By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

GROUND-breaking ceremonies were held on Wednesday for the first pool to be constructed in the government schools in a Pools in the Schools initiative headed by the Fox Foundation.

Nathaniel Rolle, the proprietor of Pool Doctor, said they intend to construct a total of eight pools, but they are starting with Government High and hope to complete it in short order.

He noted that each of the 50-metre six-lane pools will cost about $500,000 to be constructed. 

The others will be located at TG Glover Primary, Anatol Rodgers High, Doris Johnson High, Sadie Curtis Primary and CH Reeves Junior High.

All of the pools are expected to be completed before school reopens in September, according to Adrian Fox, whose company spearheads the project that will eventually be expanded to include the Family Islands in the future.

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis, Minister of Education Glenys Hanna-Martin, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and Gaming Board chairman Dr Daniel Johnson were all on hand to speak during the groundbreaking ceremony.

Also in attendance was Algernon Cargill, president of Bahamas Aquatics, who noted that as the sport continues to achieve its international success, like the historic six-straight championship feat at CARIFTA here in April at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex, they are appreciative of the many projects that are being pushed to get more Bahamians involved in swimming. 

The “Pools for School” project is a spin off from the “Learn to Swim” programme that was instituted by the husband and wife team of Andy and Nancy Knowles to get as many Bahamian children learning how to swim.

“I’ve been really thankful for the government’s support over the 16 years that we have been in the schools,” Andy Knbowles said. “So we want to press on and get in more of the schools.

“We are very happy for the support from the Ministry of Education. We’re still working on the Betty Kelly and South Beach pools because we want to get at least ten schools there. We want to get all 24 primary schools done. Hopefully within the next two to three years.”

So far, Knowles said the programme has already been in 12 schools and they are learning every day how to do it the most cost effective way. 

“We have a good working relationship with the Bahamas Defense Force and its model that everyone knows. So we want to continue to use that model,” he said. “Once we have done all of the primary schools, we will move on to the high schools.”

Varel Davis, the president of the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association, said it’s a long time coming for their schools to start utilizing their spaces to accommodate facilities like the pools.

“I think it’s about time that we have swimming included in our schools,” she said. “So it’s a great day. We’re looking to the future when we can have competition in swimming.”

She said the association will continue to work with Bahamas Aquatics and the “Learn to Swim” programme to ensure that they provide the same type of competition that the private schools are being exposed to.