“We will be making some very important decisions coming out of this.”
So said Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., in his closing remarks following yesterday’s National Sports Conference which was held at the National Cultural Centre.
Organized by the Ministry, the National Sports Commission and the Department of Sport, the second edition of the event was held under the theme ‘The Science of Sport Development.’
Four topics were featured: The shifting of training to a more science-based format; Inculcating the winning mindset; The business of sport – Generating more revenue and Minimum standards for travelling national teams.
Like last year, this year’s conference entailed discussions on the above subjects by panelists like former acclaimed cricketers, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Esuan Crandon, Lennox Cush, along with the likes of Wayne Forde, David Fernandes, Donald Duff, Jamie McDonald, Troy Cadogan, Godfrey Munroe, Aubrey Hutson, Dr. Karen Pilgrim and others.
A major feature of Ramson Jnr,’s closing address was his saying… “The constant moving of the needle and the moving of the ball forward begins with a discussion.
“The discussion is where it starts. But for us to see the change we want, there has to be a complete change in everything. A change of attitude, of culture, a change in how we think, how we lead, how we view sports and how we treat sports.”
Ramson Jnr., who thanked his team and those in attendance concluded by stating that, “Changes are imminent and it all begins with these high quality discussions, and in the coming months, you will see many important decisions being made from the topics that were discussed today.”
In a post conference comment with this publication, the minister labelled the fixture which provided a platform for associations to speak on various topics related to the growth of sport which included governance, nurturing talent, mindset, revenue, sponsorship, media, nutrition, injuries, psychology, tournaments, training and international competitions, a tremendous success.
He disclosed that the third annual edition of the conference will be held next January, to once again set the tone for the new year.
The moderators for the four topics were Akeem Green, Rawle Toney, Avenash Ramzan and Franklin Wilson.
