Camacho expects NCC to ready for Fire on Wheels

JOEL BAILEY

THE AIR-CONDITIONING (AC) unit at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva is expected to be fully functional by September, according to Douglas Camacho, chairman of the Sports Company of TT (SPORTT).

The second annual PSL Cycling Club Class 1 Fire on Wheels competition, which was originally carded for June 1-2, at the Cycling Centre, was postponed until September.

And Camacho is hopeful the venue will be ready to stage this meet, in which qualification points for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan are available.

In an interview, on Monday, Camacho said, “What had happened was the air-conditioning has been down for some time and we had received funding recently. We’re doing the analysis now. We’re getting the parts (needed) to get it repaired.

“We’re trying to get it in time because there is a group (who are planning to stage the) Fire on Wheels and we’re hoping to have it ready in time. They’re having their meet in September.”

Desmond Roberts, CEO of PSL Cycling Club, had pondered over shifting the event to the Arima Velodrome. However, due to the current weather patterns and the uncertainty about the event being still sanctioned as a Class One event at Arima, the Fire on Wheels meet was put on hold.

Camacho said, “We’re in conversation and discussion with them. We’re trying to get it ready in time, and hopefully we will, once there is nothing more major than we know about. The engineers have gone through it and have identified the issues. Hopefully they should have it ready for them (to stage) Fire on Wheels.”

The veteran sports administrator said, “The (PSL’s) competition is in September but we want to get it before that of course….the sooner the better. We want to make sure and get it right.

He added, “The national team is away now anyway so that gave us a little respite for the hour. But we want to get it as soon as the engineers could get it back up and running.”