By Neto Baptiste
Newly elected president of the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF), Edith Clashing, said the body’s grassroots programmes have suffered tremendously since losing access to the 25-metre pool at the Antigua Athletic Club in Coolidge in 2021.
Speaking recently on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, Clashing highlighted the federation’s struggles in trying to keep the programmes running as fraternity anticipated the erecting of a new facility.
“We had three clubs that were functioning from that facility. We had actually been working with schools on a grassroots project, and we were bringing them in to deliver swim classes, and all of that fell down when it was shut down because of Covid.
“So, we would benefit significantly if we can have a proper facility. Right now we can’t accommodate all of our programmes at the current facility at the Vipers pool over in Langford,” she said.
Government broke ground at the proposed site for the aquatics center in December 2022 but there has been no movement since despite assurances that construction would have commenced shortly after.
Sports Minister Daryll Matthew recently said the project has been delayed because of a request by the swimming federation for changes to be made to the original drawings.
Clashing said the body has resorted to utilising the beaches for their various programmes but this has not always worked in their favour.
“I am sure you have been hearing the weather reports recently, and since December, our whole swimming classes … those of us who we have had to take to the beaches, have been totally disrupted; the conditions have just not been ideal to conduct classes. We have classes in between but even today, I have to head down to the beach to see what the conditions really are because there is still a high surf warning in place. Even after that, when we get to the summer months, we can be affected by hurricanes, weather and that sort of thing, so it is very disruptive trying to conduct your programme solely in the sea,” the swimming boss said.
It is still unclear when construction of the aquatic center will commence.