SOSIS sports centre to undergo major restoration in 2026 after years of decline

The work at the SOSIS sports centre has now been under way for about three weeks. Tall grass is being removed from the site, trees and shrubs are being pruned, and waste is being cleared away. The building that was destroyed by fire in June 2025 is also being removed. In doing so, the ministerie van Jeugdontwikkeling en Sport (Ministry of Youth Development and Sport) is seeking to carry out an initial major clean-up and restoration round.

Several government services are involved in the approach. The directoraat Openbaar Groen en Afvalbeheer (Directorate of Public Green Spaces and Waste Management) is supporting the clean-up efforts, while the Surinaamsche Waterleiding Maatschappij is to help resolve the persistent water problem at the complex. According to the Communicatiedienst Suriname (Suriname Communication Service), an integrated approach is needed, as mowing and clearing alone are not sufficient to make the site sustainably usable.

Jorgienjo Orassie, head of Beheer en Onderhoud at the subdirectorate Sportaccommodaties en Ruimtes, says the complex had been completely neglected for a long time. The complex has nine sports fields. According to him, the aim is to reopen the centre and make it usable for various sports.

SOSIS sports centre did not suddenly fall into decay

According to Orassie, the recent decline is partly the result of the prolonged legal dispute between the Staat Suriname and a foundation that managed the complex. That dispute created uncertainty over actual control, maintenance and operation of the site. The legal matter thus placed additional pressure on a sports complex that had already been struggling with maintenance problems for much longer.

Earlier reporting shows that SOSIS’s decline did not begin only with the conflict surrounding Stichting Florentina. As early as 2018, it was reported that several fields were covered in tall weeds and were barely playable. The large building that had been planned since 2012 as premises for the then ministerie van Sportzaken was also never fully completed and fell further into decay in the years that followed.

Earlier investments could not reverse the decline

Despite the problems, several investments have been made in recent years. Key News reported in August 2024 on a carport with a 5-kilowatt solar energy system, intended to improve lighting and security at the site. In the same year, attention was also drawn to the poor condition of the basketball court, forcing athletes with disabilities to use other facilities for their activities.

Administrative problems increased in 2025. Stichting Florentina stated that it had been responsible for management from March 12, 2025, under a five-year agreement. The ministry’s new management later stated, however, that arrangements under that agreement had not been complied with. According to the ministry, the entrance gates had been closed, structures had been erected without permission, and the unrestricted use of the facilities by young people, associations and local residents had been obstructed.

The legal battle came on top of years of overdue maintenance and vulnerable facilities.

Court returned interim management to the State

The dispute ultimately ended up before the court. In interim relief proceedings, it was decided on July 9, 2026, that the management agreement would be suspended provisionally. Stichting Florentina had to leave the complex and was no longer allowed to collect payments for the use of the sports grounds and facilities. Key News reported earlier that the foundation was also ordered to pay SRD 10.550 in legal costs.

That ruling did not mean that the agreement had already been definitively terminated at that time. Proceedings on the merits still have to provide clarity on the final termination. However, the interim relief proceedings gave the ministry room again to carry out day-to-day management. On July 30, Jeugdontwikkeling en Sport announced that management, maintenance and operation had again been placed under its responsibility and that users had to report to the designated manager.

Theft and vandalism threaten restoration of SOSIS sports centre

Orassie points to repeated theft and vandalism. According to him, equipment and facilities that are installed risk being stolen shortly afterwards. “If we install a booster pump today, it will be stolen in two days,” he says about the vulnerability of new facilities.

Squatters and people using the site for other purposes also cause nuisance and additional damage, according to the ministry. For that reason, discussions are being held with the ministerie van Justitie en Politie about police support. Orassie would like to see a police outpost on or near the site, so that supervision can be organised more quickly and users can feel safer.

Restoration also requires structural management and security

For the government, restoration of the SOSIS sports centre is important because Paramaribo needs accessible sports facilities for young people, associations and recreational users. Orassie wants the complex ultimately to once again become one of Suriname’s better sports locations. At the same time, he calls on users and local residents to report vandalism, theft and misuse of the site and to help keep the facility tidy.

The work is currently being carried out with support from Openbaar Groen en Afvalbeheer, while cooperation with the SWM is being sought for the water problem. For security, support from Justitie en Politie is being considered. In this way, the ministry is seeking to address maintenance, utilities and supervision simultaneously, so that new investments are not lost again.

New opportunity for athletes in Paramaribo

Whether the approach produces sustainable results will depend primarily on whether structural funding, supervision and clear management remain available after the clean-up. The history of SOSIS shows that isolated renovations and incidental investments are not sufficient when maintenance, security and responsibility are not arranged at the same time. For athletes and local residents, the main question will be whether the restoration is sustained over the longer term this time.