The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE National Sports Authority will mark the formal recognition of a new industry in the Bahamas, the sports tourism business.

According to Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson, the completion of the Thomas A Robinson Stadium and the impending transformation of the 450-acre Queen Elizabeth Sports Complex will turn the Bahamas toward the “Business of Sport.”

Designed to be the state-of-the-art facility in the region, the complex will feature nine venues, including The National Track and Field Stadium, Kendal GL Isaacs Gym, Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Center, a Multi-Purpose Arena, The National Tennis Complex, a Hot Rod Drag Racing Facility, the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium, the Churchill Tener Knowles Softball Complex and Nine-Hole Golf Course Complex.

“We are going well ahead into the business of sports. We are probably the number one sporting nation in the world pound for pound per capita, and we intend to showcase this 2013 and beyond. We have identified a strategic partner in assisting and guiding our path to a world class facility to match the product we have produced in the field of sport and this is where the National Sports Authority comes into play,” he said.

“We are wrapping up most of the cosmetic things with the stadium and come January you will hear a few huge announcements from us regarding what is happening with the new stadium and the events. The readiness of the stadium for the 2013 Carifta Games has been confirmed. The launch of an initiative looking at sport careers will be coming in January. As we get into the business of sports we have to also look at career paths in sports.”                              

The complex will also include multi-use office buildings, an athletes village complex, along with parks and public recreational facilities.

The National Sports Authority has the purpose of working with entities to sustain national and international events set to be hosted at the venue.

Chairman Leroy Archer underscored the importance of Bahamians grasping the magnitude of the project and its potential impact on the country.

“It is important that we take full ownership and realise the benefits that can be achieved on an individual and collective basis. There is one standard we want to create, and that is a first class standard. This will be a national asset to Bahamians for generations to come and to protect that we must manage the entire project in a high end manner,” he said.

“The sports career fair will be a major initiative for us because with all the new infrastructure and programmes that will be implemented it creates opportunities for young Bahamians. So it is not just the athletes that will benefit, but the entire country will have an opportunity to have an impact at various levels.”

According to Archer, in addition to the completion of the stadium, further phases of the project have begun with the the Golf Complex and Hot Rod Facilities nearing completion within the next month and the NSA is preparing to break ground on the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium in the near future.