NOC General Sec chides national sporting bodies

General Secretary of the National Olympic Committee (NOC), Keith Joseph, has chided affiliate national sporting Associations for their tardiness in accessing funding to stage developmental courses.{{more}}

Joseph, at the closing ceremony of an International Table Tennis Federation – Para Table Tennis Level One Coaching Course recently, disclosed that there was US$40,000 in course funding that Associations have not applied for.

With ten courses available during a four-year period, Joseph said only five have taken advantage of the offer.

Those he said which have made use of the funding were Table Tennis, Boxing, Athletics, Cycling and Rugby.

Joseph stated that each course is valued at US$8,000.

“The money is there; you just have to access it,” the NOC General Secretary reminded the associations.

He then called on those who have already accessed courses to do so again.

Joseph told the Executive members of the SVGTTA that it is their right to seek a Level Two course and take advantage of the non-response of others.

The NOC, however, said that US$25,000 was spent on the sport of Table Tennis five years ago to conduct a five month programme. However, the progress of the sport over that period has not been commensurate with the injection of the funds.

“It is not something we are satisfied with,” Joseph disclosed.

He lamented on the poor returns in terms of performance from national teams and individuals as against the attention they receive by way of the said courses.

“With all the funding, we are not to the level of our Caribbean counterparts,” Joseph observed.

He asked that all lift their game in addressing the situation.

But more help is coming the way of the SVGTTA as Joseph revealed that the Association’s newly appointed Technical Director has been earmarked to be part of an International Coaching Certificate Programme.

At present, the SVGTTA is preparing teams to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, in October and the Pan American Games slated for October 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (RT)