STORY: Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, a bridge connecting China and Barbados
DATELINE: June 26, 2023
LENGTH: 00:02:37
LOCATION: Bridgetown
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Barbados
2. various of Garfield Sobers Gymnasium
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NEIL MURRELL, Director of sport at the National Sports Council of Barbados
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CHARLES GRIFFITH, Barbados' Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment

STORYLINE:

Over the past four decades, China and Barbados have forged an enduring bond of cooperation and friendship since establishing diplomatic relations in 1977.

Sir Garfield Sobers, the esteemed cricketer who earned numerous honors, holds a special place as a "national hero" in the hearts of Barbadians. His achievements inspire and resonate in Barbados and across the Caribbean region.
   
In the parish of St. Michael, Barbados, stands a gymnasium named after Sir Sobers, also known locally as the Wildey Gymnasium. It shows the high respect Barbadians have for this legendary athlete and has become one of the most important multi-purpose activity centers in the island country.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): NEIL MURRELL, Director of sport at the National Sports Council of Barbados
"It was officially opened in 1992, through a technical cooperation agreement between the People's Republic of China and Barbados. And that came about in 1992. And then it was refurbished in 2017.
It has been a landmark. Persons who want to come to Barbados to do sports immediately come here and look at the facilities here. So really the facility has a sports tourism benefit for the country of Barbados. Because once you're able to hold an international show here, then you would have people come in from either regionally or extra-regionally, internationally here to view those events."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): CHARLES GRIFFITH, Barbados' Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment
"And since then, we have had a lot of benefits as a result of that relation between the People's Republic of China and Barbados. The facility that you mentioned is not only one that is used for sports, but we now are able to use it for some of our cultural events. So it is a multi-purpose facility and we are expecting, like I said, that with the construction of the national stadium, that we would have a second area where we can use as a multifaceted facility in terms of sports and culture.
So I look forward to many more years of cooperation with the People's Republic of China as it relates to sports, as it relates to culture, because I think that we are able to bridge that gap in terms of friendship. So I welcome the People's Republic of China and the effort that they put in in relation to developing sports on the island of Barbados."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Bridgetown.
(XHTV)