Greater support for sport – Wilks

WITH COVID-19 shrinking the time between the Tokyo and Paris Olympics from four years to just three, the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) will need more resources to cope with a crowded calendar that includes several major events. Understandably, the Foundation’s general manager, Denzil Wilks, says more support will be needed.

“We’re going to have to pivot in terms of determining how best we respond,” Wilks said, after reviewing a three-year block of activities that include two track and field World Championships, the Commonwealth Games next year, the 2023 Pan-Am Games, FIFA World Cup qualifying for both men and women, and the 2023 World Netball Cup.

His organisation has already started to map its way forward.

“We are examining the implications ... but we also have to say to those to whom we report, and those who provide our support, that we will be needing some greater assistance in this compacted period of intensity as far as sports is concerned. In the midst of all of this, the number of sporting activities and associations have grown. You could almost say exponentially, and it makes for a very challenging time. But we’re not running away. We’re facing up to it as best we can,” he added.

The Foundation has continued its subventions to local sporting associations, even though the pandemic has damaged most of their competition activity.

IF CONTRIBUTIONS WERE WITHHELD

“Even though many of the normal sporting activities were not taking place, if we had withheld contributions it would have been even worse for those who are involved in the sporting fraternity,” he informed, saying the SDF is in dialogue with them.

“Over the last two months or so, we have met with 51 national sporting bodies in small groups. We have just a few to go, because we are somewhere close to 60. That kind of deliberation is what is going to guide us,” Wilks revealed.

“We are in continuous dialogue with our ministry and they, in fact, have been part of those meetings with the national associations,” he added.

Asked specifically about support for netball, Wilks was positive.

“It’s one of the top sports. It’s one of those that is rewarded, and, in fact, we want to keep it that way because as we seek to build sports, we do not want to have to pull down any in order to pull up another,” said the administrator.

“Yes, we will be meeting again, talking to them and the good thing is that we have the ministry involved; and the ministry is more directly linked to the Ministry of Finance than we are,” he continued. “And so, through that level of collaboration, we’ve got to find a way. We’re still looking at it, to find a way to reach out to corporate Jamaica for some more collaboration. It’s absolutely critical.”