A 10-MILLION baht renovation should turn Karon Stadium into a first-rate international venue for sports of all kinds.
As part of the makeover, light towers are going up so that sports will be able to be played day or night at the stadium, which lies at the southern end of the beach road.
The renovation also involves converting a steep slope on the opposite side to the existing grandstand into a tiered fitness park that will also serve as a place for more spectators to gather.
Work is in progress and should be finished in three months, local authorities say.
One issue that has yet to be resolved is the quality of the playing surface.
Efforts have been made to improve the pitch to make it fit for international competiton.
Most notably, Patong Rotary donated money a couple of years back specifically to have the grassy surface renewed and maintained.
That attempt failed.
While the Phuket International Sixes cricket tournament was held at Karon in April on a dusty playing surface, the Phuket International Rugby 10s switched to play in May at Surakul Stadium, where the grass is greener.
The problem at Karon is simple: locals love their football and play on the stadium surface whenever they can, so the grass does not get a chance to grow.
When Phuketwan visited the stadium yesterday, casual games in the morning were followed by a tuk-tuk drivers' tournament in the afternoon.
The locals would probably appreciate having a decently turfed pitch, too. But they love their football and will keep playing, no matter what.
It will be interesting to see whether an alternative playing area for locals can be found, and whether the Karon Stadium surface can eventually be lifted to international playing quality.
Karon certainly has everything going for it in terms of other attractions: it's closer to the beach for beach cricket and rugby as part of the tournaments.
And the west coast holiday atmosphere is far more enticing than the suburbs of Phuket City.
Will the grass grow in Karon? For now, that's the unanswered question.
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As part of the makeover, light towers are going up so that sports will be able to be played day or night at the stadium, which lies at the southern end of the beach road.
The renovation also involves converting a steep slope on the opposite side to the existing grandstand into a tiered fitness park that will also serve as a place for more spectators to gather.
Work is in progress and should be finished in three months, local authorities say.
One issue that has yet to be resolved is the quality of the playing surface.
Efforts have been made to improve the pitch to make it fit for international competiton.
Most notably, Patong Rotary donated money a couple of years back specifically to have the grassy surface renewed and maintained.
That attempt failed.
While the Phuket International Sixes cricket tournament was held at Karon in April on a dusty playing surface, the Phuket International Rugby 10s switched to play in May at Surakul Stadium, where the grass is greener.
The problem at Karon is simple: locals love their football and play on the stadium surface whenever they can, so the grass does not get a chance to grow.
When Phuketwan visited the stadium yesterday, casual games in the morning were followed by a tuk-tuk drivers' tournament in the afternoon.
The locals would probably appreciate having a decently turfed pitch, too. But they love their football and will keep playing, no matter what.
It will be interesting to see whether an alternative playing area for locals can be found, and whether the Karon Stadium surface can eventually be lifted to international playing quality.
Karon certainly has everything going for it in terms of other attractions: it's closer to the beach for beach cricket and rugby as part of the tournaments.
And the west coast holiday atmosphere is far more enticing than the suburbs of Phuket City.
Will the grass grow in Karon? For now, that's the unanswered question.
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