Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => What about Track & Field => Topic started by: E-man on July 29, 2011, 11:56:37 AM
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SporTT has no money
By: Andrew Gioannetti (T&T Guardian)
Several major sporting associations and local prominent athletes have voiced concerns that financial assistance previously offered by the Sport Company of T&T (SporTT) to their respective federations, have been withdrawn until the next financial cycle which begins in October.
When contacted by the Guardian yesterday, a source within the country’s top football league described the developments as “the Sport Company’s major financial bankruptcy” claiming that many clubs of major sporting disciplines, and their respective federations have been seriously affected by the financial drawbacks.
The source also said that many summer football camps in which SporTT has financed in past years have been suddenly cancelled. The T&T Pro League clubs which benefits from SporTT’s assistance with wage stipend for players includes W Connection, North East Stars, San Juan Jabloteh, Caledonia AIA and St Anns Rangers. The National Super League has been similarly affected by the “exhaustion of funds” as described by SporTT in a letter to the heads of the T&T Pro League and the National Super League. Richard Piper, National Super League Tournament Co-ordinator said that the league has been “drastically affected”.
According to Piper, SporTT has been unable to assist with expenses for the past two months and the league would have been unable to move on without the assistance of sponsors All Sport. “SporTT has not helped with the stipend for referees and were unable to assist in transport for the clubs travelling to and from Tobago,” said Piper.
Association of T&T (ASATT), there are claims that a meeting with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and SporTT and ASATT was called so that matters within the sports and funding can be discussed. At the meeting, the association was advised to cancel their upcoming Goodwill Swim Meet, an prominent annual swim meet which was scheduled to take place between August 12-14 at the Centre of Excellence Macoya, due to a lack of available funds.
The release acknowledges that the meet may be in crisis, as the association requires funding which was previously promised by SporTT.
Neal Marcano, chairman of the Local Goodwill Organising Committee expressed disappointment at the sudden turn of events, saying that he and his committee may require funding from external sources, to avoid the embarrassment.
“It is very unfortunate that the Government is unable to assist in funding this very important meet. We do hope to get the assistance of corporate T&T to host the event.” Jason Wickham, Public Relations Officer of the ASATT insisted that every effort will be made to allow the meet to continue.
“While it has been suggested that the meet be cancelled, our Association knows the importance of this development meet. Cancellation is an option but an absolute last resort,” said Wickham.
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NAAA still waiting on funds from SportsTT to host National Championships
Friday, 05 August 2011 09:44
By Clayton Clarke, tobtrackmed@gmail.com
TRINIDAD - The National Association of Athletics Associations (NAAA) has reported that it is yet to receive the promised funding from the Sports Company from Trinidad and Tobago for the Sagicor Open Track and Field Championships which have been re-scheduled to August 13 to 14.
NAAA Secretary Allan Baboolal said the monies are expected to come soon. “We have already received the $150,000 from Sagicor and we are waiting for some funding from the Sports Company and it should be available by the end of the week."
Baboolal said the monies to be received will also cover the cost of the sending the country’s World Championships contingent. “We are awaiting a cheque from the Government part of which will go to the championships. The majority will be used to purchase most of the airline tickets which are estimated to cost between $400,000 and $500,000."
The meet was originally set for June 24 to 26 but was postponed because of the delay in the laying of the new track at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The men’s 100m will again hold the spotlight and Baboolal said with current form of the country’s top sprinters the hunt for places will be fierce.
“Because of the recent form of performances of our 100m athletes (Keston Bledman, Richard Thompson, Aaron Armstrong, Emmanuel Callender and Darryl Brown) it is very difficult to determine who are the top three that will represent Trinidad and Tobago (at the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea from August 27 and September 4) in the individual event and the six would make up the relay team. Therefore we are asking all the athletes to participate."
Baboolal said there has been added interest by foreign athletes to participate as the meet is the last opportunity for those seeking to attain the qualifying standards for the World Champs.
“There seem to be a rush for athletes looking for the last window of opportunity”.
Baboolal confirmed that eight countries have submitted entries. “We have a request from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Zimbabwe, USA, Cayman Islands and Jamaica.” The NAAA secretary added that he is hoping that the foreign competitors would draw spectators to the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
“With the visiting athletes the meet may not lack-luster as we anticipate.”
Baboolal explained that NAAA is looking to select a team of about 25 athletes and the selection committee will meet on the night immediately following the end of the championships to select the team ahead of the August 15 deadline issued by the International Association of Athletic Federation (IAAF) for countries to submit team. “It is going to be a long evening because we have to send in our entries the next morning as Monaco is six hours ahead of Trinidad and Tobago. We have up to about 6pm to do so (12 midnight in Monaco).”
He also indicated that with the National Championships coming just less than two weeks before the World Championships the NAAA will be hard pressed to get bookings to South Korea.
“We would have to be scrambling for (airline) tickets following the selection of the team as the contingent is expect to fly out to Daegu between the 16th and the 18th so we will have just about two days to organise all the travel arrangements.”
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Hunt is ah !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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‘THIS SERIOUS’
By Andre Bagoo (Newsday).
Tuesday, December 16 2014
A SPECIAL investigation by the Office of the Auditor General has found escalating costs to the tune of $557 million in relation to three highly-touted national sporting facilities currently being managed by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Sportt).
Minister of Sport Dr Rupert Griffith yesterday described the findings of the special audit as “serious” and “important” as he convened the first of a series of meetings with ministry and company officials on the matter.
Sunday Newsday reported on the findings of the special audit, which was tabled in the Senate last Tuesday.
The Auditor General found hundreds of millions being paid for sporting facilities which are still incomplete; escalating costs; unjustified expenses for high-capital projects; wasted millions on recreation grounds; duplication and a history of expensive litigation relating to staff.
In relation to costs, the Auditor General’s special report examined three national facilities in cycling, swimming and tennis. The cost for these facilities moved from $120 million in 2007 to $677 million in 2013.
The Report states, “In October 2007, more than six and a half years ago, initial approval was granted for the development and construction of three national facilities in cycling, swimming and tennis to be located in Mucurapo, Mount Hope and Tacarigua respectively. These facilities had a total estimated cost of $120 million with an expected two-year completion date in 2009. This period elapsed and construction work on the facilities did not commence.”
The Report noted that in May 2013, more than six and a half years later, another approval was granted for the same facilities at a total estimated cost in excess of $677 million, an increase of $557 million, equivalent to 464 percent more than the 2007 estimated cost.
“The initial locations of the cycling and swimming centres were changed to Couva,” the Report, dated November 28, 2014, states. “At the time of this Report, construction is underway in Couva, although the land acquisition aspect has not been finalised. Construction works on all three facilities are on-going with an expected completion date of May 2015.”
The Report further states, “Sportt’s delay in the implementation of construction projects and changes in locations of projects resulted in increased estimated costs.”
The cost escalations are likely to evoke comparisons with other controversial sporting projects such as the ill-fated Brian Lara Stadium at Tarouba which has moved from $277 million to in excess of $1.1 billion. The aquatic centre, like the Tarouba facility, is also due to be named after one of the nation’s outstanding sportsmen, swimmer George Bovell III.
SCG (International) Caribbean has been identified as the main contractor at work on the velodrome and aquatic centres, though a local sub-contractor, Universal Projects Limited, has also been associated with them.
The Report also said the auditors were unable to find a clear “rationale” for these “high expenditure” projects based on their review.
“The Ministry of Sport, in justifying the development and construction of the three national facilities, highlights the need to develop, on an incremental scale, potential athletes for competitions at the national and international levels. Neither the Ministry of Sport nor Sportt was able to provide a ‘Sport for All’ rationale for selecting high expenditure national facility projects in cycling, swimming and tennis,” the Report states. “Measures are not in place to collect or analyse data related to membership and participation from the national sporting organisations for each of these three and other disciplines. Additionally, Sportt does not have performance indicators to measure potential growth in these sporting disciplines to inform the construction of these projects.”
Contacted yesterday, Griffith said the ministry was in the process of reviewing the findings.
“The report is a serious report one which we need to take note of,” the minister told Newsday. “Certain recommendations that were made we are going to consider them. Another meeting is planned to allow us to drill down further into the report.”
Griffith said the ministry began a process of reviewing the report since it was tabled in the Senate.
“We began reviewing the report since last week,” Griffith said. “We have met today – this morning (yesterday)– over it. Most of the activity described in the report relates to the pre-2010 period. The Auditor General’s Report is an important report by any standards. There are about 15 or 16 recommendations in it that the ministry and the Sport company will take on board. I have met with department heads and the permanent secretary as well as officials of Sportt.”
At a topping-off ceremony for the cycling facility on May 26, then Sport Minister Anil Roberts remarked, “it is the beginning of the dawn of a new era for Trinidad and Tobago where sport is now an industry. We shall create job opportunities and a sustainable future for our citizens. Sport tourism is around the corner and these facilities will be the benchmark.”
The Auditor General also found that a total of $411 million was spent from 2009 to 2013 on sporting facilities meant to provide “sport for all”, but that purported goal has not been achieved. The auditors also said Sportt is now managing $2.3 billion in projects, but has no sound means of measuring progress on its objectives, gaps in records and has committed reporting breaches.
The Report also examines the development and construction of three multi-purpose facilities planned. It notes that in April 2005, approval was granted for the development and construction of three multi-purpose facilities at a total cost of $51 million.
“Almost six years later, Sportt had failed to commence work on these facilities,” the Report states. In March 2011, another approval was given for Sportt to undertake work on the same facilities as an increased estimated cost of $165 million, an increase of $114 million, equivalent to 223.5 percent of the 2005 estimated cost.
The initial approved locations for the facilities were changed from the north and east regions (Arima, Diego Martin and Sangre Grande) to the Central and South regions (Charlieville, Couva and Fyzabad). At the same time, “contrary to approved changed locations, Sportt has spent $18.6 million to develop multi-purpose facilities instead in Aranjuez, Jerningham Junction and Sangre Grande.” Work is yet to commence on the approved locations.
A similar story emerged from the review of regional recreation grounds and the programme to upgrade local corporation grounds. A total of $103 million was spent by September 2013. Of 104 local corporation grounds planned, 42 were completed at a cost of $68 million, while no regional recreation grounds have been completed.
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Sports minister tours new facilities
T&T Newsday Reports
SPORT AND Youth Affairs Minister Darryl Smith last week toured three of the national sporting facilities with Permanent Secretary Gillian Macintyre as well as staff from the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT).
Minister Smith and the contingent spent just over five hours doing a comprehensive walk-through of the facilities currently under construction.
These were the National Aquatic Centre and the Cycling Velodrome in Couva, as well as the Tennis Centre in Tacarigua.
During the tour, Minister Smith identified his priorities regarding the facilities.
One of the minister’s immediate concerns will be the development of comprehensive plans and policies for the proper maintenance, management and upkeep of the three facilities. The Minister noted that in the past, several facilities and buildings were commissioned, but soon after they needed substantial refurbishment due to inadequate preventative maintenance management.
Another area of concern emerging from the tour was the need for a proper usage policy for national and elite level athletes. The facilities were built for the nation’s athletes to have a viable option to train at home for international competition. The Minister felt that it was important that all the necessary athletic amenities were also readily available to allow local athletes a full cadre of support services that would complement their competitive exploits.
Among those support services identified by the Minister, while in discussion with Sports Company personnel included, strength and conditioning, sports psychology, reflexology, message therapy, performance testing, sports medicine and injury prevention.
Minister Smith also saw a need for capacity building for the National Sporting Organisations, with an emphasis on increased levels of participation in their respective sports. He emphasised the need for baseline data (participation, demographics, frequency, access, etc.) across all sports, which should lead to better decision-making about investments of state funds and the continued sustainable development of each discipline.
He added with the completion of the facilities, the sporting bodies must play their part in achieving greater participation, accreditation, volunteerism and spectatorship for their sport.
The minister also noted that maximisation of the revenue potential of the new facilities was key to their sustainable operation.
Accordingly, he commissioned a full review of all the rates and user policies across all of the facilities under the purview of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Sports Company.
He noted while all of the facilities have a role to play in providing for the needs of athletes at all levels, attention must also be focused on income generation in order to ensure the citizen sees an economic return on the millions invested, and that the facilities can achieve self-sustainability.
Another priority for the minister was that all of the facilities are outfitted with modern, eco-friendly equipment and systems. The facilities’ operational procedures and policies must also prioritise energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint.
The three projects (Aquatic Centre, Velodrome and Tennis Centre) were conceptualised in 2007 and were officially commenced in 2009 when international project management consulting firm Pix International Holdings was commissioned by SPORTT to develop the terms and reference, scope of work and tendering and evaluation processes.
The contract was tendered in 2009 and following a full evaluation of all the bids, the Shanghai Construction Group was identified as the preferred contractor and was awarded the contract in 2011.
The facilities are still in the final stages of construction and are expected to be fully operational early next year.
They will be managed by the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, the implementation agency of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
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SPoRTT names Phillips as head.
T&T Guardian Reports.
Former national cyclist and current cycling promoter Michael Phillips, has been appointed chairman of the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT).
Phillips replaces Dudnath Ramkessoon, who held the position for the past seven months. Phillips has years of management experience as the managing director of Phillips Promotions and owner of bike store Mike’s Bikes.
Through Phillips Promotions, Phillips has been one of the top cycling promoters in the country, hosting popular events such as the Beacon Cycling on the Avenue and the Michael Phillips Republic Day Cycling Classic. Phillips has also served as president of the T&T Cycling Federation.
Phillips, who is currently out of the country, is looking forward to his new assignment. In a release last night, he stated, “I am honoured to be asked to serve as the chairman of SporTT.
I am excited to have the opportunity to work with the Honourable Minister of Sport, Darryl Smith, as we are both motivated sporting enthusiasts. I will do my best to have sport in T&T benefit from a structured and innovative approach to management. I am grateful for the opportunity to make a difference.”
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Smith: Ministry to set tone for SporTT* (http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20151205/sports/smith-ministry-to-set-tone-for-sportt)
By Mark Pouchet, mark.pouchet@trinidadexpress.com
Published on Dec 5, 2015, 6:47 pm AST (T&T Express)
(http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p12/Socapro/Socapro068/Darryl%20Smith%20with%20new%20SPORTT%20Board.jpg) (http://s124.photobucket.com/user/Socapro/media/Socapro068/Darryl%20Smith%20with%20new%20SPORTT%20Board.jpg.html)
NEW BOARD: Abbegale Nandlal, front row from left, Sport Minister Darryl Smith, Michael Phillips (chairman), Dionne Ligoure, back row, Jason Lewis Julien, Imran Jan, Richard Mc Farlane, Vyash Nandlal (no relation to Abbegale) and Anthony Subero at the meet and greet with the media of the new SPORTT board at the Sportt headquarters on Henry Street , Port of Spain, yesterday. Missing is Marcus Solomon. —Photo: MARK POUCHET
Minister of Sport Darryl Smith said the Ministry of Sport will set the example for the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) and national sporting organisations (NSOs) in how to conduct their affairs.
At a press conference yesterday to introduce the new SporTT board, Minister Smith said the Ministry itself had been in disarray over the last five years, cycling through four Ministers in just over a year, three SporTT boards in the last five years, with a number of CEOs and chairmen also getting the boot. But he is seeking a calmer time over the next five years.
“I think the first thing is to lead by example and I think they had horrible examples before at the Board level and the Minister and Ministry level. So we have started now, so far so good. We haven’t had any issues at the Ministry or at the board. We hope to continue that for the five years. There have been so many changes before.....and you cannot build or move forward, have any strategic planning with such changes.
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SPORTT won’t fund unfair, disorganised NSOs (http://www.newsday.co.tt/sport/0,225081.html)
Wednesday, March 9 2016 (T&T Newsday)
THE SPORTS Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT ) has promised to publish its audited reports soon, following yesterday’s fifth annual Annual General Meeting (AGM), which took place in the Giselle Salandy Conference Room, SPORTT office on Henry Street, Port of Spain.
Asked when the audited reports will be published, acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SPORTT , Adrian Raymond, during a media conference at the end of the meeting, said, “what we’re hoping is that by the end of the week, if not early next week. “We’ll publish it in each one of the three dailies,” he stated.
“We probably will also publish it on our website and our social media platforms.” The AGM dealt with the audited financial statements for the years 2014 and 2015, which were then presented to the Ministry of Finance. Also in attendance at the media briefing were SPORTT chairman Michael Phillips as well as directors Anthony Subero, Jason Julien and Marcus Solomon.
With regards to the revenues dispersed by the Sports Company in 2014 and 2015, Subero revealed, “for 2014, we would have had $426,963,000 and, for 2015, we would have had $298 million.” Phillips, the former national cyclist and TT Cycling Federation (TT CF) president, highlighted the need for sporting bodies to come up to scratch, especially in terms of accountability.
“When you start to interfere in sporting bodies’ businesses, you run the risk of being looked at in a very negative light from the international bodies,” said Phillips. “We’ve been discussing the sporting boards that have not produced their financial statements to us and they have been receiving or, in the past, there would have been some leniency there.
“Since the inception of the Sports Company, (there has been) a lot of leeway for sporting bodies to come up to scratch. We’re going to become less and less tolerant of funding mediocrity.” Phillips also indirectly criticised certain sporting bodies saying: “Whereas we can’t tell you what to do, we’re going to tell you what we’re not going to fund. And what we’re not going to support is unfair behaviour.
“I’m not commenting on any particular instance that people would (have) been reading in the news and so on but, for me personally, when I read stories that I can see there is a level of victimisation or decisions that are not fair, I take it very personally because I put myself in the shoes of the person who may be on the receiving end.”At Toco: SIGNAL HILL 165 - Joshua James 79; Iran Modeste 3/23, Daniel King 3/28 v TO CO 94 - Iran Modeste 38; Omarley James 5/17. Signal Hill won by 71 runs.
At Barataria: BARATARIA SOUTH 227 - Sameer Ali 52, Parveen Ali 42, Cejay Osouna 21; Dion Bachan 3/42, Joshua Dookie 3/63 vs ST MARY’S 72 - Cejay Osouna 5/22, Joey Samuel 2/18.
Barataria South won by 155 runs.
South Championship - At Penal: SHIVA BOYS 279 - Xavier Ganga 51, Tariq Abdul 48, Krishna Partap 41 vs IERE HIGH 142 - Nicholas Ali 3/4, R Gosein 2/16, S Ramnarine 2/31, Tariq Abdul 2/31. Shiva Boys won by 137 runs.
At Moruga: ASJA BOYS 278/9 (40 overs) - Akeel Mohammed 76, Brandon Ghany 47, Brando Sadanan 46 vs COWEN HAMILTO N 87 - Akeel Mohammed 5/25, Brandon Sadanan 2/18, Darion Balliram 2/24. ASJA Boys won by 191 runs.
At San Fernando: PR ESENTATION SAN FERNANDO 247/9 (50 overs) - Areon Mohammed 86, Fiaz John 3/43 vs COUVA EAST 224 - Stephon Babute 109 not out, Denzil Antoine 25, Jared Samaroo 23; Yogeshwar Persad 5/28. Presentation San Fernando won by 23 runs.
At Princes Town: ST BENEDICT’S 158 - Mbeki Joseph 48, Daniel Asson 35, Leron Peters 25; Dave Tika 4/24, Nyron Julien 2/27 vs PR INCES TO WN WEST 159/4 - John Luke Mahase 54 not out, Daniel Cooper 31 not out, Nyron Julien 20; Daniel Asson 3/64. Princes Town West won by six wickets.
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Dinas in line for top SporTT post chairman post
By Vinode Mamchan (Guardian)
Former West Indies player and president of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), Dinanath Ramnarine, has been named the new chairman of the Sport Company of T&T (SPORTT), an implementation arm of the Ministry of Sports.
Guardian Media Sports was reliably informed that the outspoken Ramnarine received the news yesterday from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs which is responsible for SPORTT.
When contacted Ramnarine refused to comment on the issue.
On Monday former cyclist Michael Phillips resigned from the post saying it was for personal reasons.
On Tuesday, Minister of Sport Darryl Smith and SporTT Chief Executive Officer Adam Montserin confirmed Phillips’ departure from the organisation and said his resignation was based on personal reasons.
At the time of his resignation Phillips was organising the official opening of the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, which is set for May 13 with a Twenty20 (T20) match featuring A Brian Lara XI against a Scahin Tendulkar team.
However, on the same day of Phillips’ resignation Guardian Media Sports also reported that Tendulkar will not be among the venue opening celebrations.
With eight days to go before the opening the Sports Ministry has moved to get the planning of the event back on track.
Ramnarine was a leg-spin bowler who retired at an early age (28 years). He has a Test bowling average of around 30, taking 45 wickets in his 12 Test matches, which is better when compared to most who would have played the same amount of matches. After his premature retirement, he went on to successfully lead WIPA with tremendous passion and gain the respect of all by winning 15 out of 15 arbitration matters against the WICB.
Among his other major accomplishments was the signing of the first Collective Agreement between WIPA and WICB, starting the Annual Player Awards Function and establishing a development programme known as the “WIPA in the Community” where as much 10,000 kids to date have participated using cricket to teach valuable life skills.
He further established a personal development programme for which 150 first class players benefited. Ramnarine will be forever known as the “players’ champion” and a no-nonsense man, who stands for integrity and good governance in sports.
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SporTT sends 8 managers on leave
By Walter Alibey & Rosemarie Sant
T&T Guardian.
Eight senior managers of the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) were yesterday sent on 45 days administrative leave pending the completion of a forensic audit investigation of the operations of the entity.
SporTT, which is led by recently appointed chairman Dinanath Ramnarine, also revoked the appointment of board director Jason Julien.
Guardian Media Sports was informed by a source close to the development that CEO Adam Montserin, head of Facilities Anthony Blake, head of Procurement Darrel Stewart, head of Internal Audit Joanne Kowlessar, head of Legal Navin Maharaj, Senior Manager in the Project Department Travis Smith, a senior manager and a senior project administrator were all sent on immediate administrative leave with pay. Three managers, when contacted yesterday, said they could not explain the reason for the suspensions.
However, a release from the SporTT said the board, acting on the advice of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, would be undertaking a forensic investigation into the operations of the company. It said to facilitate this, eight employees were asked to proceed on administrative leave effective July 19 while the appointment of one board member was revoked.
Ramnarine could not be reached for comment yesterday.
But in giving an account of what transpired yesterday, one manager, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, said: “We went to work as on any other day and were asked to attend a meeting. No reason was given, but we were just asked to go on leave until a forensic investigation was done.”
The manager said it was possible the the non-payment of maintenance fees to the Shanghai Construction Group in April may have been one of the reasons for the probe.
Guardian Media Sports learnt that the Shanghai group receives a whopping $1.4 million monthly for maintenance work on the facilities they constructed, namely the National Cycling and Aquatic Centres in Couva and the National Racquet Centre in Tacarigua. However, they have not been paid for the past few months due to lack of funding. Its last payment was $2.5 million in December last year
According to the manager, board members were “pressured to make the payment recently although monies have been scarce, as the company had received no funding from the Ministry of Finance, which had been public knowledge.” Apart from no funding being available, the company found that there were fundamental issues concerning the actual maintenance work being done on the facilities. Now, it “seems everyone who was involved with the the Shanghai Group was sent on leave,” the manager explained.
Money, legal issues plague body
Guardian Media Sports was also informed by a reliable source that at the start of July, the board, which comprises Imran Jan, Dionne Ligoure, Richard Mc Farlane, Vyash Nandlal, Phillip Whiteman, the step-father of cycling ace Njisane Phillip, and which is led by Ramnarine, also took a decision to take control of the day-to-day management of the company.
The source said: “What the board has done is bestowed upon itself executive powers which it doesn’t have and which is contrary to the Companies Act of 1995, the state enterprises performance and monitoring manual and good and proper corporate governance practices.”
Well-placed sources added that since Ramnarine took up office in May, SporTT has been facing many challenges, including a severe funding deficit between TT$35-TT$40 million, and they have been forced to put “mechanisms in place to deal with this.”
But how did the company get to that point?
According to our source, “there are major issues at the company. We inherited a number of problems, including financial and several legal matters. We recognised there is a need to manage the business in a better way.”
Sources at the company also said it has been plagued by a lack of transparency in the way business was done, “including in the procurement process, and within the past few weeks a finance committee had been reviewing any payments being made, making sure that payments were justified and that there was proper documentation for all payments, something which had been lacking.”
Sports Minister Daryl Smith was out of the country and could not be contacted yesterday and calls to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi’s mobile went unanswered.
SporTT was established in 2004 as a limited liability, special-interest company geared towards the management, administration and programming of sport, as well as the construction and operational maintenance of sporting facilities throughout T&T.
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Wiliams acting CEO as SPoRTT extends probe
By Rosemarie Sant (Guardian)
Two months after a forensic investigation was launched into the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) it is incomplete and investigators have asked for more time.
On July 19, SporTT announced that the investigation into the operations of the company had been initiated on the advice of the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. Head of Facilities Anthony Blake, CEO Adam Montserin, head of Procurement Darrel Stewart, head of Internal Audit Joanne Kowlessar, head of Legal Navin Maharaj, senior manager in the Project Department Travis Smith, a senior manager and a senior project administrator were asked to go on administrative leave for 45 days with pay.
The audit is linked to a million dollar contract awarded to a Chinese company for maintenance of the facilities. Several documents were seized from the SporTT compound and several employees have been interviewed bythe investigators.
Yesterday, SporTT chairman Dinanath Ramnarine confirmed that the period of the audit had been extended to September 30 and the employees sent on leave remain off the job.
Ramnarine said Jason Williams, who resigned as chief financial officer in June, had been re-hired in August and the board agreed to appoint him to act as CEO,
He said Williams “is well-respected, has seniority and institutional knowledge and had served SporTT well having brought the organisation up to date with requirements for audited financial regulations.”
Mark Depoosingh, whom Williams had recommended to act as CFO when he left, has resigned but Ramnarine said there is no link between Depoosingh’s resignation and Williams’ return.
Meantime, the land just behind the National Aquatic Centre which once housed makeshift accommodation for a maintenance team has been cleared for construction of a hotel by the TTFA.
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SPoRTT writes off Life Sport $millions.
By Ryan Bachoo (Guardian).
The Sports Company of T&T has written off the $9.4m owed to it by the now defunct Life Sport programme. This was revealed in a report into the organisation’s financial performance by independent auditors Moore published in the press on Tuesday. The Life Sport debt goes back to the last government, where it was found that the programme was riddled with corruption and eventually shut down by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar in July 2014.
Speaking to Guardian Media Sports yesterday, Chairman of the Sports Company Douglas Camacho said, “That would have been a receivable that would have been in the books for a number of years and under the accounting rules it is not likely that the receivables will be collected so we made the decision to write it off in this financial statement.”
But the report went further in showing that the Sports Company had paid out over $13.4m in a court settlement and expenses during 2019. When asked to clarify this expenditure, Camacho told Guardian Media Sports, “There are number of old matters before litigation, disputes over amounts and quantum.” He went further in explaining that a large chunk of that figure went to one contractor who was suing the organization for more than double than that of which was settled.
“The major part of that was a settlement for some work done where the contractor was claiming $25m and Sportt Company was saying that figure was way too high and we were able to settle for a lot less so we were able to get a settlement and resolve the matter in a fair way,” Camacho further stated.
While that lawsuit may have been settled, the report shows that the Sports Company owes creditors millions of dollars. Its current assets total $92m while non-current assets amount to $339m. Also, its current liabilities totalled $209m while its non-current liabilities was shown to be $335m. Current liabilities are those that need to be paid off within a three-year period while non-current are not dated.
Camacho said the Sports Company is at a disadvantage because it doesn’t generate income. He stated, “The struggle is that Sports Company, as a legal entity, does not have the right to collect revenue on its own behalf. All of the funds that the Sports Company receives are, in fact, grants from the government of T&T so that although we may have Hasely Crawford Stadium under our remit, when we rent it out for a concert and we collect revenue we don’t retain the money. We don’t have the right to retain. It all goes to the consolidated fund.”
Camacho said his organisation may have requested the funds and are not yet in receipt of it which would explain the figures.
RELATED NEWS
SPoRTT records $114m deficit, writes off $9m LifeSport balance.
By Jelani Beckles (Newsday).
STATE company SPoRTT recorded a $114 million deficit for 2019, $36 million more than 2018. Included in that total, published on Wednesday, was $60.7 million for infrastructure development, $40.5 million for equipment and storage rental, $11 million for salaries and staff benefits and $9 million to write off the LifeSport balance.
This effectively puts an end the $400 million LifeSport scandal, nearly five and half years after former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar ended the programme because of fraud, theft, and allegations that the programme, which was supposed to empower at-risk youths away from crime through sport, was linked to people involved in criminal activity.
In his report, chairman Douglas Camacho said, "SPoRTT has experienced a difficult and challenging period, but since being appointed chairman on July 4, 2018, the board has continued to focus on rebuilding discipline and good corporate governance to redefine how we operate and do business. We have met with each of the National Governing Bodies under our purview, ensuring that there is a clear understanding on requirements to be met so that requests for funding can be processed. Our present target for achievement has been made very clear – Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games."
In a brief interview with Newsday, Camacho added, "It (Life Sport debt) has been around a long time and the write off is because the probability of collecting on the debt is remote at best...that is written off, that is no longer a debt, that is gone."
SPoRTT received most of its money through a $127.9 million government grant, $11 million less than the subvention in 2018. Its other income was $375,362, for a total income of $128.2 million. Its total expenditure was $164.3 million and its deficit for the year was $36 million. The accumulated deficit brought forward from 2018 was $77.7 million, bringing its total deficit to $113.8 million.
Camacho said despite the debt the Government has been making a priority in assisting athletes as the games approach.
"Is two dimensions to look at there. One is the preparation and the process of qualification. The Government of T&T had indicated since 2018 the focus of this Government would be to assist national athletes and teams aspiring to get to the Olympic Games as a priority and to be honest, as a matter of fact, they have honoured that commitment for the last year and a half."
Funds don't come to SPoRTT, he noted. Instead, when a party, for example, Machel Monday, rents the Hasely Crawford Stadium, that money goes to the State's Consolidated Fund. "From that perspective, there is very little directly that we could do to advent that debt."
Camacho suggested a couple of options to help reduce the debt, including capital injections to help eliminate the debt.
(https://www.guardian.co.tt/image-3.2364966.204e0e5ed6?size=1024)
Douglas Camacho - Chairman of SPoRTT