By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE Bahamas is set to capture a 'significant portion' of the multi-billion dollar global sports tourism industry with the opening of the $30 million national stadium, a government minister telling Tribune Business yesterday that LeRoy Archer, former Commenwealth Brewery/Burns House managing director, had been appointed chairman of the National Sports Authority. Charles Maynard, minister of youth, sports and culture, said: "We have been in discussions with a number of international athletes who want to host major events here in the Bahamas on a continuous basis. "The grand opening of the stadium is going to be a springboard for a lot of this. We are going to be able to show them our ability to properly manage and execute an event, so a lot is at stake in terms of how well we execute it. Mr Maynard added: "The sports tourism business is a multi-billion business worldwide, and our proximity, our climate and our sports fame around the world opens the door for us to capture a significant portion of that business." The stadium, a gift from The People's Republic of China, was set to open on February 11. However, Mr Maynard said February 25 is being considered as the opening date. "We are considering opening the 25 of this month. We intend to invest about $500,000 into the opening," he said. Mr Maynard said the stadium will be operated by the National Sports Authority, which was launched on February 1. The new entity will be a quasi-government body that will oversee and promote the country's sporting facilities. "We have a Board that's appointed. Its chairman is LeRoy Archer, formerly of Burns House. They are now working to set up the administration of the stadium and other sports facilities in the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre and the Blue Hill Sporting Complex in accordance with the Act," the minister said. "We also have an RFP (request for proposal) process ongoing for an international partner to help with the marketing and promotion of the facilities on an international scale." Mr Maynard said the new stadium has been designed with media accommodations, telling Tribune Business: "It's designed with media facilities and so forth. It's a state of the art complex."