Despite millions on refurbishment stadium remains shut
By Kinnesha George (Tobago News)
THE Dwight Yorke Stadium remains closed, a month after the sporting facility was shut down because of health and safety violations.
This comes after a multi-million dollar refurbishment programme for the stadium, which included a new Mondo athletics track. The closure means that the Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships could be affected if the problems with the stadium aren’t solved by January.
The Tobago House of Assembly’s (THA) Education Secretary, Huey Cadette says Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) officials inspected the stadium early in July and again on October 24.
“The prohibition order was issued in October based on several factors which included major leaks to the roof, among other things,” he explains.
The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) manages the stadium, and agreed to partner with the THA to cover the cost of refurbishment project. The work also included a new drainage system on the athletic track and field.
Work on the stadium began in December 2012. The refurbishment should have been finished by April 2013. The THA says it originally budgeted $10 million for the project, but this increased due to extended delays and because the new drainage system was not included in the original budget.
The project faced further delays, after the stadium was used for the state ecumenical service following the death of former President, ANR Robinson.
Cadette says that SPORTT is working to deal with the health and safety issues.
“Works are being carried out on the plumbing, in terms of the structural damage; they indicated that there is need for a re-inspection to be done and an engineering report to be done, following which information would then be provided to us with regards to the reopening of the facility,” he advises.
Cadette notes that his Division, in conjunction with the THA, remains concerned about the level of attention being given to the facility.
“The track and field season opens in just under a month and a half. We have spent $14 million on a state-of-the-art track at the Dwight Yorke Stadium and we are therefore very concerned; there is a need from the Ministry and the SPORTT Company to give (serious) attention (to) the only stadium on the island,” he says.
Cadette says he has spoken to representatives from SPORTT and urged them to identify the remedial work is be carried out now, so that the public will have access to the stadium as soon as possible.
At the Dwight Yorke Stadium, a notice signed by OSH Assistant Manager, Karina Moses Andrews remains at the entrance. An official from the Ministry of Sport, who didn’t want to be named, admitted that the issue is not being treated as urgent.
“This issue is very serious. It is a very serious thing; it is not possible to have this situation rectified within seven days. We’re talking about major issues, this in fact is a major issue,” he says, continuing, “We’ve had a few changes in our executive management structure, new people came in and it wasn’t treated with the haste and importance at the time. We have quite a bit of damage control to do and a number of breeches administratively are being taken care of.”
Tobago News attempted to contact OSH’s Karina Moses Andrews for comment. Up until press time (Friday, 12pm), there had been no response.
Meanwhile, the closure of the Dwight Yorke Stadium comes as Tobago tries to market itself as a sports tourism destination. The stadium is to be the venue of next year’s British Airways Tobago Football Legends Challenge, which will take place in June. The event will see some of the world’s former football stars from Premiership clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United play against a team of Caribbean players. It is being heavily marketed by the THA’s Division of Tourism and Transportation as “one of the major sporting events” that will take place on the island in 2015.
