Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT) chairman Douglas Camacho has sent a warning to the 15 National Governing Bodies for Sport (NGBs) early in 2024, saying SporTT will have 'zero tolerance' for non-compliant bodies going forward.
Camacho made the announcement on Wednesday, when SporTT met the representatives from the various NGBs in the VIP room of the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, to address key compliance issues and reinforce SporTT's policies.
According to a press release, Camacho said SporTT will no longer release funding to NGBs who do not have their houses in order.
He said, 'There was a lot of pushback from some, and we drew the line in the sand and said 'that's it, no more bligh for anybody.'
'We are funding and have agreed to fund the policies of all NGBs who fall under our remit. This is one of the critical areas, yet there are a number of NGBs who are in arrears and then wonder why they do not get funding. (We will have) zero tolerance.'
In 2023, SporTT distributed approximately $34.2 million in funding to NGBs to support national teams and athletes in varying sports, to go along with funding for training and hosting of sporting events. SporTT facilitated the hosting of the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), with TT also hosting tournaments such as the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships and the Carebaco Junior Championships.
Camacho made mention of the two 'dealbreaker' conditions NGBs must satisfy to be considered for funding under SporTT's policy: the submission of audited accounts when they are due and the submission of reconciliation reports within 15 days of the end of competition for events funded by SporTT.
Camacho praised the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association (TTBA) for the improvement in the handling of their affairs, as he said they were once the weakest association when it came to the submission of their audited statements.
'We held their hand (through the process),' Camacho said. These days, when we are discussing (NGBs), boxing is now in the top three.'
On Thursday, some of TT's top boxers took to the ring at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Pleasantville to commence the National Boxing Championships, with over 120 boxers registering for the tournament.
SporTT CEO Jason Williams said the company is working with the Ministry of Sport and Community Development to improve the process by which NGBs access funding.
'Just as we ask NGBs to be accountable, we must also do the same,' Williams said.
'This makes statistics and data of utmost importance in allowing us to measure the success of our investments.'
Inclusive of the 'I Choose Sport' programme, SporTT also plan to work closely with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders to establish effective sport programming in schools, which is expected to generate a greater interest in sporting activities among students.
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