The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

MINISTER of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson said yesterday that preparation for several marquee sports tourism events remain on schedule despite the recovery efforts from Hurricane Matthew.

The 2017 schedule of high profile events will be highlighted by the IAAF World Relays, Commonwealth Youth Games and the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

The Beach Soccer World Cup necessitates the construction of a new stadium and a facelift to the harbour’s foreshore around Potter’s Cay Dock and the original Paradise Island Bridge.

“Construction has already begun in the preliminary stages with the foundation work which has to be done in those areas,” Dr Johnson said.

“They are in the ground now just we are with the baseball stadium, we are in the ground. “Sometimes that is some of the toughest work and that has already begun. Both arenas are pre-fab steel and so the steel is already fabricated, it is waiting to be shipped and at the appropriate time the general contractor will say ship.

“When that happens you will see the cranes in place and things will begin moving rather quickly. Once that infrastructure is in it goes up very fast, in about six weeks.

“In the past we have built things for a variety of events and then we take it down. This is not a one-off event, this is a legacy issue so it’s going to stay and be an amphitheatre on the water, which is something we have never had.”

Prior to the World Cup - which runs from April 27 to May 7 - The Bahamas is scheduled to host the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, from February 20 to 26, in Nassau.

The Bahamas last hosted the regional Beach Soccer Championships in 2013 where they finished sixth following a loss to Guatemala.

“The FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup will feature countries from five continents in the Bahamas for almost three weeks practicing and competing,” Dr Johnson said. “It will be a fascinating event and it is one of the reasons we are improving the entire foreshore down by the Paradise Island and Sir Sidney Poitier Bridge, east and west, to service this area and that will be a permanent fixture.”

The extensive list of international sporting events on the calendar next year for the Bahamas also includes the LPGA Pure Silk Bahamas Classic, the Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships, the Battle 4 Atlantis, Popeyes Bahamas Bowl and many others.

“We are in the recovery process yes, but we are making our plans as accordingly where we can,” Dr Johnson said. “To end this year we have the Battle 4 Atlantis at the Atlantis Resort, we have the Junkanoo Jam which has been relocated to Bimini and is moving ahead.

“We have the Hero World Challenge coming up in December and that is on schedule. The Popeyes Bahamas Bowl is on, the stadium will be ready. We go into the LPGA Tour on Ocean Club, there are events in Eleuthera, Exuma and Abaco with NCAA sports and professional golfers.

“We continue with CARIFTA golf, swimming then we head into the most exciting series of international events ever held in this region. It will kick off with the IAAF World Relays on time, as scheduled.

“We have the Commonwealth Youth Games - the largest sporting event in the region competing with nine different disciplines and they will be with us for the entire month of July,” he said. “We have accomplished what we have tried to do with year-round sports entertainment as a tourist destination with the best brands.

“I think we have done that. What we will see is the value of that, not just with tourist spending and heads in beds, but with the advertising and marketing dollar value of these kids of efforts that are global brands. This country will dominate the world of sports for two weeks of every month.”