Camacho wary of grand openings

CHAIRMAN of the Sports Company of TT (SporTT) Douglas Camacho, said the organisation will try to avoid further disappointment to the people of Sangre Grande and environs – and embarrassment to itself – by ensuring that the Sangre Grande Regional Multi-Purpose Facility is ready for use before any reopening.

“I am trying, to the extent that I can, (to) avoid that kind of decision making where they run and do something and they not ready...we are trying to make sure when we say something open (it) finished, we deliver. If it is not, we say we delivering this part of it, that part, like Diego Martin (Sporting Complex),” Camacho said of the custom of holding ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

In August 2016, the facility had a grand opening with Government officials attending including then-Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Darryl Smith, Toco/Sangre Grande MP Glenda Jennings-Smith, Councillor Terry Rondon and former Toco/Sangre Grande MP and ex-sport minister Roger Boynes.

Sangre Grande residents were excited to use the facility as it was built to accommodate basketball, volleyball, martial arts, table tennis, small goal football, hockey and gymnastics. Shortly after it was opened it was clear that the facility was not fit for use because of undulating flooring, insufficient demarcation of lines for the various sports and poor placement of bleachers.

In a November 2018 interview with Newsday on the topic, Camacho said a lot of the issues stemmed from the poor quality flooring installed by original contractor Shanghai Construction Group.

He said the contractor was informed of the defects but never did the repair works despite promising to do so. The period by which repairs are supposed to be identified and fixed by the contractor has also elapsed.

Speaking to Newsday on Friday, Camacho said SCG is also eligible to bid even though the problems stemmed from its contract.

“I do not know if they will (finish the job). Since I am chairman I have been trying to get a meeting with them, and the guy who was the principle guy reached out to me a couple weeks ago and said he wanted to meet with me to sit down and chat...so I guess he just wants to make the relations get back proper footing, so I don’t know if they will bid. It is a public offer, open for tender, anybody could tender.”

SporTT is inviting interested bidders to tender for the internal and external electrical upgrade and playing field rehabilitation.

Interested firms can view the tender documents at the National Aquatic Centre until Friday, which is also the deadline for tender documents to be purchased. A pre-tender meeting is scheduled for January 13, followed by a compulsory site visit on January 14. The deadline date for submissions is January 24. Camacho said they are trying to complete the Sangre Grande Regional Multi-Purpose Facility by the end of the fiscal year that ends in September.

Camacho said other venues will also be renovated as TT prepares to host the 2021 Commonwealth Youth Games. He said Ato Boldon Stadium and National Cycling Centre are two venues that the SporTT will ensure are ready for the games. “We trying to make sure that we are ahead of things and not scrambling at the last minute.”