By Neto Baptiste
Plans announced in July 2022 for the erection of two bathrooms at the YASCO Sports Complex by the Department of Environment (DoE) are seemingly off the table.
This is according to President of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA), Everton “Mano” Cornelius, who said the body was informed that the DoE will not move forward with the project.
“That is off the table now; I don’t know what has become of that situation. We gave them everything they had asked for and at one point, I heard that the contractor was supposed to start and then I was told they were to hold on it for a while. I think the last thing I heard was that it’s no more — it’s off the table completely,” he said.
Cornelius, in 2022, announced that the body had successfully applied to the DoE for assistance and that their proposal had been accepted.
That development leaves the association at a crossroads as to how they will now go about raising the funds to erect the structure.
“I don’t know what we’re doing; I think we spend too much time discussing how much monies were spent on a toilet at YASCO instead of spending the time discussing and urging the necessary people to put the things that ought to be in YASCO inside of YASCO — a proper changing room, proper toilet facilities. We can dodge the seating for a while because it’s costly, but I believe some sort of seating should be inside there if we are going to encourage spectators to come and be a part of what’s going on in YASCO,” he said.
Questioned about the role of a five-member committee announced in March of 2021 to manage the facility, of which he is a member, Cornelius could not recall when last the body met but said the association is pushing on in spite of.
“I can’t answer that question but I believe it might be some time last year, but we have managed as the association to put a couple of things in place. On the eastern side of the track there was no fence and that was a concern for us and we took whatever little money we had and got a contractor to put the fence up. I think we got some help from Cool & Smooth with the wire. We had some seating on the eastern side and we took them down and put them on the western side,” the athletics boss said.
The country’s lone track and field facility received Class 2 certification from World Athletics in July 2021 following the successful laying of a new surface supplied by Mondo.
