Venues in final stages of preparedness for CYG Trinbago 2023

WITH two weeks to go for the Trinbago2023 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) to showcase Trinidad and Tobago to the world, the preparation of venues and finalisation of the 71 attending countries and their athletes is in their final stages.

Commonwealth Games Federation, Youth Commonwealth lead for the Trinbago 2023 Games Annie Hairsine made the disclosure as she addressed the TT Commonwealth Games Association media conference at the Magdalena Grand Beach and Golf Resort aimed at providing an update on the games carded for August 4 to 11.

According to Hairsine, with a couple of weeks still to go, a huge amount is going on at the moment.

“We have just over 1,800 volunteers that have stepped up and are currently undergoing a series of training to prepare them – to familiarise them with their venues and to understand their expectations – what the teams, what spectators, what the friends and family will hopefully enjoy in just over two weeks’ time.”

President of the TTCGA Diane Henderson said TT in addition to the 1,800 volunteers, the games will welcome 1,000 athletes from 71 countries with 500 officials. Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) Douglas Camacho said TT is ready, willing and able to put on the “magnificent games.”

Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe said the games would focus on youth.

“The athletes are going to be between the ages of 14 to 18. These games create the opportunity for us to showcase sport for youth development, especially in the year when the commonwealth secretariat is celebrating the Year of Youth. It also provides a platform for us to showcase that athletics and academics can go hand in hand so we are utilising as part of these games the opportunity to showcase and to partner with the Ministry of Education towards ramping up sports in schools campaign. So now you would see the – I choose sport campaign taking place in our schools, we’re trying to transform lives and change the culture as it relates to providing a proper environment for student-athletes.”

She said these games provide economic activities for businesspersons noting that this is an opportunity to promote the sport tourism agenda in both Trinidad and Tobago as she said Tobago will be the host for four sporting disciplines.

“Rugby at the Shaw Park Sporting Facility and refurbishing are well underway from the Tobago House of Assembly. You have netball, we had the opportunity to visit and meet at the Shaw Park Multipurpose Complex where the flooring and all the necessary equipment and infrastructure are being established. We also have the triathlon taking place in Buccoo and ending at the iconic Buccoo Goat Racing Facility and of course beach volleyball taking place at the new sporting facility which is being built for the beach games.”

She said it has been confirmed that all facilities will be ready and completed by July 29.

“This gives us roughly two/ three days to iron out any kinks. We don’t expect any major problems, so that we will be ready to roll on August 4.”

Also in attendance were members of the LOC’s Tobago Task Force. The media conference also introduced Tobago to Cocoyea, the human-sized mascot for the games.