CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANNUAL SECTORAL DEBATE Hon. Natalie Neita - - PDF document

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CONTRIBUTION TO THE ANNUAL SECTORAL DEBATE

• Hon. Natalie Neita­Headley, MP
• St. Catherine North Central

Minister without Portfolio (Sport) Office of the Prime Minister Wednesday, June 5, 2013 Jamaica’s Sport Policy and Sport for Development, Growth and Equity Fuelling Sporting Success for Future Development Salutations and Thanks:

• Mr. Speaker, I remain eternally grateful to the Almighty for everlasting grace

and mercy. The constituents of St. Catherine North Central are responsible for my continued presence in this Honourable House to serve my country at the highest level. To them, I owe a debt of gratitude. They are my source of inspiration in the unyielding demands of public service. I believe that we were placed here Mr. Speaker, not only as an expression of

• ur desires and aspirations but that some attributes make one prepared for

the tremendous sacrifice demanded of the people’s representative.

• Mr. Speaker, each year we thank our families for understanding even when

they don’t. With the changing fortunes of public service, my family remains a source of stability. My two girls bear the true burden of my decision to serve and I am thankful for their unending support and love. My beautiful girls Morgan and Sidney, I pray that one day you will forgive me for missing so

• much. To my younger daughter Morgan who is now doing CSEC exams, I

apologise for my inability to give more to the process, I am however confident

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that you will do well; you were properly prepared at the greatest secondary institution located at Monk Street in Spanish Town. I thank the most Honourable Prime Minister for her continued confidence in my capacity to carry responsibilities for a portfolio she has made her own. I thank my colleagues, in and out of politics, on both sides of the aisle for their support and guidance. I am strengthened by your solidarity. I wish to express my sincerest thanks to people of North Central St. Catherine who increased their support at the polls in December 2011. Your confidence in me will never be taken for granted. To my supportive Councillors, Executive Members, Cluster Managers, Office Staff, Head of CBO’s, Church and School family many of whom are here today in support I say thank you.

• Mr. Speaker, the diverse constituency of North Central St. Catherine is

presented with many challenges through which I steadily work in a quest to achieve a better quality life for its residents.

• Mr. Speaker, after some three years without the precious commodity, water

supply was returned to Sligoville. The Government of China has assisted in providing eight new pumps at a value of some fifty million dollars. I thank the government and people of China for this gift. The people of Richard Hall and

• Mt. Dawson after 16 years without this special commodity have now been

approved for a rehabilitation of that system through the combined efforts of the NWC and Rural Water Supply. Project design works have now been

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completed and OUR approvals already received. We now await the tender process for the commencement of construction works on that system. Roads

• Mr. Speaker, the Jeep made a stop in Jackson and Kensington, Bogwalk to
• Knollis. We look forward to the bridge for Rentcombe, the road from

Springvale to Giblatore, the completion of the section from Zion Hill and a phased rehabilitation of scheme roads along Brunswick Avenue. Education

• Mr. Speaker, education remains a strong focus for us in the constituency. From

the Adult Literacy Programme (PEP) to the dream of a complete replacement

• f pit latrines with modern water closets at all primary schools in the

constituency, thanks to the partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment

• Fund. Mr. Speaker, of our fourteen primary schools, only two remain in this
• project. It is our belief that in this 21st century, no child should have to be

exposed to the dangers and unsanitary conditions of pit latrines. Planned Development

• Mr. Speaker, the heritage tourism project being coordinated between the

Sligoville Heritage Foundation, TPDCO, UNESCO and JNHT for the first free village of Sligoville, is an exciting venture which will transform the communities of Sligoville to an area of vibrant social and economic life.

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• Mr. Speaker, we have accomplished much and we are passionately working on

forging the partnerships necessary to continue the process to improve the lives of our constituents.

• Mr. Speaker, I thank everyone who has taken time to help me become familiar

with the wonderful world of sport. I also thank all of you who have served and continue to serve on the many committees that have been formed to execute a variety of initiatives that have been undertaken over the last several months. I thank the members of the Sport Museum Committee, the Athletes’ Celebration Committee, the Athletes’ Insurance Committee and the Sport Tourism Committee for your service.

• Mr. Speaker, I also wish to express appreciation to all the Chairpersons of the

various agencies and institutions that support sport. The Hon. Michael Fennell, Dr Herb Elliott, Dr Warren Blake, Mr. Don Anderson and Ms. Rosa Joseph, the newly appointed Chairman of the Board of the G.C. Foster College

• f Physical Education and Sport. I thank those who serve as Managing

Directors, Acting or otherwise, Administrative Directors, Executive Directors and Principal of these organizations. We salute you for your dedication and the significant contribution you make to this process.

• Mr. Speaker, even now, we in the sporting fraternity still mourn the loss of our

dear friend and stalwart, Neville “Teddy” McCook who left us in February and longtime Vere Technical High School coach, Constantine Haughton who left us in May to join Howard Aris and the many other Coaches, Olympians and

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servants of sport in the new sport arena in Heaven. May their souls rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon them! As we think about those who have made significant contributions to the development of sport, I have to single out one person who is here today and who has been a big part of Jamaica’s sporting landscape for over three decades.

• Mr. Speaker, the Hon. Michael Fennell, President of the Jamaica Olympic

Association, is one of our longest serving sport administrators and a person who has helped to guarantee Jamaica’s place at the highest level in the international halls of sport. He is a dedicated stalwart; a man of integrity; and a man with a wealth of institutional knowledge who continues to serve Jamaica with humility and without fanfare.

• Mr. Speaker, I also want to take this opportunity to salute the many other

volunteers who dedicate themselves to the development of sport in Jamaica. In March, the Prime Minister and I had the opportunity to meet with the heads

• f these associations and federations to not only share with them the

Government's short and medium term Strategic Priorities, but also to listen to their triumphs and challenges as they seek to do what they do best. No nation can be built without the work of volunteers.

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Our Athletes Continue To Do Us Proud Our Olympic achievements are well known and have been widely celebrated. But we cannot help but mention them here today, as these Games gave us our largest medal haul in history.

• Mr. Speaker, we sent a team of 50 athletes to the Games of the 30th Olympiad

in London from July 27 to August 12, 2012. We were represented in four sporting disciplines: Athletics, Equestrian, Swimming and Taekwondo. The results were again dominated by our Track & Field athletes who won a total of 12 medals, 4 Gold, 4 Silver and 4 Bronze. Of these, Mr. Speaker, 9 were from individual events and 3 from relays including a world record in the 4x100 metres relay for Men, an Olympic record by Usain Bolt in the 100 metres and a national record by the 4X100 metres Women’s relay team.

• Mr. Speaker, I take this opportunity to acknowledge two of our Olympians,

Deon Hemmings and Michael Frater who are seated in the gallery. The other sporting disciplines, although not winning any medals, also performed credibly, especially Alia Atkinson in Swimming, who placed fourth in the 100 metres breaststroke; and had the entire world watching as she won a memorable swim‐off to reach the final of the event.

• Mr. Speaker, our Paralympians journeyed to London last summer as well for

the Paralympic Games and they continued to shine. Special congratulations to Alphanso Cunningham, who took home the gold medal in the F52/53 Javelin Throw and who continues his illustrious career as a world beater Paralympian

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and a role model. Our persons with disabilities show us that they can rise to the challenge of overcoming mental and physical impairments. In boxing, we won our first world title on home soil when Nicolas “Axeman” Walters won the WBA Featherweight title last December. In football, the Reggae Boyz beat the USA for the first time on home soil and continue to be in the hunt for qualification to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In cricket, the West Indies victory at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup and subsequent successes, as well as the creation of the Caribbean Premier League suggest that our cricket may be finally moving in the right direction. I am optimistic that the fortunes will change. I echo the congratulations of the Prime Minister to our Jamaican nationals, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels and Andre Russell who have made us proud with their performances over the year as well as our own Stafanie Taylor who is here and continues to be the best overall female international cricketer.

• Mr. Speaker, I must especially congratulate the Jamaica Cricket Team for

winning a record five straight West Indies Domestic Championships and along the way, winning 15 straight matches, also a record broken on this year.

• Mr. Speaker, we are blessed to have solid representation at the WICB. I

congratulate the new President, our own Whycliff Dave Cameron who is here in the gallery today.

• Mr. Speaker, our Special Olympians represented Jamaica at the Special

Olympics World Winter Games in Korea earlier this year and brought home

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three silver medals in figure skating on ice and in hockey, showing once again that every Special Olympian is indeed special and deserves our full support. We don't have ice in Jamaica yet we bobsled, dogsled, ski and skate on ice. When I am asked around the world how we manage to do this? I say, "Don't try to figure it out, it's a Jamaican thing!" Our Sunshine Girls continue to shine by maintaining their standing among the top four countries while our netballers sparkle in professional leagues in Australia and New Zealand. Indeed, the recently launched Caribbean Professional League should take netball in the region to another level. The Future is Bright

• Mr. Speaker, at the 2013 ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championship,

in what many have described as the best Champs ever, 30 records were broken by our young High School athletes. This level of performance came from across the island, not just from our urban schools. Our young high school athletes continue show tremendous discipline and made Champs 2012 into “superchamps”. I congratulate Calabar and Holmwood High Schools for winning the top spots at Champs 2012. This is why, Mr. Speaker, I have made arrangements with the Chairman of the Sports Development Foundation to tour the top ten High Schools, based on their performance at Champs, with a view to seeing how as a government we can improve the sporting infrastructure at these institutions.

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Sadly, the statistics are showing that too many of the recurring injuries among

• ur elite athletes are as a result of the poor facilities on which they trained as
• youngsters. If we are to invest in our future we must focus attention on

providing them with better facilities. In this same vein, Mr. Speaker, I want to salute the Inter‐Secondary Schools Association, the Jamaica Independent Schools Association, and the Jamaica Teachers Association for the level of contribution they continue to make to nurturing and developing talent among our young athletes.

• Mr. Speaker, ISSA has been staging High School Boys and Girls Championships

since 1910. We must now strengthen the role of ISSA in partnership with our national associations and federations in institutionalizing our success. Mr Speaker, within this context we have been holding discussions with ISSA, the JAAA and principals of secondary schools with a view to streamlining and regularizing our participation in the Penn Relays and other overseas high school meets. In the past, schools have entered this event individually in response to the invitation from the University of Pennsylvania. While schools enter individually as institutions, to those who attend the events, the public and the media, these are Jamaican entries. At these meets, our youngsters represent Jamaica, much more than the schools they attend. The entire country is impacted not only by their successes or failures, but by their demeanour, discipline, sportsmanship and their ability to express themselves well.

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Mr Speaker; the view is to establish a coordinated system for entries to these international events and in so doing we will be offering training and advice to potential participants to ensure that win or lose, they represent Jamaica in a manner that will reflect well on the nation. Mr Speaker; we have therefore ensured that ISSA in collaboration with the JAAA will serve as the principal body in these negotiations. In addition, in recognizing, the earning potential of these meets, we believe that the Jamaica High School sport programme should benefit beyond the exposure of individual athletes. Mr Speaker, let me pause to take this opportunity to thank Mr Irwin Clare and the many Team Jamaica Bickle volunteers for their tremendous contribution.

• Mr. Speaker, over the past year we successfully hosted CARIFTA competitions

in Aquatics and Chess. This year for the first time there was an open water swimming competition in Discovery Bay for youngsters from across the

• region. Of course, our youngsters who went to the Bahamas for the CARITFA

Games in track and field again dominated the medal table bringing home 66

• medals. Jamaica has won the CARIFTA Games for 29 years in a row. A few

weeks later, many of those same young people went to the Penn Relays and shone like stars. Mr. Speaker, I believe that the continuation of our sporting legacy is in safe hands indeed.

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The Private Sector and Diaspora Play Critical Roles

• Mr. Speaker, the Private Sector and Diaspora continue to play very significant

roles in sport development. Jamaica, unlike many countries of our size and resources, has a wide range of organized sporting disciplines and National Associations. The private sector and the Diaspora have been stalwart partners through alumni associations and their community links in Jamaica, civic and professional bodies through various creative means have supported Jamaica’s sport development programme not just through financial support, gifts of equipment and gear but also their presence to support, cheer on and mentor

• ur athletes when they travel overseas.

Many of them also travel to Jamaica to major sport events thus helping to stimulate the local economy. We continue to welcome public private partnerships that will provide possible upgrades to existing infrastructure. We are very aware that public private partnerships will be needed to create a new velodrome and hockey field as we seek to bolster our sports infrastructure. Incentives for the Development of Sport

• Mr. Speaker, as we look ahead at how we will treat with the development of
• ur amateur athletes within each of these disciplines, I am pleased to reiterate

that, thanks to my Colleague Minister, Dr Peter Phillips, provisions will continue to be made for sport development and the related support under the recently enacted Charity Organizations (Tax Harmonization) Act.

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While the new Act has removed from the Minister of Finance the power to give discretionary waivers on sporting goods and equipment, it has clearly put in place provisions that will allow all our sporting associations and bodies to continue to benefit from these waivers through statute. The Act has therefore made it easier for persons to send duty free charitable donations to charitable associations that support the development of sport. Section 1 under the Customs Section, states that “Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, no import duty shall be payable upon any article imported into Jamaica or taken out of bond in Jamaica by an approved charitable

• rganization and shown to the satisfaction of the Commissioner General to be

required for the charitable purposes of that organization.” Furthermore, under the Income Tax section of the Act, section 1(b) it states, that each of the following matters in the subject subsections are charitable acts which includes in subsection (g) the advancement of amateur sport. It is important to note, Mr. Speaker, that the provisions in the new Act have been expanded to cover all the present and future sporting activities as amateur sport. The Sport Development Foundation would therefore serve as the body that will work with the Commissioner General to ensure that all our sporting associations and bodies are vetted and registered as charitable organizations.

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Stakeholder consultations will commence shortly to ensure that our sport associations and federations are fully aware how to treat with these new provisions.

• Mr. Speaker, to that Diaspora group in South Florida or that Alumni

Association in Brooklyn, New York, I want it to be clear that this Government, through a structured process of registration of our local organizations, will allow for your charitable donations to enter without duty as we partner to ensure that every single child participating in sport at the amateur level will be exposed to the proper gear and equipment. Sport as a Business

• Mr. Speaker, from both the local and international performance of our

sportswomen and sportsmen, it is now obvious that we have to be even more determined in our resolve to see to the establishment of sport as a business.

• Mr. Speaker, to illustrate what good business practices in sport can bring to

the nation I will use the example of Usain Bolt. According to Forbes American Business Magazine, Bolt was the 63rd highest paid athlete in the world for the 2011‐2012 period and Forbes projects that, assuming he remains healthy, there will be no significant fall‐off in his earnings. In fact, seeing him racing against himself in the current Xfinity ad on American television suggests that his earnings are growing.

• Mr. Speaker, Usain Bolt is listed at number 63, but his earnings from

endorsements are well ahead of most of the others on the list below the

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number 10 spot. His endorsements in fact match Lionel Messi who comes in 11th with a total earning of $39 million. Jamaica continues to benefit from strong partnerships with sporting goods manufacturers who had clearly seen the value of attaching their brand name to Brand Jamaica. I thank all the local and international sponsors who continue to offer tremendous support to our sport programmes. For the most part we have the coaches and technical experts, now we need to develop the facilities. We must make note of the fact that for most non‐winter sports, athletes from temperate climates require tropical locations for

• training. During the winter months and we must take advantage of that fact.

That is why, Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment has established a Sport Tourism Committee, chaired by Mr. Chris Dehring, to ensure full marketing and exposure of the sport component of Brand Jamaica. We have been forging bi‐laterals and mutually beneficial cooperation agreements that will allow us to export our technical expertise around the region and the world to assist in the development of sport and physical education offerings. These kinds of partnerships have the potential for significant foreign exchange earnings, a significant part of which could be repatriated to Jamaica.

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What we are looking at is a streamlining of existing resources. With the limited data available according to the 2012 Economic and Social Survey of Jamaica published by the Planning Institute of Jamaica, we already know that sport contributes up to 3.2 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product. We need to determine what additional data to collect so as to reflect the true level of contribution of the sport industry to GDP. This should include overall figures from employment, sponsorships, endorsements, manufacturing, sport tourism, events, gate receipts, advertising, broadcast rights and salaries so that we can adequately calculate the contribution of sport to the economy. Events like our Premier League Football, the Monday Night Football series and the Contender have had positive impacts on the revenue of the national broadcasters and on the leagues and associations involved. So if, as my Colleague Minister Dr Peter Phillips pointed out in his contribution to the Debate, we are paying and collecting taxes in a dutiful and responsible manner, then there has been an increase in the taxable revenue of these entities simply because of the expanded input of sport. Hence we are particularly pleased when Jamaica’s private sector and tertiary institutions host successful and ground breaking conferences on the Business

• f Sport and the sports science. And while we continue to recognize and be

very thankful for the continuing sponsorship of our corporate partners, we must now ensure that we, as a nation establish the sustainable business of

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• sport. This new paradigm will have to flow from the new National Sport

Policy.

• Mr. Speaker, outside of the recognized technical and support personnel in

sport, like our teachers, coaches, umpires and physiotherapists, most people tend to forget about the many related jobs that keep the sport engine going. Take for example, Mr. Speaker, the grounds man down in Portland who has been cutting and maintaining the 10 acre sport field at Folly for the last 10

• years. He already has ten solid years of experience that could allow him to be

certified through a short course training programme at G.C Foster or HEART Trust NTA during which he will be exposed to additional scientific aspects of the work he does so well and loves. Armed with this certification, he would now be more than a grounds man but he would be a Certified Field Technician who is entitled to benefits from his employer, statutory deductions being taken from his salary and after a year of contributing to the NHT could apply for a loan to buy a home for his family. And, Mr. Speaker, if the jobs are not there for ALL the Certified Field Technicians we can produce, then they can choose to take their skills overseas because their certificates will allow them to be recognized as bone fide professionals in the sport industry. This is what it means when we talk about the Business of Sport – looking at how we formalize the sector so that we can capture and measure the revenue it generates in order to stimulate economic growth.

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Home­grown, Home­trained, Home­treated Our tertiary institutions continue to expand their sport curricula with new programmes and expansions in existing programmes targeting the needs of those involved intimately in sport. Both UTech and the UWI have made significant strides in recent years and degrees in sports management are becoming a reality. Indeed Mr. Speaker, many more of our elite athletes are able to remain in Jamaica to pursue their tertiary level training, thanks to these institutions. As a result, we now have more home‐grown, home‐trained and home‐treated athletes than we've ever had in the past. In addition, Mr. Speaker, our tertiary institutions continue to upgrade their sports medicine facilities as well as their sport science departments. These are crucial developments if we wish to make sport and health tourism a significant contributor to GDP and attract athletes from around the world to be trained and treated here in Jamaica.

• Mr. Speaker, I will be working with career counsellors, the Ministry of

Education and our tertiary institutions to help with developing our capabilities and certifications in sport curriculum for our students to exploit. The National Sport Policy

• Mr. Speaker, as Jamaicans we have too many things that divide us as a people.

We have had too many projects that have been discontinued from one Administration to the next. However, sport is one of those areas that completely and firmly binds us together as a nation.

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When our athletes and our coaches represent us, they represent the black, green and gold of our flag.

• Mr. Speaker, for this reason and many others, our present Prime Minister, led

the development of our first National Sport Policy in 1994, which has carried us for 19 years to 2013. I am pleased to say Mr. Speaker, that one of the major achievements over this past year has been the tabling of the National Sport Policy here in Parliament

• n March 25th 2013. Mr. Speaker, this was done following months of

extensive consultations on the Green Paper which was tabled in Parliament by the team led by the Former Minister with Responsibility for Sport in November 2011. I want to take this opportunity to recognize the work of the former Minister.

• Mr. Speaker, we met with 12 different stakeholder groups and held four

regional consultations, with persons involved at the community level, in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, Mandeville and Kingston. The Policy vision, Mr. Speaker, is: “To create a dynamic and enabling environment in which persons enjoy and excel in sport at all levels while building strong bonds of unity in their communities and benefiting from the economic opportunities to be derived from sport.” And this government is committed to seeing this through!

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The Policy now officially guides our decisions, strategies and actions going

• forward. The Policy is not just a government document; it is a document

crafted by the people and provides the parameters for the industry. This Policy is for all Jamaicans ‐ government, civil society, businesses, persons with disabilities, the elderly, the young, the Diaspora and friends of Jamaica.

• Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to thank Professor Neville Ying and

all the volunteers who gave of their time to share their institutional knowledge and to be a part of the team that helped to finalize the National Sport Policy. Vision 2016 – Diversification of Sporting Disciplines

• Mr. Speaker, one opportunity which offers itself is the diversification of the

number of sporting disciplines in which we excel internationally. Despite our tremendous success at the Olympic Games since our first outing in 1948, we have only won one non‐track and field medal in the form of the bronze medal in cycling won by David Weller in 1980. However, we have had recent success in: rifle shooting; Alia Atkinson’s double bronze medals at the World Short Course Swimming Championship;

• utstanding wins by our female Taekwondo World Champion, Sheckema

Cunningham; and by our male champions, Kenneth Edwards and Nicholas

• Dussard. Indeed, Jamaica made history this year winning 50 consecutive team

fighting matches in Taekwondo since 2004.

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In Boxing, there has been a resurgence of interest and support for the sport as a result of the Contender Series, a beautiful example of the progress that can be made from public and private sector partnership.

• Mr. Speaker, the Government has given its full commitment to what we refer

to as Vision 2016. I have begun to meet with heads of the various sport associations to ensure that all necessary support is given to them as they seek to identify the athletes who are on the cusp of Olympic glory and will be able to represent Jamaica in a targeted six additional sporting disciplines in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Athletes’ Development and Well­Being National Athlete’s Insurance

• Mr. Speaker, as a country, we put our athletes on pedestals. At the same time,

if you talk to any Jamaican who is serious about sport, they can relate stories

• f many of our promising and top performing athletes who have fallen on

hard times. Mr. Speaker, our athletes have brought tremendous joy to the hearts of a sport loving Jamaica and immeasurable value to Brand Jamaica, however, except for the discretion of the SDF, we have had little or no structured support for that aspiring athlete who won at Boys Champs, or who was the highest shooter at Junior Netball. I can go even further Mr. Speaker, and speak of that athlete who represented us at the Olympic Games, got injured and because he or she did not have a professional contract or the wherewithal to cover medical expenses, he or she has fallen by the wayside.

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• Mr. Speaker, this Administration will ensure that we reduce and eventually

eliminate such misfortunes that might befall our sporting jewels. As such, Mr. Speaker, a major plank of the National Sport Policy is the Government’s renewed focus on safeguarding the development of our Athletes’ and their well‐being. This focus has the potential to revolutionize and re‐energize our sportswomen and sportsmen. Over the past several months, our team has been working assiduously to arrive at a National Athlete Insurance Plan that would provide basic health coverage for all our qualified national athletes who represent Jamaica or have attained the specified professional level in their various sporting disciplines. Each sport association or federation would be called upon to identify the athletes who would meet the defined criteria for coverage under what we are now calling the Jamaican Athlete’s Insurance & Retirement Benefits Plan.

• Mr. Speaker, a proposal regarding this potential benefit has been drafted for

submission to the Cabinet for review and approval after which we will be going to tender to identify the insurance company that will provide this long

• verdue protection to our national and professional athletes.
• Mr. Speaker, let me hasten to say that it is not intended that this proposed

Insurance Plan would become an additional expense for the Government or

• ur taxpayers.

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The proposed insurance scheme will protect athletes against medical costs associated with sports injuries, as well as offer: retirement benefits; life insurance coverage; and defray funerary costs in the case of death. We intend to help defray the costs of the premiums by reprogramming funds that are currently available on a discretionary basis to assist in offsetting medical expenses for our elite athletes and from all areas that benefit from the inputs

• f sport, such as the Tourism Enhancement Fund, the National Health Fund

and the Sport Development Foundation. I am sure, Mr. Speaker, that the Minister of Tourism and Entertainment will agree with me that when the flag is raised and the anthem played at the Olympics, or when Chris Gayle raises his bat at the end of a century or Shelly‐Ann pumps her fist in the air at the end of her sprint, that is advertising that we can’t pay for. Preparing our Sport Ambassadors

• Mr. Speaker, indeed, with this pride should also come a certain level of

responsibility to ensure that the interests of these talented individuals are looked at in a holistic manner.

• Mr. Speaker, I am referring to our commitment to ensuring that focus is given

to the personal development of our young athletes so that they can continue to be good Jamaican ambassadors after they have competed and done their best. This is why Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Youth and Culture are in the process of signing a Memorandum of

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Understanding to provide services through the Creative Production and Training Centre Limited, the CPTC in the areas of personal and professional development and how to handle the media in an effective way.

• Mr. Speaker, this offering is meant to enhance the marketability of an athlete

who would be required to participate in this programme. It is also meant to ensure that as a Government we provide the best environment for our athletes to succeed on and off the field of play. The Government wants and expects full participation. Brand Jamaica epitomises excellence and we want this for our sporting fraternity. Incentives For Athletes

• Mr. Speaker, last October we sought to arrive at a model for providing awards

and incentives to our athletes for their outstanding performance at the Olympics and Paralympics Games. We may have had a few naysayers who felt we did not need to give the athletes anything. But I believe there are many Jamaicans who saw the value in showing the appreciation of a grateful nation. These athletes do so much to raise the caché of Brand Jamaica on the world stage. They represent our tourism enhancement dollars well spent.

• Mr. Speaker, we need to be mindful that any one of our athletes could chose

to live overseas and represent another country at the highest level. They

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choose to remain sport ambassadors of Jamaica and we recognize that they have options.

• Mr. Speaker, we believe, moving forward, the Government must institute a

transparent and objective set of criteria for the awarding of incentives and awards to our athletes. We know that incentives and rewards are important in motivating individuals to achieve at their highest levels of performance. There is no doubt that our athletes deserve this special attention. They are role models; they give back enormous amounts to charity, to their communities, and to the nation at large. Veronica Campbell‐Brown, Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Courtney Walsh and Shelly‐Ann Fraser‐Pryce are among our celebrated athletes who have established Foundations which have done remarkable work. Many other sportswomen and sportsmen give back quietly on a daily basis with no PR. These are truly our agents of peace and goodwill! SLIGOVILLE STADIUM AND THE G.C. FOSTER COLLEGE

• Mr. Speaker, in her contribution to the Sectoral Debate, the Most Honourable

Portia Simpson Miller spoke about “planned development and the provision of affordable housing in rural and deep rural communities”. In 2005, the Sligoville Stadium was erected. This was beautiful gift from the citizens of the People’s Republic of China to the citizens of Sligoville, the First Free Village in this Hemisphere. I thank the Government and the People of

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China on behalf of the citizens of Sligoville and my predecessor Member of Parliament who had the vision to accept this gift on behalf of a deserving community and saw the value of such a facility.

• Mr. Speaker, as Minister without Portfolio with Responsibility for Sport, I am

proud to announce that plans are underway to revitalize this beautiful idyllic community overlooking Kingston. We have set in motion a community development plan around the Sligoville Stadium in relation to some of the requirements of the G.C. Foster College. In this regard, and with the blessing of our Prime Minister, an Enterprise team has been established, comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, the Office of the Prime Minister, the National Housing Trust, the Planning Institute of Jamaica, the Urban Development Corporation, the Social Development Commission, the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sport, and the Ministry of Finance. A plan is now being prepared with a view to expanding the physical and programmatic offering of the G.C. Foster College in a financially beneficial way. This plan is going to be comprehensive and integrated to facilitate the G.C. Foster College and the students; to facilitate other users who may come in from overseas for winter training; to accommodate the use by the community; and to facilitate any type of housing solution that may be possible.

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On the basis of this physical plan, a business plan will be developed. The plan will be executed in three phases; Phase 1: The incorporation of the Sligoville facility into the physical and programmatic structure of the G.C. Foster College; Phase 2: The proposed development of affordable housing on the additional lands surrounding the Stadium; and Phase 3: The further revitalization and development of Sligoville as a community as a whole with full celebration of its cultural heritage.

• Mr. Speaker, given the current economic realities, there is no expectation that

all that needs to be done in Sligoville will be accomplished all at once. However, we are guided by a planned development strategy.

• Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt in my mind, and in the minds of many

Jamaicans, that our sporting success is as a result of the solid training of the Physical Education teachers and Coaches that are deployed into our High

• Schools. Over 90 per cent of all coaches in Jamaica have been trained at the

G.C. Foster College. Many will recall that there was an effort being made to transfer G.C. Foster from the Ministry of Education to the then Ministry of Youth Culture and

• Sport. However, the Prime Minister has instructed that the College remain

with the Ministry of Education so that it will continue to grow as a fully accredited premier educational institution with a core focus of teaching and training in all areas of sport and physical education. And in the spirit of

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“joined up governance”, Mr. Speaker, there will continue to be tremendous support and input from the Office of the Prime Minister in response to the content offered there. For this reason, Mr. Speaker, early last year when I heard that there were plans to cut the fifty meter swimming pool to twenty five meters for all the reasons that one would associate with managing something smaller, we had to

• bject.
• Mr. Speaker, if we are serious about development we cannot be short‐sighted

in our approach to the future, much in the same way, the Right Honourable Norman Manley looked way ahead into the future as he developed and constructed the National Stadium despite all the very good reasons that were

• ffered for why he should not have done so.

The Government of Cuba has remained connected to the College. As a result, we have received an offer from His Excellency Yuri Gala Lopez that will allow a technical expert to come to Jamaica to assist us in getting this project moved forward.

• Mr. Speaker, from the various technical evaluations I have seen in the last few

months, this pool and the mechanics around it was well ahead of its time and I say it is time we allow the only true Olympic‐size swimming pool in Jamaica to come into commission.

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Trelawny Stadium

• Mr. Speaker, as you would already know, Falmouth was one of the growth

centres that was identified in the 1978 to 1998 National Physical Plan for resort expansion and development. The general area is now the subject of a number of existing and planned development initiatives. It is within this context, Mr. Speaker, that we have to look at the sport facility located in that area, because it has to be developed as a part of the community for the use of the people whether they reside locally or come into Jamaica from overseas.

• Mr. Speaker, the National Council on Sport has been given a mandate to

review all proposals for the Stadium and to advise the Prime Minister accordingly. The National Council on Sport The National Council on Sports was re‐established in 2012 and has subsequently met and was given its mandate by the Prime Minister. The Council is an advisory body comprising representatives of Ministries, Agencies, Institutions, Organizations and individuals involved in managing and directing sport. The Council provides the opportunity for greater monitoring and coordination of the sector especially as the government moves to ensure that the full potential of economic and social benefits of sport are realised.

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The Institute of Sports

• Mr. Speaker, I now turn my attention to the Institute of Sports and its new

Board which began its stewardship in February of last year has continued to address the concerns expressed by the auditor general and to work toward correcting the significant anomalies which had become a part of its operations and resulted in negative impacts to its public image. The Board has already gone a far way in achieving its objectives by instituting a culture of efficiency, responsibility and accountability which has now become its modus operandi. In March, a highly successful retreat was convened by the Board to address the issue of good corporate governance and a platform was established to ensure that the institute will function in the most efficient manner possible and remain focused on responsibility and accountability in the execution of its programmes aimed at discovering and developing sporting talent across Jamaica. In this regard INSPORTS continues to focus on the grassroots and primary school levels, including the staging the highly successful Primary Schools’ Athletics Championships and the All‐Island Primary Schools’ Football Competition involving some 400 schools.

• Mr. Speaker, I am confident that the Institute of Sport will very shortly be

transformed into the type of institution that will take the Sport Policy forward.

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JADCO and Preserving the Integrity of Sport

• Mr. Speaker, the Government’s approved budgetary allocation for the

Jamaica Anti­doping Commission was over J$61M for conducting in and out

• f competition testing and public education. Since 2012 the Government has

almost tripled the budgetary support to JADCO to guarantee the integrity of

• ur anti‐doping system. This increase in budget allocation allowed the

Commission to increase the number of tests conducted in the 2012/2013 financial year by 110% over the previous year. As a matter of fact, the almost 14% increase projected for this financial year is to facilitate the commencement of the collection of blood samples in this new fiscal year.

• Mr. Speaker, the Government supports the principle that sport is the

expression of one’s true self and the realisation of one’s own unique natural

• potential. Being successful in sport requires the right attitude, practice, time

and effort. The giving of one’s best is good enough. The Government is committed to the world‐wide fight against doping in sport and will continue to implement measures through JADCO and other related agencies that will foster dope‐free sport at all levels. Independence Park Limited

• Mr. Speaker, the Independence Park Limited has been developing long term

plans for the development of the National Stadium infrastructure to include modernization, increased seating capacity and improved facilities for patrons.

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In this regard, certain specific capital projects have been identified which will include the refurbishment of parts of the bleachers, installing toilette facilities and concession areas. Based on the financing available, these projects will be implemented over the next three to five years.

• Mr. Speaker, further improvement projects are being contemplated but it is

too soon to discuss at this point. The Sports Development Foundation

• Mr. Speaker, the role of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) continues

to be critical to the development of sport and the provision of funding to all

• associations. Our continued success in sport relies heavily on the financing

provided by the SDF.

• Mr. Speaker, the SDF is currently funded from 40 per cent of the cess on the

lottery revenues.

• Mr. Speaker, the Government of Jamaica recognizes the important role the

Sport Associations and Federations play in the development of sport in the

• country. To this end, the SDF continues to pay out subventions totalling

$200.412million to 42 National Associations to support development programmes, administrative expenses, training of athletes and administrators, and for participation in national and international competitions. This represented a contribution of approximately 25% of the budgets submitted by these National Associations.

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• Mr. Speaker, for 2012 and up to March 2013, the Government of Jamaica

through the SDF expended J$614.187M (approximately US$6M) for sport development: $57.004M as grants to government sport agencies; $121.971M for infrastructure projects including funds sourced from the Constituency Development Fund ($8.73M.) and the European Union ($79.1M) and $24.243M for athletes’ welfare.

• Mr. Speaker, a number of multipurpose courts, playfields, and fencing of

facilities were completed during this fiscal year by SDF under the under the European Union fund for areas defined as sugar dependent. In addition, several other such projects are underway many of which will be completed in this fiscal year. A total of approximately $79M has been spent during the last fiscal year.

• Mr. Speaker, the government also continued support to agencies for sport

development and anti‐doping in sport programmes. Conclusion

• Mr. Speaker, throughout this presentation, I have been acutely aware of the

tremendous work that has taken place in sport over the last years. I am also aware of the need to build on that legacy by investing in the development of world class infrastructure and creating policies and programmes in order to fuel Jamaicans sporting success for future development.

• Mr. Speaker, it is very clear in my mind that the mission of this Administration

has to be about taking sport to the next level. It is no longer just about participating and winning. It is now about us not being exploited economically

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and us reaping the economic benefits of our success in the field of play. In

• ther words, Mr. Speaker, we must develop the infrastructure, build the

capacity and the linkages to make sport a business. Simply put, we must fuel Jamaica’s sporting success for future development.

• Mr. Speaker, there is much work to be done as the journey continues.

This is a government that practices consultation, partnership and community centred strategy. It is only through strong networking and mutual support and linkages that the sport industry will grow and thrive and that is what we are continuing to put in place to ensure that sport not only produces wins for Jamaica, but significant earnings, contributes to the growth of peace and unity in our communities, supports wellness and well‐being among our athletes, healthy lifestyles in among our citizens and makes Jamaica that place of choice to live, work, do business, raise families and excel in sport. If we do this right, Jamaica will continue to be stronger in every way.

• Mr. Speaker, we are in the game to succeed. Let's stay in the game and win.

Thank you Mr. Speaker!