TASVG woes highlighted

Team Athletics SVG (TASVG), the governing body for Track and Field and cross country events in St Vincent and the Grenadines, is expected to be faced with two major hurdles in 2012.{{more}}

The unavailability of facilities and sponsorship have been identified as the major factors which may constrain the organization’s 2012 programme.

Speaking at the organisation’s 2011 Awards and Presentation Ceremony last Saturday afternoon at Frenches House, Games Secretary of TASVG Rawlson Morgan, in reviewing the events of the past year, highlighted the challenge of finding suitable facilities for carrying out some of events on the 2012 calendar.

Morgan spoke of the unavailability of the Arnos Vale Playing Field, which is the top venue for the staging of several of the secondary schools’ inter-house Track and Field meets.

Morgan revealed that already, many institutions, mainly from the Kingstown area, have been affected by its unavailability.

The Arnos Vale facility has been closed by the National Sports Council, as restoration work is being carried out in preparation for the hosting of three One-day Internationals between the West Indies and Australia, Friday, March 16, Sunday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 20.

Thereafter, the facility should be reopened.

The schools’ track and field exercises are being further hampered with work also being done at the Victoria Park, which is under the aegis of the National Lotteries Authority, and the Grammar School Playing Field, which over the years, has been a last resort for the hosting of such events.

Joining Morgan in naming the foreseen challenges of TASVG was First Vice President Leroy Llewellyn, who identified the economic squeeze, which he said will affect the road racing season.

Llewellyn, who has been at the helm of the Road Racing and Cross Country Committee of TASVG for the past ten years, related that in 2011, his committee had to go beyond its budget to ensure that the road races came to fruition.

The committee head said that the overwhelming support from athletes caused a dent in the organisation’s finances, as they could not turn away the youngsters who wanted to participate in the various events.

Llewellyn said that main sponsor, Log Enterprises Limited, puts in $5,000, with TASVG initially contributing $10,000; however, the cost of hosting the six events on the 2011 calendar was put to close to $40,000.

In a brief interview with SEARCHLIGHT Llewellyn said a big chunk of the rise in cost came as a result of having to get more buses to transport the athletes; more athletes also mean a hike in the cost of providing refreshments for them at the end of each race.

Llewellyn further told SEARCHLIGHT that the 2011 expenditure would be the starting cost for the 2012 road racing season, and avenues must be found to seek additional sponsorship or reduce the number of events.

The latter, he said could be a difficult proposition, as many of the athletes eagerly look forward to the road races.(RT)