By Nodley Wright, Staff ReporterMICHAEL Hall will on Monday August 11 take over the running of the Independence Park Complex.
According to chairman of Independence Park Limited, Mike Fennell, Hall was recently named general manager of the 41-year-old complex.
"Yes, he is to be appointed general manager. I can confirm that," Fennell told The Gleaner in a telephone interview from the Dominican Republic where he is heading the technical committee of the Pan American Games.
The details of the appointment are to be worked out shortly after which a press release will be issued, Fennell added.
Hall, a former general manager of the Sports Development Foundation, only returned to the island on Friday after ending a two-year association with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) where he served as chief cricket operations officer.
He had made an unsuccessful bid to become West Indies team manager earlier this year.
At Independence Park he will be responsible for the running the National Stadium, the Stadium pools, the National Arena, the newly-constructed National Indoor Sports Centre, the outdoor courts as well as Stadium East.
The transfer of the running of the complex to Hall from the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) which has been in charge for close to two years will be a gradual one, said Fennell.
"We had an arrangement with the UDC where they were supposed to run the complex until we were able to put in our team. Hall's is the first appointment and a team will be selected to work with him," Fennell said.
Hall himself was delighted with landing his new job.
"I am very very happy to be back in Jamaica," said Hall.
"About the job itself I am very excited about taking over the running of the Complex. It is a dream job. I have long believed that if properly run and managed it can be a very profitable venue," continued the 42-year-old who is expected to be in his new position for two years initially.
In Hall's eyes, his job of running the complex will be made easier by "the history of outstanding performances and achievements associated with the facility".
The idea-rich Hall, while not disclosing his plans for the facilities, also expressed the view that everything is in place for him to make the sports complex what it should have always been.
"The government have done an excellent job in upgrading the facility and I am hoping that with the co-operation of all the sporting bodies and the public in general that the National Stadium can be firmly established as the premier sporting facility in the region.
"I am looking forward to the challenge of marketing the venue and bringing the type of major sporting events that the Jamaican public deserves," said Hall, who has a history of serving in senior executive and management positions.
He knows his work is cut out for him though.
"I am starting from ground zero up to build a professional organisation."
