If you wondered about the fireworks you heard or saw on August 28 in La Paz, it was part of a vibrant celebration that not only included fireworks but also an exciting friendly softball match, in honor of the inauguration of the “El Piojillo” Sports Park in La Paz.
The inauguration ceremony, attended by many, was led by the mayor of La Paz, Milena Quiroga, and the governor of Baja California Sur, Víctor Castro. The champions of the Guaycura Soft Women’s League and the Interpaz 2024 Women’s Softball League were present as well as a large representation of state and municipal officials, legislators and prominent South Californian athletes who participated in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and local leaders, all gathered at the new stadium to celebrate the completion of this project.
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The Municipal Sports Center (CDM) “El Piojillo” represents an ambitious effort that, however, was not without challenges. The inauguration of the park was postponed on three occasions due to delays in the work and financial problems faced by the ZOHMEX construction company. Despite these obstacles, the facility has been successfully completed, offering a multifunctional space to benefit thousands of citizens.
The park has an impressive variety of facilities including three baseball fields, a softball field, two soccer fields, two basketball courts, a tennis court and a skating park. In addition, it has multipurpose rooms for cultural activities, consolidating its role as a comprehensive center for the sports and social development of the community.
The inhabitants of the neighboring colonies, such as El Cardonal, 8 de Octubre, Balandra, Agua Escondida, Coromuel, El Pescador, Paseo del Sol, Revolución, Fovissste, Indeco and Jardines del Sur, will directly benefit from this infrastructure.
It goes without saying the positive impact of “El Piojillo” will extend throughout the city, offering a space to promote physical activity and sport among people of all ages.
To help assist with the maintenance cost of the facility, which is reported to be around one million pesos per year, Mayor Milena Quiroga expressed there will be a fee for those using the facilities.
“I don’t have the information, they will be minimum quotas, it is part of the operating rules Sedatu asked us for, unfortunately, there are other works that have been done and due to lack of resources for maintenance they collapsed, a committee is going to be formed and the committee is the one that is going to organize the destination of this resource so that there is good maintenance, it is merely citizen,” said the mayor.
She assured that the sports center will be used by participants of the Impulso program, soccer and baseball leagues, and high-performance teams, as well as by citizens in general, there will also be children’s games. It is projected the doors will open to the public on September 6 and guidelines as well as any associated fees will be official then.
“We are going to form a committee, it is part of the obligation we have and the commitment to lower this resource was that a committee be made to regulate the use, there are some fees or minimum fees that are going to be collected, which are going to be administered through this committee to be able to pay for surveillance and maintenance, it is a large facility and requires great maintenance because we do not want it to fall, we want it to, just as we are receiving it, it is maintained for many years,” she said.
She stressed the fee will be decided by the committee members, and the latter is said to be made up of citizens as well as athletes and people related to sports: “It is a minimum fee, it is symbolic so we respect the space, take care of it and the committee can take charge of this maintenance.”
In my chats with Noe Fiol, the director of sports for Baja California Sur, he shared the following: “I tell you, the sports complex of “El Piojillo” is the most important space for the practice of sports in the city of La Paz, although, while it is true sport was already practiced in that place, with the remodeling and modernization that was carried out, it will benefit the community of the municipality and the state since the facilities are safer, technically ideal, the complex was expanded, sports were added and a series of considerations were added for a large number of activities that can be practiced, we congratulate in a very special way the Municipality of La Paz for this achievement for its sports community and its citizens in general and, on the part of the State, we are very happy and willing to support so that the use benefits everyone. Welcome to “EL PIOJILLO.”
