Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 09, 2016 (SKNIS): Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Sports, the Honourable Shawn Richards, said he is proud of the record of the Ministry of Sports in developing or refurbishing sporting facilities around the island of St. Kitts.
While contributing to the 2017 Budget Debate on December 08, Minister Richards highlighted some of the Capital Projects that have been completed or are underway. These include constructing a new netball court in Mansion, resurfacing of the Conaree football field, construction of a netball court at Challengers, constructing a basketball court in Boyds, and lighting of the new Sandy Point Recreation Ground to name a few. Some of the ongoing work includes installing football goalposts at Boyds, along with a pool and a tennis court, laying a tennis court at the new Sandy Point Recreation Ground, and the refurbishment of the tennis court at Warner Park.
The Warner Park Cricket Stadium was also refurbished to host a number of international cricket events including the Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 (CPLT20) tournament in the summer. Minister Richards said St. Kitts and Nevis, which hosted four games, the semifinals and final matches benefitted the most economically based on a recent report. The figure provided by SMG Insight/YouGov – an international firm – revealed that the economic impact was more than US $22.7 million.
Minister Richards said this was good news and added that government will continue to support the development of the sporting infrastructure, invest in athletes, and enhance the sports tourism appeal. Outdoor Sports Lighting projects are in the works for several facilities including at Cayon, and Tabernacle. This will help to ensure that even more persons across the island can benefit from the value of sports.