Thursday, January 20, 2011

Chinese official denies Opposition Stadium claims


by Michael Bascombe
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada, January 20, 2011 - Claims that China have promised to rebuild the athletics and football stadium at Queen's Park have been denied by a top Chinese official on the island.
Former sports minister Roland Bhola told Parliament on Monday that the Chinese made a promise with the New National Party administration to rebuild the stadium which was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. Bhola, an Opposition Member of Parliament, blamed the current administration for not following through on the project.
''Negotiations were far advanced as it relates to the Government and people of mainland China donating Mr Speaker, not loaning, but granting us the funds, being prepared to construct an athletics stadium for us,'' he said.
However, Mr Xu Jianguo, Chinese Ambassador to Grenada, acknowledged that there were discussions about the rebuilding of the stadium with the previous government but no agreement was signed.
''There was no agreement signed,'' he told reporters here this week. ''It was discussed by both sides but there was no agreement, that's what I understood''.
He said that China's policy is to embark on one project at a time but if Grenada wants the stadium as the next project then the two governments could discuss it.
The major project now embarked on by China in Grenada is 361 housing units under a joint Grenada/China initiative.
Beijing Construction and Engineering Group is undertaking the project, which involves the construction of houses in Mt Gay, St George and Soubise, St Andrew.
Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sports, Patrick Simmons said a designed document of the proposed stadium was found in the Ministry in 2008.

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