Badminton seeks new playing venue
Published:Sunday | June 14, 2020 | 12:24 AMLivingston Scott - Sunday Gleaner Writer
Jamaica Badminton Association (JBA) general secretary Antonio Bell says losing the Constant Spring Golf Club as a playing venue has been a blow for the organisation.
The JBA has been using the golf club as one of its major venues for hosting local tournaments for decades. However, the leaser’s contract on the property expired, as did the JBA’s agreement with that entity for the use of the venue. Now, it is searching for a new location.
“We had a little blow with losing the Constant Spring Golf Club as a playing ground, but we have been in discussions with other venues so we can really make it happen when competition starts again,” Bell told The Gleaner.
Bell said that the JBA is considering the Young Men’s Christian Association, also known as the YMCA, the University of Technology, and the Chinese Benevolent Association Auditorium as alternative venues.
However, he says that long term, the objective is to have their own place.
“For a long-term arrangement, it can be costly renting venues, but plans are also afoot to see how we can get a venue for ourselves,” he said. “That takes a lot, so that is still some way in the future.”
COPING WELL
Bell said the association has been coping well during the coronavirus pandemic but eagerly awaits the lifting of restrictions so that competitions can be resumed.
“We are not in the red,” he said. “We have been coping. We don’t have a physical office space. We have been facilitated by the Volleyball Association at the [National] Arena, so in terms of utilities and paying certain costs, luckily we don’t have that overhead.
“We just have to worry about covering the expenses for our major tournaments and the Jamaica International.”