Gabon: Stadium opens ahead of Nations Cup
President Ali Bongo Ondimba, officially opened the Stade de l’Amitié, also known as the ‘friendship stadium’ on Sunday 27th November in the presence of the Chinese Ambassador, Mrs Li Fushun.
The stadium has a 320metre long metal arch structure, the largest in Africa, built to represent the friendship that has been established between Gabon and China, whilst also representing the partnership that has been present between the two countries, since their diplomatic relations began in 1974.
With more than 600 Chinese workers to build this 40,000 seat stadium, it took 22 months to complete, and includes everything necessary to make it a place where young Gabonese people will be able to develop their sporting skills, including facilities for track events, long jump, triple jump, basketball, volleyball, handball and tennis.
In order for the stadium to host the final of African Cup of Nations in January 2012, two competition stadiums, six training stadiums, a sports complex, six residential complexes, two hotels for the press and three hotels for guests have been built or renovated in Libreville and the second Gabonese city, Franceville, with a total of 6,500 rooms and 2,400 rooms in private houses being built.
The African cup of Nations Organising Committee is finalising workflow plans, whilst construction work is ending. New turf is to be laid in the stadium to ensure it will be ready for the start of the competition, whilst interchanges for traffic flow improvements in Libreville are due to finish in December.
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