Weekend Swimming at Cocoyea Community Pool

Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith, together with Housing and Urban Development Minister and MP for San Fernando East, Randall Mitchell, vice president of the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT), Franz Huggins, PNM Candidate for Mon Repos/Navet, Patricia Victor Wilson, PNM Candidate for Cocoyea/Tarouba, Terresa Lynch and Ministry officials were present to launch this initiative to the Cocoyea community last Saturday.

Smith said it has been approximately 10 years since the pool has been in existence in the Cocoyea community and now the community can come and learn to swim on weekends. Minister Smith stressed that it is the little things that make big differences in our communities. He said that our greatest resource is our young people and we need to invest in them.

Minister Smith also encouraged clubs to use the pool which will enable talent identification.

Mitchell hopes the weekend opening hours would not only encourage weekend recreational swim but also foster socialisation within the community.

Mitchell also indicated that the pool is a part of a larger facility and he planned to commission the lights on the field so that the community can use it after 6 pm.

He also thanked the Minister of Sport for his part in the initiative and reiterated the benefits it will bring to the community.

Huggins, praised the venture and mentioned that it is a step in the right direction as talent can be identified and in future we can have more representation on the world stage in swimming.

PNM candidates Wilson and Lynch were very also excited and expressed that the community has long waited on this and will make maximum use of the pool.

The pool is located at St Andrews Park West, Cocoyea Village, San Fernando and provides learn to swim courses, with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes, lifesaving/recreational swimming and water aerobics.

The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs maintains five other swimming pools, located in Diego Martin, Sangre Grande, La Horquetta, Couva and Siparia. The Diego Martin Pool was the first to be opened to the public four months ago, and plans are being put in place to open the other pools on weekends.