Grenada Government is committed to the rebuilding of the National Stadium, says Sports Minister

by Michael Bascombe

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, January 18, 2011 – The Grenada Government is still committed to the refurbishment of the National Track and Field Stadium at Queen’s Park, according to Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister, Patrick Simmons.

In making his contribution to the 2011 Budget on Tuesday, Mr Simmons disclosed that government will be meeting with officials of an international company which has expressed an interest “in working with us on a Public/Private Initiative for the refurbishment of the stadium”.

The Minister said, like athletes, coaches and sports administrators, he is also disappointed that they were unable to do any work on the National Stadium.

“Our non-achievement in this area is not due to the lack of vision but more to do with the economic meltdown and the unavailability of international funding,” said Minister Simmons.

The Minister, who is also the Member of Parliament for St Andrew South East, said that Government is on target in its promise to develop a professional sporting nation.

He said that the first area of delivery is in direct investment and development of physical facilities including the lighting of playing fields.

He said that government has installed lighting fixtures at the Alston George Park in Victoria, St Mark, and work has already started on Cuthbert Peters Park, St John and the Victoria Park in Grenville.

“It’s anticipated that this project will greatly increase the time these fields will be available for use by the people and an opportunity for our youth to be engaged at nights, participating in organised sporting activities,” Simmons said.

He said that despite spending close to half a million dollars by the previous administration for the rehabilitation of the Cuthbert Peters Park Complex “little or nothing was done”.

The Government, he said, have re-furbished and opened the basketball court at the Cuthbert Peters Park in 2010, providing the talented basketball players in the parish and throughout Grenada an opportunity to prepare them for playing at the professional level.

He said that this year the government will embark on the further development of Progress Park with the construction of bleachers at the eastern end of the existing playing field. “This is the beginning of plans to develop Progress Park to a mini Stadium,” he said.

The Sports Minister said that there are also plans to complete phase 1 of the Cuthbert Peters Pavilion; construction of the Grenville Basketball Court; rehabilitation of Hard Courts and erection of basketball poles at various sites and the upgrading of fields in all parishes.

Mr Simmons said that in 2010 the Ministry embarked on preparation for building the Olympic Sporting Complex in South St George. This complex will be the home for the Grenada Olympic Committee, the Grenada Lawn Tennis Association and the Grenada Amateur Swimming Association.

“The land at the site has been vested in the three associations and work is expected to start in the first quarter of 2011”.