The Minister of Youth and Sports, Bakary Y. Badjie, has voiced his satisfaction with the progress of renovation work at the Independence Stadium.
After touring the site and participating in a technical meeting, the Minister acknowledged that while the project has faced some delays, the work is moving forward with critical areas being prioritized for completion.
The minister stated that a new timeline has been agreed upon with contractors and emphasized the importance of completing the renovation.
He addressed concerns about the media tribune, clarifying that experts had assessed the non-flat surface, and the design of the new seats would reflect the stadium’s renovation-specific conditions, rather than those of a newly built venue.
Minister Badjie also highlighted the financial strain caused by the national football team (Scorpions) playing international games abroad, noting the additional costs and lost revenue from not hosting home games.
He expressed optimism about completing the stadium soon, to reduce these costs and bring games back to The Gambia.