By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson lauded his administration’s budget as one that “seeks to give people who have not had a chance yet, a fighting chance, so they can make it.”

In his contribution to the 2013/14 Budget Debate yesterday, Dr Johnson addressed several issues in the local sporting community which will be affected by the budget, most notably, the official establishment of the highly anticipated National Sports Academies or Centers of Excellence.

“We have talked about it for a long time, but now it begins. These Centers of Excellence will provide tutorship in all aspects of athletic and human development and will be engineering young people with the tools of honesty, integrity,courtesy, confidence, respect, responsibility, but the biggest thing I see for young people right now is good judgement,” Johnson said.

“These academies are going to tap into the abundant potential in this country which we now find prevalent in the Family Islands. Athletes identified for the programme will be groomed with scientific training at academies of excellence. The academies will also focus on life skills. The intent is to produce world-class athletes within the country in selected disciplines through a systematic process of identification and selection at a young age.”

In May, Prime Minister Perry Christie announced that his administration “will begin the process to invest some $10 million in the construction” of multi-purpose sporting facilities in the Family Islands similar to those in New Providence and Grand Bahama, giving young athletes in those islands more opportunities to develop in competitive sports.

Dr Johnson said the levelled playing field will rapidly develop every sporting discipline in the country.

“The Prime Minister in his introductory remarks, told everyone that he indicated a sum of $10 million had been allocated to developing Centers of Excellence all over the Bahamas for the next four years. This allocation will aid us in building a bridge to the future by levelling the playing field for all children across the length and breadth of the Bahamas. It will also spark economic growth and increase community awareness in every family island,” Johnson said.

“The lack of existing facilities has resulted in disappointment for many of our children who feel disadvantaged when comparing the quality of sports facilities, equipment and conditions under which they have to compete. That is why the Prime Minister decided to postpone the last Bahamas Games. Because it is unfair, it is unsportsmanlike, to have people come from the Family Islands who have never played on one of these fields, then you blow the whistle and tell them to play ball.

With his ministry focused almost exclusively on developmental programmes, Dr Johnson said the next generation of Bahamian student athletes will be granted every opportunity to live up to their full potential.

“For the first time we will embark on a truly national sports development agenda under these guidelines. Then the establishment of these sports academies we feel is the most effective means of addressing the government’s agenda to develop a nationally funded training programme to ensure that all sports talent throughout the length and breadth of the Bahamas have an opportunity to develop to their full potential,” he said. “This is why we are doing what we are doing, so that others can have the opportunities that we have had.”