Source: www.guardian.co.tt

By: Andrew Gioannetti

Errol Ashby, Chief Executive Officer of the Sport Company of T&T (SporTT) dismissed claims that he advised  the cancelation of the upcoming Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT) Goodwill Games but insists that the ASATT, through their Public Relations Officer (PRO) Jason Wickham, were given an offer by SporTT to assist in the financing of the competition. He said that it was likely that the offer was never communicated to the concerned parties with the organisation. In a face-to-face interview with the Guardian, Ashby explained that the ASATT had a choice between the continuation of the Goodwill tournament or the recruitment of a new coach for the water polo national team, the latter of which was decided upon by mutual consent. Ashby confirmed that the Ministry of Sport agreed to finance the six months of the recently appointed American water polo coach Adam Foley’s salary package, which amounts to US$7,000 a month. He said that a meeting with ASATT, SporTT and the Ministry of Sport did indeed take place, but contrary to the claims made by ASATT Public Relations Officer, Jason Wickham that “at a meeting of the ASATT Executive, SporTT and Ministry of Sport at the Ministry on July 22, it was suggested that due to current financial constraints of SporTT- the meet had to be cancelled,” it was initially a decision made by both parties.

Ashby revealed to the Guardian following the meeting, he was approached by Wickham and a discussion took place regarding the staging of the Games. He added he put an offer on the table to Wickham regarding the Goodwill Games: “Just as we did in the past, if you can get your suppliers to extend your credit, then in the new fiscal year (in October), we will subtract the Goodwill Games cost from your allocation next year. Since I have made that offer to him (Wickham), he has never gotten back to me.” Ashby concluded on talk of ASATT’s claims by saying, “their priority was paying the water polo coach. The casualty was the Goodwill Games.” ASATT has subsequently released several appeals requesting corporate sponsorship for the tournament which was ultimitely followed by an advisory which stated despite being $105,000 short of the budget, the event which runs from August 12-14 will go on. Ashby said that following the removal of $34 million from the allocation subject to availability of funds for SporTT earlier this year from their original $100 million budget at the beginning of the fiscal year, the cut had trickled down to the NSOs, something he said, he had little control of and was caused ultimately by economic circumstances.

He said that the funds removed were supposed to be replaced by July and August. “We (SporTT) were promised $13 million. We recently got that and we were supposed to get the rest of it before the end of the (fiscal) year.” Ashby used the opportunity to explain that given the formula the budgeting works for with the 14 NSOs, about 60 per cent of spending power is supposed to be used for development, several of which have done little for development. “We look at development as athletes and coaches,” he said.He said a certain NSO went from spending 88 per cent of their allocation towards travel last year to 91 this year. “Where is the development?” he asked. “Development is looking at your needs. What do you need to do to improve or to make sure that you stand a chance in competition? Where is the sense with spending on every other tournament when you place in the position you placed in the last time you competed?” Ashby then stressed that priority of the NSO is the scouting and conditioning of athletes and the modernisation of operations for the advancement of athletes on the scale of the world’s powerhouses. Some of the necessities of proper functioning NSOs which T&T is desperately lacking.