Sports 2016/2017 budget slashed

The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs will have to survive on a budget of $315 million, a sizeable reduction from last year’s budget.

Following the budget presentation yesterday, Minister Smith said all the ministries received a reduction of funds “Everybody (all ministries) got shaved down, last year we were able to cut the leakage and the mismanagement in sport. So we have to do a lot more of that this year, tweaking and putting things in place.

“We will probably have to do some funding outside as well, but I am excited, always optimistic and with the team that we have there and with our Cabinet, I think we will make it work.” Smith confirmed that the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba will be completed by the end of 2016 or early 2017. “In December, January (it will be completed). UDECOTT and I meet on a weekly basis. They are finalising stuff now to keep on top of the situation. The people of South and the people of TT , the people from the region will really enjoy that facility when it is done.” The Brian Lara Stadium was originally scheduled to be completed before the 2007 Cricket World Cup.

Executive member of the TT Cricket Board (TT CB) Dr Allen Sammy was yesterday elated and relieved to here that the Brian Lara Stadium would be completed soon and stressed that it would not replace the Queen’s Park Oval which would continue to host the top matches in the country.

“The Cricket Board is fully supportive of that move (completing Stadium) and we have been consistent in that regard. I think it is important to national development.

This is not to take away from the importance of Queen’s Park which will obviously retain the Test matches and so on.” Sammy said it is important to spread the game of cricket throughout the country. Speaking about the allocation reduction in sport, Sammy stated, “obviously we will suffer and all sports will suffer, but we have to deal with reality and the reality is we are in high economic strain and people must adjust. We (TT CB) ourselves will have to downsize some of our programmes. Voluntarism has been extremely important to the success of the cricket board and we will have to ask your volunteers to continue to band their belly and work for the development of the country.” The Sports Minister also explained that the three world class facilities (National Cycling Centre, National Aquatic Centre, National Racquet Centre) recently opened in Trinidad will be properly maintained as the Shanghai Construction Group has a software package to maintain the facilities, as opposed to waiting for the facilities to be destroyed before the facilities are refurbished.

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, president of the TT Football Association David John-Williams said his organisation needs to spend wisely. Williams declared: “The TT FA has to find ways of being self sustainable. We have to improve revenue and rationalise expenditure. We have to be tighter in managing cash and earn more revenue.” John-Williams added that corporate TT is important to the survival of sport. “The corporate world always plays a significant role in sport in any country whether it is TT , United States or England. The corporate companies play a very significant role and TT is no different.” President of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA’s) Ephraim Serrette echoed the sentiments of John-Williams, stating, “We know the times we are in and the contribution (to sport) was reduced.

The (budget) statement should have been made to restate and encourage corporate TT to get involved.” Serrette said the NAAA’s must be self-sufficient to survive. He stated, “We continue as an organisation to do that (be self sufficient).

Our operating budget that we have been operating under over the last couple years, the contribution we get from Government is just about one third of what we normally operate with.” Serrette encouraged all NGB’s to practice good governance to encourage corporate TT to get involved in sport. “No corporate sponsor would want to be involved in any organisation that does not have a good governance structure.

In my reign I have been able to produce audited statements annually.” Some of the companies that have supported the National Track and Field Body are NGC, Sagicor and Blue Waters.