YASCO Back On Track

Work at the YASCO Sports Complex is slated to resume at the end of the month with a an aim to finish the repairs at the country’s lone track and field facility before the end of the year.
This is according to one of the engineers working on the project and President of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA), Everton “Mano” Cornelius, who said that the surface is already under construction by international track builders, Mondo.
The official said the hope is to commence the civil work right after carnival, which is in early August, with October as the target month for completion.
A recent visit by Mondo, Cornelius said, has mapped the way forward for the project to move into its next stage.
“Since Mondo has been here, what has been done is that I prepare a scope of work along with the drawings that have been presented to me and yesterday [Monday], I gave them out to all [two] of the contractors that we feel are capable of giving us the work that is needed to be done. All the details we have received so far from Mondo are now in the hands of the two contractors for them to at least give us a quotation for the civil works,” the athletics boss said. 
In awaiting the arrival of the track however, Cornelius said contractors will be working on completing the civil works.
“We had started all of the civil works in terms of doing all of the ripping up of the long jump area, the existing pole vault strip we had there. We had taken up all of the shot putt circles and some of that we have already moved away from the track,” he said.
“What is there to be done on the inner field now is the landscaping which is part of the civil works and to re-establish the long jump pit within the designated area. The rest of it is what just comes along with the drawing which would be the shot putt area, javelin area, pole vault, water jump and the extension of the 100 meters,” he added.
The facility has been deemed unsuitable for use as the current surface has become badly worn with athletes complaining of shin-splints and other injuries as a result of prolonged use.
Several deadlines for completion have been set but not achieved.