NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Prime Minister Philip Davis remarked the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium will serve as an inspiration for Bahamian youth and play a vital socioeconomic role in the country.
He spoke at the official opening of the fourth annual Caribbean Baseball Cup and the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium yesterday.
“This Caribbean Baseball Cup will set the tone, for the beginning of a reigning and thriving, exuberant baseball culture in The Bahamas.
“Now that we have upgraded our facilities, to world-class standards I anticipate that the Bahamas will become a nexus in the regional baseball arena.
“The stadium has now positioned the Bahamas as a primary destination for more sports tourism.”
The prime minister added that the 5,000-seat arena has been constructed up to the major league and professional standards and that it has already begun to draw attention from outside the country.
“It will undoubtedly attract college and university teams and professional baseball teams to utilize the facilities for training and tournaments, such as the fourth annual Baseball Cup,” Davis added.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism and Aviation, Chester Cooper touted Bahamian baseball legends and congratulated the sports minister at the event, saying that the new venue has potential to increase tourism numbers.
“This is a great mecca for sports tourism in the future, while some of us see a baseball stadium I see heads in beds, all of the great events that are going to occur here, and all of the people that’s gonna come,” Cooper said.
The stadium was also dubbed as the home of the Caribbean Cup by President of the Caribbean Baseball Confederation George de Lira, who said that he believes that it’s important for the youth to practice baseball at a high standard in the region.
“Next year in 2023 October, the BBA will organize the UAE Baseball Cup here in The Bahamas, also we go to use The Bahamas as our home base so that we can organize international tournaments in The Bahamas,” he said.
“[…] that’s our goal so everything we have we will organize here in The Bahamas.”
