Sports

As the Chinese contractor braces up to complete construction works on the Bafoussam stadium, the edifice may still need to wait for some time before swinging into full use owing to other facilities that are still lacking. This is so as the contract government signed with China Machinery Engineering Corporation was solely for the erection of the stadium. The stadium for now doesn’t have water and electricity. This is government’s responsibility. And without this, the stadium cannot function. While government still reflects on how to supply these indispensable facilities, it would be worthwhile to understand that the quality of infrastructure in the stadium will require hefty energy supply. For instance, the four steel structure lamp towers with 69 lamps and 13 emergency lamps to provide enough illumination will require good quantity and quality energy supply to function at optimum. 

Meanwhile, water is needed there in abundance to keep the turf ever fresh. The ongoing rainy season is providing moisture for the grass seeds to germinate and grow but inbuilt water will be needed when the rains go to water the grass to maturity and to keep the 24 automatic sprinklers with 20.1m spray radius working when need be. The outdoor works still wanting in the stadium include the construction of a tickets office, parking ground, fence wall, training ground and tennis and basketball playgrounds. Officials of China Machinery Engineering Corporation say the outfit has made proposals to government on how to go about the yet-to-be contracted outdoor works.

According to the Governor of the West Region, Awa Fonka Augustine, who is also the Chairman of the Regional Follow up Committee of the stadium’s construction works, government is conscious of what is supposed to be done and is leaving nothing to chance. “The games cannot take place there in that state and government cannot come up with such a jewel and make it impossible for people to have access to it. That requires a different contract all together. That will be done. It’s just a question of time. It’s in government’s plan and we have already mentioned to hierarchy to look into that,” he told Cameroon Tribune. He noted that government has to work on the packing space around as well as access into the stadium.

Governor Awa Fonka Augustine disclosed that there is also the construction of a referral hospital in view in that zone alongside low-cost housing which both require good access road into that zone. “Today, it is a whole package because originally, it was only a question of the stadium but government felt that you cannot build a stadium and allow it isolated. In the case of any injuries in the pitch, we need a hospital nearby and with the hospital you don’t keep the nurses and the doctors far away. For that to be complete, we need water, electricity and access road. All of these fall within the urgent programmes of the State,” he said.

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Ngwa Bertrand

15.Oct.2015

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The 15th edition of the cycling race christened Grand Prix International Chantal Biya will kick off today in Douala with some 13 teams from Europe and Africa taking part. The race to run up to Sunday October 18 will begin with a prologue along the major alleys of the economic capital over a distance of two kilometers. Tomorrow, there will be the criterium which will take off from the annex of the reunification stadium in Douala and back passing through the University of Douala, the Ndokoti junction and BP Cité covering a distance of 7.2 km to be done fifteen times by every cyclist before the race Caravan moves over to Yaounde.

While the prologue and criteria will be taking place, the Douala city dwellers will be treated to diverse forms of cultural animation at the Velo village erected specially for the occasion. On Friday, October 16th, the first lap of the race will take place between Yaounde to Ebolowa while the second lap will be between Zoetele and Meyomessala passing through Sangmelima on October 17th. The last lap will be between Samgmelima and Yaounde on October 18th. 

Meanwhile Egypt has announced its withdrawal from the competition and almost immediately, Burkina Faso declared their intention to compete in the race maintaining the number of participating teams at 13. The others are France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire as well as Cameroon with two teams. The Cameroonian athletes are; Tekou Damien, Mbah Hervé Raoul, Guewa Clovis, Tella Arthuce, Lontsi Yannick , Yemeli Herman, Ngeh Kwefi , Kamzong Abossolo Clovis, Nguimkeng Franklin , Fozing Robert, Simo Sando Dieunedort and Nzeke Géremie Francis. Yesterday, the president of the federation granted the last press conference prior to the kick off of the event.

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Ngwa Bertrand

14.Oct.2015

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President Paul Biya as usual has intervened to end the crisis created at Hotel Mont Febe by the Cameroon female basketball team over unpaid bonuses. The players who blatantly refused to leave the hotel until their participation fees for the just ended African Cup of Nation Basketball tournament were paid, have now received 15 million francs CFA each. A sister publication Cameroun-info.net reported earlier today that the CPDM National Chairman and Head of State gave standing orders to Prime Minister Yang Philemon to make the disbursements. 

Correspondingly, Philemon Yang summoned the ministers of Finance and Sports and Physical Education and gave directives for the implementation of the presidential instruction. This was the chain of events before the money got to the players who were still at the hotel after the departures of Ramses Lonlack and Miesha Blackshear- both playing their basketball in the USA. The girls had initially refused to accept the two million and then five million CFA francs offered them by officials of the Ministry of Sports and the Cameroon Basketball Federation.

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Ngwa Bertrand

14.Oct.2015

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Vladimir Putin was in the firing line after Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix. The Brit took a huge step towards retaining his Formula 1 world championship with victory in Russia - and celebrated by dousing Putin with champagne as if he was told to do so by David Cameron over Syria policy. Putin beat a hasty retreat after being showered, while Hamilton was snapped with a host of Russian grid girls after his success in Sochi. 

Despite Nico Rosberg having to retire early in the race, a great result for Hamilton, the Brit's win was enough to secure the constructors' title for Mercedes. Kimi Raikkonen was handed a 30-second penalty after crashing into Valtterie Bottas, meaning he was demoted from fifth to eighth, mathematically ruling Ferrari out of the title race. Hamilton's day was not without some drama itself, over fears his rear wing could snap. "There was a bit of rear wing instability and it was a little worrying but in the end it turned out ok," said boss Toto Wolff. His victory leaves him 66 points clear of team-mate and title rival Rosberg with only four races remaining. Will Hamilton win the title before the last race of the season?

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Ngwa Bertrand

12.Oct.2015

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