Mauritius: The Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, proceeded with the inauguration of the Blue Bay Beach Arena yesterday evening. The Arena comprises beach handball, beach soccer, beach volleyball and beach wrestling courts, as well as an administrative block, stands for spectators, restrooms and a jogging track.
The Minister of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Climate Change, Mr Kavydass Ramano, the Minister of Youth Empowerment, Sports and Recreation, Mr Stephan Toussaint; and the Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram, the Ambassador of Japan to Mauritius, Mr Shuichiro Kawaguchi, and other personalities were also present at the inauguration ceremony.
In his address, Prime Minister Jugnauth stated that Blue Bay is well known internationally for its beautiful beach and marine park, adding that this new infrastructure will further enhance the landscape of the region.
The Arena, he indicated, will be used for the Commission de la Jeunesse et des Sports de l’Océan Indien (CJSOI) Games 2022, which will be held from 04 to 11 December.
The Beach Arena court, he underlined, has been constructed in line with world standards so that the country can organise competitions both at the regional and international levels. He called on the sports federations to benefit from the Arena, which will help improve the performance of athletes.
The Prime Minister also spoke of the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic while highlighting that Government has not compromised on infrastructural development in the country. Government, he underpinned, is committed to enhancing the quality of life of the citizens and ensuring that the country continues to progress.
Speaking on the CJSOI games, the PM highlighted that necessary resources had been put at the disposal of organisers to ensure that the event took place in the best possible conditions.
Prime Minister Jugnauth encouraged the citizens, irrespective of their age, to practice a sport on a regular basis. Organisations like Active Mauritius, he emphasised, were set up to act as sports ambassadors to promote a sports culture and sensitise the population to the benefits of physical activities.
Several sites, he said, have been restructured and developed to provide the population with sports infrastructure and amenities for jogging and sports activities across the island.
In addition, he indicated that a mini soccer pitch was recently inaugurated in Savanne, and a sports Complex is currently under construction at Triolet.
The Prime Minister made an appeal to the population to participate actively in the CJSOI Games and wished the athletes the best of luck.
For his part, Minister Toussaint lauded the hard work of stakeholders to complete the project in time for the competition. He underscored that athletes will be able to train for the competition and that the Arena will be opened to the public on a booking system as of next year. As regards the beach handball competition for the CJSOI Games, he pointed out that access will be free to the public.
The Sports Minister recalled that in 2018, Government came forward with the National Sport and Physical Activity Policy in view to promote the practice of regular physical activity and address health issues among the population.
