Yorke Stadium won't open to track anytime soon

Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe.  - Vidya Thurab
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Shamfa Cudjoe. - Vidya Thurab

SPORT and Youth Affairs Minister Shamfa Cudjoe says the Dwight Yorke Stadium, Bacolet, Tobago, will not be reopened for track and field events anytime soon. However, she said other sporting activities will soon be allowed to take place at the facility.

“We are still working with the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) to come to take a look at the tracks when the borders reopen so we can make a final decision as to if we are going with a refurbishment or replacement of the tracks,” she said on Thursday.

“But rather than wait for those things to happen, we are working with Udecott to open up Dwight Yorke to the public to allow for football matches and other sporting activities to take place while we await the gym equipment, the track equipment and refurbishment of the track.”

Cudjoe was addressing a news conference at the Office of the Prime Minister, Central Administrative Services, Scarborough, Tobago. The minister revealed there are three parts of the phase three package of the project still to be completed.

“We would have gone out for tendering for equipment for the gym and we didn’t receive any submissions for that. We would have gone out for tendering for the gym and we didn’t receive any submissions for that.

“We would have gone out for tendering for the VIP room and didn’t receive any submissions for that also.” Cudjoe said they are also awaiting the turnstiles, which were also included in the third phase of the stadium project.

During the news conference, Cudjoe also gave an update on the proposed construction of the Bacolet Indoor Facility, which is to be built in close proximity to the stadium. She said the project, an arrangement between the Tobago House of Assembly and Udecott, was advertised and went out for tendering in January. Evaluations were done in March.

Cudjoe said a contractor has since been selected and Udecott is working out the logistics to have a sod-turning ceremony. “Even if the sod turning does not take place the construction of the facility is still on, whether or not the THA and Udecott decides to have one.

“But as far as I am aware in my communication with THA and Udecott, the project is still very well on.” During his contribution to the THA budget debate on June 25, Secretary for Sport and Youth Affairs Jomo Pitt said construction of the facility should begin in August.

“It is hoped that by the middle of next month towards the end, the contract for that facility would be awarded and construction beginning soon after, I suspect in the month of August,” Pitt had said.

He said he had made a personal commitment that an indoor facility would be built in Tobago during his term in office.

“And if we did not, I would not seek another term in office, I was willing to step down.” Pitt said although the project is now on stream, he would not see it to completion as sport secretary because he will not be seeking re-election in the next THA election, constitutionally due in 2021.

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"Yorke Stadium won't open to track anytime soon"

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