Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
February 27, 2008
Members of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) for the CARIFTA Games were visibly excited on Monday as they witnessed activities leading to the completion of the Bird Rock athletic stadium.
“I can say I am pleased with what I have seen,” Chairman of the Local Organising Committee Lester Hanley told SKNIS. “The track is about 75 percent complete and should be completed this week and ready for marking (of the lanes) next week. The temporary stands should arrive on site during the course of this week and the seats for the grand stand will also be here this week,” he added noting that offices being constructed as part of that structure are 90 percent complete.
Mr. Hanley commented that the registration process for athletes and supporters coming for the March 21 to 24 event has been positive and indicated that the numbers continue to rise daily.
The stadium seating capacity is approximately 6,000 persons. The chairman urged locals to get their tickets early to ensure participation in the historic event. He noted that tickets will go on sale March 20.
There will be three categories of tickets. A stand or bleachers seat will cost EC $35.00 (all ages). Admission to the grounds without a seat in the bleachers will cost adults EC $25.00 while children under the age of 12 will pay EC $10.00. All prices are in East Caribbean Currency. Tickets will be sold at the stadium ticket outlet which will be located at the basketball court.
Meanwhile, the efficient work by local company Rock and Dirt in preparing the track at the Bird Rock athletic stadium has been commended by workers from Mondo.
Mondo, renowned worldwide as leaders in the sports rubber flooring sector, is laying the synthetic rubber surface on the 400 meter track as well as the 200 meter practice track at the facility.
General Manager of Rock and Dirt Alexis Hazel indicated that the team from Mondo was pleased with the smooth laying of the asphalt and other preparatory work done for both tracks. He added that his workers are gaining a wealth of information working alongside the Mondo officials ““ who have worked on various continents around the world.
Mondo was founded in 1948. The company has been the Official Supplier of athletic tracks for the last eight events of the Olympic Games: Montreal ’76, Moscow ’80, Los Angeles ’84, Seoul ’98, Barcelona ’92, Atlanta ’96, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. They are also the official supplier of athletic tracks, basketball and hard courts for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.