Grange defends Sport Policy

Andre Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport Olivia 'Babsy' Grange
has defended the time it has taken for the completion and presentation of the
much-talked-about National Sports Policy.

The Minister blasted some critics, who she blamed for
failing to recognise the value of the policy during their time in leadership,
and debated that the current administration should actually be praised for the
strides that have been taken since their installation over three years ago.

Grange, who was a speaker at the inaugural Business of Sport
two-day conference, which is being staged by Carole Beckford and Associates in
tandem with Samuda and Johnson at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, rebuffed the
criticisms, citing that the document was actually completed; stating that due
diligence must be observed and that the final steps were being taken before the
document's contents are ready to be made public.

When asked about her response to the perception that the
presentation of the policy is taking longer than necessary, Grange offered:

"I don't blame people for thinking that, it has taken
21 years," said Grange in reference to her three and a half years in
office in addition to the 18 years that the previous administration spent in
leadership.

"I have been in office only three years and we have
fast-tracked it (Sports Policy). I don't think they can fault me because I have
ensured that it has moved really fast. I came in and found a three page
document and we now have a document that is very fulsome, very detailed and
very comprehensive," Grange said. "When you compare what we have
managed, to what was done during those 18 years, then I will say to you that
this administration must be commended for moving so quickly."

"When you have a document like this, you have to ensure
that all the elements are considered in a very detailed way and that all the
technocrats have an opportunity to make sure that it is sound and this is the
process that we are going through," the Minister added. "Some of them
that are making all the noise now are the same people that were there during
those 18 years, I guess they did not realise the importance of the policy
then."

The final draft of the policy is said to have been completed
and will next be presented to the Human Resource Committee for inspection. Once
approved, it will then be passed on to Cabinet and upon it being signed off on,
will then return to the Ministry for a final round of consultations with the
various stakeholders and associations. The final hurdle will be its
presentation to Parliament and while no timeline could be presented, Grange
believes it should be smooth sailing from here onwards.

"I cannot give you a deadline but what I can say is
that it will move much faster from now, it has reached the point where it can
be accelerated," said Grange.

According to estimates gathered in 2007, sport contributed
2.6 per cent or the equivalents of US$225 million of the island's Gross
Domestic Product.