Romany cautions athletes about image
Page 32 NEWSDAY SECTION A Monday November 1, 2010
LARRY ROMANY, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), has cautioned athletes and sporting bodies that they risk damaging their brand, intellectual property of their brand and asset value in relation to the corporate sector if they use the media to air their grievances.
Romany was speaking at a function hosted by the Ministry of Sport on Friday to honour medalists at the Commonwealth Games, Central American and Caribbean Championships and the Youth Olympics.
“We have to take careful consideration of how we manage our affairs,” he said.
Romany noted that he is aware of the obstacles athletes face but advised them to conduct their business in a manner that will not generate negative publicity to their sport.
“I understand very clearly the challenges that we face on a day to day basis. But we must understand that we live in a community of 1.3 million people and a corporate sector that is very small and very timid when it comes to financing sport,” he explained.
Romany warned that if athletes and sporting organizations do not be careful of what they say then TT will throw away the good platform built by athletes such as former “World” 200m champion Ato Boldon, Olympic silver medalist Richard Thompson, Olympic gold medalist Hasely Crawford and Olympic bronze medalist George Bovell III.
“We have to be very careful on how we protect our brand, our intellectual assets and our intellectual property rights as individuals. If we don’t, we will squander everything that the last 12 years has brought,” he argued.
Romany stated that he expects all stakeholders in sport to work in unison to ensure that the success that is now enjoyed continues in the future.