Saint Lucia Ready to Host Commonwealth Sports Awards

Contact: John Emmanuel

Thursday, September 13, 2001 - Sporting officials on the island say St. Lucia stands ready to be the first OECS country to play host to the prestigious Commonwealth Sports Awards Ceremony, scheduled for next month at the Rex St. Lucian Hotel. Permanent Secretary in the Department of Youth and Sports Ernest Hilaire is of the view, that St. Lucia’s hosting of the event will add further impetus to moves afoot by his department, at elevating the status of sports, while placing greater emphasis on sports personalities and their achievements.

“We’re hoping that by have the activity in St. Lucia we can benefit from the presence of persons who would be qualify coaches, people who are outstanding sports persons, outstanding sports journalists who would be on island for a period of time and we can certainly benefit from their presence and at the same time explore the possibilities for further collaboration with some of those persons,” said Hilaire.

Former Jamaican Sports Journalist Al Hamilton who serves as coordinator for the activity, says the Awards established since 1980 serves to honours outstanding sporting achievement from across the Commonwealth and to encourage the young to aspire to higher heights. According to him,  “we’re look at sports right across the Commonwealth, but we’re focusing on the popular sports meaning Athletics, Boxing, Cricket, Football, Netball etc. We will also be focussing on youth as a new feature. There will be a humanitarian category for someone who might have dedicated his or her life to sport and received very little accolade from their national associations.”

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