International Sports, inclusive of matches in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Men's Under-19 Cricket World Cup in January, England's senior men's cricket team's tour of the West Indies in February, and a T&T Powerboat Association (TTPBA) P1 Circuit Event also to be held in February, will return to T&T following more than a year of no activities in sports, due to a lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Finance Minister Colm Imbert disclosed this during Monday's 2022 budget presentation in the Parliament, Port-of-Spain. Sports' 2021 allocation of $404,613.209 for recurrent expenditure was revised to $347,233.837. And the allocation for the fiscal year 2022 will be $427,208.000.
The amount was part of an overall $52.4 billion overall package which carried a deficit of $9 billion.
"Plans are also underway for this country to host several major sporting events. The government has just approved the bid to host matches in January 2022 of the ICC Men's U-19 Cricket World Cup and we are considering the T&T Cricket Board's (TTCB) interest in hosting some games during England's tour of the West Indies in February 2022," Imbert explained.
The Finance Minister's contribution to sports lasted just about four minutes and included plans to upgrade community facilities across the nation, which is also expected to jump-start sports tourism.
For the England series, government is set to inject a US$1.5 million on a package to host one Test and about three T20 matches on local soil, which Imbert said they are seriously considering.
Yesterday, Azim Bassarath, president of the TTCB revealed the figures for England matches but said the government's input for the U-19 World Cup matches would mostly entail the waiver of fees by customs and immigration, as well as all other auxiliary fees associated with hosting international teams.
This waiver of fees will also apply for the England team as part of the overall bid.
In return, T&T will not only benefit from much-needed exposure but a huge boost to sports tourism, considering the impact of the travelling England team.
Bassarath said the English team normally travels with between 8,000 and 10,000 spectators which could be tremendous in terms of returns.
"So if the bid is successful, 8,000 spectators coming to T&T to spend eight days, and in the case of the T20s, it would be at least two weeks, staying at hotels etc, would be tremendous. And don't forget the exposure that will come as well," Bassarath explained.
Imbert said his government is also planning to support the TTPBA P1 Circuit Event, scheduled for action in February 2022.
"We expect that these plans will assist in the activation of our potential to build our sports tourism product," he said.
Earlier this year, Roger Bell, an executive member of the powerboat association said a proposal was put to the Minister of Sports and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe to stage the event, but he was pleasantly surprised yesterday when he heard that the government had pledged its support to them.
The powerboat association's request was not monetary, but merely to enable a seamless transition of boats entering and leaving the country for the event, Bell explained.
Meanwhile, sports, despite a pandemic that stopped all activities across the board, still benefitted from the upgrade of facilities.
According to Imbert: "I am pleased to report that despite the delays in government construction as a result of lockdown measures, we've constructed the Moruga Sport and Youth Multipurpose facility, the Laventille Community Swimming Pool, as well as concluded the structural assessment of all our stadiums with a full-view to rehabilitation.
"We have also upgraded numerous Corporation grounds, including the Honeymoon Recreation Grounds in El Dorado, the Aranjuez Recreation Ground and the Morne Diablo Recreation Ground.
"Upgrade works are nearing completion at the Sevilla Golf Club, Mahaica Oval, the Dwight Yorke Stadium, community swimming pools at Morvant and Maloney and other recreation grounds at Bourg Mulatresse, Marac, Grand Riviere and Spring Vale."
Sports Minister Cudjoe could not be reached for comment.