LAUNCH . Patches to the rubber of the lanes to cover the holes of a circuit where the signs of wear and lack of maintenance are now evident: it is the Orecchioni athletics track which in recent days hosted the “Saetta frentana” competitions, an athletics sporting event event dedicated to sprint running and to middle schools in Lanciano and the surrounding area, organized by Asd Nuova Atletica Lanciano. The boys and girls who battled in the race noticed the conditions of the worn track in several places, with cracks where the starting blocks once were and especially between lanes 6 and 7, and with lane 8 which it is sloping because the screed has fallen. Then there are the patches to the tires made to prevent falls, given that there are even holes. And it’s no better for rusty changing room and gym doors and in some cases even without handles.
“The plant needs urgent interventions that we have been asking for years now,” he says Simone Bomba, president of Nuova Atletica, «a facility that we are envied in the area, designed for athletics, but where maintenance has never been carried out. The signs can all be seen and if previously maintenance of the tires was enough, now an extraordinary intervention is also needed on the screed and the cost is obviously considerable. But it is a facility that in addition to athletics, and we have been in the area for 40 years, is also used by schools and ordinary citizens.”
«600-700 thousand euros would be needed for an extraordinary maintenance intervention», replies the councilor for Sport and Finance Danilo Ranieri, «a considerable sum. As an administration we are investing a lot in the systems by carrying out maintenance that has never been done before. We have fixed up the Biondi stadium, returned in terrible conditions and which we are now also maintaining, we have recently completed the 900 thousand euro works on the Palasport and the restyling of the PalaMasciangelo is underway, where we have already done work on the roof, we are proceeding with the arrangement of the changing rooms for the under 17 volleyball finals starting tomorrow (see article on page 38), and in the summer we will redo the parquet; we have also fixed the lights at Di Meco and there is a project for a new facility for football, volleyball and basketball in Re di Coppe; we must also include the athletics track.”
“It’s true, there was a lack of maintenance,” adds the mayor Filippo Paolini, «we worked with priority on those facilities for football, volleyball and basketball which have hundreds of members, maintenance of the green was carried out here when Virtus played there but it was certainly not enough. We have to make a project and look for funds, at least a share in the cost because taking out a new mortgage, even with sports credit, means taking money away from other works.”
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