A ball to kick around
By: Keith Smith (Express).Thursday, November 22nd 2007
With anyone else, perhaps, you might say it was an innocent throwaway line but when Jack Warner called on the members of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation's, which is to say his, executive to let their politics work for them it was, as people have tirelessly said, a phrase pregnant with meaning.
Actually, the baby born, because Jack went on to add that if they did that "they should have a very good working relationship with the Government and the Ministry of Sport to make sure the assistance that they need...they have it on an ongoing basis".
Now Jack knew of what he spoke because during the election campaign he had let out that all the members of the TTFF's executive, president Oliver Camps et al, were "PNM", the assertion coming as his way of proving that, UNC though he is, he was not the kind of man to punish a man for belonging to a party different from his, his former friend Roy Augustus getting his deserts not because he deserted him (actually, it was Jack who deserted Roy and the perhaps now done "Dooks" for reasons that, to this day, still remain unexplained) but because Roy was not only guilty of deceit in the workplace but of busin' the boss in the most bruising of ways.
But yuh think this Mr Warner easy? Ostensibly, he made his call to Camps and Company with respect to Trinidad and Tobago's World Cup campaign which begins in June next year but politician that he has now become or, perhaps better, practising politician that he has become (yuh cyar be a FIFA top man and not be in politics), Jack was paving the way for the battle that is going to take place between UNC "him" and PNM "them", in and out of Parliament, when it comes to funding not only for the African safari but for the this country's overall football programme.
Would though that football here was not so politicised. And I utter this wish in the context of what I heard the outgoing chairman of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) say at their media Christmas luncheon at the Hilton yesterday, Mr Ferreira, talking in his turn on the subject of continuity, citing this question asked, he said, by some people:
"What," he quoted them as asking, "would happen to the SPORTT's programme of projects were the PNM to lose, the Sports Company, as you should know, being the executing arm of the Ministry of Sports?" He seemed to me to be suggesting that said programme would have been in jeopardy, which is why he was holding out for the eventual establishment of a non-partisan Sports Commission that would be above politics, nursing the country's sports projects and projections irregardless, as we so delightfully continue to say here and also, increasingly, elsewhere.
Truthfully, I found the occasion to be a heady one what with CEO Carol Charles Austin reminding the gathering in that luxurious La Boucan setting that "the primary thrust of the Sports Policy being" to enrich our lives through total participation, quality training and excellence in sport. But I'd be lying were I not to say that I didn't leave disappointed because that dictum, it seems to me, referred to sports at the high end while there was no reference to sports at the low end as it were, sports having a demonstrated role in lifting the crack-fallen (crack, indeed) away from a life of crime, the building of character, after all, being the building of character, as we have been told not for decades but for centuries.
But, perhaps, I wrong SPORTT in that that does not seem to have been its mandate whatever its completion of projects such as the Africa Recreation Ground in Enterprise, Chaguanas, the Malabar Hard Court in Arima, the Cumana Recreation Ground in Sangre Grande, the St John's Multipurpose Recreational Facility in the Tunapuna/Piarco area, my biased (not braised) beef, I suppose being the lack of any thinking about a splendid state-of-the-art Russell Latapy academy in the "high risk" Laventille-Morvant district. But, perhaps, that radical an idea will come from Gary Hunt, our new Minister of Sports. Or perhaps, just perhaps, we'll just have to leave it to Jack, Mr Warner paying no mind to any warning that we'll just use it for target practice.
SPORTT dole out $31M
By ZAID MOHAMMED (Newsday)Thursday, November 22 2007
SPORTS in Trinidad and Tobago has benefitted from a massive infusion of $31 million over the past two years from the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT).
This was revealed yesterday when SPORTT, headed by chairman Gerard Ferreira hosted a media luncheon at La Boucan, Hilton Trinidad in Port-of-Spain.
In her address Chief Executive Officer of SPORTT Carol Charles-Austin said the funding was for the implementation of programmes for ten national sports organisations.
Among them were cricket, football, netball, swimming, track and field, volleyball, basketball, amateur boxing, hockey and cycling.
She said recently four other sports were added to the list receiving Government assistance— tennis, rifle shooting, golf and sailing.
Also in attendance at yesterday’s function, chaired by Tony Harford were Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Gary Hunt, Permanent Secretary Margaret Farray, deputy PS Ashwin Creed, other directors of SPORTT and heads of several sports organisations.
There were also cultural performances by virtuoso pannist Ken “Professor” Philmore, a Shiv Shakti Dance trio, and the San Jose Serenaders parang group.
In highlighting the performances of national teams overseas, Charles-Austin said that the funds disbursed by SPORTT were for the selected national sports organisations, community programmes and for infrastructure development. She also said that her organisation which has been charged with the implementation of the National Sports Policy is in sync with the drive to realise Vision 2020, or developed nation status.
SPORTT has also been charged with managing and maintaining sports facilities throughout Trinidad and Tobago including facilities formerly controlled by Caroni (1975) Limited— Woodford Lodge in Chaguanas; Sevilla Sports Club (swimming and tennis) in Couva; Gilbert Park, California; and Dubisson Park, Usine, Ste Madeleine.
“In its efforts to take the leadership role in the development of national sports system, the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago will continue to work assiduously to provide the financial and technical support necessary to keep the national sports organisations viable and will strenghten its partnership with the communities around the country in the enhancement of community life,” said Charles-Austin. Ferreira, a former national water polo player and leading cycling coach challenged administrators in SPORTT to accept their responsibility and “think outside the box”.
He said all must accept that sports is now an industry and that the implementation policy of SPORTT is at least several years too late.
But Ferreira said that sports development in Trinidad and Tobago could achieve its goal by 2012 and a lot of attention will now be placed on delivery, sounded a warning to organisations receiving financial assistance.
“As long as you wear the national colours you are entitled to help. But the partnership between SPORTT and the national organisations will ultimately need to provide results,” said Ferreira.
Newly appointed Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Hunt said he was energised by his new job and recalled the passion and patriotism he felt when representing his country at international karting events. Hunt echoed Ferreira’s refrain quoting the adage that to whom much is given, much is expected stressing that high performance must be established in the required time frame.
He said that focus will be in five areas — Development at all levels; Construction and upgrade of all facilities; Early identification of talented athletes; Succession planning and the need to fill the achievement gaps; and the Use of Technology to enhance high performance. Hunt said the coming year will be a critical one for administrators and athletes with the Olympic Games in Beijing, China topping the bill.
“The Olympics will be a yardstick by which out athletes will be measured,” said Hunt.
Yesterday’s function was also used to launch SPORTT”s website on the internet which provides information on the organisation and even advertises jobs available in the sport industry.
It can be accessed at
www.sportt-tt.com
Time for results
New minister talks tough to sporting bodies
By: Kern De Freitas (Express)Thursday, November 22nd 2007
IT'S time to turn money into results.
This was the message from new Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Gary Hunt, as he addressed members of the national sporting fraternity during a Christmas Luncheon hosted by the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann's yesterday.
"...Given the amount of money now being pumped into various disciplines, we must begin to see more tangible results," the minister stressed as he outlined the major areas of development on which he is hoping for SPORTT to "continue to focus".
These areas include development of personnel such as athletes, coaches and administrators, the construction and upgrading of facilities, and identifying a path for developing athletes from the primary schools to the elite level.
Other areas Hunt earmarked for serious attention are succession planning, building on the performances by great athletes such as Hasely Crawford and Brian Lara, and also using sport technology and exploring sport science and the benefits of adopting such an approach.
In relaying his excitement and commitment to his new portfolio, Hunt advised SPORTT on the importance of efficiency and achieving set goals. "To whom much is given, much is expected," he added.
Chairman Gerard Ferreira, uttered similar sentiments, telling the different sporting bodies that SPORTT are now looking for return on their investment.
"We are now going to ask for delivery. We are not going to ask for the bang for our buck. We want to deliver the institution that we know sport is," Ferreira stressed.
The former Arima Race Club president revealed that his term as SPORTT chairman is coming to an end, saying that results should now be forthcoming after the unprecedented sums given to sports in T&T.
"It doesn't have to be more gold medals. I want to see more people qualifying for the Olympics," Ferreira said, adding that, "we have to start thinking of sport as an industry".
SPORTT CEO Carol Charles-Austin indicated she was encouraged by some of the achievements T&T have had over the last year, singling out cyclist Emile Abraham, who achieved Pan American Games silver for T&T.
Yesterday, SPORTT also used the occasion to launch their new website,
www.sportt-tt.com. In addition to a local news section and a downloadable version of the sport policy and information on sport development, the website also includes sports doping information, including the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, as well as information about sport-related jobs, as well a job centre.
