Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith has defended government’s approach to sourcing new sports facilities, saying decisions are being driven by accessibility and national usage rather than geography alone.
Griffith’s comments came in response to concerns raised by Member of Parliament for St Lucy Peter Phillips, who argued that the north continues to be overlooked in national development.
“I want to sound my voice… that we need to be considered too. Something must happen to the north,” Phillips said, pointing to the lack of major sporting infrastructure in his constituency.
However, Griffith maintained that constructing major facilities, such as an Olympic sized swimming pool, would be best served in locations that allowed for maximum participation.
“One of the things that we looked at… would have been the accessibility to those persons who would use the facility,” Griffith told Parliament, as he addressed concerns about the absence of an Olympic pool in the north.
The debate unfolded against the backdrop of government’s wider plan to expand access to modern sporting facilities across the island. Authorities have outlined a strategy to establish key infrastructure, including 400-metre athletic tracks and Olympic-sized swimming pools, in multiple areas to improve reach and participation.
Among the locations identified are Bushy Park in St Philip and Trent’s in St James, the latter being the closest major development to residents in the northern parishes.
Griffith maintained that this network approach is intended to ensure the greatest number of Barbadians can benefit, even if facilities are not placed directly within every constituency.
Phillips, however, insisted that residents in the north continue to feel underserved and are seeking more direct investment in their communities. (TD)
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