GAMES

REIGNING MEN’S para-athletics javelin (F43) and discus (F43) world record-holder Akeem Stewart is presently on course to becoming the second athlete from the Western Hemisphere to participate in both the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

An independent financial audit will be conducted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) into grants it awards to the various International Federations and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in a bid to increase transparency within sport in the midst of corruption and doping scandals, Thomas Bach announced here today.

Mexico have been warned by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) autonomy tsar Patrick Hickey they could miss Rio 2016 because of Government interference.

A new beginning. A brighter future. As T&T celebrates Divali— the festival of lights with the Hindu community—it seems as if it’s a clear sign not mere coincidence that the topic of today’s column offers a ray of hope and light. As sport both locally and internationally continues to face a relentless barrage of sordid headlines—all symptomatic of poor governance.

It’s timely that the focus today is good governance. Why? There is good news. The battle to improve good governance in T&T received a powerful boost last week. Good Sport governance is top of mind internationally, regionally and locally. The T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) hosted last week its first ever “Good Sport Governance” week.  

A series of meetings were held with national sport organisations and sport stakeholders. Professor Leigh Robinson, head of sport studies at the University of Stirling provided expertise in sport governance. Supporting, the TTOC in its ongoing efforts to build leadership and governance capacity, knowledge and skill set is Olympic Solidarity.

A key aspect of the last week’s good sport governance week was the consultation aimed at including sport stakeholders views in the proposed good governance code for sport in T&T initiative that the TTOC is championing.

One of the breakthrough benefits was a heart-to-heart meeting involving the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, Sport Company of T&T and the Olympic committee. It was the first time such a collective gathering was held and all those present including Professor Robinson expressed profound appreciation for the opportunity to share ideas, concerns and views on governance.

Minister of Sport Darryl Smith must be commended for his enthusiastic support and endorsement. Minister Smith also seized the moment and allowed Professor Robinson to share her candid thoughts while at the same time making it crystal clear that improving governance is one of his priorities. The Ministry of Sport and Sport Company and the TTOC must work together and share resources.

The TTOC hosted a good governance workshop at Olympic House where Minister Smith addressed participants and sat in on the workshop for as long as his busy schedule allowed.

Also meeting with Professor Robinson were members of the TTOC Governance Commission. Members of the commission include Rikhi Rampersad, Brian Frontin, Axel Kravatzky, Jason Juillen and Brigadier General Anthony Phillip Spencer and Jeanne Borneo.

The TTOC have taken decisive steps. The good sport governance code project is combining the efforts and competencies of a broad collective of determination. A group that is resolute that in spite of the obstacles and lipservice that is so prevalent. It is time for sport in T&T to rebrand itself on the pillar of improved governance.

What’s to come? Publication of a best practice good sport governance code for TTOC and non Olympic sporting bodies and their stakeholders. This will include a commitment to regular consitutional review, term limitation, no automatic votes for outgoing executive members, four year term of office among other best practice principles and guidelines.

Publication of template governance structures, processes, and documents that reflect different types of organisations within the T&T sport sector.

Training, education and leadership and governance capacity building support and development mechanisms to help members of the TTOC stay updated with emerging governance best practice that is applicable to their organisations. Let’s not relent. Let’s remain resilient. Sport Matters.

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Developing a new digital strategy to raise the global profile of the sport has been hailed as a key ambition by new World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) secretary general Hoss Rafaty here today, with the new Olympic TV Channel targeted as one potential market.

Officials from the WTF were one of four International Federations who attended an initial meeting to discuss involvement in the Channel.

Precise details of the Channel, confirmed as part of the International Olympic Committee's Agenda 2020 reform process, still have to be confirmed and no date has been given for its launch.

It is being seen as a major opportunity for many Olympic Federations, however, particularly the smaller ones.

Hafaty, the Iranian-born American appointed to his position in May, revealed that the focus for WTF President Chungwon Choue in recent years has been predominantly upon technical matters within the sport, designed to iron out problems with the scoring system and playing area.

With most of these now resolved, the WTF are now targeting becoming more media friendly with the athletes at the centre of the strategy.

Achieving more television deals is one dimension of this and they are also keen to better showcase the sport via social media and other digital platforms, including the WTF's YouTube channel, which is showing live coverage of this weekend's WTF Grand Prix here.

"We need consistent planning to make is relevent and friendly," Rafaty told insidethegames.

"The TV channel is unchartered territory, but we want to be right there next to it."

This was also discussed at a meeting of the WTF TV Commission here yesterday, attended by Rafaty, as well as South Korea’s Yang Jin Bang and France's Roger Piarulli, the respective director generals of the world governing body's offices in Seoul and Lausanne.

They are now considering approaching major distribution and production companies to help develop their product.  

Improving the visual spectacle of a sport is something that has grown in importance as recent years, as Olympic International Federations from across strive to keep their disciplines relevant and fresh.

One of the best examples comes in volleyball, where the International Volleyball Federation have signed an innovative media partnership with Red Bull to broaden their appeal, as well as the range and amount of coverage produced and distributed.

In comparison, taekwondo has focused changing scoring rules to make bouts more exciting, but some other innovative elements have been introduced as part of the WTF Grand Prix series.

This includes the use of music, big screens and a more theatrical presentation based around special sessions for finals.

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