Sir Hilary upset about sporting facility delay

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Professor Sir Hilary Beckles disclosed that he was embarrassed when he had to turn down a request from former World 110 metres hurdles champion Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados to train at an unfinished University of the West Indies facility on the Cave Hill campus.

The principal of UWI Cave Hill said bureaucratic inefficiencies have prevented the university from completing the multi-million dollar Paradise Park project on lands in close proximity to the campus, which it owned.

“Sadly, we had to tell Ryan that that was not possible as we were embarrassed that the track was still in a container waiting [to be assembled],” said Sir Hilary.

The development has been slowed down over the last five years by the failure of the Government-owned Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation to relocate its antennae from the land.

When completed, Paradise Park will include a running track which will be named after Brathwaite, a synthetic football playing field, basketball and tennis courts, as well as a swimming pool.

“Paradise Park will become one of the finest sporting venues in the Caribbean,” said Sir Hilary.

He said that latest indications were that the antennae would be relocated next month.