The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

SINCE taking office a year ago, chairman Leroy Archer said he’s faced a lot of challenges in getting the National Sports Authority established.

But Archer said one of the major problems they have encountered is the readiness of the new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium for the Carifta Games.

“We brought in the initial certification team to certify the track and they found that there were some deficiencies,” Archer pointed out.

“We then contacted the best in the business, including Mondo, Beynon and some German companies to come and actually assess our track and tell us what was wrong and give us a quote to repair it.

“After going through that process for about four months, trying to make sure that we got the best for the Bahamian people, we actually selected Ben to do it based on proximity, value and the materials they are using. We made the presentation to the powers that be and they advised us to repair the old track, but they will ask that the initial contractors repair the new track.”

While they were able to secure the services of Beynon Sports Surfaces out of Hunt Valley, Maryland, who are currently resurfacing the old TAR Stadium, Archer said the People’s Republic of China, which provided the new $50 million 15,000 seat TAR stadium as a gift to the Bahamian people, were in town to correct the mistakes that were identified.

“If you were to go out on the track today, you would see that the contractors have been in and all of the holes or the lines that were incorrectly done, have been corrected and the inspectors from the IAAF will be here shortly and as promised to the BAAA and all of their member associations, the certification will be done by the end of February,” Archer said.

“We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that we make the Bahamian people proud. We are all on the same boat. We are at stake. If we fail is not an option. We have to succeed and make this successful. When we succeed at Carifta, we all succeed. We’re working extremely hard to make sure that this is being done for the Bahamian people.”

With the Bahamas already tagged by the label: “It’s better in the Bahamas,” Archer said the goal of the NSA is to make the new stadium an arena that people will be happy to visit through the vision of “Sports Tourism”.

Although the Carifta Games, scheduled for March 28 to April 1, is not too far away, Archer said by February 21 Beynon Sports is expected to be completed with the resurfacing of the old TAR stadium, which will be used for the warm-up track at the top junior regional meet that is expected to attract more than 15 countries and over 500 athletes.

Once they are completed with the old stadium, Archer said the new TAR stadium will be closed and the necessary renovations will go into full swing. For the past three weeks, the new TAR stadium has been used for both the BAAA club and the various high school inter-house track and field meets.

At present, there’s been substantial work done on the perimeter of the stadium, transforming the green space and parking lot into a beauty to behold. Archer said in short order, all of the rust and painting that have been an eye sore inside the stadium will be a thing of the past.

“At the end of the day, you will have two IAAF certified tracks,” he said. “You can’t ask for more.”