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More upgrades coming to Aquatic Centre

by Marlon Madden
3 min read
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After receiving some major upgrades over the last year, president of the Barbados Aquatic Sports Association Tony Selby, has revealed that the organization will be ramping up efforts to reduce operating costs at the Barbados Aquatic Centre while carrying out further upgrades to attract more activities there.

Selby made the comments today while addressing the 32nd general meeting of the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), where he reminisced on the assistance received from that organization in its last financial year ending March 31, 2019.

The Aquatic Centre benefited from development funding of some $75,000 from the TDC during its 2019 financial year.

The funding received towards the end of 2018 and early 2019 afforded the association the means to carry out extensive refurbishment and to improve the standards of the Aquatic Centre.

Selby said as a result of the hosting of the CARIFTA Aquatic Championships in April of this year, Barbados benefited from some US$775,800 while the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships (CCCAN Championships) in June-July 2019 brought in an estimated US$1.035 million, making a total just over US$1.81 million in revenue for the country.

Between the two events, there were 2,012 visitors on island.

Selby said, “Having this number of visitors come to Barbados for the international events such as these, we really couldn’t have accomplished that if we were to do it in the condition that we were in. So we are really grateful for the assistance”.

Barbados will again be the host of the CARIFTA swimming championships in April next year and

Selby said he would be approaching the TDC for more assistance, pointing out that the sporting facility was operating with “archaic” pumps that needed changing.

“By getting more efficient pumps we will be able to reduce significantly, our electrical bill. The quotation for that work is US$70,000. As soon as those pumps are installed our next project will be the use of photovoltaic panels in order to reduce our electrical bill from $11,000 a month,” said Selby, who pointed out that the Aquatic Centre was already using LED lighting.

He did not give a timeline for the completion of those projects, but insisted that they would allow the Centre to become “self-sufficient” and in a better position to attract more swimming meets.

At least 2, 000 people come to Barbados for use of the Aquatic Centre per year to compete.

Chairman of the TDC, Martin Ince said he would be setting up a meeting with representatives of the Barbados Aquatic Sports Association to thrash out the details for the assistance.

Ince said he believed sports tourism was an area that had tremendous revenue earning potential for Barbados.

“I feel that in sports tourism we have the opportunity where we should be hosting events monthly and a lot of focus on our weaker months – May, June, September, October,” said Ince.

Pointing to a number of sporting events hosted in Barbados each year, Ince said, “If you connect all the dots you can see the picture starting to build of what we have been able to accomplish together as a country”.

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