Whichever political party wins the September 7 general election will realise that if sport is to be effective as stated in their respective manifestos 2015-2020, they will have to demonstrate in the most effective way how their ideas are to be materialised.
Two weeks ago the PP manifesto component on sport was analysed (http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2015-08-12/sporting-manifesto-action-required) and now the same will be done on PNM's manifesto component on sport.
The theme stresses the importance of promoting the country's athletes internationally, building a sporting industry while at the same time encouraging a healthy nation. To achieve these objectives some of the points highlighted were:
�2 Increase the pool of talent from which world champions can emerge for international recognition
�2 Promote sports as a way to curb crime and social skills
�2 Use sports to foster greater communication and understanding amongst different communities, races, creeds in T&T
�2 Increase participation opportunities for underrepresented groups in particular disabled persons, women, girls and the vulnerable youth and improve physical facilities to cater for this targeted group of persons
�2 Improve the availability of information of sports involvement by conducting a National Sport and Recreational Census
�2 Actively develop and promote Sport Tourism
�2 Provide incentives for the growth and development of professions allied to Sport, such as Sports Medicine, Physical Therapy, and Sports Media
�2 Develop a Domestic Sport Research Database by performing a bi-annual survey which will establish benchmark, improvements to the local sport industry and provide a comprehensive data for sports and recreation
�2 Create a Sports Institute of Trinidad and Tobago that will capture and hone the skills of young athletes while growing and modernising the Sports Industry (http://pnm.org.tt/images/pdf/PNM_Manifesto_2015.pdf p62-64).
Since the PNM was not in office, their ideas for Sport over the period 2015-2020 have to be assessed in itself and in context of what has happened over the PP reign 2010-2015.
Some of the strengths are:
�2 The ideas of a "national sport and recreational census" and "domestic sport research database" is long overdue. Such tools would provide important data that will not only provide a profile of who are participating in sport across gender, ethnicity, class, religion and geographical space but also allow for the develop of sport policy based on empirical data. Furthermore, regular surveys will allow for a tracking and assessment of various policies especially as it relates to "sport for development" where involvement of communities, women, girls, persons with disabilities and the youth can be assessed effectively. These ideas can aided with working relationships with the UWI and UTT.
�2 The idea of a "Sport Institute of Trinidad and Tobago" once developed with a strategic plan in mind, such an institute can reap benefits as the Australian Institute of Sport.
�2 The plan to correct the imbalance of involvement based on social class, gender, religion, and ethnicity also disabilities and age is important and this can be achieved through the data derived from the national survey on sport. Far too often persons are quick to say that sport is not restricted by the social variables.
Some the weaknesses are:
�2 The general weakness was that the points are long on coverage but generally short on details. They do not provide a strategic base to assess their potential to be productive. Some examples are:
I. Improve the availability of physical therapy
II. Use sports to foster greater communication and understanding amongst different communities, races, creeds in Trinidad and Tobago
III. Actively develop and promote Sport Tourism
IV. Promote Marine Sporting Activities
�2 After the fiasco and wanton wastage of monies of the LifeSport Programme and yet to be made public an assessment of the Hoop of Life Programme, more than a blanket statement of "Promote Sports as a way to curb crime and build social skills," was expected. More should have been said to convince the population that there will not be a repeat of the LifeSport Programme.
�2 Nothing was said of the Tarouba Stadium especially as it was built in the last PNM administration. Too much monies have been expended on this project for it not to be used. The PP after 5 years of idleness are promising the Tarouba Sport Academy.
Although the PP 2015-2020 ideas/plans for sport seems for more strategic over the period 2010-2015, there seem to be no link between the two periods. In many instances answers for the period 2010-2015 are still outstanding.
Some of the outstanding answers are for:
�2 How many of the ideas/plans that were promised in 2010 were actually implemented and what was the rate of success?
�2 How many of the successes for the period 2010-2015 now serve as a platform for the ideas/plans for 2015-2020?
�2 What is the role of the state and national sporting organisations in sport?
�2 What is the difference between 'sport for development and the development of sport'?
�2 What robust empirical data is being used to inform all policies?
As such there is no strategic basis to assess the promises for 2015-2020.
The PNM shadow sport minister and her/his team should have been diligently assessing the performance of the PP 2010-2015. The PNM would then have been in a position to pronounce in the most unequivocal manner what it will do to improve on the overall development of sport in T&T for the period 2015-2020. It is difficult to say if this was achieved as it should have.
No election will be won or lost on the promises on sport. However, taxpayers have to hold government accountable for how it expend its monies on sport given the ever increasing costs of sport.