CENTURION, South Africa, Leading Trinidad and Tobago sports official, Colin Borde, is on a visit to South Africa as part of overall efforts to develop a sports tourism brand unique to the twin island republic.
Borde, a consultant with the Sport Company of T&T (SPORTT), has been meeting with Indian Premier League officials as well as other sporting officials from South Africa.
“We view sports tourism as a lucrative sector to be tapped into and this is why I am here” said Borde, the former T&T and current West Indies ‘A’ team manager.
“I have met with a number of officials in this country since my arrival and I must say the information I have gotten will surely make a difference to the way we do things back home.”
Borde’s mission to South Africa includes a study of the administration, marketing and logistics of the Champions League currently underway.
Trinidad and Tobago was knocked out of that tournament after only the first of two qualifying games.
The Trinidad capital, Port of Spain, will play host to a leg of the regional T20 cricket series early in the New Year involving the Ministry of Sport and the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB).
“I will be taking back information and looking to see what we can do differently to make it more comfortable for cricketers and the public during that tournament.”said Borde.
“We are looking to develop our own brand of sports tourism back in T&T and I have been able to meet with a number of people to assist with this”.
Borde works directly with the sport and development unit at SPORTT, the implementing arm of the Ministry.
Since his arrival in South Africa he says he made useful contacts and gathered useful information to take back home.
“When I was manager of the T&T team at the Champions League in 2009 in India, I met a number of officials and they have been very helpful since meeting up with them in South Africa” Borde told the Trinidad Guardian.
“At the end of the day we need to get out on the international scene to developed countries like South Africa and take a look at how things are managed, if we want to improve”.
