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Rinku Singh's Broken Sightscreen Still Unrepaired After 394 Days

  • 10 Jan 2025 08:33 PM
  • Rinku Singh, St George's Park, repair delay

The sightscreen at St George’s Park in Gqeberha, damaged by Rinku Singh's powerful six during a T20I against South Africa in December 2023, is still awaiting repairs after 394 days. The incident, which saw Rinku hit a gigantic six off Aiden Markram, left the press box’s sightscreen shattered, but the repair has been delayed due to budget issues and the high-altitude location of the press box. The official responsible for the stadium’s maintenance, Terrance, explained that repairing the sightscreen would require heavy machinery, such as a crane, which is challenging to bring onto the field during matches. The stadium, he mentioned, has had other issues such as broken windows at ground level, which are repaired quickly, but the sightscreen has not been prioritized as it does not pose an immediate safety risk.

In addition to the sightscreen issue, St George’s Park also suffered significant damage during a storm in August 2024, when the roof of a stand was blown away. The repairs for this storm damage cost approximately 400,000R, adding to the stadium's financial strain. Although the sightscreen repair is not considered a priority, the official assured that it is still on the to-do list and would eventually be fixed when resources permit.

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