By MERRICK ANDREWS
Online News Editor

The British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC) said it has secured the donation of a 25-metre “international competition standard” swimming pool valued at $400,000 from Panam Sports.

The “short course” pool will be installed and managed by the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College on Tortola, British Virgin Islands, according to the BVIOC said in a press release.

In comparison, an Olympic-size swimming pool must be 50-metres long and is known as a long-course pool.

The BVIOC said the project came to fruition after six months of discussions between President of the BVIOC, Ephraim Penn; Secretary General for Panam Sports, Ivar Sisniega; and President of the HLSCC, Dr. Richard Georges.

World Aquatics — the international swimming federation, formerly known as FINA – is also supporting the project.

“Preparatory work on the proposal included a meeting with the President of the BVI Swimming Federation, schematics from Myrtha Pools received through Panam Sports and a rough order of magnitude,” the BVIOC said.

Myrtha Pools is a swimming pool contractor operating out of Castiglione delle Stiviere in Italy.

“Dr. Georges initially approached the BVIOC in July with an offer of partnership for the installation of a swimming pool following a response I had given to a question on the status of swimming in the territory at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games press conference,” said President Penn in the release “This was a timely outreach that came on the heels of a Panam Sports National Olympic Committee Consultation meeting that Secretary General Lloyd Black, Treasurer Mark Chapman and I attended in Miami in May 2022.”

Pan AM Sports’ Sisniega added: “A short course 25 meter pool is the ideal sized pool for a small country, since it would allow the swimmers to compete in official distances, while at the same time supporting a learn to swim program that would help develop local talent and, more importantly, give the opportunity to many of the local children and youth the opportunity to learn to swim properly and to engage in this sport on a regular basis.”

Officials said the donation of the swimming pool to the BVI is a pilot for other national Olympic committees in the Caribbean.

The Committee ssaid the project is aligned with the College’s master plan as the swimming pool supports its marine and maritime curriculum as well as its vision for the student experience.

The BVIOC also disclosed that the Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) has been invited to oversee and manage the preparations and construction of the facility.

“Swimming and water safety are essential life skills and should be taught at a young age. The Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports has been considering the prospect of delivering this necessary component of the national curriculum. Thus, we are pleased that HLSCC has collaborated with the private sector to deliver a facility that would open up access to many aquatic disciplines, thereby giving all students and the wider community the opportunity to be taught water safety and to engage in aquatics. I commend Dr. Georges, Mr. Ephraim Penn and the parties involved in the project and thank Panam Sports and World Aquatics for their commitment to the BVI through the BVIOC,” said Minister for Education, Youth Affairs and Sports, Sharie de Castro, was quoted as saying in the press release.

“The next step in the process is to put the proposal together for the funding for the civil works and ancillary elements of the aquatics center such as the administrative offices, changing facilities, gym and therapy area, stands, storage rooms etc,” said Dr. Georges, who has identified potential financiers for the project.