Efforts to undermine national sport organisations and national governing bodies will be to the detriment of local sport.
For the life of me, I can’t understand why there are people within the local sport system who operate on the belief that national sport organisations are a bunch of know nothing incompetents who don’t deserve any respect or favourable consideration.
Like them or hate them, national sport organisations or national governing bodies are the legitimate and lawful bodies responsible for their respective sports within the territory of T&T.
Sport around the world functions best in countries where there is a clear understanding and respect for the role of national sport organisations and national governing bodies.
I constantly hear talk of the perceived lack of capacity of local sport administrators. In so far as this is a reality, the most constructive approach is to assist and facilitate, not impose, undermine or wrest control. In other words build up don’t tear down.
Local sport administrators aren’t a bunch of fools—their contribution, experience and knowledge—in the main thankless and voluntary should not be discounted, discarded or sacrificed on the altar of expediency.
The majority of local sport administrators are well intentioned and dedicated to improving how they run their sport.
What is cause and what is effect?
The bedrock of Olympic sport development will always be the national sport organisations and their members. Successful sporting nations provide clear precedent and guidelines as to the options that work best in respect of harnessing the human resource within national sport organisations.
Olympic sport organisations are made up of members, not for profit and volunteer based, a construct that is in accordance with the Olympic Charter.
The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) is obliged by virtue of the Olympic Charter to ensure that Olympic sports seek sources of financing which will enable Olympic sport organisations to maintain their autonomy in all aspects and that financing be in accordance with the Olympic Charter and in such a manner that the dignity and independence of Olympic sport organisations and the national Olympic committee are not harmed (Bye-law to Rule 31 and 32-9.4)
The TTOC can be suspended or have its recognition withdrawn from the IOC (Olympic Charter Rule 31 9.2) if the making or expression of the will of the national sport organisations or other entities belonging to the TTOC or represented by it is hampered by the effect of legal provisions or regulations in T&T or by acts of other entities within T&T, whether sporting or otherwise.
Olympic Charter Rule 31 5 places the additional duty and responsibility on the TTOC to work to maintain harmonious and cooperative relations with appropriate governmental bodies.
However in doing so, the TTOC is obliged to preserve its autonomy and resist all pressures of any kind, including those of a political, religious or economic nature that may prevent the TTOC from complying with the Olympic Charter.
Some see it as a tall order maintaining harmony within the local sport environment but I am confident that once we avoid unnecessary layers of bureaucracy that institutionalises inefficiencies maintaining harmony is not a farfetched objective. In fact harmony will be a key indicator that the required process of excellence is well oiled and functioning.
When all is said and done, to put it plain and simple every stakeholder wants T&T to win and achieve consistent success on the international sporting stage on one hand while at the same time have sport and the values of sport make a contribution to the development of the youth of the nation.
Once the focus remains on the big picture and shared goals and values T&T sport will be fine.
God Bless. Keep the dream alive—ten Olympic Gold medals by the year 2024.