By Neto Baptiste
The Ministry of Sports and the Antigua and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA) are currently in talks that could possibly end a 25-year lease the body acquired for the historic Antigua Recreation
Ground (ARG) back in 2012.
This is according to Minister of Sports Daryll Matthew who, while speaking on the Good Morning Jojo sports show, said talks have so far been amicable with the main goal being the immediate rehabilitation of the facility.
“We have had that discussion, but again there is a process because a lease is a legal document and so you don’t just say we’ll cancel it and everybody just shakes hands and walk away, but the answer is yes, it’s an ongoing conversation we are having with the ABFA. It is not that there is contention with the local football association, but what we are trying to do is find the best opportunity for the ARG to be properly redeveloped so if it is that they can do it and they can demonstrate they can do it then we have no issue. If they can’t, we also have no issue, we just have to find alternative means of doing it so there is no contention between the government and the FA,” he said.
Matthew said it is clear that the body does not have the resources necessary to maintain the facility while acknowledging that hosting of the annual carnival celebrations at the venue often compounds the issue.
“We’re at a place now where it is do or die and we can’t continue to languish over a lease for which there is clearly an inability by the football association to live up to the obligations in the lease, and some of those obligations in the lease include the renovation of stands and all of these things,” the minister said.
“There have been concerns expressed by the football association that when Carnival takes place inside the ARG on an annual basis it leaves the field damaged, and they have to spend funds to repair the field and I accept that, I don’t doubt it, particularly in years when you have tremendous rainfall and vehicles drive on the field and all of that. However, that does not preclude them or remove from them, the responsibility, according to the lease, of the repairs of the stands,” he added.
The sports minister revealed he has met with head of the government’s architectural department, Wesley James and others in an attempt to plot the way forward.
“I met with Mr. James last week and I indicated to him that the assignment I want him to work on is the preparation of a redevelopment plan for the Antigua Recreation Grounds. We have in the ministry of the creative industries, a project writer by the name of Dr Hazra Medica who I have spoken to and asked to prepare a project document for me given the historical and cultural significance of the Antigua Recreation Grounds to sports globally as an intangible cultural heritage,” Matthew said.
“The plan is to have that redevelopment plan prepared, because the intent is that in September to October, we are due to travel internationally to a particular event and the plan is to seek funding for the Antigua Recreation Grounds redevelopment as a cultural heritage site,” he added.
Members of the football association executive could not be reached for comment.