By Neto Baptiste
The country’s newly appointed Commissioner of Sports (CoS), former West Indies captain Sir Richie Richardson, will have a full complement of staff that will see to the day-to-day function of his department.
This is according to Minister of Sports, Hon Daryll Matthew, who sought to allay concerns over Sir Richie’s hectic schedule as an ICC Match Referee coupled with the demands of the new government position.
“First of all, there is a staff that is expected to work along with him in his role, but one of the things and the attractiveness that comes along with Sir Richie is his presence and gravitas within the society, and the sort of respect he is able to command at all levels of society.
“We believe that someone with his sort of presence would have the ability to speak to community groups, to get community groups together and to get them to listen because when persons are doing things voluntarily, it is difficult sometimes to get them to understand the direction you’d want them to go and to agree to go in that direction,” he said.
“We believe that with his presence, the respect that Antigua and Barbuda, on a whole has for him, he has the sort of gravitas than can command that sort of respect,” he added.
In September, Sir Richie accepted the government position after initial reports had suggested he was due for a role within the senate.
Matthew said that due to conflicting travel schedules, he is yet to sit down with the former batsman but assured terms will be ironed out in the near future.
“We have communicated via email and we will be meeting and one of the things I would like to finalise with Sir Richie — and we’ve spoken briefly about it — I’d like to see Sir Richie take on a role to really look at the community sports programmes. Persons have been talking about community sports and games and the impact that could have in the redevelopment of sports in our communities, and that is an area I’d really like to see Sir Richie place some priority and focus,” he said.
The minister pointed to some areas he is hoping to see improvements under Sir Richie’s leadership.
“I expect to see community groups being formed; I expect to see the community sports and games aspect of our sporting development and our community life, start the steps of reengagement and to be rekindled, to get up and going again and I believe he would have some success there so you asked me what would be different? I think the different would be that we will see the sort of success that we believe is possible,” he said.
In a press release, the government said “the appointment is a significant step in the government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen the nation’s sporting infrastructure and enhance the development of sports in Antigua and Barbuda”.
Sir Richie is one of four knighted former International cricketers here in Antigua and Barbuda. He was appointed to the Elite Panel of Match Referees by the ICC on September 21, 2015.
