New football field provides small Columbian community unlimited fun

Recently, our installer PSport Systems, installed a new field in Istmina, a municipality and town in the Chocó department, Colombia. With an average annual precipitation of approximately 7500 mm, Istmina is the second rainiest place in the world. The ProPlay-Sport 23D shock pad was applied because of its excellent drainage characteristics. PSport Systems General director Pedro Daniel Sarmiento: ‘Since the installation, the field has suffered really heavy rains but the field stays playable and looks fantastic.’

Although Istmina is a very poor area, it has harvested important football players. A young player called Jhon Córdoba for example, is one of the most promising strikers in Colombia and has been selected for the minor national team to compete internationally. Sarmiento: ‘My father coached Jhon in Envigado FC and pull him from minor divisions to the professional team and supported him. As a sample of gratitude, young Jhon helped us get a new synthetic field in his home town.’

The new field has a major impact on the small community of Istmina. Sarmiento: ‘The locals couldn’t be happier; they were visited by the local press and people from the municipality to observe the field passing the FIFA tests. We are touched by the impact that this field has brought to this community. It is quite special to give a field of the best quality to such a small town in the middle of nowhere, where violence is everywhere. Thanks to Jhon Córdoba and Schmitz Foam Products, young kids can now be distracted from the difficulties of poverty and violence and dream of becoming professional athletes.’