Chinese testing soil at new Sir Viv Stadium

ST JOHN’S: Chinese engineers are this week conducting soil-testing on the site where the new stadium to host matches in the ICC World Cup West Indies 2007 will be built, the government said. Sports Minister John Maginley said the five-member team is conducting a comprehensive testing of the soil and its capacity to bear the weight of the envisaged structures.

The Chinese government will be constructing the stadium through a grant of US$20 million that they have made available to the Antigua and Barbuda government. Work is expected to begin in mid-2005 and completed by early 2006. The stadium will have 10,000 permanent seats, but could be expanded to accommodate 25,000. It will bear the name of former West Indies batting great and captain, Sir Vivian Richards.