Opposition leader, minister spar over pro sports ‘neglect’

Leader of the Opposition Ralph Thorne clashed with the minister of youth, sport and community development in the House of Assembly on Monday over accusations that the government was neglecting professional sport development, claiming that key initiatives have been scaled back or abandoned, despite recent investments in amateur and community-level programmes.

Thorne delivered several broadsides against the Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who outlined various sporting initiatives currently underway before the House appropriations committee as the Estimates hearings entered a third week.

Griffith highlighted the redevelopment of the 55-year-old National Stadium at Waterford, with demolition expected to begin soon, as well as upgrades to sports facilities across the island. These include the refurbishment of the National Netball Stadium to accommodate netball, basketball and volleyball; a new volleyball court at the Garfield Sobers Complex; a new 400-metre track at Wildey; and the development of five dedicated football fields.

Griffith also pointed to the establishment of a cricket academy at the former Sports Council’s Blenheim facility, a community coaches programme aimed at training youth-level coaches, and the expansion of the Barbados Road Tennis Open, which he said recently attracted international viewership from some 23 countries.

Despite these announcements, Thorne argued that professional sports development has been neglected.

“This government’s programme has been deficient insofar as professional sport is concerned. We note the scaling back or the disappearance of key initiatives,” he said.

Opposition Leader Ralph Thorne.

He specifically questioned the status of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) Sports Programme, which previously helped develop professional cricketers and footballers, including former West Indies fast bowler Tino Best.

“I’m not going to ambush the minister, but I will ask—what has happened to the BDF programme, which produced Test cricketers and professional athletes at the highest level?” he asked.

He further noted that amateur sports typically have a limited lifespan, lasting until athletes reach their mid-20s, after which few transition into professional careers.

Thorne urged the government to reconsider its priorities and explore ways to support professional sporting pathways, including potential investment in disciplines like Pro-American Judo.

The opposition leader also sparred over the use of community resource centres and the government’s planned creation of mini-stadia while the country remains without an Olympic-standard national track. Griffith pushed back that community centres were not underutilised, suggesting that the opposition leader was “out of touch” with the development of sports in the country. (SM)