UEFA maintained that the Wembley Stadium pitch "is fit for purpose" for Tottenham’s Champions League clash against Inter Milan on Wednesday, although sources said that it is "disappointed in the appearance of the worn-out turf." The Group B clash will be the seventh event on the pitch in "just over four weeks." UEFA "is not happy with the aesthetics of the pitch, which has visible bumps and patches of mud." However, a spokesperson said, "The playability of the Champions League match Tottenham-Inter is not compromised" (REUTERS, 11/26).
Chengdu, China, will construct a new sports center containing a 60,000-capacity football stadium and other sports arenas by '22. The Chengdu Fenghuang Mountain Sports Center will be located in the northern part of the Jinniu District. In addition to the professional football stadium, the center will include an 18,000-seat NBA-standard multi-functional stadium (YUTANG SPORTS, 11/23).
Horse Racing Ireland’s CEO said that the organization is committed to delivering a new Curragh racecourse and will "commit to what needs to be done" to achieve that. The completion date for the biggest racecourse redevelopment in Irish racing history "has been pushed back to February" amid suggestions the project’s final cost could eventually approach €80M ($91M). When the redevelopment was launched in '15, investment of €65M was outlined (IRISH TIMES, 11/25).
An "esports town" complex opened in Hangzhou, China, and will host the esports venue for Chinese organization LGD Gaming. According to a report by the Chinese government-run website People.cn, the esports town will be operated by the Hangzhou city government. It opened Nov. 16 and features a 39.4-million-square-foot space that took 2B yuan ($288M) to build (FOX SPORTS, 11/23).
The NBA opened a new elite basketball training center in Saly, Senegal. The facility, which includes two indoor courts, a multi-dimensional activity center, a weight room, conference rooms as well as dormitories and educational facilities, will be the primary training location for NBA Academy Africa prospects. The facility features an eco-friendly structure that uses safe, durable and repurposed shipping containers (NBA).
