Diekirch sports clubs left without a venue after hall closure

Diekirch handball club announced on Thursday that they would no longer be able to play their home matches as planned. In a statement on social media, the club explained the sports hall flooring had been damaged by flooding following a thunderstorm on 8 September.

Other sources told RTL that the hall had already suffered from issues with dampness, with water leaking into the hall whenever it rained. Although the problem had been reported many times, the repairs were only superficial. In the summer, the hall closed for three months to replace the lights and renovate the showers, but the leaks continued even after it reopened.

After the heavy rainfall in September the situation grew significantly worse, according to an email received by RTL. Part of the hall floor had been replaced, but the rest continued to lift as a result of the water damage, making it impossible to play on.

Last week the women's handball team had to abandon a cup match as the risk of injury was deemed too great as a result of the uneven flooring. The decision was made by a federation representative present at the game.

As well as handball, the hall is frequently used for basketball or volleyball matches, as well as PE classes for local schools.

This weekend, the hall was due to host a number of youth basketball games. But on Thursday evening, the Soleuvre coach told his players their matches could not be played due to the Diekirch hall being unsuitable.

Hall 'suffered' as a result of heavy rains, says Diekirch mayor

When RTL queried the situation with Diekirch municipal council, mayor Charles Weiler said three-quarters of the hall had been flooded as a result of the heavy rainfall in September. It is not currently known where the water leak occurred. The hall was emptied out with pumps, but the floor was continuing to lift in places.

The hall belongs to the government but is used and managed by the local council. On Friday morning, the mayor accompanied experts from the Public Buildings department to the hall to check the situation.

Solutions sought as hall likely to close until December

It was decided that the hall floor should be completely replaced, with urgent requests to tender published. It could take another three weeks before the work begins, Weiler said. Until then, the hall could still be available for training, but competitive matches could not be held there. It is likely the hall will be shut until the end of the year due to safety concerns.

The council is currently in discussions with neighbouring councils and the Diekiech secondary school to see if they could use other sports halls as a temporary solution for weekend matches.

The mayor is also due to meet with the individual clubs to help work out a rota to allow training sessions and competitive games.

Weiler admitted the hall's condition was a result of the building's age. There were plans to fully renovate the site, but it was unlikely to happen before 2031, to allow time for the new Nordstad secondary school building to be constructed, along with an additional sports hall.