By Neto Baptiste
Completion of the unfinished bathroom facility at the YASCO Sports Complex falls at the feet of government but will take a national effort.
This is according to President of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA), Everton Cornelius, who said the unfinished structure located at the south-western end of the venue continues to be a concern for all involved.
“It is not something that needs to be tackled by the association because we do not have the money to do it. It is something I think that should be tackled by the Ministry of Sports or whichever minister is responsible where that is concerned.
“We need to get a toilet facility within YASCO and everybody in Antigua should be saying that. We are dealing with young people, young girls and young boys, and it’s a burning shame that when they come to the track they have to go across the road or go behind the old structure that is there — that was put in as the toilet but never completed — to ease themselves,” he said.
The absence of adequate restrooms and changing facilities at the venue has been the subject of many debates with multiple administrations promising to tackle the issue.
Cornelius said the project must be prioritised given the likelihood that the country could host the Leeward Islands Junior Championships in June this year.
“Whatever we can do to make ourselves comfortable within YASCO, then we are doing that as an association. We have finished the fencing of the track just to make sure we can secure the track the best way we can and we had the money to do that so we got that aspect of it done. I think the next move and the big move now, needs to be the toilet facilities for YASCO. We are up to host the Leeward Islands juniors [championship] and I don’t think we should really be going down the road to be renting portable potties to put at YASCO. I think and effort should be made for us to get some sort of permanent toilet facility within YASCO,” the athletics boss said.
Meanwhile Devon Joseph, a popular caller to the Good Morning Jojo sports show, pledged his support to the completion of the structure and urged the association to find creative ways of raising the funds required to get the job done.
“I am going to donate 100 six-inch blocks to getting the bathrooms up and going and you can use this show and come back, maybe later on in the month with your committee and have a day that people call and donate to get the bathrooms done. It is full time we see some action and stop talking,” he said.
In September last year, Minister of Sports Daryll Matthew told the Good Morning Jojo sports show he is “embarrassed” by the fact there is still no bathroom facilities at the country’s lone track and field facility.
The unfinished structure, on which in excess of $400,000 had already been spent prior to 2014, has remained untouched since then.
