[UPDATED] Ex-Calypso Girl Peggy Castanada elated as Jean Pierre Complex to get major facelift

FORMER TT netballer Peggy Castanada is elated to hear that Jean Pierre Complex will be renovated, as it is a facility where the TT 1979 netball team created history by being crowned joint world champions.

A media release by the Sport Company of TT (SporTT) on Thursday said Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo, Port of Spain is next on the agenda to undergo major refurbishment in fiscal 2024.

There was once consideration to tear down and rebuild the facility as stated by Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe in 2022. However, during the last two years, refurbishment was then planned.

In 2023, Cudjoe said, "It's about time that we restore Jean Pierre Complex to former glory and bring it up to international standard, especially to support our netballers, who have been crying out for the refurbishment."

Last month, SporTT received Cabinet approval to conduct the repairs needed to bring the 46-year-old facility up to standard and to satisfy safety requirements. The works will cost an estimated $36,105,966.64.

"This follows the refurbishment of the neighbouring and equally iconic Hasely Crawford Stadium, which hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in August 2023," SporTT said.

The Jean Pierre Complex was built in 1978 to host the 1979 Netball World Championships, when TT’s Calypso Girls were crowned joint champions along with New Zealand and Australia. Following this victory, the venue was named after TT netball icon, the late Eugenia “Jean” Pierre, who led the team to its finest-ever finish in the competition. The team was filled with other quality players with captain Sherill Peters, Angela Burke Browne and Peggy Castanada among them.

Castanada was elated to hear the news that the Jean Pierre Complex will be renovated. She told Newsday, "At long last (it will be renovated)...netball has had no home. You could see by the standard of play that facilities were lacking and also the support for netball."

Going down memory lane, Castanada said the Jean Pierre Complex will always be special to her. "It means a lot, because it is the only sporting team that won a world tournament in TT. No other team sport has done that."

Castanada said not enough was done to acknowledge what the 1979 TT netball team achieved.

"I am glad that it is being refurbished. In the last few years, it was being used for mas, not netball." For years, the venue has been used for fetes and the popular Socadrome where mas bands parade during Carnival.

Castanada is not against using the facility for other activities, but when it is netball season the netballers must have access.

The refurbishment will allow Trinidad to host major netball competitions, Castanada said. "Nothing could be held in Trinidad netball wise, so at least you might be able to see some Caribbean tournaments or Under-16 (tournaments) or something."

In 2022, SporTT commissioned a preliminary facility condition assessment report to evaluate the condition of the Jean Pierre Complex. The report identified several areas for refurbishment but also noted that there are no visible signs of structural challenges at the venue.

The complex was subsequently earmarked for repairs, following the completion of the refurbishment of Hasely Crawford Stadium. The works at Jean Pierre Complex will include general refurbishment of the facility, along with the replacement of the spectator seats, the washroom and player facilities, the scoreboard and the hard courts.

The complex features indoor seating for 825 people, while the outer east and west courts have a combined 9,932 seats. Beyond netball, the facility has hosted various sports – including volleyball, basketball, hockey, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics and martial arts – as well as a variety of cultural events.

In Port of Spain, one of the places where netball is played is at the Eddie Taylor Public Courts at Nelson Mandela Park, St Clair. However, those facilities are only suitable for minor league competitions. Those courts are outdoors and they only have limited seating. The Courts All Sectors Netball League, the competition featuring the best players in TT, is played at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena in Tacarigua.

This story was originally published with the title "Iconic Jean Pierre Complex set for $36m facelift" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

JEAN Pierre Complex is next on the agenda of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) to undergo major refurbishment in 2024.

Last month, SporTT received Cabinet approval to conduct the repairs needed to bring the 46-year-old facility up to standard and to satisfy safety requirements. The work will cost an estimated $36,105,966.64.

A media release by SporTT on February 15 said, "This follows the refurbishment of the neighbouring and equally iconic Hasely Crawford Stadium, which hosted the Commonwealth Youth Games in August 2023."

In 2022, SporTT commissioned a preliminary facility condition assessment report to evaluate the condition of the Jean Pierre Complex. The report identified several areas for refurbishment but also noted that there are no visible signs of structural challenges at the venue.

The complex was subsequently earmarked for repairs, following the completion of the refurbishment of Hasely Crawford Stadium. The works at Jean Pierre Complex will include general refurbishment of the facility, along with the replacement of the spectator seats, the washroom and player facilities, the scoreboard and the hard courts.

The facility was built in 1978 to host the 1979 Netball World Championships when Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls were crowned joint champions in the global tournament. Following this victory, the venue was named after Trinidad and Tobago netball icon, the late Eugenia “Jean” Pierre, who led the team to its finest-ever finish in the competition.

The complex features indoor seating for 825 people, while the outer east and west courts have a combined 9,932 seats. Beyond netball, the facility has hosted various sports – including volleyball, basketball, hockey, table tennis, badminton, gymnastics and martial arts – as well as a variety of cultural events.