Jumping In: Swimming Federation holds talks with government over possible aquatic center

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Young swimmers across Antigua and Barbuda could benefit from the erecting of a national aquatic center. (File photo)
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By Neto Baptiste  

The Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) has revealed plans to erect an aquatic center.

President of the federation, Dr Derek Marshall recently made the disclosure, revealing also that the body has identified an area it would like to utilise for the project.

“We have been discussing with the government in terms of the site which would be over where the stadium is — between there and the abattoir — and that’s the area we have been looking at and trying to develop. We haven’t had a chance to go further with it because, obviously, the swimmers are not swimming at this point in time and our biggest interest is to get the swimmers back into school. We have however submitted our information and we are waiting to get the lands more or less,” he said. 

The ABSF recently lost access to the private 25-meter pool located at the former Antigua Athletic Club in Coolidge, due to what is been described as several leaks.

Marshall, in a recent interview, said the development has significantly hampered the federation’s programme and preparation of athletes for major games.

The swimming federation boss said they have already made submissions to the relevant authorities.

“We had discussions and we have submitted our request to certain interests. There is one proposal that we are waiting on, and I would rather not discuss the interest because they haven’t asked to be disclosed. So, we submitted that information through them but Covid hit us right in the middle when we were doing that and we are trying to still, at this point in time, get our swimmers back in the pool,” he said.

Marshall said it would cost the federation upwards of $100,000 to repair the pool located at the now Cricket West Indies-owned Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG).

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