Major upgrade for pitch in Trelawny, Stadium track

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

With the National Stadium and Stadium East tracks attracting serious attention in recent times, Sports Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange yesterday confirmed reports that the Trelawny stadium is also in line for some major developments, as the ministry looks to improve the island's network of sporting facilities.

While no timeline for the improvement to the Trelawny facility was provided, the minister advised that the cricket pitch at the venue will be dug up and replaced with a higher quality strip. As was previously reported, lights are also scheduled to be installed next year with support coming from California-based company, Mojo Marketing, which was responsible for the Mojo 6 professional golf tournament earlier this year.

"Yes, we are doing some improvements to the Trelawny stadium, we are working on the pitch which is going to be of First-World quality," said Grange. "We are also finalising the arrangements for the lights at the Trelawny stadium."

Already designed

"The system has already been designed, we had an international team and we will be getting support and assistance out of California from Mojo Marketing, the same group that brought professional golfing back to Jamaica, the Mojo 6," Grange added.

The minister turned her attention to the National Stadium where the 400 metres track has been entirely removed in preparation for the laying of a new International Association of Athletic Federations Class-One certified track, an improvement on the previous surface.

At Stadium East, a patching-up exercise will commence shortly with a full renovation scheduled for the end of the upcoming track and field season.

"The track at the National Stadium is going to be a Class-One grade and remember it was a Class-Two track before, so our track is going to be ranked among the very best tracks in the world," Grange said. "The Stadium East track, we are going to patch it up now and do the full rehabilitation work on it at the end of the season."

The Government, a few days ago, released information showing that it will cost in the region of $97 million to conduct the necessary repairs to the tracks at the National Stadium and Stadium East facilities.

The reports also added that German company BSW Berleburger Schaumstoffwerk, the same company that laid the track at the University of the West Indies earlier this year, will be responsible for the repairs.