President of the Barbados Squash Association, Craig Archer, and his Badminton counterpart, Kevin Wood, have welcomed the government’s plan to construct a new indoor facility dedicated to both sports. The $4.5 million project will be located at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in Wildey, St. Michael, and is expected to be completed next year.

The long-awaited development was officially announced on Wednesday during a historic groundbreaking ceremony.

Archer believes the new centre will be a game-changer for squash in Barbados, especially as the sport has struggled with dwindling facilities over the years.

"This will enable us to install six new courts, effectively doubling the stock of squash courts on the island, which is a really big deal for us because one of the things that has limited the growth of the sport is the steady reduction in the number of facilities. The squash facility has been designed to accommodate courts that will be side by side with movable walls. This will potentially help us to do well in the future. I am proud to say that over the years, we have produced world-class players," Archer said.

For Wood, this marks an exciting moment for badminton, not just for the national team but for the wider community.

"When the facility is completed, it will give us the opportunity for our national athletes to benefit from a dedicated facility to the sport, and surely this will help our athletes to reach their true potential. Our para-athletes have not been left out because the facility is fully accessible, and it allows them to be involved in the sport as well, which is good,” Wood explained.

He also highlighted the benefits to schools and clubs across the island.

"All those schools who don’t have a hall big enough for Badminton. The sport also benefits from having the first badminton-only facility in the Caribbean, which is a big achievement. This allows us to host training camps and will boost the sports tourism product," he added.

Meanwhile, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, pointed out that the move to construct the facility reaffirms the government’s commitment to sports development.

"I really welcome this. We need to have facilities for as many of our disciplines as possible, and the truth is government is pouring from a single cup, so we cannot build a facility for every single discipline that is on the island,” Griffith stated.

“As much as possible, what we would try to do is build multi-purpose facilities so we will have two or three disciplines at a particular location. I want you to take care of the facility. I am sure that at the end of the day, we will have the results we are looking for in terms of development," he noted.

The new indoor complex will feature six courts for each sport, along with changing rooms, bathrooms, office spaces, a small conference area, and a retail space. The facility will also have the capacity to host both local and regional tournaments.