Private sector urged to back national athletes

Sports Minister Charles Griffith has appealed to the business to provide stronger financial and workplace support for national athletes, saying too many Barbadian sportsmen and women face job insecurity when representing the country overseas.

During the House Estimates on the Ministry of Sports and Community Empowerment, Griffith said businesses must recognise their responsibility in sport development.

“One of the things that is required now in sports on the island is for the private sector to believe and to understand that they too have a role to play in the development of sports on the island,” he said.

“Oftentimes we have situations where our national players go overseas to represent the country, and then when they return home, there’s a lot of pressure that comes to bear from [employers],” he explained.

The minister pointed to a recent situation involving a member of the national netball programme who lost her job.

“We had a situation where an individual was managing our national netball team, and when she returned home, the company was restructuring and the only body who was released was her because they felt that she was spending too much time with one of our sports, a national team.”

He continued: “I believe it is time that, not only the marketing department, but the owners of business on the island see a need to join with the government and to support some of our local athletes and some of our clubs in relation to the development of sports.”

Griffith also expressed concern that community teams and schools often struggle to secure sponsorship, despite their role in nurturing young talent.

“You wonder how it is because these are the same people that actually assist and help your business to grow, but there’s no give back in relation to that.”

While welcoming the support already offered by some companies, the minister emphasised that stronger partnerships between government, the private sector and communities are essential for the continued growth of sports in Barbados.

“So, whenever I see the private sector involved in sports or with young people, I mean, I welcome it because that is the way to go,” Griffith said.

“It is impossible for government to do this alone.”

He added: “I’m hoping that given time or the passage of time that they will come to that place where they figure, well, we need to be able to sponsor a community team or we need to be able to sponsor or adopt a school that is within the locale of my business.”