Gumbs Expects Several Community Sports Courts to Reopen by End of Week

GREAT BAY--Several community sports courts on St. Maarten are expected to be returned to public use by the end of this week, according to Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECYS) Melissa Gumbs, who provided a brief update on the progress of sports facility projects being undertaken through the Trust Fund.

Gumbs indicated that progress under the school gymnasium and sports facilities component of the Trust Fund reconstruction program should allow some community courts to become available again in the coming days.

The minister expressed satisfaction with the anticipated development, particularly because the return of the facilities will mean that residents and community groups can resume making use of public spaces designated for sporting and recreational activities.

Gumbs explained that she had not obtained the final list of courts scheduled to be returned before her broadcast. As a result, she did not identify which communities would benefit from the expected reopening or specify how many facilities would be available.

Nevertheless, she indicated that the anticipated handover is expected before the end of the week and clarified that the return of the facilities means they should once again be available for community use.

The announcement represents a potentially important development for communities that have been awaiting the return of public sports infrastructure.

Community courts play a role in providing accessible recreational opportunities, particularly for young people, while also accommodating informal sporting activities and organized community programs.

Their availability is especially relevant for residents and sporting groups that depend on public facilities rather than privately operated venues.

Repairs to 13 public sports facilities across Sint Maarten was executed as part of a USD $13 million investment under the Emergency Recovery Project 1 (ERP1), which is financed by the Netherlands through the Sint Maarten Trust Fund, administered by the World Bank, and implemented by the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (MECYS).

The rehabilitation of 13 public sports and community facilities across St. Maarten is being carried out in multiple phases. According to information attributed to the NRPB, facilities identified under the initiative include the Cay Bay Sports Facility in Cay Bay, Cole Bay Sports Facility in Cole Bay, Simpson Bay Sports Facility in Simpson Bay, South Reward Sports Facility in South Reward, Dutch Quarter Basketball Court in Dutch Quarter, Rupert I. Maynard Community Youth Center in St. Peters, Raoul Illidge Sports Complex in Cay Hill, Jose Lake John Cooper Ball Park in Cul de Sac, L.B. Scott Sports Auditorium in Philipsburg, Melford Hazel Sports Facility in Sucker Garden, John Larmonie Centre in Philipsburg and Philipsburg Cultural Center in Philipsburg.

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