November  12 1999

THE four stadia being constructed for the 2001 World Under-17 Championship will represent the high point in the boom of new sports venues that has erupted in Trinidad and Tobago over the past three years or so.

Yet, in spite of places such as the Joao Havelange Centre of Excellence in Tunapuna, the National Hockey Centre in Tacarigua and the new indoor arenas in Tacarigua and Point Fortin, the Queen’s  Park Oval in Port of Spain still continues to exist as one of this country's most famous sports venues.

Indeed, the Oval' s status as one of the world’s most established cricket grounds is assured, having played host to  test matches since 1930 . But it has been more than a cricket venue, it has also been home to a variety of sports. Up until the opening of the National (later Hasely Crawford) Stadium in 1982, the Oval had been the main venue for international football for the preceding 30 years. Over the decades, it also played host to track and field and rugby. In 1987, a cycle track was built to compliment the tennis and badminton courts that had already existed as part of the facility.

In 1993 the venue’s proprietors, the Queen’s Park Cricket Club, undertook a renovation program that involved the construction of a gym and the erection of corporate “boxes” in the Sir Errol Dos Santos Stand. In the years since, the Parkites have added a new section, the Cyril Duprey Stand, revamped another and have installed a new electronic scoreboard.

Yet, in spite of these improvements, the Oval still appears to be lagging in two major areas: lighting and security.

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