SPORT Minister Olivia Grange says the Government is moving to address Sabina Park’s heavy debt to the State through dialogue with stakeholders, instead of taking control of the iconic cricket ground in Kingston.

Grange was answering questions from Opposition Member of Parliament for St Andrew East Central Dennis Gordon about the state of the facility, during last Friday’s meeting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee that examined the 2026-27 Estimates of Expenditure.

Gordon pointed out that the facility is in a state of disrepair, with an ongoing dispute between Kingston Cricket Club and Sabina Park Holdings over ownership of the boxes at the famed cricket ground.

“What is it you intend to do to regularise that and to ensure that we get returns back to the coffers of the Government for that investment?” Gordon asked Grange.

The sport minister told the committee that the Government will be having discussions with the Jamaica Cricket Association and Kingston Cricket Club “as to how we’re going to resolve the ownership”.

“That requires a discussion, and I have had a discussion with the Jamaica Cricket Association and I intend to bring all parties together because Sabina Park is still indebted to Government,” Grange said.

“Government could just go and take it over but we don’t want to do that. We’re going to sit with all the stakeholders and parties and see how we can resolve the situation,” she said.

Grange pointed out that despite the current state of affairs, the Government has embarked on rehabilitation of Sabina Park. She pointed to the installation of a new electronic scoreboard and lighting, remarking that, “we will continue to improve that facility; it’s a heritage site and we will continue to improve the facility”.

But she emphasised that “as Government invests in that facility we would have to regularise the ownership”.

Regarding who controls the boxes, Grange said, “There are boxes there that Government controls, there’re boxes that the Jamaica Cricket Association controls. The whole situation at Sabina Park needs to be regularised. I’m aware of it and I’m engaging in those discussions.”

Sabina Park has been indebted to the Jamaican Government at least since the 2007 Cricket World Cup which was hosted by the West Indies. At the time it cost a reported $1.2 billion for reconstruction work, costs which subsequently ballooned sharply and at one point resulted in arbitration between the contractor and the Government.

Meanwhile, Grange told the committee that plans are underway to divest the underused Trelawny Multipurpose Stadium which was completed for the 2007 Cricket World Cup to host the opening ceremony and warm-up matches. It was built with a US$30-million loan from the Chinese Government.

She revealed the plans for the facility after being told that it was also in a state of disrepair by the Member of Parliament for Clarendon Northern Wavell Hinds, a former Jamaica and West Indies cricketer.

“We are currently establishing an enterprise team because interest is being expressed in privatising the Trelawny stadium and developing the facility there into a facility that will be at the centre of sports tourism,” Grange said.