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The Johan Cruyff Foundation, in cooperation with the Signify company of the Netherlands,will donate the lights for the Cruyff Court on Saba, announced Saba Commissioner of Sports Rolando Wilson on Sunday, December 16.
Signify, formerly Philips Lighting, will provide brand new LED floodlights at the Cruyff Court. The LED lights will give a huge impulse to the use of the
Cruyff Court by the local community, with low maintenance costs. Signify will also provide a supplier for the light masts.
The Cruyff Court in The Bottom currently has no lights. This makes it impossible to make use of the field in the evening hours, which is deemed a pity since there is much enthusiasm for sports and the health benefits are significant.
Commissioner Wilson explained that when Dutch State Secretary of public Health, Well being and Sports Paul Blokhuis was on Saba in June this year, he visited several locations, including the Cruyff Court.
Wilson pointed out that while the Cruyff Court on Saba is one of the largest that the Johan Cruyff Foundation has constructed throughout the Netherlands, Spain and in several other countries and islands in the world, it has no lights. Wilson presented a project to the state secretary for the lighting and the underground electricity cables.
The Cruyff Court is well-used. A few times per week, children of Child Focus are playing soccer, but often also students and occasionally adults. Sometimes there is baseball and track and field. But the schools also use it for sports days and the various organizations like to use it for family fun days.
“I explained to the state secretary that different activities are taking place and that it is a pity that they have to stop when the sun goes down, whereas if there were lights, they could continue to play an hour or two. With a light system in place, the schools and the different groups in the community can make use of the field in the evening hours. We can also have competitions with the other islands in the evening, which provides a positive boost,” stated Wilson.
The Commissioner said that construction of the bleachers has just been completed and that the fencing will also be redone. Stating that he was “very happy” with the “good news” from the Johan Cruyff Foundation and Signify, Wilson thanked the foundation, Signify and State Secretary Blokhuis for their cooperation. He mentioned the good work of the Saba Sports Federation and the new sports miss Joelyn Robinson for initiating different sports projects.
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