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By Neto Baptiste
Minister of Sports, Daryll Matthew, has signalled that government could move ahead with plans to erect an aquatic center just off the Sir Sydney Walling highway, if the local swimming fraternity fails to raise the US$16,000 (EC $43,200) needed to fund a ‘feasibility study’ by an overseas company at the proposed site.
Speaking on state-owned media, Matthew said the study, requested by the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) since June of last year, is yet to be conducted and that it continues to delay the start of the project.
“I can share with you that as recently as three weeks ago, one of my senior Cabinet colleagues said to me to let’s just move on; let us just go and build the facility and if it is that they are dissatisfied with it then we just have to deal with that. My approach has always been to let’s get consensus but to the extent that we can’t get consensus with the swimming association then as a government, we can’t continue to be held hostage and to take the beatings for it. Every time our swimmers do well, no one says the swimming association is the hold-up. They say, ‘what is the government doing about it?’ And perhaps rightly so,” he said.
President of the swimming federation Edith Clashing, said last year that the body is hoping the company chosen to conduct the study could be also be contracted to construct the facility as arrangements are that the US$16,000 would then be reinvested into the facility as part of the overall cost.
Matthew maintained the government’s position, adding that the public works department is more than qualified to handle building out aspects of the facility.
“We’ve said to them that we know what is required so what we are required to pay for, and are committed to paying for, is the construction of a certified pool; but we need to pay any high cost consultant to come in and tell us that we need a gym, you need an office, a concession area in each stand. We don’t need to pay somebody for that. What we will pay for is to ensure that the pool itself, the swimming area and the warm-up pool, those are done to international standards and we continue to have a standoff with the swimming association,” he said.
In December of 2022, government broke ground at the site for the proposed aquatic centre that would have housed a 25-meter pool, dressing rooms, stands and other amenities. The federation, under the leadership of Clashing, who was elected in March of 2023, renegotiated for a 50-meter pool and a 25-meter warm-up pool.
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