By Carlena Knight
The construction of a new home for the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) could come to fruition in the near future.
The news was first revealed by Sports Minister Daryll Matthew earlier this week when he welcomed home the history-making champion team.
“I was saying earlier that for a few weeks we have been discussing the construction for the facility at Tomlinson’s and I can tell you that the plans are at DCA now, waiting for approval,” Matthew revealed.
Days later, Cabinet Spokesperson Melford Nicholas gave additional information on the project.
“We have plans to construct an Olympic-sized swimming pool in the Tomlinson’s area adjacent to the current development that is taking place with the Harrison project that is now being undertaken. It will be for national events. It will be for the purpose and service of athletes like the ones that have performed so admirably at the OECS level.
“We do intend to give them that level of support and the infrastructure that they need of a national Olympic-sized swimming pool,” Nicholas said.
This will be welcomed news for the ABSF who have been advocating for a new home for some time after years of empty promises from Sports Ministers on both sides of the political divide.
This new development will also come at an opportune time for the local swimming fraternity who in recent times have voiced their struggles and frustrations as they have all had to use one facility to train after they were forced to stop using the pool at the Antigua Athletic Club.
However, a timeline for when that will begin or when it will be completed was not mentioned.
In September last year, the CEO of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, said an agreement between CWI and the Antigua and Barbuda Swimming Federation (ABSF) that would have allowed the latter to utilise the pool had been delayed due to a leak.
Grave added that both bodies were still in negotiations at the time as to how the facility would be utilised. He said that this temporary fix will go a long way in the development of the sport.
The use of the pool would have been a temporary solution as the ABSF pushed towards creating a permanent home.
Antigua and Barbuda captured the OECS title after having amassed 1,111 points at the Rodney Heights Aquatic Center in Gros Islet, St Lucia with the hosts finishing a close second with 1,018 points.
It is the first time in the championships’ 30 years of existence that Antigua and Barbuda is lifting the trophy and the 32-member squad and management staff celebrated in grand style, taking several laps around the pool while jamming to Antigua and Barbuda music.
Grenada grabbed bronze with 956.50 points with St Vincent and the Grenadines amassing 841 points in fourth position. St Kitts & Nevis were fifth with 61 points, and St Maarten finished sixth with 5.50 points.