Demolition work on the National Stadium at Waterford, St. Michael, is scheduled to commence on April 15, according to Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith.

The announcement was made during a press briefing at the facility on Tuesday, April 1.

Mr. Griffith acknowledged the delays in the project’s timeline but emphasised that the process is now fully under way.

“Yes, we took a while in getting here, but today is the start of the process and you will actually see the demolition taking place,” he said. “I want persons to know it’s been long in coming, but the Chinese are actually on island.”

He further noted that 25 work permits had already been granted, with an additional 15 submitted to accommodate the team involved in the construction phase.

Expressing pride in the project’s progress, the Minister described it as his “gold medal”, stating: “We thought it would be a sprint, but it has turned out to be a 1500-metre race. It doesn’t get much better than this.”

In addition to the stadium redevelopment, Mr. Griffith revealed that Parliament had approved an extra 50 million dollars for the National Sports Council. Some of this funding will be used to construct two new 400-metre tracks – one in the east and another in the north of the island – as part of efforts to bolster Barbados’ sports infrastructure.

“What we are looking to do is to buttress what’s happening here at the National Stadium,” he explained. “We have asked the National Sports Council to start the process in the first quarter of the financial year.”

He added that the Government is committed to ensuring athletes are properly prepared and have access to adequate facilities.

China’s Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Liang Jie, also addressed the media, emphasising that the National Stadium Project highlights the strong bilateral relationship between Barbados and China.

He noted that nearly two years of technical work had led to the finalisation of the design and mobilisation of the general contractor, adding: “I am fairly pleased that through this joint effort, we can witness the realisation of a magnificent, high-standard, high-cost, totally new National Stadium.”

The new stadium will be developed in two phases. Phase One will feature 10,000 seats and is expected to take between 26 and 29 months to complete. Phase Two will add another 10,000 seats, bringing the total capacity to 20,000. 

The original National Stadium, which was opened in October 1970, has in recent years fallen into a state of disrepair. The Government has deemed the facility outdated and unsuitable, and has moved forward with plans to construct a modern replacement that meets the needs of Barbadian athletes and the wider community. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith and China’s Economic and Commercial Counsellor, Liang Jie, shake hands to signal the start of the National Stadium Project, following a press briefing at Waterford, on Tuesday