Athletes from St. Kitts and Nevis stand to gain from the Government’s thrust to develop policies and programmes that will help to open lanes of success on the local, regional and international stage. The plan calls for establishing a sports academy and partnerships with overseas colleges and universities.
The Governor General’s Deputy, Her Excellency Marcella A. Liburd, noted the importance of sports and sports development in encouraging a healthier population and increasing global attention for the twin-island Federation during the delivery of the Throne Speech at the Ceremonial Opening of the Federal Parliament on Tuesday (October 25, 2022).
“In this regard, we will create a sports academy with an elite athletic training programme which will recruit, develop and train the top athletes in the Federation to perform at a high standard to be able to participate in professional sports at an international level,” Her Excellency Liburd stated.
In addition, the Governor General’s Deputy said “Our Government will develop partnerships with recruiters from top sports universities and scouting programmes to bolster our position in the sports world. There are great opportunities to create lucrative careers for exceptional athletes across the various sporting disciplines, including tennis, netball, volleyball, football, basketball, cricket and athletics.”
Many sporting careers have been derailed by injury or illness. The Government has considered provisions for such in its sports policy agenda.
“Our Government understands the dire need for the sportsmen and women who represent St. Kitts and Nevis at a national level to be provided with adequate health insurance coverage,” Her Excellency Liburd added. “In our pursuit of a better way, we commit to exploring possible insurance options to facilitate the provision of adequate medical insurance packages for national sports representatives. This will help to ensure that they have adequate healthcare in the event of unpredictable illness or injury that may befall them as a direct result of playing sports.
Sports is a key component of the build-out of the orange economy in St. Kitts and Nevis.