$20M cycledrome for Jeffers Foreshore

Caryl Kellar, an Administra-tive Officer V at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, made this announcement at the prize distribution ceremony of the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation on Friday night at the VIP Lounge, Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

According to Kellar, construction of the facility is scheduled for early next year and it will cost the Government $20 million.

The facility which will consist of a perimeter of 250 metres, along international standards, will be built along the Audrey Jeffers Foreshore, Mucurapo.

And also according to Kellar, Government has already set aside monies for the construction of the facility in this year’s budget.

He claimed that the idea is the brainchild of Sport Minister Roger Boynes and has been agreed on by Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

Kellar said cycling is the only sport in Trinidad and Tobago that does not have an international facility of its own.

He expressed the view that the facility will allow local cyclists to compete with cyclists internationally and will also allow cycling officials to host high profile international cycling meets here in Trinidad.

Keller who is the father of top local cyclists Azikwe and Ako Keller, said international cyclists compete on either a 250-metre track, which he says is half the size of the Arima Velodrome, or a 333-metre track at big meets.

He pointed out that in Trinidad and Tobago we have neither, and therefore the time has come for us to put our cyclists on level footing with those in international countries.

Under former national cyclist, now turned promoter Michael Phillips, local and regional cyclists come face-to-face with international cyclists during the now popular West Indies vs The World Cycling Series, which begins with a gruelling road race around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, and concludes with a series of events at the different tracks in Trinidad and Tobago such as the Arima Velodrome and Skinner Park, San Fernando.

The series also used the Queen’s Park Oval for events at one time, but was forced to find another venue since the facility is under preparation for Cricket World Cup 2007.

Kellar also revealed that the construction of another cycling velodrome is also on the table at the Sport Ministry, but work on this facility will take place in 2007/2008 at the Tarouba facility.

He did not indicate the size of the second facility but says it will do a whole lot for the sport in our twin-island republic.

The ministry official added further that Government also earmarked an area in Port-of-Spain for the construction of an international size Astro-turf facility for hockey soon.

He said if this country is to compete with the world in the field of sports, it must meet the required size and quality facilities that are needed to do so.

Only recently Phillips said he intended to go all-out to have an international cycling facility here as well as a cycle track around King George V Park in St Clair.