Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Grenada Government completes four-decade old sports project


by Michael Bascombe
ST GEORGE’S, Grenada, January 18, 2011 - The Government of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has completed a four-decade old project aimed at institutional strengthening of sports in Grenada.
“For the first time in the history of Grenada and completing a forty-one year-old project, never achieved by any other administration, never completed by any other minister for sports, there is now a National Policy on Sports and Physical Activity in our country,” said Youth Empowerment and Sports Minister Patrick Simmons.
Addressing the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Mr Simmons said the policy is also expected to create a framework for incentive reward and the guaranteed development of professional sporting personalities.
“Under this New National Policy and also completing a 38 year-old venture there is a National Sports Council with Parish Sports Councils in every parish to implement the major aspects of the National Sports Policy,” he said.
The Minister said that there will be a new approach to national administration and coordination of sports with the restructuring of the Ministry of Sports and the operation of the National Sports Council.
He said that under the new policy federation and sporting organisations will have to be better structured and managed, with proper accountability and transparency to relate to Government or in order to access government assistance.
It also means that new and modern sporting infrastructure, facilities and equipment will be procured and better managed and some of the playing fields and courts will be seeded to the National Sports Council.
He said that one of the hallmarks of the sports policy will be the collaboration with federations and organisations for the formulation of a comprehensive development programme for athletes from talent identification at an early age to professional development of world class competitors.
Mr Simmons said that in 2011 the priority areas under the new policy on sports and physical activity will include a national sporting calendar by the National Sports Council; organisation of a Grenada National Championships every two year and support to national federations for hosting year-round competitive events.
He said that there will be the development and implementation of performance incentive framework for athletes; provision of economic support to members of national teams and assistance to national athletes to secure jobs; development of the human resource capacity across a wide range of sport-related disciplines and a national policy on the use of prohibited substances as well as dealing with conflict resolution for sporting organisations and personalities.
“Mr Speaker, the final aspect of a legal framework for sports management will be completed when the National Policy on sports and physical activities is implemented and the Sports Development Act is passed by this Honourable House,” he said.

No comments: