Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

#TheBahamas, April 15, 2024 – After years of thorough maintenance, The Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in The Bahamas is finally getting a multi-million dollar makeover, readying the 10-year old facility ahead of the World Athletics Relays on May  5, 2024; it is being staged in Nassau for the fourth time.

This $36 million refurbishment is being funded by the Chinese Government, as part of a vision to enhance the country’s sport infrastructure to benefit youths in athletics. The stadium was gifted to The Bahamas in 2012 by the Chinese.

The relay is the qualifying event for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and there will be 32 national teams, in each relay event, and 20 races on both days of competition, according to World Athletics.

Day 1, will have 20 heats across the five Olympic-calibre events (4 heats each for 4×100, 4×400, men, women and mixed) and will qualify 40 teams for the Summer Olympics.

Distinctly, the top two teams from each heat will directly qualify for the 2024 Games.

On day 2, 30 more national teams will be qualified through 15 heats and five finals, across those five events.

The upgrades which include new trusses, rooftops, seats, the lawn, score boards, LED displays and more, are expected to be complete at least two weeks before the relays, being held under the theme: ‘Chase the  Sun’.

In a special ceremony on Monday April 8, The Bahamas Prime Minister, Philip Davis said:

In December 2023, our shared vision took shape, as the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and the government of the People’s Republic of China, inked an implementation agreement for the renovation of the stadium. This gesture of goodwill and friendship, from the Chinese government to undertake the China Aid Maintenance and Renovation project of our national stadium, stands as a testament to the strong bonds that unite our countries. This project, executed by China Urban Construction Research Institute Company Limited, and the China Machinery Industry Construction Group Company Limited, reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation and mutual development.”

Additionally, H.E Dai Qingli, outgoing Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas who also attended that ceremony, spoke.

“At the end of the project, the Bahamian people will get a fully renewed and modern world class stadium because everything is going to be either renewed or repaired,” she said.

Some 1,600 athletes will be in The Bahamas for the World Athletics relays, with five events.  The Bahamas won the bid over Lausanne, Rome in 2022.

Mario Bowleg,  Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in reports, thanked China for their contribution to the redevelopment of the stadium.

“We thank them for their commitment to ensuring that they bring this facility back up to A1 standard so that we can continue holding international events and using these facilities as a development of our young people.”

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

After years of thorough maintenance, The Thomas A Robinson National Stadium in The Bahamas is finally getting a multi-million dollar makeover, readying the 10 year old facility ahead of the World Athletics Relays on May  5, 2024; it is being staged in Nassau for the fourth time. 

This $36 million refurbishment is being funded by the Chinese Government, as part of a vision to enhance the country’s sport infrastructure to benefit youths in athletics. The stadium was gifted to The Bahamas in 2012 by the Chinese.

The relay is the qualifying event for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games and there will be 32 national teams, in each relay event, and 20 races on both days of competition, according to World Athletics. 

Day 1, will have 20 heats across the five olympic events (4 heats each for 4×100, 4×400, men, women and mixed) and will qualify 40 teams for the Summer Olympics.  The top two teams from each heat will directly qualify for the Games.

On day 2, 30 more national teams will be qualified through 15 repechage heats and five finals, across those five events.

The upgrades which include new trusses, rooftops, seats, the lawn, score boards, LED displays and more, are expected to be complete at least two weeks before the relays, being held under the theme: ‘Chase the  Sun’. 

In a special ceremony on Monday April 8, The Bahamas Prime Minister, Philip Davis said:

In December 2023, our shared vision took shape, as the government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, and the government of the People’s Republic of China, inked an implementation agreement for the renovation of the stadium. This gesture of goodwill and friendship, from the Chinese government to undertake the China Aid Maintenance and Renovation project of our national stadium, stands as a testament to the strong bonds that unite our countries. This project, executed by China Urban Construction Research Institute Company Limited, and the China Machinery Industry Construction Group Company Limited, reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation and mutual development.”

Additionally, H.E Dai Qingli, outgoing Chinese Ambassador to The Bahamas who also attended that ceremony, spoke. 

“At the end of the project, the Bahamian people will get a fully renewed and modern world class stadium because everything is going to be either renewed or repaired,” she said.

Some 1600 athletes will be in The Bahamas for the World Athletics relays, with five events.  The Bahamas won the bid over Lausanne, Rome in 2022.

 Mario Bowleg,  Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture in reports, thanked China for their contribution to the redevelopment of the stadium. 

“We thank them for their commitment to ensuring that they bring this facility back up to A1 standard so that we can continue holding international events and using these facilities as a development of our young people.”

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, March 22, 2024 – Coining the term ‘Call it Ona’ and pulling a ‘3-Peat’, the Ona Glinton Primary School (OGPS) are Inter-Primary School Track and Field Champions for three consecutive years! The OGPS mustered a total of 368 points, placing them 157 points ahead of second place Enid Capron Primary School.

Champion Boy and Girl Awards

Champion Girl 7U

Eniyah Cox 14 points Enid Capron Primary School

Guillaume Woodmaine 14 points Enid Capron Primary School

Champion Boy 7U

Scheider Baptiste 15 points Ona Glinton Primary School

Tadaaki Anderson 15 points Adelaide Oemler Primary School

L-R: Ona Glinton Primary School Team with Director of Sports Jarrett Forbes, PE Teacher Acasia Downer, Deputy Permanent Secretary Amin McCartney

Champion Girl 9U

Sarah Rose 20 points Oseta Jolly Primary School

Miana Vernus 20 points Oseta Jolly Primary School

Champion Boy 9U

Walmsley Noel 33 points Oseta Jolly Primary School

Champion Girl 11U

Aaliyah Williams 21 points Ona Glinton Primary School

Champion Boy 11U

Marvens Doriscar 40 points Community Christian Academy

Champion Girl 13U

Naesha Petit 26 points Ianthe Pratt Primary School

Champion Boy 13U

Sneijder Registre 29.33 points Ona Glinton Primary School

The Inter-Primary Track and Field Championships closed the Turks and Caicos Islan

L-R: Ona Glinton Primary School Champion Boy 13U Sneijder Registre, PE Teacher and Coach Acasia Downer and Champion Girl 11U Aaliyah Williams

ds School Sports Season 2023/24. 

The country now looks towards the upcoming knockout match between the Turks and Caicos Islands and Anguilla for the FIFA World Cup Concacaf Qualifiers on March 26, 2024 7:00pm. 

Following this, Team TCI competes in the CARIFTA Games Track and Field from 30 March to 1 April in Grenada and CARIFTA  Aquatics in the Bahamas from March 30 – April 2.

For the latest news on the TCISS and Team Turks and Caicos, follow us on Instagram (@tcisportscommission) and Facebook (Turks and Caicos Islands Sports Commission). To share your experience with TCISS on social, use the hashtags #TCISS #TeamTCI, and #morethanjustsports.