Sports
Grevic Alvarado
THE Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs inaugurated the new Elite Athlete Gym at the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua, on August 25. The facility is designed for the preparation, recovery and overall well-being of high-performance athletes.
The opening marks a decisive step in the modernisation of TT’s sports infrastructure and reflects the vision of a country that seeks to compete on a level playing field on the international stage.
Minister of Sport Phillip Watts said the new gym represents more than the inauguration of a building. “Today is more than opening the doors to a facility. It’s opening doors to opportunity,” Watts said. “This gym has been designed with the elite athlete at its centre. And let me emphasise this clearly, all our athletes in national programmes have full and free access,” he said.
He emphasised this space will not only serve as a training space, but also for injury recovery and career extension.
Watts also said this is an investment in youth and in building a system to support athletes at every stage of their development.
Sport Company of TT CEO Jason Williams explained the Elite Athlete Gym is not a centre open to the general public. “This is a high-performance gym. There are criteria for entry. It’s not like anyone from the public can just walk in and use it. We will have three access points and are working on plans to expand this network to other areas,” he said.
Williams said admission standards are necessary to ensure the safety, quality and effectiveness of training. The executive announced new projects will be defined in the coming months to expand the network of high-performance services in different regions of the country, with the goal of decentralising opportunities for athletes.
Tobias Ottley, head of the Elite Athlete Wellbeing Unit, emphasised the importance of a comprehensive approach.
“Physical conditioning isn’t just about lifting weights. It’s about building resilience, improving efficiency and preventing injuries. This work is integrated with other sciences such as sports psychology, nutrition and performance analysis,” he said.
Ottley explained the facility will operate under an interdisciplinary framework in which each training session will be planned and measured with scientific rigour. He added the goal is not only to prepare the athlete to achieve peak performance, but also to prevent injuries and ensure effective recovery.
The inauguration was attended by athletes, coaches and technical staff.
The facility is expected to begin being used by national teams preparing for regional and international competitions, including the Central American and Caribbean Games and Olympic qualifiers.
