The newly-commissioned Massacre Indoor Sports Facility facility which cost close to 3.7 million dollars is expected to accommodate not only basketball games but volleyball and netball as well.
Parliamentary Representative for the Mahaut Constituency, Rayburn Blackmoore, said at the commissioning of the facility over the weekend, that it is a testament that investment in sports can help to transform Dominica.
“Today’s opening is a testament that investment in sports can help to transform Dominica, build character, improve the health and well-being and cultivate a deeper sense of community and nationhood,” Blackmoore said. “The opening of this indoor facility here in Massacre is a manifestation of the deep commitment by your government to invest in communities or mobilize its people for higher purpose and higher calling in life.”
Blackmoore continued, “Today I feel a great sense of satisfaction, pride, gratitude, and indeed much emotion to be standing before you on such a momentous occasion. Today, to all of us, is a combination of years of working together, of believing in each other and walking together in the great belief that we can achieve everything we set ourselves to achieve.”
He said the facility represented the reward for hard work and dedication to greatness and excellence.
“Because we are capable of breaking down barriers that stand in our way and taking on any task that we set ourselves so to achieve,” Blackmoore stated. “Who would have thought, therefore, that Massacre would be the first community in Dominica to have such an indoor facility?”
He stated that the government’s investment in sports is also about building the skills and talent of the country’s youth to become world-class athletes who can find a true passion on the global sporting fields and courts, leading them to be able to build careers in sporting disciplines.
Blackmoore took the opportunity to announce that the government plans to upgrade, renovate and better equip all sporting infrastructure in the constituency as far as the resources are available.
“We also plan to take a keener interest and to build up capacity to develop the music centres and music training, utilizing the auditorium of our new spectacular Mahaut Primary School [and] the shelter in Jimmit which is also equipped with a resource centre component,” the parliamentary representative revealed.
Senior Minister and Minister of Housing, Reginald Austrie, said the government will continue to invest in the country’s sportsmen and sportswomen to create the right conditions for them to improve their craft and excel on the international level.
“Our investment in sports is to build on the needs to provide our athletes with the best possible facilities and the environment through which they can enhance their skills,” Austrie said. “We are mindful that the investment in sports can resolve a wide range of opportunities for a country and its people.”
Pointing to the ability of improved facilities to open up opportunities for economic development and to create the ability to maximize the country’s potential, particularly through the tourism sector, the minister posited that the Massacre facility has the potential to position Dominica to host sub-regional events and to provide clear prospects for economic opportunities for the community of Massacre and the constituency by extension.
The fully enclosed sports facility comprises two changing rooms to accommodate two teams, each with washrooms and showers and also public washrooms for male and female patrons. According to Sports Minister, Roselyn Paul, to enhance user comfort, the facility is fitted with industrial ceiling fans and heat extractors.
“In keeping with modern day standards where such facilities are made multi-use we have ensured that the sitting is movable and we have placed movable aluminum seats, five bleachers with a sitting capacity of a little over 500,” Paul stated. “A state-of-the-art electronic scoreboard and clock [are] also in place and there is also a box office at the concession area.”
Moreover, Paul said to ensure greater participation, they have also constructed an outdoor court with dual uprights for basketball and netball in the parking area.
“This outdoor court I believe will serve the wider community and others when the indoor facility is in use and also the nearby primary school physical education program can be facilitated for simply those interested in normal day recreation,” she noted.
She indicated that sportsmen and sportswomen who are involved in basketball, volleyball, and netball will no longer be at a disadvantage.
“For years we have heard the cries of sportspersons who are involved in basketball, netball, and volleyball, the difficulties that they face in having to compete on surfaces which pose danger to them due to having been compromised by wet surfaces,” she remarked.
She also mentioned the “cries of organizers who have had to cancel events as a result of rain” and those “who called for a facility to be used after dark.”
Dominicans the storage facility blackmore build, he calling indoor facility is it a concert flooring, or hard wood floor , every indoor facility i know have hard wood flooring especially the playing area let me know whats in there if not you will hear more later.
Hard wood 🪵 floor? I don’t know for mister but that’s how politicians make a likkle extra, by saving that money hoping you won’t notice.
Sports is my passion, i mean all sport . When i listen to these guys taking about sports it hurt me so badly you won’t beleive it. None i mean none of these guys in that goverment have no idea about sports you have to play sports to have the passion for it, thats why sports is dead in dominica .Thanks to the Kalinago people who never gave up their sports that is part of them especially their cricket codos to them.
Before we had the gregoire league the western league we had inter schools tournament under these guy ever thing went dead all playing fields in dominica is like jurassic park, the stadium belong to skerrit and the dumbest minister in Dominica Mellisa, they make the call what go on there or not , pretty soon blackmore will be calling the shorts in what goes on in the storage facility,good luck with that Dominicans am listening.
This building is no different from what I see throughout the Caribbean. Those who are expecting to see something like Madison Square Garden might be disappointed but are being very unrealistic because 3-4 million dollars can only do so much. At the moment, I want to commend the government for making the investment and also to encourage them to continue in that regard because we need some more such like investment into sports around the Island.
What about indoor tennis, and gym???
So we Finally saw the E- reck- tion of Blackmoore House .. Kudos to you Mr Mini- Star… Hopefully we will get to see the Lakers take on the Bulls.
Without distracting from the basic function of the building, it’s a pity that with all the millions of CBI money at our disposal, the building’s architectural aesthetics could not have been improved upon. Had this been done, it could have opened our eyes to the beauty of form.
Whist investment in sport is laudable, it’s contribution to society is frequently overestimated. For the majority, bogus team spirit does not necessarily lead to a “higher purpose and higher calling in life.”
On the other hand, I am pleased that music is mentioned. I can only hope that it forms part and parcel of a creative arts initiative in general.
This facility is a positive development, undoubtedly so. Commendation to the administration.
However, this is like one drop of rain in a desert that hasn’t received a drizzle for eons. What is desperately needed is a modern track & field stadium, upgraded and more cricket playing-fields, proper basketball courts in every large community, an Olympic size swimming pool, at cetera.
While I commend the regime for this new development, one sporting facility is woefully inadequate. Increase the momentum with the billions of CBI monies you have in your possession.
This is a small airplane hangar. Poorly constructed. Windows are small. No AC visible.
Hmmm, I have similar thoughts. It resembles more a storage for heavy equipment, earth moving equipment for instance. It is not beautiful for sure, so what is it’s function really. So close to the main road and I do not see any outdoor facilities or even lower floor windows to let in daylight. Who built this thing?
Here go the bums again. These guys got issues. What a shame. They criticize everything.
Thanks Toto for that observation, in all the coments i read you a the only one who saw that simple thing. As a sportman myself i can not get it , you mean to tell me, the amount of empty spaces you have in Dominica you building a storage facility in the middle of a main road you call it an indoor sporting facility , man you all really dotish in this country . And that fool started boasting he have the first indoor facility in his constituency , then austrie gonna say i want my own too i have more space than mister own, we will hear more later. Dominicans what about the technical wing grounds , best place for an indoor facility. What about portsmouth lots of empty land down there with a facility like that you need space ,, parking is number one so the 3.7million you spend building that storage place, or blackmore night club , spend some real cash and build something much bigger for sports in dominica. Where i live Ups Amazon the fish market is bigger than that