ALL SIX venues are on schedule to be delivered to the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the August 4-11 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) Trinbago 2023.

LOC chairman Ephraim Serrette gave the update yesterday, ten months prior to the Games being hosted in the twin-island Republic where 72 member countries will descend for the seventh edition of the CYG.

Two of the facilities to be utilised – the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) and the National Cycling Centre (NCC) – would require minimal maintenance work, Serrette said.

The NAC recently hosted the Pan AM Aquatics Age Group Swimming Championships while the NCC is being readied for a regional competition in November.

The Ato Boldon Stadium also requires nominal remedial attention.

“So the areas where we have the most work to do is the Tobago area with respect to the sand (relaying of sand and outlining of fields) at Pigeon Point (beach volleyball) and a little work at Buccoo (the triathlon course used for the annual Rainbow Cup),” Serrette said, “The Dwight Yorke Stadium (DYS – the site of the athletics competition) has over the last couple years have been under upgrade so that the costing should be minimal as we look at it.

“I think we would meet the deadlines as we look forward to having these venues ready long before (the CYG start date) so our local NGBs that are participating will have use of the facilities.”

On September 20, Government and Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) officials signed the host agreement, while on September 28 Serrette said the overall budget for the Games would tally over $35 million.

Serrette expected remedial work at the DYS to be complete by February/March 2023, while the work at Pigeon Point could take a few weeks longer.

Serrette also said the Hyatt Regency Trinidad and the Radisson Hotel in Trinidad and the Magdalena Grand, Mt Irvine Bay and Comfort Inn Suites in Tobago will be used as Games Village hubs for the CYG.

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) vice president also stated that the opening ceremony – executed with input from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts – will feature a street parade and, along with the closing ceremony, will be used to showcase the country’s culture, diversity and creativity.

The CYG was initially scheduled to be held here in 2021 but owing to Covid-19 was pushed back to 2023.

A total of seven sports have been confirmed to feature at the Trinidad and Tobago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games. They are aquatics, athletics, cycling, Fast5 netball, rugby sevens, triathlon and beach volleyball.

An estimated 1,000 athletes, aged between 14 and 18, will be eligible to compete in two clusters, one in Couva, Trinidad and the other in Tobago.