Sports Minister Says Sporting Associations Are Benefitting From ADARP

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By Neto Baptiste

Minister of Sports Daryll Matthew has hailed the success of the ministry’s Athletes Development Assistance Review Panel (ADARP), stating that a number of associations and athletes have benefited from the initiative.

Created almost 10 years ago, ADARP offers financial assistance to associations and their athletes under a number of headings.

Matthew said the initiative is open to all associations and athletes.

“First of all, do not be afraid to apply. If you need the assistance, ask for it. We can’t guarantee that everything you ask for you’ll get. However, accountability is a big thing for me, so when you receive these funds from ADARP, you are required to account for the funds. We are not going to be giving any funds to any association who would have received funds from us in the past and don’t properly account for it,” he said. 

The five-member board is headed by Director of Sports Heather Samuel-Daley and also includes one member of the NOC which, according to the minister, helps to identify and reduce incidents of “double-dipping” by some associations.

“I am sure you’ve heard my predecessor [EP Chet Greene] speak about persons applying to government for funding and then applying for the same funding from government or the double dip as he would refer to it. One of the ways we seek to mitigate against that is to have the general secretary for the NOC sit on ADARP. So he would have an idea as to what requests came through the NOC and so if there is an identical application for the same thing by a national association then it can be picked up and addressed,” Matthew said.

As for how funds are disbursed, Matthew said there is no hard and fast rule, but added that all monies must be accounted for by the various associations, and the athletes to which they are disbursed.

“It depends on what the request is for, so we really prefer if the proforma invoices come for the airline tickets; we make a payment directly to the airline. But sometimes it is not like that and they just need the cash to purchase whatever, but at the end of the day you try not to be cynical about people and their motives and you give persons the benefit of the doubt that if this is what they need the funds for then this is what they need it for and they will do the necessary conciliations,” he said.

A number of associations to include athletics, basketball, and netball have all benefited from the ADARP initiative.

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