By Audley Boyd, Assistant Sport EditorAMID MUCH joy and with great pride, it was announced yesterday morning that a digital video display board has been installed at the National Stadium.
It cost a whopping $60 million and will be used for the first time at a public event tonight when the Reggae Boyz tackle Honduras in a friendly international.
Telecommunications giants Cable and Wireless Ltd and the government-run Sports Development Foundation (SDF) equally split the cost for the state-of-the-art equipment purchased from Canadian firm SmartVision, Seiko in Montreal.
Sports Minister Portia Simpson Miller and personnel from the SDF and C&W who worked on the project made no attempt to either disguise their excitement or shower gratitude upon each other upon realisation of the landmark.
They reminisced on the urgings and uncertainties involved from four years ago when thought was being transferred into action for the establishment of the first permanent display board in the nation's prime sporting facility.
"If we have world-class sportsmen and women we should have world-class facilities," Minister Simpson Miller told journalists in an early morning media briefing at the National Stadium's Hospitality Room.
CELEBRATE
Using an analogy with the joys associated with birth, she added: "Today we're here to celebrate the arrival of the newest member of the National Stadium family."
Further, the Minister challenged patrons to treat the facility with care.
"I appeal to spectators to take care and pride in our facilities ... the maintenance of our facilities is very important. This is supposed to be a place of pride and joy for them and their children to aspire to perform."
Howard Aris, the SDF chairman, admitted satisfaction for the fulfilment of a "dream".
"One of the joys of life is to see before your eyes the unfolding of a dream," he remarked, while explaining some challenges along the way. The main one, it emerged, was the cost which necessitated shared sponsorship.
"For the SDF to do it alone, the total cost was prohibitive," he pointed out.
Gary Barrow, C&W's president, said "... we had no hesitation in coming on board when the idea first surfaced. We believe in investing in sustainable ventures with long-term benefits for Jamaica and Jamaicans.
"Sporting achievement is one of the areas that has not only positively placed Jamaica on the world map but has, over the years, helped to negate some of the less than flattering events that have taken some of the lustre from our country's image. It seems only fitting then that everything that can be done, should be done to enhance the enjoyment of sports in Jamaica."
Barrow added: "This idea had been a long time in the making but even though the idea and the plans have been percolating for almost four years, today I feel a palpable sense of excitement. "We feel sure that fans, starting tomorrow (tonight) when Jamaica take on Honduras in football, will be absolutely delighted at what they see."
The board's screen is 12ftx32ft. and is situated at the northern end of the stadium in the bleachers, at the same position formerly occupied by the permanently painted national flag. It is operated from one of the booths at the top floor of the grandstand and has a life span of 150,000 hours.
Media personnel and officials present got a look-in at its operation and clarity as it was switched on near 11:00a.m., displaying easily recognisable images and words in bright sunlight.
