By Treiston Joseph
The Colgrain Swimming Pool on Camp Street finally reopened yesterday after a nine-month closure due to a filtration problem.
This was disclosed at a press conference held at the poolside.
The pool was closed in June last year to facilitate a filter change that was expected to last approximately three months.
But work on the facility was prolonged due to the inefficiency of the Fyffe Building and Contracting Services (FBCS) hired by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), reporters were told yesterday.
FBCS was subsequently sacked by the MCYS and the filter which had to be ordered, arrived in Guyana on January 26 and was installed by a second contractor, Lennox Hamilton which paved the way for the pool’s re-opening.
Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, who chaired the press conference called on Hamilton to make some remarks on the renovation of the pool.
“First of all this task was no easy task because the equipment and filter had to be brought in and arrived in January. The filter is a larger than normal filter, it wasn’t a shelf item. It was considered a special order item. The pump also was not set when we collected the equipment in February and we had to go into the pump to make technical adjustments.
“We had help from Mr. Patrick Pitt who was our consultant and also the pool attendants and we want to say thanks and wish them well in the taking care of the pool,” Hamilton added.
President of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), Alex Graham said:“This is a day that we have waited for, for quite some time and although competitive swimming requires the lowest barriers to get involved in, it requires a considerable infrastructure and for this reason I am grateful for the relationship established with the MCYS and I must say that we are swimming in the same lane in the same direction and with the renovation of the Colgrain Pool looking for a better future of swimming in Guyana,” Graham stated.
The opening also attracted the presence of the Minister of Culture Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.
“With problems of the filter that resulted in the closure of the pool for some eight months we budgeted for the renovation of the pool but learnt that our contractor did not have the capacity to finish the job which should have taken two months and that contract was terminated,” said Dr Anthony.
“However, we will cut down on the work load of the pool so as to not overwork the pumps. We have also worked along with GASA so as to develop comprehensive programmes that will focus on the foundation for swimming which is important to improve the quality of our swimmers and swimming in Guyana in the long run,” Dr Anthony said before he declared the pool open.
While Kumar did not give a specific date he stated that the Olympic Pool will soon be opened by Dr. Anthony.
The proceedings ended with the symbolic cutting of the ribbon followed by two exhibition races.
