HOSTING the seventh Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) in Trinidad and Tobago between August 4-11 cost $44 million; more than the $35 million initially budgeted by the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC).

This was confirmed by Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe, during her presentation at the Meeting of the Standing Finance Committee on Tuesday.

The Games featured over 1,000 athletes from over 70 countries competing in seven disciplines (beach volleyball, rugby, athletics, Fast Five Netball, swimming, cycling, triathlon).

Cudjoe was responding to a question from Caroni Central MP Arnold Ram, who asked why almost $14 million was being allocated to be spent from her ministry's $483,963,200 purse for the upcoming fiscal year when the Games were held in August.

She said, 'The Games took place in the last quarter of the fiscal year, in August. We worked with the TTOC, so they would have had to receive their receipts and invoices from their service providers and then transfer them to the ministry.'

The government had initially allocated $30 million for the games during the last fiscal year with the remaining $5 million to be paid within this year.

Cudjoe said, 'Up to the end of the fiscal, we got that $27 million (in bills). They still have some outstanding bills to submit to us and we have to do our due diligence to ensure it is in keeping with the rules and guidelines before we just pay out wildly. That is to deal with rest of expenses or the bills coming from the TTOC, from the CYG.'

Ram then asked if the previously budgeted $30 million was a significant under-budgeting of the event, given the new $44 million price tag. Cudjoe replied, saying the initial figure of $30 million was the budget put forward by the local Olympic committee.

'It was based on a request. We don't come up and make up a budget to give to TTOC. The TTOC submitted a proposal, with a request, and we gave them 100 per cent of what they requested. They were also supposed to get support from the private sector and so on, that is a part of their proposal...

'If they had under-budgeted, that would be a question for the TTOC. But the TTOC made a request of the government and we responded 100 per cent of their request. We have to trust them to do what they said they're going to do.'

During the Games' closing ceremony on August 11, Cudjoe had said the local organisers kept within budget

Newsday tried to contact TTOC president Diane Henderson, on Tuesday, to find out about the additional costs, but was unsuccessful as calls to her cellphone and a WhatsApp message were not answered.

During her presentation, Cudjoe also announced the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba will receive a structural upgrade ahead of next year's June 4-30 International Cricket Council (ICC) T20 World Cup.

The upgrade was deemed a new project but no cost was given by Cudjoe.

This comes after TT was named among seven destinations within the Caribbean and US shortlisted by ICC to host World Cup matches. The ICC, however, has not ye