Opposition Leader Perry Christie said yesterday the handover of the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium to The Bahamas government represents the fulfillment of a promise he made to the youth of the nation more than seven years ago. The People's Republic of China turned over the $30 million stadium to the government on Wednesday. Chines Ambassador to The Bahamas Hu Shan visited Christie's downtown office yesterday to officially thank him and the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) for the role they played in bringing the project to fruition. Christie, who is a former long jumper, told Ambassador Hu that he wished he would have had the opportunity to jump in such a "magnificent" stadium. "I want to add my thanks to the Chinese and the people of China for this extraordinary gift," Christie said. The 15,000-seat facility sits on more than 450 acres of land that will be further developed to enhance the world-class stadium. On Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham was handed the key to the future site of an International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) and International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) certified facility. The handover took place about two years after the stadium project started. Christie said when his government began negotiations with the Chinese for the stadium, it was under the premise that the facility would be built for the youth. "My sole interest was to provide a gift and legacy for the young people of our country," he said. Christie also thanked the ambassador for the design changes he requested which allow the facility to act as a hurricane shelter. "I am pleased with what I saw. It is exactly as I envisaged it when I made my state visit to China in 2004," Christie added. Ambassador Hu, through a Chinese interpreter, also thanked Christie. The government recently signed contracts to develop the land surrounding the stadium. The complete transformation of the complex will take about a year, according to officials. Improvements to the roads and changes to some facilities will take place. In April the government signed a $48.5 million contract with two Bahamian companies for the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre Redevelopment Project, an undertaking that is expected to catapult New Providence into a premier sports tourism destination. The project is separate from the stadium.

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