By GIS Dominica
ROSEAU, Dominica – The government of Dominica is moving ahead with the construction of a synthetic athletics track, marking a significant step forward in the nation’s sports infrastructure development, says minister with responsibility for sports, Oscar George. The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 4 2025, confirming that site preparation at Point Ronde will commence as early as next week.
Minister George described the synthetic track as “one of the few, if not the only missing pieces in our sports development to date,” and emphasized the administration’s commitment to seeing the project through.
“The ministry continues to work alongside our partners, the Dominica Amateur Athletics Association under the leadership of Brendan Williams, World Athletics, and the Qatar Development Fund,” George said. “Through the efforts of the president of athletics, we started our engagement with World Athletics in 2023 with an application for a new class one athletics track.”
The site at Point Ronde has been identified as the most suitable location following a rigorous selection process, which included conducting salt resistance tests to ensure ground viability. The minister stated that the site has passed all requirements and is ready for the initial phase of development.
“Our responsibility in this process was to identify a suitable land space for the laying of the track and to get the site into a suitable condition by clearing and levelling,” he stated. “The clearing of the site will commence next week.”
Minister George also revealed that a consultant from World Athletics is expected to visit Dominica soon to finalize the details for the implementation of the project.
This project, once completed, will provide Dominica with its first-class one synthetic athletics track, aligning the country with international standards and giving local athletes a long-awaited home for training and competition. It also represents the latest example of international collaboration in Dominica’s development, with key support from World Athletics and the Qatar Development Fund.
Stakeholders in the local athletics community have long called for a synthetic track to enhance performance, attract regional events, and inspire the next generation of athletes. With the groundwork now set to begin, the dream of a world-class facility is finally becoming reality.
The site will be named after Thea Lafond-Gadson, who won a gold medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
