$20m upgrade for Tinson Pen Complex

Daraine Luton, Senior Staff Reporter

THE TINSON Pen Complex, which is located in Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller's South West St Andrew constituency, is to benefit from a $20 million upgrade this year, the 2014-2016 corporate plan of the Sport Development Foundation (SDF) indicates.

The SDF corporate plan also shows that some $47.9 million is to be spent for the replacement of the surface and stands at Leila Robinson Court at the National Stadium complex.

A further $63.1 million is to be spent on the replacements of filter and electrical system at the Stadium, while $12.8 million is to be granted for replacement and maintenance of the hockey turf at the Mona facility.

Natalie Neita-Headley, the minister with responsibility for sports, said the improvement to sporting infrastructure is critical to the development of sports in the country.

must be done

"I am expecting this to happen and these are the projects we are seeking to implement for the next two years. They must be done for sports development to be where it needs to be," Neita-Headley said.

The Tinson Pen project is listed among a batch of projects which were earlier scheduled to get under way but have been carried over into a new year. In total, $187.4 million in projects have been carried forward.

Neita-Headley said that projects listed in the corporate plan have all been signed off on by the board of the Foundation and are expected to be implemented as scheduled.

The major project to be undertaken during the period is the rehabilitation of the running track at G.C. Foster College, which is to be done to the tune of $91.7 million, and the rehabilitation of sports infrastructure at schools, with $100 million to be spent this year and next year - $50 million in each year.

crime reduction

The SDF said that by providing the infrastructure and training for coaches and athletes, there is the potential for crime reduction by creating an environment for recreation, team sports and community bonding.

The SDF, which is funded by the proceeds from the gaming industry, is charged with the development of physical infrastructure and human capital for sports at international, national and community standards throughout the island. The foundation's corporate plan indicates that $67.2 million is to be spent in 2015 on the construction of five courts and three playing fields. And in 2016, four courts and four playfields will be constructed at eight locations at a cost of $78.8 million.

But while the funds have been earmarked for the projects, the CDF said it is "Considerably hindered by the fact that the gaming industry is unpredictable, and that reduced sales could severely impact its ability to implement projects."