Sports Development Act coming

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Dwight Sutherland has disclosed that a Sports Development Act is coming for the island.

Contributing to the Estimates Debate 2021 in the House of Assembly yesterday, Sutherland said plans are pressing ahead to develop a new governance framework for sports.   

“We don’t have a sports policy, but the former Member for Christ Church West Central started that work, and I am carrying on that work because you have to put a governance structure and government framework in place. In order to create the enabling governance environment for the development of sports, we have to look at the sports policy and we have to look at the Sports Development Act.

“A Sports Development Act would bring us on par and on the same level as the first world countries. And we have been looking at Australia’s Sports Development Act; India’s Sports Development Act – let us look at how those countries are doing in sports. So, we have to create that governance framework first and then move forward,” he said, also revealing that in a month’s time the sports policy should be brought before Cabinet, and thereafter commence draft of the Sports Development Act.

Minister Sutherland said when the Barbados Labour Party came to power, they focused on making sure that no individual would have to choose between a career in sports and academics.

“We have merged the two because we saw and we see the value of having our young people engage in sports not only for recreational reasons, but as a career choice. And based on that, sports has to take its rightful place in this country as being one of the key economic pillars in terms of developing Barbados and creating some young millionaires.

“This is one area that we can create a lot of millionaires in this country – young, bright millionaires. We don’t have to be lawyers, doctors, and engineers – sports has to take its rightful place and that is my mandate,” he assured the House.