The sports park on the promenade will be officially opened on Saturday, June 10, 2023. Minister Rodolphe Samuel and the Department of Sports, within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sports, invite the public to the grand opening from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM.
The sports park on the promenade was developed in collaboration with Port St. Maarten Group, Argos Cement, and Finance Minister Ardwell Irion. The public will have the opportunity to try out the fitness equipment and participate in beach volleyball, beach football, or pétanque games, as well as various activities organized by Fire Fit Gym, the Sint Maarten Bodybuilding and Fitness Association, Monster Factory, the Sint Maarten Beach Volleyball Association, the Sint Maarten Volleyball Association, the Sint Maarten Football Federation, and the Sint Maarten Special Olympics.
The park features a fitness circuit with 9 different fitness stations, including one adapted for wheelchairs, a calisthenics apparatus, two FIVB-approved beach volleyball courts, an official 60-foot pétanque court, and two small goals for beach football. Additionally, a calisthenics apparatus has also been installed in collaboration with Argos Cement at the Belvédère Sports Park, in addition to the existing fitness machines. With the vision of the "sports for all" department, the "Sint Maarten Sports Facilities" policy was developed and approved in 2021, highlighting the need to integrate sports spaces into urban planning and to promote an active and healthy lifestyle for all citizens by providing opportunities for physical activity in public spaces. Based on the sports facilities policy, a "Public Space Activation Plan for Physical Activity" was developed to maximize the potential of public spaces for physical and recreational activity.
Some of the projects focus on outdoor fitness, calisthenics, and beach sports. In collaboration with the Port St. Maarten Group, the promenade was identified as an excellent location as it is currently a highly frequented area for physical activity in public spaces, used for cardio exercise. The materials are also easily removable in case of hurricanes or other uses of the area and will be maintained on a weekly basis.