‘It’s Disrespect’: Simon Says Treatment of ARG Is Slap In Face To Sporting Fraternity

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By Neto Baptiste

Member of Parliament for the St Mary’s South constituency, Kelvin ‘Shugy’ Simon, has described the current state of the Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) as disrespectful to the venue’s rich cricketing history.

Simon, the United Progressive Party (UPP) shadow minister for sports, added that the venue holds significance for a number of international cricketers who have made their mark here in Antigua and could be used a tool within the sports tourism industry.

“ARG has the two single highest Test scores in terms of the record by Brian Lara, and that alone is supposed to make us invest and keep it up to par, so that, to me, can even be part of our tourism package. We have a lot of tourists coming in from the UK, and to have ARG there just sitting down … you could even have Sir Viv on selected days signing autographs in there and people would do anything for these experiences.

“To me, it’s a disrespect to the legacy of ARG; it’s a disrespect to the sporting fraternity, generally, just to have it there sitting down dilapidated,” he said. 

There has been much debate over the deplorable state of the facility, while numerous images and video footage highlighting the rundown condition of the ARG have been making the rounds.

The Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) holds a lease on the facility but has not used the venue since 2020 when the Premier Division was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Simon also highlighted the need for urgent investment into the country’s lone track and field facility, the YASCO Sports Complex.

“We, over the years, have been doing things too lackadaisical. It’s not okay to just have it there because it is our lone track and field facility, so why not upgrade it so that we could even invite other teams to come for meets? We could have our own national meets where we invite teams to come, but to have them come in a facility like that where there is not even a proper changing room…” he said. 

The sports enthusiast who competes in basketball and football, said plans were being developed for the construction of a sporting village if the UPP had taken office following the January elections.

“There is a lot of space that can be developed, especially around the stadium [Sir Viv Stadium] and so on and we can look at maybe putting an Olympic village type set up which is something we proposed as the United Progressive Party before the elections that we would construct an Olympic village so that not only track and field but cycling, swimming and everything because the stadium is already there and there is a lot of land, a lot of parking and everything don’t have to be in town,” Simon said.

There are committees charged with managing both the ARG and the YASCO Sports Complex. The ARG is chaired by former politician Hilroy Humphreys while the YASCO committee is headed by Cleofoster Harris.

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