benches, plumbing, and shower installations, upgrades that had reportedly been delayed for over four years. But while improvements are now underway, the club says it should not have taken a viral post to get results, and they insist there is still much more work to be done.

 

Mark Novelo, Assistant Manager, Progresso FC

“The main thing to highlight is I guess it has a lot to do with professionalism, the boost it has for players. Because we’re playing at a level where if you were to compare any other country, every team has a usable changing room. I think it really helps with the mentality of the players. I can imagine there’s a lot of other benefits when it comes to it. The way it looks to be called to be playing on such a high standard and having to stand outside and getting the lectures by the coach on the field doesn’t really look professional. Especially when you compare going to any other district, they at least have a change room. Right now since we didn’t have any facility to use, they will probably have to borrow somebody’s bike to go use the bathroom at the clubhouse or have to borrow a vehicle, ask for a drop or find a bush. Belize Sports Council has reached out, and this week they’ve sent multiple men/workers right now, and they’re doing anything possible right now to at least have a usable home team changing room. One thing I am pleading for a lot of the community to reach out. If there’s anything that they can give; it will make up to fix up, even if work will go towards the changing room, the referee room, the fence of the stadium itself, the bleachers. There’s a lot of things that needs to be fixed at the people’s stadium.”

 

Novelo thanked those who’ve already stepped up while urging more hands to join in so the stadium can finally meet the standard players deserve.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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