Minister Smith pleased with Rio Games review

Minister of Sport Darryl Smith expressed his satisfaction with the review session adding that such meetings are a necessary part of moving forward and maintaining a healthy relationship with athletes and administrators alike. “This is the first time in the history of the Ministry of Sport, that we’ve had a post-mortem review of the Olympics.

What we did was gather everyone, from athletes to trainers and psychologists, anyone who was part of the process from before the Games began, to sit down and discuss ways of moving forward following this Olympics. It was a success because now we gave athletes a forum where they can air their grievances and from that work with them to succeeding.” Speaking with regards to Paralympian gold medallist Akeem Stewart, Smith said he visited Stewart’s home last month and spoke to his family on improving the quality of Stewart’s training quarters.

“I spoke to him when I visited his family’s home in Tobago last month. We spoke and he told me that he would like better facilities for training. He’s a very simple person and we’re working towards assisting him with his needs.” The Minister went on to say that as it is, there are no policies in place to address the reward of athletes by the State, but said that he was currently working within the Ministry to draft such policies. “We need something more concrete to ensure that our athletes get what they deserve. These policies would also offer greater regulation and transparency.”