The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

AS members of parliament debated the 2015/2016 budget in the House of Assembly, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson outlined the various ways local sports will benefit from the plan.

In his communication, Dr Johsnon addressed several issues in the sporting community which will be affected by the budget, most notably, the official establishment of the highly anticipated National Sports Academies or Centers of Excellence and improvements in infrastructure.

“We have spoken about our national sports academies and now we see several have come into existence. The Moore’s Island track and field camp has shown that they deserve an academy, Max D has shown that they are ready for an academy. IMG is coming to the Bahamas to show that we are ready for an academy. This implementation is imminent,” he said.

“The structure of the National Sports Academies will be announced later this summer and once established the academy can attract the skills and services of retired and retiring athletes as well as the best coaches, therapists and innovators from around the world. The future rests on our ability to prepare our future athletes at the developmental level.”

With his ministry focused almost exclusively on developmental programmes, Dr Johnson said the next generation of Bahamian student athletes will be granted every opportunity to live up to their full potential.

Improving the infrastructure in the capital and on the Family Islands is a major part of that development.

“The national Andre Rodgers baseball stadium project is going to be completed within the next 18 months. The proportion of the architectural drawing has commenced and upon completion of the construction documents, a comprehensive cost estimate for the project will be compiled. We wish to renovate the existing Kendal GL Isaacs Gymnasium  to increase its functionality. This will allow it to serve as a proper practice facility for national teams and host smaller sporting and entertainment events indoors,” he said.

“The Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre process has a tremendous master plan and we are about 60 per cent completed. The programme as it exists is extremely complicated and woefully wanted. The financial assistance is to provide vital support for the development of athletes, our athletes’ development have surpassed the current programme and we have therefore initiated a process to engage our national athletes.”

The minister noted that Abaco and Exuma will be among the first islands to benefit from improvements in Family Island facilities.

“It has been officially requested that the relevant capital has been allocated to facilitate in the development of the Abaco complex. It is our intention to combine the government’s capital allocation with private and foreign invest partnerships to progress the projects in the abacus which will see green space in the north, a new facility central and a new facility in Moore’s Island. It is estimated that the proposed recommendation for these is about three million. We are going to see if we can share this cost and phase it in one by one,” he said.

“The plan will allow for the initial development of a high quality and suitable track and field facility with subsequent economic buildup and satellite facilities, alternatively should wish to explore the opportunity to develop Exuma and Andros facilities at the same time. We have the plans ready and approved.

He added the developments must be made if the Bahamas is to continue into the business of sports.

“The expenditures we are talking about are not some wasteful woeful glances into some fantasy that we are imposing onto the Bahamian people,” Dr Johnson said. “We are taking the little bit of funds that we have and are trying to invest and see what we can get in return. This industry is growing and we are in the business of tourism and in the business of sports.”