Basseterre, St. Kitts. July 1, 2020.-Minister of Sport, Youth and Culture Hon. Jonel Powell has
given stakeholders in his Ministry the assurance that he will be advocating strongly for the
creation of a maintenance division that is directly aligned to the Department of Sports.
He made the disclosure while touring a number of sporting facilities in the Basseterre area, on
July 1.
The new Sports Minister outlined that it is better to repair than to replace, as he justified his
advocacy.
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Prior to his site familiarization visits, Minister Powell shared his vision for the Ministry of Sport,
while fielding responses to questions from employees of his Ministry, during a morning meeting
at Warner Park. The meeting was the first official introduction to coaches and support staff.
His vision includes the roll-out of the National Sport Policy, which emphasizes the need for a
more strategic manner for sport and recreational development, the empowerment of coaches and
other staff through the making available of higher learning opportunities, general capacity
building initiatives and a sport tourism product that allows for regional and international teams
utilizing our facilities.
The Minister of Sport indicated that the realization of a top class sports product requires a
concerted effort by all stakeholders. He committed to making himself available for continued
dialogue with coaches, ground personnel and other staff, as the work continues in earnest to
create a comfortable sporting environment.
Plans are already being developed for a continuation of the Minister’s familiarization tour into
rural facilities.