Minister Larue says renovation work on sports dormitory will be ready on time |22 March 2018
The Minister for Youth, Sports and Culture, Mitcy Larue, has affirmed that renovation work on the dormitory at Stad Linite will be ready on time for the National School Athletics Championship in June.
She has also acknowledged the bad state the facility is currently in and said lots of work need to be done to restore the dormitory in a favourable condition to accommodate athletes who are at the same time making sacrifices and offering their time so as to give their best for Seychelles.
She said the way the facility is being maintained shows it lacks supervision on behalf of the concerned authority.
Due to the urgency of the matter, Minister Larue said a meeting was scheduled with the chief executive (CEO) of the National Sports Council (NSC) to discuss and find ways to upgrade and refurbish the dormitory.
Apart from renovation works, protocols will be put in place for users of the facility so they are responsible for any damage or destruction caused during their stay there.
According to the NSC’s project officer’s scope of work, the renovation works will cost R325,000.
“At the same time it is worth noting that people who are given accommodation at this dormitory also have a responsibility towards this place. Because if when staying there they decide to break items or take the place for granted where they believe they can do whatever they want there, this will also put pressure on the NSC to maintain the place,” Minister Larue said, adding that it is important to take our responsibility so as to avoid wasting taxpayers’ money to refurbish the place.
Explaining what she meant by protocols, she said procedures will be put in place so that when athletes come to stay there they will have to follow the rules and regulations which would have been clearly laid down, stating any equipment destroyed or damaged during their stay, will be paid or repaired by the athletes themselves.
“When athletes arrive, they will be given a tour of the place by a supervisor, verify that all facilities are in good working condition and they will be asked to sign a document confirming that if the equipment is damaged when they leave, they will have to pay for either reparation or replacement,” said Minister Larue.
She believes if such regulations are implemented there will be law and order.
Minister Larue added accommodation fees will also be revised as currently an adult is paying R75, a child pays R50 and a foreigner US $35 per day.
“All these we need to look at during the discussions while taking into consideration we are promoting the development of sports in Seychelles,” she said.
Replying questions raised by MNAs, Minister Larue confirmed the facility is managed by NSC and the various federations have to go through the NSC to book accommodation in the facility. Therefore it is not the responsibility of the ministry to dictate to the federations, but there are some issues where the ministry can step in and provide assistance.
“For example, it is not my ministry which organises volleyball competitions, but the federations in collaboration with NSC. We can suggest certain things to them but we cannot dictate to them,” Minister Larue said.
The dormitory was built in 1993 and a major renovation was carried out in 2015.
The principal objective of the dormitory is to provide a facility for athletes from other islands like Praslin, La Digue and Silhouette when they come to Mahé to participate in sports activities or competitions. It also accomodates other islanders who are on Mahé for cultural, environmental events. It is under the responsibility of NSC where it has to make sure those responsible for the maintenance of the dormitory do their job and do it well.