News

Athletes in the Salybia constituency will soon welcome a rehabilitated playing field as plans to expand the sporting facility are underway. 

The expansion and upgrading of the playing field is expected to encourage sports development across the Salybia Constituency.

Member of Parliament for the Salybia Constituency, Hon. Cozier Frederick stated that while cricket is one of the main sports played in the Kalinago Territory, many of the youth are involved in other sporting disciplines.

He stated that this project will be done in partnership with the DVRP project, noting that when completed it will accommodate bigger sporting activities.  

“We play cricket as one of our main sports but a lot of our youth are involved in football so the intention is to expand this park to make it a park that is able to accommodate bigger activities. As the Parl Rep, I thought it was important to extend the park so we can accommodate bigger games. So we have partnered with the DVRP project which is building a road through the Kalinago space and so the excess soil from the project we are bringing it to the field. And so it is double whammy for us. We are benefitting from the road and we are also benefitting from the soil which we will us to fill out the entire area,” Hon. Frederick stated.

The second phase of this project is expected to commence once the surfacing works are completed. The Member of Parliament then called upon the youth of Salybia to prepare themselves to take advantage of this development.

“Sports on a whole help with discipline. It also helps with keeping healthy and we realize that even within the constraints of the covid-19 pandemic we can still social distance in certain sporting activities. So we want the youth to use the field when completed. Take advantage of the opportunity the facility will afford you,” Hon. Frederick went on to say.

Negotiations have been entered into with land owners to acquire additional property on the boundaries of the field.

The fencing of the playing field is expected to address concerns for the safety of all constituents.

“We are working with the Division of Forestry and Wildlife and Parks to do not just a concrete fence but to do something that is vegetation. We will use plants such as vehtiveh, and all of this will be inculcated into the project.  So we will have a partial vegetation fence, some concrete works and some fencing itself,” Hon. Frederick added.

The enhancement of community sports across the island was announced a few years ago and has made significant strides with the upgrading of playing fields and courts.