A $23 million indoor sporting complex was opened for business yesterday in Sangre Grande and the expectations were high from politicians for those who use the facility.
Toco/Sangre Grande MP, Glenda Jennings-Smith, went so far as to promise that for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 athletes from the eastern region would bring home ten gold medals.
So far, for the Rio Olympics campaign none of T&T competitors have earned any medals.
Jennings-Smith referred to the accomplishment of Toco resident, Keshorn Walcott, who captured gold in javelin in the 2012 games in London, saying Walcott had to travel out of the region to train.
Sports Minister Darryl Smith publicly praised former MP for the constituency and former sports minister Roger Boynes as one of the main people who championed the call for the complex to be constructed in Sangre Grande.
He said the facility was about 60 per cent completed when the PNM came into office in September 2015 and could not understand why it was not completed by the former administration.
He said while the facility was only marked for basketball, he hoped other athletes would use it for other games.
He said the youth of the nation wanted to have a voice and he was making every effort to accommodate them.
The minister said the abandoned Brian Lara Cricket Complex in Tarouba would be opened in December.
Responding to negative comments on social media regarding T&T athletes participating in the Rio Olympics, Smith said it was the biggest team of athletes sent to the Olympics.
He said it was the first time T&T had so many female competitors on its team and it was the youngest team ever sent to an Olympics.
He called upon those making negative comments on social media about T&T athletes to refrain from doing so and instead should give their support, respect and love.
Terry Rondon, chairman of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation, said there were so much sports in the region but there were no facilities for the training of athletes. He said he too was confident world class athletes would emerge from the facility.
He appealed to the Minister of Sports to have staff housed at the facility.