By Neto Baptiste
Minister of Sports, Daryll Matthew, has moved to debunk claims that government was not forthcoming with the funding necessary to send the country’s youth track and field team to next weekend’s Carifta Games slated for Grenada.
In fact, Matthew said the funds were approved by Cabinet on Wednesday this week and that the funds were scheduled for disbursement one day later on Thursday.
“What we usually do when we receive that budget and that budgeted amount is approved is that the Cabinet would simply authorize a cheque to be written right away to make the payment to cover the cost that was approved. I returned from overseas on the weekend, the intension was to present it to Cabinet today [Wednesday] so that a cheque could be issued tomorrow [Thursday] for the purchase of the tickets and accommodations and so on,” he said.
“In fact, the Cabinet approved and authorised the cheque to be written [March 21] which is what happens every single year and so I was quite stunned [on Tuesday] when I received a call telling me that I need to listen to the radio because there are persons on the radio lambasting or lamenting about the athletes not getting support and they can’t reach you by phone and we need help from corporate Antigua and all sorts of things,” he added.
The minister’s statement comes on the heels of claims by coach of the Carifta team and a member of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA), Teddy Daley, that the country may miss the event as government was yet to make available any funds for the purchasing of tickets or accommodations despite the association having submitted a budget “months ago”.
President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), EP Chet Greene, then revealed via text on Tuesday that the body would make a loan available to the government in the amount needed to fund the team’s trip.
Matthew said there was no prior discussion between himself and Greene and that the loan was not a necessity.
“I received a text message from my minister colleague [EP Chet Greene] indicating that the NOC, recognising there might be a problem and without wanting to have any disruptions to the travel delegation to Carifta because the president is abroad, made a quick decision to authorise these funds from the NOC’s coffers. So, I believe it was done to solve a problem that had apparently, manifested itself but the problem was being addressed through the regular channels we have in the government service,” he said.
The minister lamented the practice by some associations to submit requests for funding just mere weeks ahead of scheduled travel or hosting of events with the expectation that the request will be met in time.
“Some associations give a budget way in advance like bodybuilding gives way in advance, swimming gives way in advance but there are some associations that decide they are going to have an event or go to a tournament and they show up a few weeks before and say, by the way, we need $50,000 by the end of the month to do so, so and so. We can’t operate like that and we keep asking for these things way in advance and when I say well in advance we are talking about six months at least because you must know what your programme is for the year so you can plan for it early.
“What happens a lot of the times is that you submit your budget late and when you now have to try to scramble to pull funds together to support the associations and it doesn’t happen in time, they go on the radio and curse the government,” Matthew said.
Reports are that an initial request for funding was made by the athletics association to cover a travel party of almost 30 persons after which the numbers were reduced to 19 by the association. Further reports are that another request was made on March 12 for additional funding as the numbers had once again, increased.