By L.K. Hewlett
St. Kitts Reporter
His Excellency Ambassador John Liu of the Republic of China on Taiwan handed over a cheque for US$500,000 to Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas during a brief ceremony on Monday.
The donation was made as a down payment for the construction of the Bird Rock Athletic Stadium, the cost of which is estimated in the region of US$5 million.
Ambassador Liu was present at the official groundbreaking ceremony last week and said it was an honour to have turned the soil with the Federation’s leader.
“Let me extend our congratulations to the government of St. Kitts and Nevis that your nation is going to host the 2008 CARIFTA Games at this stadium in March next year. I commend Dr. Douglas for his dynamic leadership and foresight regarding the Warner Park Development Project and also the construction of the Bird Rock Athletic Stadium. I am sure that after the completion of this stadium the Federation will again become an international focal point with the hosting of next year’s CARIFTA Games,” Liu said.
The ambassador highlighted his government’s twenty-four years of diplomatic relations with St. Kitts and Nevis, a relationship he termed ‘cordial, friendly and mutually beneficial’. Mr Liu said the two countries had had close cooperation in many areas such as health, social development, education, agriculture, training and infrastructure projects.
“Over the past twenty-four years the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and the people of Taiwan have benefited tremendously from such mutually beneficial cooperation. My government has supported your country in national development, which has substantially improved the well-being of your people. I wish to assure you that my government will continue to work closely with yours in an effort to improve your sporting and other facilities. We are pleased to be a partner in the process of your national development, especially the promotion of your sporting activities,” he said.
Douglas accepted the cheque on behalf of the people of the Federation and offered profound thanks to the ambassador for the donation which he said meant that the construction of the track stadium could begin on time.
“I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the tremendous assistance that your government has provided in the development of St. Kitts and Nevis. I recall when we negotiated with your government the need for financing the Warner Park Stadium. After very intense negotiations, your government eventually agreed to assist us to the tune of EC$40,000,000.00. Today we are fully on our way to the realization of all of the projects that were to be packaged with this amount. Of the forty million that your government has generously donated, we have used about thirty million dollars EC so far,” the PM said.
Douglas pointed out that they were in the process of realizing the third project in the compendium of projects, referring to the Bird Rock Athletic Facility. He added that the Taiwanese government had made a tangible contribution not only in the physical structural development of this country but that they have also impacted the youth development agenda.
The facility will be the host venue of the upcoming track event where over 600 athletes and officials along with visiting fans from 34 countries in the Caribbean region are expected to assemble.
