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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