Sporting Facilities

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Sporting facilities in Vanuatu

All countries rely on modern sporting facilities in providing their athletes with spaces in which they can thrive. Vanuatu is no different, as it is home to quite a range of facilities geared towards the betterment of the sports industry. These facilities are a result of the National Sports Council Act, whose approval took place in 1990. This Act allowed the establishment of the Vanuatu National Sports Commission, which manages sporting facilities. Council members sitting in this commission get approval from the Minister of Sports. The facilities are as follows:

  • Football icon

    Korman Stadium

    This stadium is located in Port Vila and is the national stadium and home to the national football team. It has a capacity of up to 6,500 people. The naming of this stadium was in honor of the Vanuatu Republican Party's head, Maxime Carlot Korman. The Vanuatu national football team plays here on its home games. It falls under the OFC confederation and has an association with the Vanuatu Football Federation. Its head coach and captain are Paul Munster and Jason Thomas, respectively. Some of its best players include Etienne Mermer and Richard Iwai. It currently ranks 163rd in FIFA rankings. Amicale F.C., also known as Digicel Amicale FC, played in this stadium. This association football club had quite a rich history, having come to be in 1929. The team did well, playing in continental OFC Champions League tournaments as well as the Premia Divisen. It disbanded in 2019.

  • Cricket icon

    Independence Park, Port Vila

    This cricket ground has hosted several matches, among them the 2019 ICC Women’s Qualifier EAP.
    Uplift: This park has also undergone some changes in recent years, most notably the repair and upgrade of the Independence Grandstand. Following an award of a contract to Island Constructions Limited, repairs and upgrades on the park took place in preparation for the 2020 Independence Anniversary. The country was marking 40 years of independence, and the operations on the park amounted to Vt61 million. The plan was to redevelop the grandstand, which was historical, to show how significant the fortieth anniversary was. The works involved repairs to seating spaces, footings, connections, roof sheetings, and the rest. Additionally, it extended to the construction of two new seating wings that matched the existing layouts and materials. Temporary grandstands were also added to the park to increase the seating capacity to 2,000 seats. Given the historic nature of the site, the government could only make changes to the grandstand. The park now has a facelift that is sure to wow cricket fans in the matches that follow.

  • Football icon

    Lamenu Stadium

    This multi-purpose stadium lies in Tanna Island in Vanuatu, under the Vanuatu Football Federation. It has a grass surface, making it ideal for football matches. Joel Stephen heads the Center of Excellence football program at this sports venue, which features U-15 players. Many events have taken place in this stadium, including a 'Respect Festival,' Vanuatu Cricket Outreach Programme, and the 2017 TVL Cup Final.
    Facelift: The stadium underwent some changes in 2018, courtesy of the Australia-Vanuatu TC Pam Recovery Program. Under the signing, reconstruction of the Public Works Department mechanical workshop and roofing of the Lamenu Stadium was to take place, giving the stadium an updated look. The works were necessary following severe damages after the TC Pam in 2015, costing about Vt50 million. Vanuatu national under-23 football team is playing their official matches there.

    Football icon

    Luganville Soccer Stadium

    The TVL league relies on this stadium as their main playing grounds. It also hosts the Northern Region Football Academy, which is the most recent FIFA Goal Project. It was formerly known as Chapuis Stadium before its renaming in 2013. Since then, it has hosted several events, including the 2016 Vanuatu National Games.
    Repairs After Tropical cyclone Harold, the stadium underwent some extensive damages in the tunes of Vt13 million. The grounds thus have to undergo some works before it can host more events.

    Vanuatu football

    Port Vila Municipal Stadium

    This sports stadium is the home to Port Vila Football Association’s TVL League and features a capacity of 10,000. The government is always hard at work, upping the facilities in these sporting venues to make them even more suitable for players and fans. Other changes are expected in the future, owing to more partnerships with stakeholders in the sporting sectors.

Korman Stadium Independence park Korman Bleachers Track Port Villa Municipal Stadium