Ride on sport gravy train is all but over

That is for the scam artistes, tricksters and conmen who masquerade as officials representing bona fide athletes but who piggyback on their dreams and aspirations in search of a quick buck.

The annals of local sports are littered with shameful episodes of persons who go around soliciting money ostensibly for altruistic purposes but which in the end does not benefit those who it is intended for.

And over the years the crooks have developed their game plan into a fine art with slick and persuasive presentations.

Their target more often than not is Government who in the current dispensation is looked upon to provide the every need of the nation’s athletes who range from the stars of track and field to the weekend card players who now have a national association to represent them.

However with the setting up of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, the ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs is signalling that they won’t be taken for a ride anymore.

Measures are being taken to institute checks and balances to ensure than every penny disbursed by the Sports Company is used for what it was intended as every effort is being made to make the sports officials more accountable.

The realisation is that several sports organisations employ questionable methods to access Government funds especially for teams travelling abroad or for staging international tournaments at home.

In most cases the money is flagrantly misappropriated.

The financial chicanery was recently highlighted when the National Basketball Association attempted to send a team to a regional tournament in Santo Domingo.

The basketball officials duly sent in a request to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs for a whopping $500,000 covering the airfare and accommodation for more than 20 persons.

Also included in the budget was an expected expenditure of $2,000 for a pair of sneakers.

Recently also the Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation staged the NORCECA Championships at the Sports and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) at St Augustine.

Lacking any funds to host the region’s top female volleyballers, the Federation turned to Government who obliged.

But wouldn’t the Jean Pierre Complex at Mucurapo have been a better venue since the tournament failed to excite the public’s participation. And they would not have had to spend a cent in rent. Further, the Federation laid out at SPEC a new playing surface for the tournament costing more than $100,000 which they will now have to pay to use.

It has been reported also that officials were greatly disappointed with the opening ceremony and the ensuing reception which did not warrant the expenditure that was budgeted and approved by Government.

And among the first expected to feel the financial squeeze is the Amateur Boxing Association who despite keeping the momentum going in the sport must get their act in order administratively before they are given a cent.

They recently received more than $100,000 to send a team to the Pan Am Games qualifiers in Rio de Janiero but have been told in no uncertain terms that business won’t be the same when they return.

The last straw was probably the call to the ministry from a potential sponsor who was being asked by a boxer on the national team for funds to purchase a pair of sneakers to train.

The point is vast sums of money are being disbursed to help the athletes and yet there is nothing to show and yet the requests keep coming and getting bigger.

And parents and supporters who have throughout the years been the driving force behind the achievements of the athletes have been unwittingly sucked into the con game expecting Government to fulfil the outlandish requests of the officials.

They too believe that as long as money is available it must be spent regardless of how ill conceived and corrupt the plans are.

The ministry also hopes to get into the villages through regional auditors who will monitor the groups who are granted funds to ensure that their programmes comply with the requests.

The groups are being told also to have responsible persons at the helm whose integrity cannot be questioned making it easier for assistance to be accessed.

If all goes as planned, the ride on the gravy train is over.