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Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 28 2002 : 1:39:52 PM
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assasin
lets find the money
Thu Mar 28 10:08:08 2002
192.203.40.5
Let's find some money quickly
By Tony Becca - On The Boundary
THE RECENT drop in financial support for sport from the government through the Sports Development Foundation is hitting hard - so hard that national associations have come together in a bid to lobby for more money.
From an average of $180 million per year, funding from the SDF to national associations as well as communities and special projects has been cut to some $90 million, that, obviously, cannot do, and last Thursday affiliates of the Jamaica Olympic Association got together, discussed the problem, and decided to approach the government on the matter.
The meeting, organised and chaired by JOA president Mike Fennell and attended by Howard Mitchell - chairman of the Jamaica Lottery Company, and Howard Aris - chairman of the SDF, looked at the problem, looked at the short term needs, and came up with a list to be presented to the government for its urgent attention.
The short term needs include salaries for coaches and participation, the associations want the governments to address the problem as quickly as possible, and they are going to the government, not one by one but as one.
Over the years the SDF's money to sport has been used by national associations to fund developmental programmes and participation, both are integral parts of development, and both are now being seriously affected.
"A lot of the SDF's money is used for paying coaches and for participation in regional and international events, without that money the associations will have problems finding the salary for their coaches, without that money some of our teams will not be able to compete, most importantly, some of our teams will not be able to defend Caribbean titles, and it is the cost of those things that are on the list of short term needs," said Fennell yesterday.
The meeting discussed a number of other things, including the responsibility of the national associations to help themselves, and hopefully they will appreciate the fact that they have a responsibility to find funding for their sport.
In other words, although they have come to expect government's money through the SDF, although they probably were spoilt in the days of plenty, they should not sit back and wait. They should help themselves. In fact, by trying to help themselves they will be helping their sport because they will be spreading the gospel of sport.
What is important right now, however, is that sport needs some money quickly, and if sport is really as important as so many have said, including representatives of the government, the government should really make an effort to find it.
Without some money at this time, Jamaica will not be able to participate in a number of regional tournaments, and apart from the embarrassment that that would cause, it could be disastrous for a country that professes to love sport, a country that has produced so many great sportsmen and sportswomen, and a country that has benefitted so much from the deeds of their sportsmen and sportswomen.
It could be disastrous because participation is vital to development.
Participation involves competition and that is what attracts young athletes; participation is what tests the progress and quality of athletes; participation is what motivates athletes to train and to make sacrifices; and participation - the success that comes from participating - is what inspires the pursuit of excellence.
Without participation Jamaica's sportsmen and sportswomen would not have achieved what they have achieved over the years; without the opportunity to participate, Jamaica's sportsmen and sportswomen will not achieve as they have achieved.
Karl |
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assasin - lets find the money
