Sports Ministry Plans Major Upgrades for Belize City Facilities

The Ministry of Sports is continuing its push to upgrade and maintain sporting facilities across the country, with major improvements planned for facilities in Belize City. Following a tour of sporting facilities earlier this year, Minister of Sports Anthony Mahler announced that plans are underway for additional upgrades to the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, as well as Berger Field and the MCC Grounds. Mahler says that, in a meeting held today, he was apprised of plans that are in place to increase the number of sporting disciplines that can make use of the Marion Jones Stadium.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sports: “ We want to create the Moran Jones Complex into a  sporting hub.  We’re working with the Tennis Association to build two new tennis courts out here. We’ll do over the track.  We’ll put some other facilities in here whereby athletes can come, improve the gym, have more people working in terms of  strength training and rehabilitating whenever they get injured. So we have discussed all of these things. We know what it takes to get these things done. It’s just obviously money is scarce and  we’re putting in place the measures for us to be able to do these things one step at a time. It will be a phased approach. Like I said, this is going to be a sporting hub. So we’re even looking at another softball field out here to see how it can fit. We’re looking at rock climbing. We’re looking at pickleball or whatever it is. So it’s going to be a facility whereby  people who want to be semi-professionals or professionals or the common man or woman could come in and access the facilities. But it can’t be free for all when we make the necessary investments whereby everybody drives their vehicle on the field if they want. There has to be some control and we’re going to put in place the  management systems that will ensure that they are sustained over time. We have some experts that have come in and looked at it and they’ve believe that a synthetic pitch would be better out here rather than a grass, natural grass and then the natural grass will remain at MCC.” 

Works on the MCC Grounds began last year with the replacement of the fence that had fallen into major disrepair. Mahler spoke on what’s next for the facility.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sports: “We’re creating a master plan right now for Marian Jones.  I just got out of a meeting a little while ago to look at some concepts for MCC and for Rogers Stadium and then I have some meetings over the weekend to look at People’s Stadium and some of the other facilities. But the facilities are important to ensure that our athletes can be competing and practicing in safe environments. We will  do the field over as priority.  We’re going to break down the old building that is there and put up some new facilities.  But you know these things take time and money. So I think by the time we’re finished both of them would cost somewhere around $400,000, both of them. And the demolition of all the bleachers and everything out there.”

Mahler says that facilities there will be dedicated staff from the national sports council managing facilities under its care, while other facilities will be maintained through partnerships.