By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IT cost about five million dollars, but six months after the work commenced in November, Bahamas Aquatics now have a brand-new pool at the Betty Kelly Kenning Swim Complex to host the 2024 CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

And while there maybe some concerns about the seating capacity, about 800 additional seats will be added to the eastern side of the stadium to accommodate the large crowd of spectators expected be on hand to view the championships from March 29 to April 2.

The open water competition, however, will follow on March 3 at Goodsman Bay.

During a press conference on Friday at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, Minister Mario Bowleg, Bahamas Aquatic president Algernon Cargill, CARIFTA LOC chairman Harrison Thompson and Nationally Sports Authority chairman Graton Ifill Jr provided the media with an update of the scope of work done and what is left to be completed before the championships get underway.

Ifill Jr revealed that, while the work commenced on the renovations to stadium begin in November, they accomplished their goals of replacing the 50m competition and 25m warm up pools.

He noted that in conjunction with Bahamas Aquatics, they selected Myrtha Pools Skins, through its office based in Florida, as the preferred company to take on the project – which is now complete with both pools being filled with water.

“It should be noted that the broader scope of works included the replacement of necessary equipment and a complete resign of the mechanic room, refurbishment of the technical room, male and female locker rooms and concession area, repairs to the public bathrooms, enhancements to the facility tower lighting, installation of a new standby generator, repairs to the spectator grandstand, repainting of the pool deck and general maintenance of the super structure,” Ifill Jr revealed.

He noted that the entire project was completed in record time and he thanked their strategic partners, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the NSA.

They included Rob Mouzas, Acting Director at the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Works team; Stefan Knowles, Finley and the SJK Construction and Engineering team; Hugh Sawyer and his support staff at Aquatech Pools; the Royal Bahamas Police Force; the team at Water & Sewerage; Myrtha Pools and Moses Johnson, Romell Knowles and the hard working team at the NSA, including Philice Albury, the NSA Deputy Chairperson.

“To the athletes, I want to say thank you for your patience. Let me here now express my apology to the athletes, parents and wider Bahamas

Aquatics and Water Polo community for any inconvenience cause as a result of the renovations,” he summed up.

“Progress is often accompanied by setbacks. However, we trust that the finished product at the aquatic centre will serve as a testament to the ongoing commitment by the NSA, the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Government of the Bahamas to the youth of our nation.”

Minister Bowleg assured the Bahamas Aquatics that the championships will be staged in a newly renovated first-class facility, which the public will see first hand in short order.

“The swim community and the nation large will have a great appreciation for the investment that the Bahamas Government made in these facilities,” he said.

Mr Bowleg also thanked all of their partners and even the sponsors who have stepped forward so far to assist Bahamas Aquatics, noting that they appreciate their support.

To the coaches and swimmers selected to the team, Mr Bowleg encouraged them to pout their best foot forward as they go after their sixth straight championship crown.

In their bid to host over 500 swimmers from 25 countries at Breezes SuperClub, Bahamas Aquatics has assembled a 36-member team that Cargill said will ensure that the Bahamas clinched its sixth straight title.

“Let me also assure you, that winning is not as easy as our swimmers make it look,” Cargill said. “And although the majority of our 36-member team is returning, our competition is getting stronger and faster and have had the entire year of uninterrupted swimming progress for development.

“Nevertheless, I have every confidence that our team, led by head coach Travano McPhee, knows what it takes to make champions and we are well on the road to claiming the historic sixth CARIFTA swimming title here at home.”

He thanked Kings College for allowing Bahamas Aquatics to host their final trials just before they selected the team, notwithstanding the fact that they didn’t have the 50m pool to compete in.

To the many swimmers who didn’t make the team, Cargill advised them not to give up as he will be making a robust set of improved rules to ensure that when the decisions are close or require a vote, the guidelines are very clear.

The team, according to Cargill, consist of eight swimmers who train in Grand Bahama, nine who train in schools in the United States and the remaining 19 who train in Nassau and were able to qualify in the facilities that were available.

“Remember the saying, good things come to those who wait and I could only imagine the future for these swimmers when they dive into the waters of the newly refurbished Betty Kelly Kenning Aquatic Center,” Cargill said.

Sun Oil, Royal Bank of Canda, Albany, Arawak Port Development, Dunkin Donuts, Subway, Bahamas Hot Mix, C-File and the University of the Bahamas are the major sponsors so far, but Cargill put out an urgent plea for other corporate sponsors to help them raise an additional $250,000 to cover their expenses.

“Our athletes are doing the right things. They are placing the Bahamas on the global stage,” Cargill said. “They have the Caribbean abuzz about the management of our federation and the performances of our swimmers.

“However, corporate Bahamas has not embraced them with their financial support. The swimming community is disappointed in that all that we do to improve social fabric of this country, to uplift our country in region as well as globally, there’s been a lack of financial support from the majority of our corporate sponsors for CARIFTA Swimming 2024.”

Cargill is appealing to corporate sponsors to come on board and make their financial contribution to the success of the CARIFTA Swimming Championships.

Tickets, according to Director of Marketing Zoe Gibson-Bowleg, are currently online at Bahamas Aquatics and can be purchased at a cost of $10 up to $125 for the duration of the entire championships in the pool. The open water swim will be free of charge.