Once it was a killing field, now a few miles away from this small patch of land near the Rwandan capital Kigali, there are "plans to build a world-class cricket stadium," according to Mark Tran of the London GUARDIAN. The first phase of the stadium supposed is to be completed by April 2014, the "20th anniversary of the killings." It "will replace the ground" the Rwanda Cricket Association has been using since '02 located within the grounds of a college in Kicukiro where the massacre took place. In a rural valley in Masoro, close to Kigali's eastern boundary, "work is due to begin on a cricket ground and a pavilion, sporting a parabolic roof like the curve of a bouncing ball." Tennis courts, a swimming pool, basketball court and gym "will be added later" -- provided the funds come through. Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation Managing Dir Oli Broom "is finalising the purchase" of 2.7 hectares (7 acres) for £135,000 ($210,000) from a local businessman. The stadium project "was the brainchild of Christopher Shale, David Cameron's constituency chairman, who died of a heart attack at the Glastonbury festival at the age of 56" in June '11. Shale founded Project Umubano (meaning "friendship"), which brought Conservative MPs in "to perform volunteering work in Rwanda." The Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation "was established as his legacy, overseen by his sons, Alby and Edo." The foundation counts the British PM, the former Int'l Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell and BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew among its patrons.
(GUARDIAN, 2/15).
TERMINATED: Nigeria's THE GUARDIAN reported the Delta State government has terminated the contract for the Asaba Township Stadium. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan announced that he had "directed that the contract be re-awarded and completed within six months time" (THE GUARDIAN, 2/17).
