LAVAL, Quebec, April 25, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Laval Liberty High School's Gerry Dattilio Sports Field has received the prestigious Recommended 2 Star designation by FIFA, the world governing body for soccer. The new artificial turf playing surface, Mondo's Mondoturf Monofilament Classic, was installed at the venue last fall. It is the company's first FIFA Recommended 2 Star field in North America and its fifth worldwide.
The 2 Star designation is FIFA's highest rating for artificial turf fields, awarded only after a series of rigorous laboratory and field tests to ensure that fields will mirror the playing characteristics of professional soccer pitches. FIFA final-round competitions and top UEFA competitions must be held on FIFA Recommended 2 Star pitches.
"We are very happy about receiving the FIFA 2 Star designation," said Eric Ruggi, principal, Laval Liberty High School. "We have high-quality sports programs here, so it's important for us to have a first-rate field. We are the first school in the Laval area to have a synthetic field, so the FIFA designation puts us in an advantageous position in the community and makes us the envy of other schools!"
The Gerry Dattilio Sports Field is used by football and soccer programs at Laval Liberty High and Laval Junior High schools, and by local soccer and football organizations. Thanks to Mondoturf's water-draining capacities, the synthetic field is usable from early April to late fall -- a longer time than the previous grass field.
"The FIFA 2 Star designation is a testament to Mondo's dedication to developing the finest artificial turf fields in the world," said Federico Stroppiana, president of Mondo North and South America. "Laval school officials wanted a field that would encourage more children and teenagers to participate in sports, so they chose Mondo. Having a field that meets the specifications of world-class soccer events will make their venue seem even more attractive to young athletes."
The Mondoturf Monofilament Classic infill is a combination of 100 percent post-consumer recycled resilient granules and rounded or subangular sand, which provides unparalleled durability. Rounded or subangular sand is virtually non-abrasive, reducing risk of injury for athletes and minimizing wear on the turf fibers. Mondo's new generation of polyethylene fibers look and feel like natural grass and use color pigments that are free of toxins and heavy metals. Superior molecular alignment and a straight-line molecular direction provide dimensional memory and a greater capacity of recovery, ensuring the fiber will retain its appearance and will not deform even after many years of use.
Mondoturf systems are manufactured in North America.
About Mondo
Mondo is the global leader in the sports flooring market, manufacturing floor surfaces for virtually every sport. The official supplier of the athletic track and basketball and handball courts of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Mondo also is the official supplier or official sponsor of more than 100 sports federations and associations, including FIBA, IAAF, Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association, NIRSA, U.S. Track Coaches Association and YMCA.
The company also supplies a wide variety of commercial flooring and is the world's largest producer of sports and toy balls with an average daily production of 450,000 units. In addition, it manufactures large luxury yachts under its Mondo Marine division.
Mondo invests heavily in research and development to ensure its products meet the highest quality standards in the industry, deliver optimal athletic performance, are durable, require minimal maintenance and are environmentally safe.
A family-owned business since its founding in 1948, Mondo's global headquarters are in Italy. The company has manufacturing facilities in North America, Europe and Asia and sells its products in more than 196 countries. More information about Mondo is available at www.mondousa.com.
Mondo and Mondoturf are registered trademarks of Mondo.
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