Big bucks for local sporting bodies

The amount included a whopping $2 million — set aside for relaying the artificial (Astro) turf surface at the National Hockey Centre in Tacarigua. Work on the Tacarigua facility is expected to begin early next year as the Sports Ministry and SCOTT increase their drive to put this country on par with other sports internationally and regionally.

In addition, monies distributed to the four sporting organisations yesterday accumulated to some $1.4 million. The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC) received the lion’s share of the amount distributed with its new president Deryck Murray collecting more than half a million dollars ($591,540) which will be used for the current Carib Beer Cricket Series as well as support for the coming Under-13 Regional tournament which is scheduled to take place December 6-12 in neighbouring Barbados.

Minister of Sports Roger Boynes assured Murray that more money will be donated to the cricket board for the overall development of the sport.

The Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Cricket Board (TTWCB) was also the beneficiary in the amount of $395,727 which according to Boynes, will be used to assist the team in participating in the Under-23 Regional Tournament.

The competition will be held here in Trinidad from December 10-19 at different venues across the country. Executive member of the TTWCB Margaret Antoine was on hand to receive the award on behalf of her board, while the TT Hockey Board was also the recipient of $327,332.50. The amount will also go toward the preparation and participation of the Trinidad and Tobago hockey team at the Pan American Indoor Championship which is carded for Edmonton Canada from December 7-11.

Hockey Federation president Maureen Craig Rousseau collected the amount on behalf of the board as she looked ahead to what is expected to be a challenging season next year.

Cecil Forde, president of the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) was also on hand to collect $57,000 toward the development of the sport. Boynes said the amount will be utilised for the coming Central American and Caribbean Games Championship, also to be held later this month.

Forde and his board are currently managing and monitoring a team of local boxers, currently attending a full-time camp at the Tigers Boxing Gym in Marabella. According to Forde, the camp is being used to bring the boxers up to a competitive level with their international counterparts. Only recently a team of boxers performed credibly at the Pan American Championship Rio De Janeiro in Brazil.

Forde and his association have also scheduled a series of coaching, referees and judges courses for the next year — starting in January.

Boynes noted that the cheque presentations are symbolic of the costs associated with the needs outlined in the respective sporting organisations’ strategic plan as presented to SCOTT and the Ministry of Sports.