ASSESSMENT works for the construction of two synthetic track facilities – one in Region 6 and one in Region 10 – have already begun, and Director of Sport Christopher Jones says the administration is looking to have at least one of the tracks completed by year end. The National Sports Commission (NSC) is currently doing evaluations for the two tracks, in addition to the assessment for a multipurpose sports facility in Region 7. The construction is expected to begin as soon as all necessary preparatory hurdles have been cleared. Once green-lighted, the project will go to the tender board.
“We are striving to have completion this year. It’s going to be completed this year, I can’t say for both but I know for sure one will be,” Jones told Chronicle Sport in an interview earlier this week.
“We’ve been on the ground to get a feel from the people on the ground, as to where those tracks should be laid.”
Things are looking particularly good in Region 6, where Jones recently held discussions with the New Amsterdam Mayor Kirt Wynter, who wasted no time, and, according to Jones, has already suggested a possible location, and had contractors submit drawings for the proposed facility.

In Linden, however, an exact location is still being considered. Many thought the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground facility would have been the best location, but Jones said last year that that may not be possible because the MSC facility houses a 300m track while a synthetic track will be 400m.
However, Jones said he has since been approached by the facility’s personnel who submitted a proposal suggesting that a track just may be able to fit.
“After learning about government’s intention to place a track in Region 10, the body of the MSC went ahead on their own to prepare drawings to show that a track can fit in that facility.
So they would have invited me to come and see those drawings and have a conversation with them as it relates to the track being laid in their facility. Those proposals submitted by them, have been further submitted to the PS, and the Minister for their own perusal.” Jones related.
However, there’s another proposed site in Bayroc, Linden, which has been suggested by Region 10 Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira. Jones says once Figueira has submitted the necessary proposal for that site, both locations will be thoroughly assessed by the Department of Sports’ contractor.
“The final determination will be for the Minister and the PS, but I will make my recommendation after receiving both, based on what I see,” Jones declared.
“If we had received both of those proposals already consultants for the Ministry would have already been in the regions to do their groundwork. So essentially they are waiting for us to say go, and they can do their assessment. We want to push on it as early as possible,” Jones assured.
Once the assessments have been completed and the contractor submits the bill of quantities, the project will go to tender for bids to do the initial construction work. The initial works can be done by a local company. However, an international company will have to be hired to lay the rubberised track.
Guyanese first got confirmation of plans to construct new synthetic tracks across Guyana when Minister responsible for Sport, Nicolette Henry pointed out that some $210M had been set aside for proposed synthetic track facilities to be laid in Regions 2, 4, 6, 7 and 10.
To date, Guyana has only one synthetic track facility – the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara. This facility cost $1.084 billion and it was officially commissioned in April, 2015.
When the track’s location was first unveiled, many stakeholders were not too pleased, and questioned the rationale behind putting the track in an area hardly known as an attraction point for athletics enthusiasts. The government-funded initiative was spearheaded by then Minister of Sport, Dr Frank Anthony.