By Neto Baptiste
An extended deadline for nominations ahead of a planned “recognition ceremony” to highlight outstanding performances by national athletes between 2020 and 2021 yielded little results with only two additional associations making the required submissions before the end of the second deadline on September 30.
The Antigua and Barbuda Amateur Bodybuilding & Weightlifting Federation (ABABWF) and the Antigua and Barbuda Sailing Association (ABSA) were the only two bodies that met the initial submission deadline for the ceremony that was originally slated for the second week in October.
Since the extension of the said deadline, however, only the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) and the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA) have made nominations.
Public debate has once again ignited regarding the issue with many airing their views on the matter.
One such individual was well-known advocate for sports and former West Indies fast bowler, Kenneth Benjamin,who believes that poorly structured associations is one of the root causes.
“If the associations are not organised and you don’t have them well-structured, and if the clubs are not organised and they don’t hold the associations accountable for these things, then nothing is going to change. If the athletes themselves have to ‘thief away’ from work to get the time to train and prepare, and at the end of the day the clubs don’t make sure that the associations nominate so that these people can go and feel good about their hard work throughout the year, then maybe the ministry is wasting time,” he said.
Benjamin went on to suggest that there is a need for a closer working relationship between the sports ministry and the community sporting organisations.
“There has to come a time when the Ministry of Sports sets up a desk that looks about community and association affairs. There has to come a time when they say that if you’re not functioning, well we won’t recognise you as a club, as an association and you’re not telling them how to run their association, all you’re saying to them is that you have to function well,” he said.
Director of Sports Heather Samuel Daley, announced in September that the ministry had taken a decision to postpone the recognition ceremony due to the low number of nominations. She said the ministry will now make a decision on the way forward.
The annual National Sports Awards is set to make a comeback next year since it was last held in 2020 when sprinter Cejhae Greene and high-jumper Priscilla Frederick Loomis were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year for 2019.