Sport, carnival and our Carnival mentality combined together, is a powerful force for good and may well be the key to T&T becoming a great Olympic Sport nation and the basis for a sustainable sport industry.

Nobody does carnival like we do. It can’t be explained, you have to experience the outer body bliss that is T&T carnival.

Instead of celebrating our carnival mentality, we celebrate corruption, skulduggery, mediocrity, impropriety, slipshod performance, a poor work ethic, ineptitude and incompetence.

The inherent creativity, inventiveness, work ethic, integrity, sincerity, determination and innovativeness in our carnival DNA is our strength and comparative advantage.

What allows the rank and file of our society to express and vent their frustrations, anger, and despair better than our carnival? We laugh at ourselves and get loose.

Carnival, sport, art, culture, and our music are who we are as a people and as a nation.

Yet we allow self serving tribal instincts to stand in the way of our affirmation and embrace of our Trinbagonianness.

The other point I want to touch on today is good governance.

The T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) as the authority, voice and representative body of Olympic and Commonwealth sport has a duty, obligation and responsibility to stand up and champion the cause of sport and good sport governance without fear or favour regardless of which political party is in government.

Last week I met with Minister of Sport, Senator the Honourable Brent Sancho and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, Richard Oliver. What struck me more than their words spoken in the hour long meeting was the sincerity of their patriotic vibes and energy.

In the meeting, the TTOC made no out-of-the-ordinary financial demands. The talks focused on sport related structural, systemic and policy issues. Most importantly good governance.

There were no false airs. It was a respectful but frank exchange of views and ideas.

The kind of exchange true patriots can have when the only agenda and motive is what’s in the best interest of sport and the young people and youth involved in sport.

I expressed the view that no public funds should be handed out to any national sport organisation, governing body or club failing to meet basic principles of good governance. Sport organisations and individuals in receipt of public funds need to remember there is a freedom of information act.

There must be proper accounting for funds received and no further funding given for failure to properly account for funds received. I also shared with the new Minister the TTOC’s intention to establish a good governance code for TTOC affiliated sport organisations.

I left the Ministry of Sport encouraged that there is:

(1) a shared vision, commitment and dedication to ensure that sport in T&T is held to the highest standard of good governance possible

(2) that the best interest of the athletes is the priority

(3) that the Ministry of Sport will be a good governance role model for the sport fraternity in T&T.

(4) Minister Sancho supports 10 or more Olympic Gold medal by the year 2024 (#10golds24) and the concept of the TTOC #10golds24 Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund.

Source

The decision to walk the 26.2 distance in the T&T International Marathon had a twofold motive—to raise awareness and funding for the 10 Olympic medals or more by the year 2024 #10golds24 athlete welfare and preparation fund.

Many have asked what I was thinking about when I decided to do the marathon. My main thought was the athletes and what could I do to raise awareness and support for the concept of a fund dedicated to athletes.

In the lead up to the marathon and since successfully completing the marathon the expressions of support have far exceeded the negatives.

Now the hard work will be to get the funding to match the expressions of support.

Raising awareness is not sufficient or good enough. This is not a one-and-done journey.

There will be many trials and tribulations, but what will prove essential is the spirit of resilience and perseverance.

I believe in the very core of my being that the talent we have here is enormous and that the reality is that many of our young athletes have greatness and the potential to be great inside of them.

What they need is the support and people around them who can nurture their self-belief.

I believe that our athletes are capable. I believe that this country can produce more Olympic champions.

Not everyone has to believe that it is possible. We just need a small band of determined and dedicated enablers who have the conviction that our young people deserve a chance.

During my walk, at one of the lowest points when I was hurting mentally, physically and emotionally, a little girl about eight or nine years old standing on the pavement near a water stop gave me a donation of $85 dollars. I recall looking at the little girl and at her donation and saying to Sgt Roger Daniel: “I have to finish.” That little girl represented why I was doing the walk. She reminded me that the children, youth and young people as represented by the nation’s athletes wanted to aspire for something greater.

It is a moment and an interaction I will never forget because it served to shake me out of a moment of self-doubt.

#10GOLDS24 is an affirmation that we can aspire and achieve big goals. It’s a dare and a challenge. Do we have what it takes? Do we believe that we can achieve Olympic greatness?

That so many people have expressed their support is a clear indication that many of us have the self-belief that we deserve better than we are currently getting.

All that has happened over the years is that we were brainwashed into thinking that we didn’t have what was required and therefore must be grateful for small mercies.

I enjoyed the walk. It was tough, but I enjoyed it.

The teamwork, the support, the camaraderie.

On two occasions I had to receive treatment for severe cramp but at no time did those walking with me suggest that I would have to quit.

Quitting just wasn’t on the cards.

So where do we go from here? How do we build on the momentum of the successful completion of the marathon walk?

Time will tell. But rest assured there is no turning back.

#10GOLDS24 Athlete welfare and preparation is underway.

Donations are required on an ongoing basis and can be made at any Scotia Bank. The TTOC’s account number is 171188 or by cheque made payable to TTOC and mailed to or dropped off at Olympic House 121 Abrecromby Street, Port-of-Spain.

Source

It’s important in life to not have regrets. Whatever you are doing or choose to do must have a compelling sense of purpose and commitment. Nothing worthwhile has ever been achieved without a high risk propensity. The fear of failure has been an insurmountable mountain for many people. No one wants to look like an utter fool or idiot.

There are no guarantees. No one can say with absolute certainty that they will achieve their stated or declared goals or objectives.

I was telling someone a few days ago that I have one mission which is to improve conditions for athletes, sportsmen and women in T&T and to do so with integrity and ethically.

I am clear in my mind that by focusing on our athletes, sportsmen and women, sport will make significant and sustainable progress.

But in doing so and in striving to achieve that mission, there are critical success factors.

Not everyone will agree with me and not everyone will see things the way I see it and that’s just fine as I respect everyone’s right to their opinion and views and to disagree with me

But having experienced first hand and intimately the highs and lows of a sporting life in T&T, I feel confident that serving our athletes, sportsmen and women and striving to create the enabling environment that will allow them to execute on their critical success factors is the right thing to do.

Should the focus be on the athletes, sportsmen and women to such an extent that other stakeholder’s interest and needs are sidelined?

That’s not what I am saying or seeking to do. What I am saying is that it’s the athletes who have to perform and by their success there is a ripple effect that will redound to the benefit of sport in general and the country by extension.

I have no problem explaining why I am focused on athletes but there are people in decision making and policy making positions who prefer to speculate and naysay without asking me why?

I am a phone call away and will be more than happy to have a cordial discussion.

Mine is a simple perspective: fix things for the athletes, sportsmen and women especially those who have the potential to be successful at the elite and Olympic level.

The history of our sport has been one where sportsmen and women have carried the burden of sporting success no matter how that success is measured.

T&T has benefitted in more ways than one from the success of our dedicated sportsmen and women.

For how long will the cries of our sportsmen and women go unheeded and ignored?

Those who choose to ignore the reality on the ground can feel free to do so. I have no intention of turning away from what I know from firsthand experience to be the real story.

In an effort to raise public awareness and kick start fund raising, I am participating in the Trinidad International Marathon.

I am as determined to finish the 26 mile journey as I am confident that setting a target of 10 or more Olympic gold medals by the year 2024 is the right objective as is establishing a dedicated T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund that is independent and non-governmental.

The #10golds24 Athlete Welfare and Preparation fund enables the public, former national sportsmen and women, fans and supporters of sport and corporate T&T to contribute and financially support athletes who aspire to qualify for the Olympics and be an Olympic champion.

We all have choices in life but whatever choice you make remember action speaks louder than words.

Source

Trinidad and Tobago’s Under 20 men’s team suffered their first defeat, going down disappointingly 2-0 to Guatemala on Wednesday but are still very much in the race to secure one of two World Cup playoff spots at the CONCACAF Championship in Jamaica.

In 2005, during a Stanford graduation ceremony speech, Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, told the audience: “Stay hungry. Stay foolish.” His message? Don’t settle, don’t be afraid to take risks. Don’t be afraid to be daring and ambitious! Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

The contemporary world whose purchase of choice is the newest smart phone or software and emerging nations with new found spending power are redefining what sport means. Part of the new attitude to sport is the digital transformation—a world where it seems you are only as good as your internet connection.

The sheer talent, promise and potential of the nation’s youth and young people as represented by our athletes is simply breathtaking but you have to watch and pay close attention. In pursuit of their dream, in striving for excellence, our Olympic and Commonwealth athletes endure punishing hours of training and the arduous task of endless repetition.

Often their inspiration, dedication, resilience, commitment and self-discipline go unnoticed. Through sport, our talented sons and daughters break boundaries on the global platform that is the Olympic, Commonwealth and other multi-sport games.

For us at the Olympic Committee, we remain indomitable and passionate in our belief that the goal of the movement to use sport to educate and serve young people, is as relevant today as it was 2000 plus years ago.

One thing is certain: When we engage children and young people and reach out to them to bring them to sport, to show them the power of sport and the Olympic values, we must ensure that their inspirational role models our athletes are at the centre of what we do and why we do what we do.

Moreover, it is essential that we meet the integrity challenge by protecting Olympic and Commonwealth sports from the dangerous threat posed by doping, gambling, the cycle of corruption and poor governance.

If we don’t face these challenges our right to self-regulate, our autonomy, legitimacy our stewardship will be taken away from us. To whom much is given much is expected.

Therefore, I propose that the TTOC will continue to vigorously promote the adoption of good governance and ethics across the country’s Olympic and Commonwealth Sport movement and that we be unwavering and advocate and vigorously promote a good governance code for sport in T&T and ensure that affiliated NSOs align with the Olympic Charter and include in their constitutions basic universal principles of good governance.

The TTOC must lead from the front in championing for the development of a sport industry. This will require not just lobbying and finger pointing but the articulation of the conceptual framework that will inform the policy debate.

Our collective challenge is to take sport mainstream. Sport is still on the margins of T&T society. The children, youth and young people have a lot of different interests that present a threat to active sport and healthy lifestyles.

The responsibility to create and shape a bright sustainable future for tomorrow’s athletes and for sport on the whole falls to our generation of sport leaders, administrators, athletes and coaches.  We have to modernise how we market, promote and brand Olympic and Commonwealth sport and the Olympic and Commonwealth values and ideals to the current and future generation of public, media and corporate audiences.

The climb is steep. The hurdles are high. It is a challenge we must accept. It is a dream we must live and honour. Failure is not an option. There is no excuse. Let us fear not nor impose limits on ourselves.

Let us unite under the tent of our shared values and vision for sport and arm in arm walk our talk and be the change we want to see in doing so let us accept the advice of the late Steve Jobs and Stay hungry, Stay foolish.

Source

Recently, I was reviewing the programmes and work undertaken over the past 17 years by the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC).

One programme that has had a significant impact is the TTOC’s community based sport and recreation programmes.

The concept behind the community programmes is built on the TTOC working along and side by side with various stakeholders in sport, including national sport organisations, coaches, athletes, other sport leaders, corporate partners and government.

An example of such a programme would have been the Shape the Community programme in Point Fortin which was an ambitious programme that set out to fill gaps in sport education in the community through the training of community coaches and the involvement of community members, schools, NSOs and other partners.

Shape your Community focused on integrating sustainable sport and physical activity into the lives of the youth and elderly.

In conjunction with Atlantic LNG, the TTOC afforded children from primary schools in Point Fortin the opportunity to participate in sports that they would not normally be exposed to during the period 2008—2013.

In October 2008, the TTOC launched its legacy programme, Shape the Community. The objectives of the programme in the community are:

• Increase participation in sport, recreation and physical education across all age groups in the communities

• Integrate physical education programmes in primary schools

• Increase corporate involvement in the development of youth through sport

• Develop coaching as a profession

• Create sustainable employment opportunities for the profession of coaching

• Expose youth to sports of varying types in a structured manner

• Increase the reach of the TTOC’s and the IOC’s vision and goals for Olympism

• Establish a developmental pathway for sport in the communities in collaboration with national sport organisations and the Ministry of Sport.

Point Fortin was chosen as the pilot community. Ten primary schools in Point Fortin were chosen to participate in the programme after careful consultation with principals and teachers in the community, the three sports chosen were tennis, swimming and gymnastics.

Training and participation took place between Mondays and Fridays. Each session was one hour long and each class was assigned four hours of activity per month.

The TTOC arranged for the children and supervising teachers to be transported to the various venues. Coaches and volunteers were all recruited from within the community of Point Fortin.

The Point Fortin Borough Corporation supported the programme by waiving the fees for the use of their facilities—the Point Fortin Civic Centre, the Baby Lucas and Guapo Recreational Grounds.

Swimming took place at the Point Fortin community swimming pool in Egypt Village.

The gymnastics programme took place at the South West regional indoor facility.

Coaches were exposed to training along with the volunteers.

The Shape your Community programme was extended to Mayaro with plans to take the programme to other communities and was evaluated by researchers at the Sport and Leisure Academy at the University of T&T.

The intention of the evaluation included highlighting challenges, to work out solutions to these challenges, and to establish baseline measures for other communities across the country.

The Shape your Community project was the brainchild of TTOC past president Larry Romany. It is a programme that made a positive difference and showed that Olympism, the Olympic values and ideals had practical application and wasn’t just a nebulous idealistic notion.

On behalf of the TTOC I wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Be safe and keep Christ in Christmas. He is the reason for the season.

Source

Storm clouds, dark and ominous have enveloped the economic landscape. The price of oil is falling and with it optimism and high hopes.

Finance and Economy Minister Larry Howai last week in a statement to the House of Representatives announced that ministries will be ordered to review spending in light of an oil price beneath that budgeted.

“Ministries will therefore be required to review their budgets to determine areas where expenditure can be suppressed,” Howai said.

“The ministry will continue to monitor what is happening in the global environment and to refine our remedial fiscal measures to ensure that the country can respond appropriately to changes in the market for oil and gas.”

National sport organisations in T&T are impacted by the economy. Any reduction in revenue must be of concern to national sport organisations.

The Finance Minister indicated that all ministries must immediately reduce their expense by 45 million dollars each. He also indicated that further adjustments may be necessary as the situation continues.

National sport organisations must have conversations with their membership to prepare for the volatility that can be expected in light of the economic realities.

From a strategic management perspective, not many national sport organisations would have made allowances for the threat posed by falling oil prices.

In fact most national sport organisations have indicated that they were already faced with significant cuts based on what they had budgeted and submitted.

Sport administrators have suggested that they will have to take drastic measures in respect of their plans and programmes.

The next 12 months are critical in the context of Rio 2016 Olympics.

Any drastic curtailing of programmes and plans to properly prepare this country’s elite and high performance athletes and national teams will prove detrimental and may well put an end to any realistic chances of qualifying for Rio 2016 and for those who do qualify, hamper hopes of winning a coveted medal.

Uncertainty for national sport organisations and athletes can prove distracting but it need not derail efforts to achieve podium targets.

Overcoming the financial challenges will not be easy but remaining positive and determined is the perfect antidote.

Falling oil prices highlight the downside of the dependency on oil and gas as the main pillar of the economy.

Sport presents a number of opportunities and regardless of the price of oil, life will go on.

National sport organisations that are able to forge the appropriate strategic response will cope with the turbulence.

The main concern will be for our athletes. It will be the responsibility of the sport administrators to negate the pitfalls.

The importance of a well-structured resource allocation process becomes a critical success factor. How will national sport organisations invest resources? How will national sport organisations evaluate if its resource allocation is effective?

Falling oil prices and austerity measures need not be detrimental to national sport organisations and athletes. In fact it may well turn out to be a positive turning point for resource allocation within the T&T sport ecosystem.

In a very real sense falling oil prices and the adverse impact on the economy while troubling, presents the opportunity for national sport organisations to become more strategic.

• Brian Lewis is president of the T&T Olympic Committee. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Olympic Committee.

Source