The mayor of the city, José Manuel Bermúdez, along with the Sports councilors, Alicia Cebrián, as well as Works and Infrastructure councilor, Javier Rivero, and Health-La Salle district representative, Zaida González, participated in the reopening of the capital’s Juan Santamaría football field this afternoon, in the presence of members of the 3 football clubs that utilise the facility – Esférico Football Club, Club Duggi Tenerife, and CD Tranvía, catering to a total of approximately 500 young individuals.
Also present at the reopening ceremony was the Cabildo’s Sports Minister, Yolanda Moliné, as this renovation, which cost a total of 1,573,381.24 euros, is part of the subsidy provided by the island institution for the enhancement of the Juan Santamaría, El Tablero, and García Escámez soccer fields.
José Manuel Bermúdez expressed, “It has been a journey that has led us here, but it has been worthwhile. Today, we welcome over 500 boys and girls to engage in sports at Juan Santamaría. They are the stars today and always, the beneficiaries of this investment of over one and a half million euros, all to ensure they can safely play football under the best conditions possible.”
The municipal councillor noted, “It is a commitment of our governing team, a pledge we have been fulfilling since the previous term, through a strategy to promote sports activities in Santa Cruz. This is fundamental to encourage more of the populace to partake in physical activities outdoors and uphold healthy lifestyle practices.”
Bermúdez elucidated, “The renovations at the Juan Santamaría soccer field are part of the initiative to revive and enhance sports amenities within the municipality,” expressing gratitude for the collaboration across various departments that worked closely to complete the project. He attributed the accomplishment to the efforts of the Infrastructure, Sports, Health-La Salle district, municipal technicians, and the company responsible for the refurbishment. He specifically thanked the Esférico, Duggi, and Tranvía clubs for their patience and expressed hope that they will derive joy from the revamped field for many years to come.”
On her part, Alicia Cebrián, the Sports Councilor, emphasised, “Inaugurating a municipal facility is always significant for Santa Cruz, even more so when it is a sports facility, as it provides citizens with the opportunity to enhance health and quality of life by offering a new space for physical exercise and sports activities.”
The Santacrucera councillor stated, “When a sports facility primarily focuses on grassroots sports, as in this instance, it becomes all the more significant, as it’s crucial to instil this essential activity from a young age.” She further added, “Sport contributes greatly to the physical, cognitive, and social development of children and youth, which is why the City Council is dedicated to establishing new municipal sports venues and enhancing existing ones.”
“Today, we celebrate the inauguration of the revamped Juan Santamaría football field, and on behalf of the Sports Service of the City Council, we extend our gratitude to everyone – the clubs, players, and parents, for their patience during the months of construction. We also appreciate their adaptability in continuing training at other facilities, ensuring that players can continue their sports activities without interruption,” Cebrián expressed.
Finally, Javier Rivero, the Works and Infrastructure Councilor, remarked, “The renovation work has completely revitalised facilities that were over 30 years old, transforming a dirt field into one with artificial grass. The overall degradation necessitated comprehensive restoration, requiring an investment exceeding one and a half million euros.”
Rivero highlighted that “this endeavour is part of a broader project encompassing six municipally-owned soccer fields, including those at Las Delicias and La Salud, currently under construction, and fields at García Escámez, The Gladiolos, and The Board. Furthermore, we have secured European funding for energy efficiency projects in 15 fields, enabling the installation of hot water systems or shaded areas.”
The Santa Cruz councillor concluded that “in summary, our efforts are directed towards enhancing Santa Cruz as a superior city. In this case, we focus on creating better sports facilities for the youth, who represent our future and the future of sports in the town.”
The project involved upgrading the turf, swapping the existing floodlights with LEDs, enhancing the illumination of the stands, and setting up a new watering system. Furthermore, the height of the end barriers was increased, along with revamping the field’s perimeter area, adding equipment and flags, waterproofing the pitch, and implementing a rainwater harvesting system. New equipment storage rooms were established for the clubs training at the aforementioned Santa Cruz venue, in addition to refurbishment, deep cleaning, and enhancing the accessibility of the stands.
