… Iumi Water Sport Center Remains Shut Down
BY ELTON LONARATHA JNR
THE Iumi Water Sport Center at DC Park near Alligator Creek will remain shut down due to two main reasons, National Sport Council (NSC) Chairman Joe Sika has announced.
According to Sika, the facility has not been used since its handover to the NSC because two national federations, Sailing and Outrigger and Canoe, have yet to meet their obligations under the Solomon Islands National Sports Council Act.
The Act requires all national federations to register with the NSC annually, but despite numerous attempts, neither federation has done so.
Sika also cited safety concerns as a major reason for the closure.
The facility, which was used during the Pacific Games last year, lacks essential safety equipment, which was not transferred to the NSC during the handover.
With Alligator Creek in close proximity, the safety concerns are heightened, making it impossible to open the facility to national federations and the public.
The NSC has tried to get all national federations to comply with requirements of the SI NSC Act by registering since the beginning of the year.
However, the NSC has yet to receive registration documents from the two national federations.
The Solomon Islands Outrigger and Canoe Federation has taken steps to register with the NSC as soon as possible.
Sika said that the NSC looks forward to receiving all sports and safety equipment to open the facilities to all. The NSC needs these registration documents to ensure good governance and to what extent their sports are active.
The closure of the Iumi Water Sport Center at DC Park is a setback for water sports in the country.
The facility was expected to host several water sports events this year, but the closure has put these plans on hold.
The $6.3 million Water Sport facility was funded by the Australian Government in support of the hosting of the Pacific Games last year for water sport federations, specifically Va’a and Sailing.
The facility was handed over to the NSC by the National Hosting Authority on 1 May 2024.
