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Remarks by the Prime Minister at the Official Handover Ceremony of the Stadium

Published:2013-08-14
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Remarks by the Prime Minister at the Official Handover Ceremony of the New Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium
Jun 22, 2011 - 6:29:06 PM


REMARKS

BY

THE RT. HON. HUBERT A. INGRAHAM

PRIME MINISTER

GIVEN AT

THE OFFICIAL HANDOVER CEREMONY OF THE

NEW THOMAS A. ROBINSON NATIONAL STADIUM

TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE BAHAMAS

BY THE PEOPLE扴 REPUBLIC OF CHINA


WEDNESDAY, 22ND JUNE, 2011

AT 6:00 P.M.


THOMAS A. ROBINSON NATIONAL STADIUM

QUEEN ELIZABETH SPORTS CENTRE

NEW PROVIDENCE

THE BAHAMAS




Ladies and Gentlemen:

The promotion and pursuit of sports and athletics is an integral part of our national development. I am therefore pleased for the opportunity to accept, on behalf of all the Bahamian people, this state-of-the-art national stadium, a gift from the Government and people of the People抯 Republic of China to the Bahamian people.

This stadium will be officially named in honour of sporting legend Thomas A. Robinson. The stadium is the jewel in the crown of what will be a thoroughly modern, world class Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre with facilitates extending over some 450 acres.

Just two months ago, I was pleased to witness the contract signing for work on two of the five phases planned for the overall development of the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre.

We have every confidence that those works included in the contract and this new stadium meet the standards necessary to host major regional and international sporting events. The completion of both will greatly enhance the potential for growth in sports tourism creating new revenue sources that can increase opportunities for additional sports development in The Bahamas.

The gift of this stadium by the Chinese Government is, I believe, a most generous demonstration of the good relations which have developed between our two governments and peoples since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1997.

The design of the Stadium benefitted from input from the Bahamas National Stadium Committee. An official ground-breaking for the Stadium took place on 10th July, 2006, and the following month a construction contract was concluded with the Qilu Construction Group Corporation.

However, construction did not proceed as the Government sought a number of modifications to the design. The construction documents were finalized in October, 2007, and construction commenced on the stadium, in July, 2009.


This construction project was carried out by Chinese nationals. The full complement of personnel during the course of construction was 326 with some 217 having been engaged at the peak construction period during December, 2009.

I was particularly pleased that an apprenticeship programme put in place with C.C. Sweeting Sr. High School permitted students enrolled in the technical programmes at that School to participate in two cycles of an on-site apprenticeship training of one year duration each.

Goods and services provided by some 113 Bahamian entities included sourcing raw materials: cement, fill, sand, rock, blocks, and concrete; fuel, paint, and electrical supplies; small tools and construction material; heavy equipment rental and trucking. In all, some $9.5 million was injected into the Bahamian economy over the two-year construction period.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This is a wonderful facility from which many generations of Bahamians will benefit and of which we can all be proud. The Stadium comprises 190,452 sq. ft. It has 15,000 fixed seats including sky boxes and a number of seats modified to accommodate disabled spectators. The western grandstand and eastern stand have 12,000 and 3,000 seats, respectively.

The Stadium, which has a state-of-the-art security surveillance system, has all required audio/visual equipment installed, two megatrons, and a number of purpose-designed meeting rooms, offices and suites. The running track will be IAAF certified and the in-field is FIFA certified.

I wish to recognize and thank all those who have collaborated on the construction of this signature national facility--Bahamian and Chinese. In particular I recognize and thank Mr. Iram Lewis for his services as Project Manager.

As I have had occasion to say previously, this stadium and all the ancillary work associated with making it fully operational is an important part of my Government抯 overall plan for transforming the landscape of New Providence and providing residents and visitors with modern and reliable infrastructure and utility services, inclusive of facilities for recreation, health and well-being.

The new National Stadium and world class Queen Elizabeth抯 Sports Centre will also help to augment the urban redevelopment of the surrounding areas as well as the enhancement of the emerging University of The Bahamas.

I wish to express my thanks and that of The Bahamas to the management and staff of the Qilu Construction Group Corporation, to former Ambassador Dingxian Hu and to his successor Ambassador Shan Hu for the roles they have played in the realization of this Stadium. And I express thanks and appreciation to the diplomatic staff of the Embassy of China who have proven able and reliable assistants to both Ambassadors during the negotiations of the various Agreements making this facility possible.

On behalf of the Government and people of The Bahamas I convey our thanks and appreciation to the Government and people of the People抯 Republic of China for the gift of this stadium. It has already become a national landmark and, we expect, it will serve as the venue for the enjoyment of many local and international sporting and entertainment events for years to come.



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