A new football technical facility and playing surface at Greenland Stadium in the British Virgin Islands officially opened on Friday, September 25, with Premier Natalio Wheatley describing it as a landmark moment for the sport in the territory.
Wheatley, speaking remotely from London during constitutional talks with the United Kingdom, credited FIFA and its President Giovanni Infantino with initiating the project seven years earlier. He said the artificial pitch and related infrastructure work represented years of joint effort by the BVIFA, the territorial government, and FIFA.
"These works, together with the continued development of this technical centre and stadium, will create new opportunities for our territory," Wheatley said.
The facility is designed to allow the Virgin Islands to stage more international matches and friendlies, giving local players chances to compete at higher levels and develop their skills. Wheatley also noted that the centre would expand youth coaching programs and encourage young athletes to develop discipline, teamwork, persistence, and a commitment to excellence.
Wheatley drew parallels to other Caribbean athletes who have succeeded internationally in track and field and basketball, arguing that similar pathways could now open for footballers. "With the quality facilities you all are creating, we'll soon be able to say the same for our footballers," he said.
Infantino attended the opening ceremony and cut the ribbon to formally inaugurate the Technical Centre. The project was financed through FIFA Forward grants and made possible by a lease arrangement involving Crown land granted in 2019.
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