Sports bodies have already begun submitting reworked budgets and plans to Sport Company of TT (SporTT) with optimistic anticipation of a lift on international border restrictions in the near future.
The submission of adjusted proposals is required to ensure each national sports organisation clearly outlines its enhanced programmes, competitions, finances and recommendations going forward.
Each motion must also highlight, in detail, measures to be implemented to help lower the risk of covid19 exposure and reduce the spread during competition and practice.
Since the cancellation of major sports events such as the Olympic Games, several of its qualifiers and other top-flight international meets over the past three months, sport has been at a standstill.
The uncertainty of the novel virus has also forced sports bodies to endure heavy financial loss, lose sponsors and delay the competitive progress of athletes who were gearing up for a bumper year.
However, with the gradual reopening of sports around the world in recent time, Minister of Sport Shamfa Cudjoe insists it is imperative that local sports organisations present their plans on a new way forward.
“We have started reaching out to the different national governing bodies to send in their adjusted plans. Their budgets, requests and recommendations would have changed over the past couple months so we asked them to review and resubmit their proposals. Many major competitions have been suspended due to covid19 so understandably, they would have to reconsider their prior plans and finances,” said Cudjoe.
The minister made clear there would be an additional waiting period for contact sports to resume.
During the Prime Minister’s media briefing, on Saturday, sports activities are tentatively set to resume on June 22, with continued restrictions. Confirmation of these lifted limitations will, however, be finalised at another press conference scheduled for June 20.
“We expect that if our numbers continue on the same trajectory that we are on now, we should be able to be reopening our bars, gyms, casinos, cinemas and have in-house dining at restaurants and have sporting activities taking place,” said Rowley.
“Sporting activities without the stadium crowds but activities on the field by June 22. The announcement is expected on the 20th (June) for the restart on the 22nd.”
While her ministry prepares for a phased reopening of local sport and its facilities, Cudjoe urged athletes, coaches and administrators to be vigilant in the continuous fight against coronavirus.
In the meantime, SporTT officials have already begun taking precautionary measures and implementing mandatory guidelines and regulations at their facilities to ensure an improved and safer environment, in anticipation of a speedy resumption.
“Mr Camacho and his team at SporTT have started work in regards to supplying hand sanitizers and other necessities at facilities. We are doing what we can on our end ahead of reopening.
There will be some time before we have a full calendar of sport activities regionally and internationally.
Based on our situation here, we are more likely to open up some of the sporting disciplines that have limited contact. Some will open up faster than the others,” she added. With these new stipulations, the TT Cycling Federation (TTCF) has placed primary emphasis on ensuring its 2021 Tokyo Olympic contingent – Teniel Campbell (road), Nicholas Paul, (sprint) and Kwesi Browne (keirin) – receives preference to resume training at the Government’s earliest convenience.
Speaking to the fraternity’s president Joseph Roberts, on Saturday, he remains in close contact with SporTT and is highly optimistic the Olympic trio would be able to return to elite training and competition in due course.
TTCF is one of the local sporting bodies which has already begun adjusting its expenditure and presenting new ideas. They have also submitted a proposal for cycling to resume training at the National Cycling Centre and Arima Velodrome.
“I’ve been in conversation with SporTT and we have repurposed some funds that would have been scheduled for the Olympic trust. We have submitted some proposals and a budget for confirmed international competitions such as the Road World Championships (September 20-27) and for the athletes who have qualified for Olympics,” Roberts said.
The TTCF head is also expectant that Paul and Browne can return to the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland to continue their Olympic preparation when the borders and world-class facility reopens.
Cecil Forde, TT Boxing Association (TTBA president), also recently resubmitted the board’s 2021 projection to SporTT.
But according to him, boxing is considered to be a high contact sport and resumption would depend on a global lift in the sport’s many restrictions surrounding the prevention of covid19.
“We resubmitted our budget for 2021 because we have to be one year ahead all the time. 2019 to 2020 proposals would have included the Olympic Games. There was none so we have now gone over into our 2021 projected costs and plans. Everything has been postponed so our finances for this season are now void. We have also been liaising closely with SporTT. We don’t expect much to happen this year as boxing is a high contact sport,” he said.
Newsday also attempted to reach National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) president Ephraim Serrette for a comment on his organisation’s resubmission of documents. He was, however, in a meeting.
While athletes, coaches and spectators eagerly anticipate the resumption of sport, Cudjoe, an avid sports fan and distance runner, shared similar sentiments. Due to the global pandemic, the minister had previously planned to participate in her fifth half-marathon and was a bit unhappy she was unable to do so.
“I like doing long distance races so I looked forward to doing my fifth half marathon this year.
“I was really looking forward to it. But we all have deal with this global damper on the season. People are despondent but it’s a sacrifice that we have to make to ensuring we get back to some state of normalcy soon. I want to encourage athletes and spectators to hold strain and to follow the public guidelines so we can get out there sooner. I miss the sport season,” Cudjoe concluded. (Trinidad Newsday)
