Sports Minister meets with NOC in effort to strengthen bonds between two bodies

The Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and officials of the local National Olympic Committee (NOC) have held discussions in an effort to strengthen ties between the two bodies.{{more}}

Discussions were held while Cecil McKie, Minister of Sport, Tourism and Culture and members of the local NOC were at the Second World Olympic Convention held on April 16 and 17, in Russia.

During a media briefing on May 3, the Minister said the NOC was an independent and autonomous body which government could not become involved in.

However McKie said that the two entities can strengthen relations.

“If we can strengthen relations in terms of developing capacity, then I believe all can go well,” the minister told members of the press.

He further explained that once the mechanisms at the administrative level were strengthened, then that will allow for it to trickle down to the athletes and would be to the benefit of sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“If the associations are weak, then the athletes would not be able to maximize their performance and their achievement. And if the athletes are weak then the association will be weak and therefore we have to ensure that at each level there is strength so that we can look at the overall development of sports and look to see how sports can be used as the vehicle for development and change in St Vincent and the Grenadines,” McKie explained. (DD)