The Barbados Olympic Association has set itself an ambitious goal that between 2021 to 2024 they will increase the medal count at regional and international competitions.
During a lunchtime consultation with the media held today at the BOA headquarters in Wildey, St Michael, president Sandra Osborne and her board members touched on wide-ranging topics that included its strategic plans and funding for athletes.
As part of its strategic plan, it is expected that at the next Commonwealth Youth Games in 2021 Barbados will bring home three medals. At the Youth Olympic Games [one]; the Central American and Caribbean Games [20]; and the Commonwealth Games [four], all in 2022. Predictions also are for medals at the Pan Am Games [four] in 2023 and the Summer Olympic Games [one] in 2024.
Some members of Barbados Olympic Association executive (from left) chairperson of the athletes commission Anicia Wood, treasurer Orson Simpson, president Sandra Osborne, secretary general Erskine Simmons and Cammie Burke.
Osborne explained that the reason for that high number especially 20 medals at CAC Games was due to the BOA’s belief this was the highest level of regional competition. Even though the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in Japan has not been incorporated into the BOA’s medal plans, it is expected that outstanding hurdler and Pan American Games’ gold medallist Shane Brathwaite will likely medal.
“…if we are to make a mark internationally we need to be able to have a reasonable number of medals at the CAC Games because the Pan Am Games which is a wider continental games will bring in countries like the US [United States], Canada, Argentina and Brazil. So, we consider four medals would be acceptable. Commonwealth Games in 2022 we are looking at four, and then the Summer Olympic Games in Paris 2024 at least one medal.
“We think that given where we are now that this is an ambitious target. But who knows? We may be able to meet it and even surpass it and as I said there is no magic to these numbers. We sat down, brainstormed and we said based on what we know about what has happened in games before, these are the types of numbers that would be realistic for Barbados,” Osborne said.
The BOA president also sought to give clarity in light of criticism in the media about the BOA changing its funding model that no longer assists with the finances of some Barbadian sportsmen and women.
She explained that in 2016 eight Barbadian athletes were awarded Olympic solidarity scholarships to assist them in qualification for Tokyo 2020. However, that number has since been reduced to six and the athletes currently receiving Olympic solidarity scholarships of US$1, 000 per month are Shane Brathwaite, Darian King, Tia-Adana Belle, Sade Williams, Alex Sobers along with veteran Michael Mascoll who attended five previous Olympic Games.
There are now three tiers of funding for athletes with hurdler Brathwaite being the lone athlete in tier one while there are 16 each in tier two and three. In addition to funding from the Olympic solidarity scholarship, Pan Am Sport gave grants to facilitate athletes’ preparation which the BOA used to develop the athlete funding model.
Even though the BOA came up with the funding model and had all the athletes submit budgets so they could have a sense of what their requirements were, they could not meet all. That is where the Ministry of Sport in 2017 through the National Sports Council supplemented the balance to the tune of BDS$500, 000 which allowed the BOA to assist more than just the eight athletes.
Osborne made the point that there was collaboration between the BOA and the NSC with respect to the funding of athletes, but said the Olympic Association no longer receives money from the national sporting body.
It was revealed by Osborne that the BOA spent $443 000 of the $500 000 given by the NSC and the remainder was carried over into 2018. BOA also had additional funding in 2018 for training and qualification through the organising committee of the Gold Coast along with Pan Am Sport who increased their revenue the following year.
“So, in summary 2018 and 2019, the situation now is that the elite athletes who are currently benefitting from funding are now the six Olympic solidarity scholarship holders. The eight got reduced to six. Under the new funding model, the tier one and the tier two are seventeen athletes and then tier three has sixteen athletes,” Osborne said.
In 2016 BDS$1.4 million was given in subsidy for athletes and the national federations. The year 2017 saw that figure increase to BDS$1.9 million inclusive of the four hundred and forty-three thousand from the NSC. In 2018 that figure was reduced to BDS$1.2 million and up to July this year that budget still remained the same.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
