SUNDAY OCTOBER 04, 2009; KINGSTON,
Jamaica – Singapore, the host nation
for next year's inaugural Youth Olympics, has given the Jamaican
government its assurance to pay the US$550,000.00 needed to
resurface the run-down Stadium East mondo track at the Independence
Park Complex, according to the Jamaica Observer
newspaper.
According to
sports minister Olivia Grange, the arrangement will see a few of
Jamaica's top athletes, including triple World and Olympic gold
medalist Usain Bolt, helping Singapore to market the Youth Olympics
set for August 14th to 26th in
2010.
"We have been
offered the funds, but we have to sign off on the arrangements,"
Grange said on Thursday. The estimate of US$550,000.00 (or about
J$49 million), was provided by Mondo America
Incorporated.
"We have been
approached to assist in promoting the event and this year they have
several activities and they have invited us to visit
Singapore.
“They've
invited us to come with a delegation which would include Bolt,
Asafa Powell, Veronica Campbell-Brown and one of our top youth
athletes.
“We were able
to get them to agree to assist in funding the track that we need to
re-lay at the Stadium East field. They have indicated that the
funds have been identified, but it requires the delegation to go to
Singapore, expense paid by Singapore, to consummate the
arrangement," said Grange, noting further that the delegation could
make the trip by the end of October.
She further
added that "We have finalised the date with the other athletes, but
we are awaiting a date from Usain (management team). I know they
are interested and keen because Usain personally spoke with me
about the track, saying we (the athletes) really can't train on the
track because of the condition it's in, and Glen Mills also spoke
with me about it."
The minister
said Bolt's handlers have indicated that they will advise the
government of the double world-record holder's availability by the
end of the week.
The Observer
first reported in January this year that the track, which is used
by the nation's top local senior and junior athletes to prepare for
international competition, was in a deplorable
condition.
At the time,
Bolt's coach Mills, indicated that the surface threatened injury to
the nation's athletes.
"Its current
state is not safe for 100-metre running because the blocks may not
hold and the athletes could make bad steps into what looks to be
holes," said Mills.
General
Manager of IPL, Major Desmon Brown, also spoke about the deplorable
condition of the track back then.
"Especially
in the starting areas for 100, 200 and 400 metres and the inside
lanes, those areas are well worn," he said.
The Stadium
East track, like the main track inside the National Stadium, was
laid ahead of the Ninth IAAF World Junior Championships in
2002. (KAYON
RAYNOR )
Source:
SportCaraibe
