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Time to deliver the Montego Bay stadium
If a recent statement by Information Minister Danny Buchanan is to be taken seriously, especially in this the so-called silly season (election period), we could well be seeing some much overdue work on the final phase of the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay soon.
After over a decade in the making and a litany of broken promises, I really believe it is about time that the stadium is completed and delivered to the people of the region. It is high time that the athletes here in the west get at least one decent facility to showcase their talent.
However, while Minister Buchanan's statement might be good news, I can't find myself getting too excited about it. After so many years of deception, especially by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), which has responsibility for the new facility, I have decided to take a wait-and-see approach this time around.
While I am not in a position to confirm or deny it, one of the popular assertions going the rounds in Montego Bay is that the stadium, which has been in the making for over a decade, was tossed on the back burner because the government was not pleased with the way St. James voted in the 2002 General Election.
casualty of politics?
Based on a recent confession by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who recently stated that he has not forgiven the electorate for handing over three of the four seats in St. James to the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) five years ago, I am a little bit confused as to whether or not the stadium could have been a casualty of politics.
It is my fervent hope that, regardless of the outcome in the upcoming general election, the stadium will not fall back into limbo because sports in St. James really deserves to get something substantial from the Government.
No one can seriously deny that sports in this parish has not benefited in any significant way from any Governmental input.
Jarrett Park, which for years has been a major centre for international football and cricket, has fallen so far behind in terms of development that it has now fallen off the radar. With its limited seating facility, inadequate changing and bathroom facility, limited parking and the absence of a quality press box, it is now in the substandard category.
While I probably could go the route of those who are contending that sports in St. James should get more out of the national coffers solely on the basis of the income it is generating for the national coffers, I believe our sporting accomplishments alone should be reason enough.
For a parish that has turned out some of the biggest names in both national football and cricket, surely it cannot be unreasonable to ask for a decent facility so that we can produce more renowned sportsmen in the future. Based on its nation-building capacity, sports need to be encouraged and developed at all times.
That is why I am hoping that regardless of the outcome of the upcoming general election, the stadium will be completed without any further protracted delay. It is high time that Montego Bay becomes a major centre for international cricket and football again.
While I will probably get some sticks for writing a column of this nature at this time, I just want to make it clear that my motives are strictly sporting. I also want to make it clear that I will be watching the development at Catherine Hall like a hawk with a view of reporting any delay or back-tracking.
If a recent statement by Information Minister Danny Buchanan is to be taken seriously, especially in this the so-called silly season (election period), we could well be seeing some much overdue work on the final phase of the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay soon.
After over a decade in the making and a litany of broken promises, I really believe it is about time that the stadium is completed and delivered to the people of the region. It is high time that the athletes here in the west get at least one decent facility to showcase their talent.
However, while Minister Buchanan's statement might be good news, I can't find myself getting too excited about it. After so many years of deception, especially by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), which has responsibility for the new facility, I have decided to take a wait-and-see approach this time around.
While I am not in a position to confirm or deny it, one of the popular assertions going the rounds in Montego Bay is that the stadium, which has been in the making for over a decade, was tossed on the back burner because the government was not pleased with the way St. James voted in the 2002 General Election.
casualty of politics?
Based on a recent confession by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who recently stated that he has not forgiven the electorate for handing over three of the four seats in St. James to the opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) five years ago, I am a little bit confused as to whether or not the stadium could have been a casualty of politics.
It is my fervent hope that, regardless of the outcome in the upcoming general election, the stadium will not fall back into limbo because sports in St. James really deserves to get something substantial from the Government.
No one can seriously deny that sports in this parish has not benefited in any significant way from any Governmental input.
Jarrett Park, which for years has been a major centre for international football and cricket, has fallen so far behind in terms of development that it has now fallen off the radar. With its limited seating facility, inadequate changing and bathroom facility, limited parking and the absence of a quality press box, it is now in the substandard category.
While I probably could go the route of those who are contending that sports in St. James should get more out of the national coffers solely on the basis of the income it is generating for the national coffers, I believe our sporting accomplishments alone should be reason enough.
For a parish that has turned out some of the biggest names in both national football and cricket, surely it cannot be unreasonable to ask for a decent facility so that we can produce more renowned sportsmen in the future. Based on its nation-building capacity, sports need to be encouraged and developed at all times.
That is why I am hoping that regardless of the outcome of the upcoming general election, the stadium will be completed without any further protracted delay. It is high time that Montego Bay becomes a major centre for international cricket and football again.
While I will probably get some sticks for writing a column of this nature at this time, I just want to make it clear that my motives are strictly sporting. I also want to make it clear that I will be watching the development at Catherine Hall like a hawk with a view of reporting any delay or back-tracking.
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