Corporate support after World Cup

Only last week, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), Larry Romany, in a direct reference to the participation of the Soca Warriors in the World Cup, pointed to the positive international impact the football team had made.

In calling for “corporate nationals to give sport its due,” Romany had one lament. “Outside of celebrating victories, TT can at times be very lukewarm when approached by sporting bodies for support.”

Romany argued that employees representing TT in sport should be considered by their employers as providing national service. Romany was critical of the practice of employers having their workers choose between taking no pay leave and vacation when selected on national teams.

Corporate houses should grant paid leave to employees chosen to represent the country, as in the broadest possible sense they carry the tourch out there.

The time off required for sporting events should not have to come out of the workers’ entitlement. Government though must play its part.

As an inducement to the corporate sector and for them to accept — without question and financial sacrifice the concept of granting employees paid leave to employees to represent their country, Government should consider the provision of full tax rebates to such companies.

The rebates should be equal both to the cost of the leave and any additional monetary benefits, up to a prescribed limit, which the businesses may grant those representing us.

Additionally, there should be provision for tax rebates to be granted to companies providing out of pocket expenses to athletes on national teams. In this way neither will companies nor representative employees be out of pocket.

But any policy position on sport should not be limited to high profile events but to other disciplines as well. Only last year, a national team won the Central America and Caribbean Zonal Bridge Championships in Costa Rica. The national team’s victory there should have been complemented with a marketing thrust.

And in the same way that TT has become better known and has been marketed internationally through the participation of its footballers in the World Cup, there are other teams, albeit low profile, that have made and continue to make a contribution away from the glare of the spotlight.

As long as there is the right attitude, we can only benefit from the positive international attention.