Statement by Ben Smith, Opposition Leader & Shadow Sports Minister:
The investment now being made at the National Sports Centre is necessary, and I welcome it.
My concern is not that Government is spending money. The question is why we have had to wait until so many things are broken, deteriorating or unavailable before the money is spent.
The National Sports Centre is one of Bermuda’s most important public assets. It is where our children train, where clubs compete and where our national teams prepare to represent Bermuda.
We have seen ongoing concerns around changing facilities at the Aquatics Centre, the timing clock and touchpads, the solar project, stadium infrastructure and now the lighting work that means Bermuda will not host international football matches this October.
Each issue may have its own explanation, but together they point to a wider problem with maintenance, planning and coordination. When routine maintenance is delayed, the problem does not disappear. It normally becomes a bigger more expensive problem. A small repair becomes a major repair. Equipment that could have been maintained has to be replaced. In some cases, athletes lose access to facilities or Bermuda loses the opportunity to host international competition.
It affects the swimmer who trains every morning and expects the timing equipment to work when they compete and try to hit qualifying times. It affects young athletes who deserve proper changing facilities that don’t have safeguarding issues. It affects footballers who should be playing international matches in front of family and home supporters.
Government should publish a five-year infrastructure and maintenance plan for the National Sports Centre, updated every year. It should show the condition of the major facilities and equipment, what work is required, when replacements are expected, how much they will cost and whether the funding has been allocated.
There should also be closer coordination with our national sporting bodies before major works are scheduled, particularly where known international competition dates may be affected.
Our athletes represent Bermuda with pride and often achieve extraordinary results for a country of our size. They deserve facilities that match their commitment.
And if Bermuda is serious about sports tourism, then those same facilities must be reliable enough to attract visiting teams, training camps and international events. Sports tourism cannot simply be something we talk about. We have to maintain the product.
The objective should be simple. Look after the facilities we already have, plan before things fail, support our local athletes first and then use those facilities to bring more international sport and economic activity to Bermuda.
