Army Corps Renovates Basrah Sports Club

Multi-National Force - Iraq ^ | A. Al Bahrani

[SandRat]

Local Iraqis play a game of volleyball at the new rubberized outdoor volleyball court at Shatt Al Arab sports club. USACE photo by A. Al Bahrani.

BASRAH — “Shatt Al Arab sports club was a really unusable building, all the walls and ceilings were in very bad condition, but now everything looks new thanks to the U.S. Army Engineers’ efforts,” said Lateef Khalf, the sports club administrator. The Gulf Region Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Iraq, recently invested $300,000 to reconstruct the four-decade-old facility.

Khalf said the renovated facility provides a place for about 750 members – providing an opportunity for neighborhood residents of different ages to work out and enjoy an array of sports training.

“It’s great to see all these young Iraqis spend part of their time in sport activities and develop their sports abilities through this sports club,” said Khalf. “We hope to make this club training grounds for many Iraqi Olympians in the future.”

James Mills, the Basrah Area Office resident engineer who oversaw the project for the Gulf Region South district, said the renovated sports club offers many amenities.

“The rehabilitation work included a new rubberized outdoor surface, new bleachers, new stadium lights, sun shade, new locker rooms, showers and two restrooms,” said Mills.

Mills also said the facility provides the citizens of Basrah a modern stadium to host and watch sporting events like soccer, basketball, volleyball and Tae Kwon Do, as well as other sports.

The project renovation began in September 2008, and was completed in April.

At the peak of construction, the project renovation provided jobs for about 50 local workers a day.

The Basrah Area Office is currently managing an additional 19 projects worth approximately $110 million.

[SandRat]

FR WAR NEWS!
If you would like to be added to / removed from FRWN,
please FReepmail Sandrat.

WARNING: FRWN can be an EXTREMELY HIGH-VOLUME PING LIST!!