Call the IC!

OPPOSITION SPOKESPERSON on Sports, Wavell Hinds, is calling for an urgent investigation into the procurement process surrounding the retopping of the National Stadium track.

According to a release from Hinds, his concerns over the procurement procedures cropped up after German track supplier, BSW Regupol, who had installed the blue track at the National Stadium, revealed that after receiving an email from the Ministry of Sport that a Grand Slam Track-requested audit of the track’s surface revealed deficiencies that would see it falling below its class one standard, an independent audit, running contrary to the claims was ignored.

The audit, done by Sports Lab, was refuted by Regupol on the basis of an independent audit by World Athletics approved testers, Track Masters.

According to Regupol, there was no communication from the Government regarding the independent testing.

Those circumstances have prompted Hinds to demand answers from the Ministry of Sport and Independence Park Limited (IPL).

“Was there a formal bidding process for the retopping of the National Stadium track?” read one of the questions in a press release sent by Hinds’ office.

“Did the Ministry of Sport follow the Government of Jamaica’s procurement guidelines?”

“Has IPL received certification from World Athletics for the new track? If not, when will it be issued?”

According to Hinds, if the circumstances surrounding communication with Regupol hold true, then there are questions about transparency in the process which could point to “corporate malpractice” and “collusion”.

With those questions, Hinds has called for an investigation by the Integrity Commission (IC) into the matter.

“The public was told that the best bid won. But if no procurement process took place, then that statement is misleading at best and deceptive at worst. The people of Jamaica deserve full accountability,” said Hinds.

He reiterated that Jamaica’s track and field legacy must not be compromised by questionable decision-making.

“Our athletes, our coaches, and our sporting fraternity deserve the highest standards — not just in facilities but in governance. Transparency must be non-negotiable.”

According to Hinds, only “immediate clarity and accountability” can ensure that “Jamaica’s sporting infrastructure decisions are made in the best interest of athletes and the nation”.