Gone are the days when sunset used to bring all sporting activities to a halt in Samtse. The much-anticipated installation of floodlights at the Samtse Artificial-Turf Football ground is finally complete. Besides providing the luxury of enjoying football matches at night, the floodlight facility is expected to give new lease of life to the growth of football in the district. The floodlight facility was inaugurated yesterday.
Thanks to the four floodlight towers installed by the Bhutan Football Federation, football lovers in Samtse can now play at night under floodlights.
According to the caretaker of the football ground, within no time the grounds got booked yesterday and for the upcoming days.
The new facility is not only expected to host more games and help engage office-goers in the evening but will also assist in the growth of football in Samtse.
“It is very difficult to play during the daytime as it is very hot. Now that we have the floodlight facility, we are extremely happy. It is much better when we play in the evening, we don’t get tired easily and enjoy the game as well,” said Kinley Wangchu, a resident.
“Since we are located at the southern foothills, it is very challenging to play football during the afternoon hours. But now we have the luxury to play during the evening hours,” said Tashi Tenzin, another resident.
The Samtse Sports Association will charge Nu 3,500 a match during the weekdays and Nu 4,500 during the weekends for matches under floodlights.
Works to install floodlights at the Samtse Artificial-Turf Football ground began last year. The Bhutan Football Federation spent about Nu 6.6 M on the project.
Passang Dorji, Samtse
