Chinese Government provides RMB 10 million grant for Cotonou Friendship Stadium Rehabilitation Project (Linked to Record ID#59632)

Project narrative

In 2002, China’s Ministry of Commerce provided an RMB 10 million grant to the Government of Benin for the Cotonou Friendship Stadium Rehabilitation Project. The Cotonou Friendship Stadium (Stade de l’Amitie), which was later renamed Mathieu Kérékou Friendship Stadium (Stade de l'Amitié Mathieu Kérékou), was first constructed in 1982 with RMB 60 million of funding from the Chinese Government. The stadium includes over 35,000 seats, a 1500-seat Olympic-size pool, a three-story hotel, a sports hall seating 5000 seats, and a tennis court. This project involved an unspecified set of rehabilitation activities at the stadium. China National Corporation for Overseas Economic Cooperation was the contractor responsible for implementation. Construction on the stadium began in June 2002, and it was officially completed and handed over to the Government of Benin on 22 January, 2003. The Minister of Youth, Entertainment and Sports of Benin, Valentin Uday, and the Chinese Embassy Ambassador Wang Xinshi co-chaired the ceremony. According to a Xinhua article, the Chinese Government has assisted Benin in the management and maintenance of the Friendship Stadium and has performed partial maintenance of the stadium multiple times for more than 20 years (see Record ID#59632 for the 2016 renovation).