Tweet
GC Foster pool set to re-open this September
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Olympic-sized swimming pool at GC Foster College in Angels, Spanish Town, which has been unused for almost a quarter of a century. Inset: Principal Yvonne Kong
THE swimming pool at GC Foster College of Education and Sports which has been in disrepair for over 25 years should finally be back in operation for the start of the new school year, says principal Yvonne Kong.
"The pool is finally set to be completed and once the work has started it's not going to stop until it is finished," Kong told the Observer yesterday, some 16 months after the swimming facility at the 28-year-old institution was estimated to have re-opened.
On March 8, 2007, this newspaper reported that the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) had granted the college $3.5 million to begin restoration work on the facility which can accommodate up to nine lanes in the 50-metre pool.
"Sports Development Foundation (SDF) has given us some half of that ($7 million needed), and Lucozade has... given us a portion ($1 million), so the pool will be up and running by the end of April," Kong confirmed last year.
The facility also has an Olympic-sized diving pool which is 17 to 18 feet deep.
Now more than a year later, Kong told the Observer a new plan is being finalised for the facility to be ready by September.
"A meeting is going to be held on Thursday (today) to make the final decision on when the work will start... to get the painters in; when the painters will start because without certain things being done, the pumps... will not be able to be tested to ensure that the pool is up and running, but in another two weeks the work will be started," Kong further explained, adding that she was disappointed about the delays.
"So once the water is put in (the pool) and the pumps tested and the pipes tested, it is going to be sealed... then the concrete will be put in place because without the concrete water will seep into the underground compartment," she said.
GC Foster College is situated on 41 acres of land at Angels in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
Earlier this week, president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), Captain John Eyre, told the Observer the GC Foster board, the SDF and his association were working to get the pool in operation by September.
"We may have to get the full facility restored in phases... but I think we are of common mind that we want to... have it up and running by September in a usable format... and I think the support is there...," Eyre said on Monday.
"We have to make a decision as to whether we're going to start with the diving well and the 50-metre pool at the same time, or whether we're just going to start with the 50-metre facility. But those decisions have to be made by GC Foster and the SDF," Eyre added.
In the meantime, the principal disclosed that once the pool is in running order swimming will be offered as a major for student studying at the college.
"Our lecturers have already sat down and decided on the curriculum for the swimming as a major. It means that students will be able to specialise in swimming as there is major teaching component... so Jamaica will now begin to produce some excellent teachers or coaches of swimming," Kong said.
Meanwhile, ASAJ's technical director, Jackie Walter, said she was elated at the prospect of trained swimming coaches across the island adding to the country's aquatic programme.
"I think track and field has benefited from GC Foster and... I think swimming can benefit not only from a pool at GC Foster, which would serve the Spanish Town Community, but for the fact that the teachers will learn how to teach swimming and then they would go out to the whole island... and we would be able to have people who are competent in teaching swimming islandwide," Walter said.
KAYON RAYNOR, Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Olympic-sized swimming pool at GC Foster College in Angels, Spanish Town, which has been unused for almost a quarter of a century. Inset: Principal Yvonne KongTHE swimming pool at GC Foster College of Education and Sports which has been in disrepair for over 25 years should finally be back in operation for the start of the new school year, says principal Yvonne Kong.
"The pool is finally set to be completed and once the work has started it's not going to stop until it is finished," Kong told the Observer yesterday, some 16 months after the swimming facility at the 28-year-old institution was estimated to have re-opened.
On March 8, 2007, this newspaper reported that the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) had granted the college $3.5 million to begin restoration work on the facility which can accommodate up to nine lanes in the 50-metre pool.
"Sports Development Foundation (SDF) has given us some half of that ($7 million needed), and Lucozade has... given us a portion ($1 million), so the pool will be up and running by the end of April," Kong confirmed last year.
The facility also has an Olympic-sized diving pool which is 17 to 18 feet deep.
Now more than a year later, Kong told the Observer a new plan is being finalised for the facility to be ready by September.
"A meeting is going to be held on Thursday (today) to make the final decision on when the work will start... to get the painters in; when the painters will start because without certain things being done, the pumps... will not be able to be tested to ensure that the pool is up and running, but in another two weeks the work will be started," Kong further explained, adding that she was disappointed about the delays.
"So once the water is put in (the pool) and the pumps tested and the pipes tested, it is going to be sealed... then the concrete will be put in place because without the concrete water will seep into the underground compartment," she said.
GC Foster College is situated on 41 acres of land at Angels in Spanish Town, St Catherine.
Earlier this week, president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ), Captain John Eyre, told the Observer the GC Foster board, the SDF and his association were working to get the pool in operation by September.
"We may have to get the full facility restored in phases... but I think we are of common mind that we want to... have it up and running by September in a usable format... and I think the support is there...," Eyre said on Monday.
"We have to make a decision as to whether we're going to start with the diving well and the 50-metre pool at the same time, or whether we're just going to start with the 50-metre facility. But those decisions have to be made by GC Foster and the SDF," Eyre added.
In the meantime, the principal disclosed that once the pool is in running order swimming will be offered as a major for student studying at the college.
"Our lecturers have already sat down and decided on the curriculum for the swimming as a major. It means that students will be able to specialise in swimming as there is major teaching component... so Jamaica will now begin to produce some excellent teachers or coaches of swimming," Kong said.
Meanwhile, ASAJ's technical director, Jackie Walter, said she was elated at the prospect of trained swimming coaches across the island adding to the country's aquatic programme.
"I think track and field has benefited from GC Foster and... I think swimming can benefit not only from a pool at GC Foster, which would serve the Spanish Town Community, but for the fact that the teachers will learn how to teach swimming and then they would go out to the whole island... and we would be able to have people who are competent in teaching swimming islandwide," Walter said.
Comment