NETBALL STADIUM COMING IN BARBADOS

Even as Trinidad and Tobago struggle to get a Netball Home , which they can call their own, according to a report in the Nation Newspapers in Barbados ,The soon-to-be developed BARBADOS Netball Stadium is another world-class sports facility Government of Barbados  hopes to build .

Minister of Sports in Barbados  Anthony Wood said this was in keeping with the mandate of the Government of Barbados for this island to be a centre of excellence for sports.

"If we want to be a centre of excellence for sports, we have to be prepared to build centres and facilities of sporting excellence and the Netball Stadium is no exception. I have said before that Kensington Oval should be seen as the standard for sporting facilities in Barbados and the Netball Stadium will not be the exception," Wood said at the Barbados Netball Association's Salute To The Sponsors last Saturday night at the Grand Salle.

Wood said there was a need to "move with greater haste in preparing the Netball Stadium" because teams continued to suffer from a lack of proper preparation for regional and international competition, placing them
at a disadvantage.

Work on the facility, which is expected to cost in the region of $3 million, should get under way by the end of the year.

"We have been able to get a commitment from the administrators of the Arts and Sports Promotion Fund for the release of the first tranche before the end of this year so that everyone would see a clear demonstration on
the part of Government to put that facility at the Stadium in a state of readiness so that teams would be better prepared for regional and international competition."

Director of Sports Erskine King, who heads the project, told NATIONSPORT $500 000 should be received in the first tranche and the present Netball Stadium would be expanded to include a fourth court, all with wooden floors for netball, volleyball, basketball, badminton and boxing. The expansion would take place in the direction of the shooting range.

"The seating as it stands will be expanded
in the same direction, but will allow for seating on either side near to the range and what would be considered a new court, so you would end up with a seating capacity of over 3 000," King said.