UWI Mona blocks night use of bowl until stadium lighting is restored

The University of the West Indies, Mona, has moved to stop athletes from using the Mona Bowl after dark, following complaints about the venue operating without dependable floodlights for more than six years.

Deputy Principal Marvin Reed said night sessions at the facility were never authorised and that the university will act against anyone who continues to train there in the dark. He told TVJ Sports that discussions with the relevant authorities confirmed no permission had been granted, and that he had already directed that the practice end because of the risks involved.

Reed said the hazard is clear whether he speaks as a medical professional or as a member of the university’s leadership. Training without lights, he argued, creates security concerns and raises the chance of injury, including from throwing implements such as the javelin, shot put and discus that can be hard to track in darkness. He said night use cannot continue, but athletes will be able to return to evening training once the lights are repaired.

Among those who have used the bowl at night is world championship silver medallist and former national discus record holder Fedrick Dacres. He said training his technical event in harsh daytime heat makes it harder to complete his planned volume of repetitions. He said athletes at their best are not accustomed to those conditions and that he burns out faster in the sun, needs more water and risks strain before finishing his session.

Reed said plans are in place to install new lighting by the end of the year. He noted that close to $3 billion has been spent over the past two years on student infrastructure, including housing and other facilities, and that lighting the field was next on the priority list. An estimate received in April, he said, put the cost at about US$586,000 to light not only the Usain Bolt track but the wider field area.

Dacres said he understands the scale of the full renovation budget but wants a temporary solution until a permanent upgrade is done. He said he has spoken with several parties who were willing to supply lights for the facility and urged the university to install even a minimal interim setup so the bowl can be used safely at night.

UWI Mona also issued a statement on Wednesday saying that while longer-term plans are being developed to modernise sporting infrastructure, the executive has approved a temporary fix in the 2025–26 budget that is now being rolled out under current procurement timelines. That incremental work is scheduled for completion by the end of August 2026.