Progress on Government’s planned construction of the George Bovell III National Aquatic Centre, the National Cycle Velodrome and the National Tennis Centre can now be tracked in real time on the Ministry of Sport’s new Web site www.sport.gov.tt when work begins next year.
So said Sport Minister Anil Roberts at Wednesday’s launch of the agency’s portal, held at the VIP Room of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.
He assured the gathering that overhauling the Web site and the introduction of up-to-date social media solutions on a modern and sophisticated platform that was user friendly came at no extra cost to taxpayers, since the information technology staff at the ministry undertook the project.
“You have links to the Sport Company (of T&T) and the Life Sport Programme. I want you all to monitor the projects. First, they say it would build, then it will cost too much. It will not. We are all going to monitor the projects. We are going to get the Aquatic Centre, the Cycle Velodrome, Tennis Centre on course, on budget, on time, by October 2014 to December 2014.
“We have nine regional centres all starting right now, we hope to complete those within two years. We have started and completed 32 pavilions and we have 32 more coming. We have facilities for upgrade. We have swimming pools to do, we have rural caravans, community programmes,” he said.
Roberts said it was his sister-in-law who visited the previous Web site and expressed dissatisfaction with its functionalities. He then called Andre Hanief, manager of the information and technology department, to discuss what was wrong with the portal and explore ways for its improvement.
Hanief told the minister that a consultant could be called to give an opinion and cost of revamping the Web site.
Roberts asked about the capacity of public servants in the ministry and permanent secretary Ashwin Creed gave the approval for staff to undertake the project.
Roberts said, “All I want to know is that it’s topper-topper. When people go on it, they must ‘BBM’ me and say that thing real sweet. Anything they want to know, they can go on it and find out about Rodney Wilkes. In 1948, he didn’t take no BWIA plane (now CAL); he went on a ship to the Olympics. Now if you don’t get a first class plane ticket, they bad-talking the minister. He (Wilkes) went on a ship with Alex Chapman for the London Olympic Games. He took about 17 days to reach. When he reached there, he got our first silver medal.”
The T&T Relay Carnival, held earlier this year, was the first event to be streamed live as the IT department tested the effectiveness of the solutions they employed.
Visitors from Canada, Jamaica, the United States and T&T logged on to witness the activities using an array of devices from desktop computers to tablets and mobile phones to access the site.
Now, users of the portal can access video-on-demand through the video library via its YouTube page. It can easily live-stream events as was done for the T&T Relay Carnival during the testing phase of the Web site.
Bryan Gray, content manager at the ministry, said using the MSYA site visitors would not have a positive experience as the site was not compatible with these devices, leaving them unable to view the Relay Carnival.
“The world has evolved and we see the importance of social media in communication. Articles from our website can now be shared on a visitor’s Twitter or Facebook page just by the click of a button.
“The Web site has a fresh, modern, snazzy, patriotic look and feel and guess what? We’re mobile friendly on any device. Google maps have been integrated to illustrate the location of events and our facilities,” he said.
He added, “Government ministries were expected to provide online services as part of the national e-government agenda. Your Ministry of Sport is meeting this requirement. Through this combination of sport and technology we expect an increase in the number of people utilising the services being offered by the ministry, whether through funding, visiting our facilities, or participating in events hosted by the sport development officers or the ministry. It is our intent to promote and highlight the works of the ministry. To make the public aware of all that the ministry does, how the ministry is serving them.”
The ministry has also embarked on the National Sporting Archives, which is a database with information and biographies with every sporting individual who has worn national colours for the past 50 years, as part of Minister Roberts’ commitment to keeping the memory of all national athletes alive.
The National Sporting Archives is a three-year project and was commissioned by Roberts as part of the Government’s gift to T&T as part of the nation’s 50th anniversary last year.
Roberts noted that the archives will be officially launched in August.
To source the archives go to: www.sportarchivestt.com.