Government slash 2012 funding for sport.
By Walter Alibey (Newsday).
GOVERNMENT through its Ministry of Sport will be spared the burden of huge financial assistance to sporting organisations this year.
Yesterday, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport Ashwin Creed revealed that his Ministry and the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago have already implemented a number of systems which will ensure growth and development and curb the amount of money that Government will inject into locals sporting organisations in the future.
Apart from systems designed to improve the critical mass in the sport as well as discovering and developing new talent, the Ministry will also activate a Business Development Unit (BDU) at the Sports Company office on Henry Street, Port-of-Spain that is aimed at providing special attention to National Sporting Organisations (NSOs).
The BDU will advise NS0s on how proposals aimed at sourcing sponsorships should be done. According to Creed, the Business Development Unit will also provide specific help topics on how to source funding for corporate TT.
“We have already advised the different sporting organisations that they should have their own marketing plan. Its contents and structure will be looked at by our Business Development Unit before they are taken and presented to the corporate world.” Creed said.
He insists the aim of this initiative is to help NSOs to get their houses in order since Government can no longer shoulder the burden of pumping large amount of monies into the coffers of NSOs for overseas travel and accommodation, development programmes and award ceremonies among many others on an annual basis.
Creed is calling on NSOs to be self sufficient. “We understand that they cannot be totally self-sufficient but they should be able to fund at least 30 percent of their programmes or tournament when the need arises.” He is predicting that by August of this year, NSOs will be able to stand mostly on their own feet.
The effort is part of a comprehensive to ensure growth in sports, increased quality and effective management. In addition, Government will also redirect most of its funding towards the development of young sportsmen and women.
According to Creed, “We at the Ministry have been clamouring for the improvement of critical mass which refer to the amount of people taking part and joining the sport on a daily basis. This is particularly important because there can be no sustainability without participation.”
Government will also in the next few weeks introduce High Performance Centres at five venues in Trinidad and Tobago including the Dwight Yorke Stadium in the sister isle of Tobago and the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.
These Centres will evaluate the performances of coaches and athletes as well as conduct talent identification.
