The Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC) has spoken of plans to build a multi-purpose sporting facility in Dominica.
At a press conference on Thursday Mavis Williams, Public Relations Officer of the DOC, said the facility could begin with a 400m track surrounding a football field.
She said all that is needed is the involvement of the authorities. “DOC would simple need ten acres of land leased to it by the government and it will secure international donors,” she pointed out. “We have already sighted land at Warner area ideally suited for track. It offers altitude, abeyance, no congestion and clean air.”
According to Williams the track will be used throughout the year by inviting affluent teams to use an “environmentally friendly habitat for athletes and football.”
She stated that the DOC will support athletes on the island who want to use the facility. “DOC will also intervene through national associations like the Dominica Amateur Athletics Association (DAAA) and give direct support to bright prospective athletics. Those athletes, however, must have the right mindset, attitude and appreciation and temperament to be able to access that facility,” Williams declared.
She revealed that the DOC has already approached officials of the high performance athletic facilities in Jamaica to explore the possibility of training elite athletes at the facility.
William also said the DOC would like to see other sporting activities such as cycling, archery and swimming thrive in Dominica “under capable hands.”
a little closer to town
I am interested in Squash. Dominica has been represented twice in the Junior OECS Squash tournament and once in the CASA. we have potential players and squash is a helpful in developing social skills among the youths.
is not just the track we need the athletes need to get paid for their training and time its not just going and run for your country thats why some of us go and run for other countries becaues we get pay for it
William also said the DOC would like to see other sporting activities such as cycling, archery and swimming thrive in Dominica “under capable hands.” What does that mean? Is Tennis under capable hands???????????????
ill be interested in the swimming for sure
Enough Criticism;;;;;Everything in its own time,Now is the time for this facility,My only advice is to get it closer to Roseau where it would be more accessible,maybe one in Portsmouth also.it is about time that the healthiest and strongest people in the Caribbean (Dominicans,)we eat lots of Fig,Dasheen,Jams,Fresh Fish and drink lots of fresh Water, )start showing what we are made of,We have many young men and women in Dominica simple going to waste ,they are all smoking joints and getting high, that facility will give them something other than drugs to get high on,There is no reason why we can’t create a few Usain Bolts or Yohan Blakes,after all we eat the same Fig Dasheen and Yams as they do,But we must start having the dscipline people,lets start now,its never too late.lets stop criticising
and do it.
Closer to Roseau? Warner is 20 minutes from town. How big you think Dominica is? Every island is decentralizing. Bonsejour is 30 minutes from Castries in moderate traffic! Get with the program.
this is a very good initiative!better late than never.thank you LUAN GABRIEL for giving them this JOLT.hope this will become reality
So what’s wrong with Windsor Park dem people cannot use it to train,,,
Dominica already struggling to employ people and all man crying broke all you want to spend some useless money on some facility???
My Sister do a research nuh and take some stats and find out what happened to all dem Olympic [Hopefuls] representatives whom represented Dominica,,,
I wonder where are they and what they doing now,,,
I wonder if the investment Dominica put into there athletic built payed of for all the peoples on Dominica,,,
All you juss does come run allyou mout and juss talk without allyou start tinking,,,
do some critical thinking nuh before allyou start making requests!!!
It took nearly half of my life before I saw the construction of a proper cricket stadium in Dominica. It took the same amount of time before the Belles road was turned into two actual lanes, and it’s not even open yet.
Jesus may call me home before I see the construction of a prooper sporting facility in Dominica.
The International Airport, well I may never see this one come to pass.
Don’t bother to comment, its an Olympic year, in a while all the noise will die down and the song and dance will stop till Rio.
You want land, try opposite the college, remove that ugly eyesore/waste of money court and try investing instead of spending money on the future. Or is that sort of long term foresight better suited to those in the private sector.
This is what Dominica needs, to accommodate the different sports
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40kR1D5R30s
this idea may sound great initially but it tends to look a bit rushed when analyzed. if we are to seriously nuture top class athletes i would tend to think that it should begin at a community/grass roots level in comparison to an isolated location which for all intents would be to cater to top notch athletes.it already seems that there will be limited access from the statements made such as “According to Williams the track will be used throughout the year by inviting affluent teams to use an “environmentally friendly habitat for athletes and football.” and “She stated that the DOC will support athletes on the island who want to use the facility. “DOC will also intervene through national associations like the Dominica Amateur Athletics Association (DAAA) and give direct support to bright prospective athletics. Those athletes, however, must have the right mindset, attitude and appreciation and temperament to be able to access that facility,” Williams declared.
if we really are to achieve the highest level then the program needs to be all inclusive. i can already see that foreigners and a select few who toe the official line will have access.
in order for athletics to thrive i suggest the following;
1. upgrade existing fields in major community hubs e.g marigot, castle bruce, grandbay, portsmouth,la plaine. at least three of these hubs should have track and field facilities.
2. integrate schools into the program in identifying and training potential athletes as early as possible. organize community and school competitions in a zone template which would foster regular competition and interest.
3. increase incentives for major competitions such as the national meet.
4. the private sector can assist in sponsorship of meets, teams etc given the right incentives such as tax breaks and they can also have the rights to use athletes in adverts/promotions.
5. the facility built for netball and basketball early at the start of the labour administration which seats as a sore eye in stockfarm should be revamped into a multi-purpose sports complex to include basketball, volleyball, netball, boxing, squash etc(if we can give liat 8 million and build state palace at 27 million we can invest in sports for OUR COUNTRY)
in my estimation these measures may be the beginning of our olympic dream medal in stark contrast to a facility to cater for affluent foreigners and selected individuals. it would also boost sports islandwide, reduce drug and alcohol abuse,foster a sense of community and pride which is sorely lacking today.
Oh Ms. Williams, you made me chuckle. “All we need is ten acres of land”. I hope you’ll get it but better still, that the DAAA gets it. The latter is supposed to be the body to nurture our athletic talent, with the help of the DOC, of course but it is not for the DOC to run our athletics programme on a day-to-day basis.
Even better, why don’t we install an all-weather athletics track at the Windsor park stadium, which is heavily under- utilised at present so that at least some of the costs of maintaining it can
be defrayed. Spectator-,athletes’- and press facilities are already in place.
Why then should we use Jamaica’s high-tech facilities after constructing a 400 mt. track at considerable cost? Yes, we should invest in sport- facilities, absolutely but it this should be given careful consideration and not just be a knee-jerk reaction to the recent Olympic games. We are too small a nation to be divided on this or splash out in a wanton way.
If you install an all weather 400 meter track in the Windsor Park Stadium it will lose its status as a test venue. Track and field and cricket are not compatible. A 400 meter track will give you a regulation football field but will drastically change the configuration of an ICC approved international venue. Track and field and cricket can co-exist only if the 400 meter track is on the grass of the cricket field and not a permanent fixture as would obtain if a mondo track was installed.
Having a modern track and field facility in Dominica should not dissuade the DAAA from sending promising athletes to Jamaica to train with top class coaches and to be in close proximity to some of the best athletes in the world. For those who might not be aware of the history of track and field in Jamaica, it is the leading spectator sport followed by football and cricket, routinely attracting 30,000 plus at meets including the largest high school championships in the world. The county has been winning Olympic gold medals since 1948 and has won more Olympic track and field medals than wealthier and more populous countries such as China, India, Brazil and Nigeria combined. Therefore, I am sure Dominican athletes could derive significant benefits from spending some time there. Perhaps local coaches would also benefit from learning from coaches like Glen Mills (Bolt’s coach) or study at the G.C. Foster College in Jamaica which focuses only on sports
I love the idea of the track at the stadium, it would save money starting a new facility. However, I would encourage a new facility idea so the training does not become a part-time thing for athletes who are serious about training. I know people think that road training can do the trick, it has its benefits, but also hard on the knees and feet. I have coached track and field for seven years and have seen the benefit of using the track.
Whether we build a new facility or use an old one is going to be a tremendous boost for our youth.
I think it would be a great idea for each village to improve or add a sport facility i.e(track), and use the main facility for competitions…….
Hope I can be part of it all!!!
It would be much better to invest in a covered multi purpose court right now to house basketball netball, volleyball, tennis etc. More people will benefit from it and it occupies less space than the track and field facility.
the stockfarm facility is already being under utilized, we do not need another white elephant
A step in the right decision. I was hoping that the authorities would step up and provide better facilities and training for our athletes.
If there is one lesson that came out of the last Olympics is that ‘we can’.
We have the Chinese in Dominica, like it or not, they are good at gymnastics and swimming and such. Use them, let them help build an olympic training facility and send down some coaches to help jump start Dominica’s olympics hopes. We need to start training our athletes at a very young age.
I also agree that we should start developing other sporting activities such as archery, shooting, volleyball etc. We need to have vision.
Great move indeed, I have always been saying that Dominica wold do very well with such,
For what it worth this is the type of response the DOC was looking for. Now DNO were you at the press conference and what are the answers to you questions you asked they DOC
Did they use this Mega light bulb plan to shut you all up? They have questions to answer. Am I the only one interested in knowing the answers?
It took three weeks to have a press conference following the Olympics and this is the outcome.
DOC did you take this time to come up with this to divert attention away from your sjortcomings more major blunders.
When did you all come up with this or how long ago you all have been planning. Haphazard huh!
DNO again I am disappointed in you. Do you work you are in the news and journalism not force fed info business.
DOC stop using the posters ideas and passing it as yours.
Good stuff,I hope become reality.
I think this is a great idea and i’m looking forward to seeing it come to fruition. It bothers me that there are so many negative comments from the public of such a great idea. I would be the first to donate should funds be needed for the building of such a facility. would love for my future cousins and kids to see Dominica win a gold at the olympics because they were well prepared. Great idea!
FINALLY! I wrote about how Dominica should have a sporting facilities in one of the olympics post posted on here, now if only the government do the other thing I want to be done.. build an international airport
Greg I get you loud and clear. Well did they take in consideration the precipitation in the Warner? The last time I check athletes don’t practice under rain.
You know what just put it in Ti bay. they can dwivey in possey after practice.
Nuff talk more action. Build the facility now and boast of it after. Too often they brag of items that do not have a firm agreement, only to see that it never materialize.
i love football…but not another football field…DFA have enough money for there own fields…spend the money on tennis, volleyball,netball,badminton courts etc in the middle of the track….
football have the goal two project….give the other sports a chance….geeeeez…
yes, what abut the cycling, archery and swimming of which they speak? where are the facilties for those and other sports?
We are approximately twelve years to late.The UWP promised a multi-purpose stadium,but instead we chose a cricket stadium by puting the DLP Government in charge.I wish DOC the best of luck. Knowing the way this present Labor Party Government operates,dont expect any positve action until the next general elections is almost due.
Let’s see how long that will take.
The Poree’ playing field in Pointe Michel is a great venue as well!
It is good that they are talking about that now. I will have to wait and see. Back in the mid 1990s the DAAA had secured the backing of the IAAF to built such a facility. Here we are some 20+ years later, and we are hearing the same lip service from the DOC in an attempt to make it look like they are doing something. What international donors have they secured, show us something in writing miss PRO. Do not try to come out and say this and then when nothing happens make it seem like it was the Government who did give up the land.
Tobias is a very sly fella. I will not put this past him as a political ploy…Miss PRO should give us a report on London 2012.
Good initiative nontheless. Hopefully we can get our fellow Dominicans who are out there to come home and coach at the facility….
Only porssie fair know him as Tobias. Remember they called him jahbless also.
Promises upon promises! Wake me up when the facility is built.
that’s so true we need a rubber track.way to go D.O.C.
ANYWHERE!!!as long as it is there.THANK YOU.
If we want to encourage athletes the facility need yo be one that is easily accessible. Athletes train and go to school at the same time and so there need to be some sort of colocation arrangements so the athletes could conve. niently access the facility go to the library, have down time then get back to training. It takes 4-5a hours a day of work to create ussain bolts. Putting a facility in Warner does show that we understand what it takes. The truth is we need at least two facilities one in Portsmouth and one in Roseau. Likeeverything else we do things viky vaille just Like the facility in Stock farm. Athletes need facilities that are easily accessible.
Can u identify another suitable spot for such a facility, with our terrain its difficult to find such a place. I think Warner would be the ideal place
Any way I hope that things will be maturalize and not just talk and more talk
There is a lot of flat land in point round and Picar. Even in sugar loaf, grange . So much under utilized land . Even the presidential palace area could have been used for a huge sporting complex. Need I say that we don’t need a president?
To create Bolt you also need excellent coaches, discipline, aggression. The track id not all. I lived in Kingston half my life, though I am Dominican. What gives them an edge over us is their determination and high quality work. We in Dominica are too laid back and we celebrate mediocre work. Till that culture stops, we cannot create world class athletes.
Well over due but good move. I hope all is not forgotten as soon as the hype of the Olympics has died down which is always the case. Am looking foward to have my athlete on this facility.
Great news…warner is good…..runners need clean air
In Warner; seriously. Got to be kidding me.
This is very good news to my ears, I only hope that the DOC is going to keep its focos on this project and not forget about it as soon as the hype of the Olympic is died down,not only in Dominica but else where. I have heard such comments before made by persons in position to effect such action and fail to remember they ever said it. Am looking foward with great prospect of having such a facility for the development of our athletes. Mr.Cedrick Harris is going to be a happy man.
That’s what I talking about! Let’s stop the talk and get in action.
mavis williams damm?????????????????????????????????????????????
How long 20 years from now ? As far as I can see it took us this long to come up with a plan not to mention the additional pressure coming from the public.
Checking the IAAFwebsite there are scholarships thrpugh IOC for young athletes do we use these at all or tried. The age range for high school age
Cool!!!! Will it be open to the public and do you have to pay to use it?
Damn it man, you want everything for free?
great
That’s a very good idea, it should have been thought of and done earlier though, then we would have had more athletes take part in the Olympics, and they would have been more prepared.
Land sighted in Warner area. Has anyone discussed this with residence of Warner. Has a study been done on it’s impact etc.
Well it’s about time. Thank god for that. Better late than never and thank you. Whoever the authorities are that this message relates to, get moving please. And thank you also
sounds good!!!!!!!
I`d like to nominate the Geneva playing area in Grand Bay for consideration
Then where will the local non-atheletes recreate?
DNO: The word is “ambiance” and not “abeyance” (third paragraph, line 5). And when it is edited, please say it is updated because some “sot sot” will say you had it correct all along and won’t get my comment.
ADMIN: Abeyance: a state or condition of real property in which title is not as yet vested in a known titleholder: an estate in abeyance.
um …so DNO, you saying the spot in warner offers ‘a state or condition of real property in which title is not as yet vested in a known titleholder,’
I think ‘ambiance’ is a more likely guess. We may be wrong.
i think they’re trying to say its currently in a state of misuse.
Good job ADMIN!
Assertive, NOT Agressive!
This is a step in the right direction for Dominican athletes. I do hope the government will support the DOC team with this idea. Well done for bringing the idea forward to give Dominica a chance in the athletics environment.
is this hot just because the olympics has just passed …i sure do hope not because this is very much needed in deed as i already say one hand cannot clap , so i want the authorities responsible to look further into this and make this happen. i am all for it. i love the idea.