No more 100 percent funding for sports
By WALTER ALIBEY Tuesday, August 10 2010
SPORTS Minister Anil Roberts sent out a strong message to sporting organisations that the time for 100 percent funding by Government will be a thing of the past.
And he made it clear that his government will now adhere to a policy that will allow organisations to come up with 40 percent of the funds needed for events.
This warning came on the heels of aquatics director Hayden Newallo accusation of a refusal to financially assist the Trinidad and Tobago team for the Goodwill Championship in Suriname on August 13-15.
At a news conference called to clear the air on the situation, Roberts, a former national swimmer and swim coach said he will also consult with the legal department of his ministry to determine what action could be taken against Newallo.
Roberts said a sum of $250,000 was given to the team from the Sport Company Trinidad and Tobago because he did not want to shatter the dreams of the many young swimmers.
The team is expected to leave today for Paramaribo.
The minister stated categorically that he has had no meeting with Newallo and he was well aware that the sport of swimming had already exhausted all the funds available to them.
He explained that swimming had been the recipient of a $2.2 million allocation for the 2009/10 season but his ministry has had to lend more assistance for the CISC Championship and now the Goodwill, which pushes the excess to well over $1 million.
As such government has agreed to revoke the $250,000 allocation given for the Goodwill tournament from next year’s budget for swimming.
And he reminded Newallo that his ministry caters to lend financial assistance to over 41 other sporting organisations. According to Roberts, sporting organisations will now have to find ways and means of raising funds to assist themselves.
“The day for the use of the ATM card of the government by sporting organisations is gone,” he announced.
Roberts said his government will no longer fund mediocrity and financial assistance will be given on a performance driven basis.
He feels that Newallo may have had a motive for deliberately misleading the public when he knew that swimming had exceeded their budget.
“Mr Newallo did not even explain the situation to the parents and the kids who felt that their dream was being shattered,” Roberts said.
