Stakeholders Push for Stronger Sports Development

How do we build a stronger future for sports? The National Sports Council is travelling the country, gathering feedback for a new ten-year National Sports Policy and Strategic Plan. Today, the conversation reached Belize City, where athletes, coaches, parents and sports officials weighed in on everything from funding to leadership. According to Minister of State Devin Daly, one message is coming through loud and clear: the sports sector needs more investment and a clearer understanding of who is responsible for delivering results.

 

Devin Daly, Minister of State, Sports

“The people across the country, in the different districts, have been asking for more funding in sports. Clear, defined rules in terms of the NGBs when it comes to sport. The federations, the Olympic Committee, the NSC, the ministry. Everyone wants to create this pathway when it comes to sporting development, as should in 2026, so that we can identify who are responsible for what. In this new sports policy, we actually commissioned them to do the policy and the strategy and create some medium and also long-term goals along with some quick wins. I believe with the increased funding that this government has provided when it comes to sports, I think that we actually have a fit-for-purpose, I would call it, policy and strategy in place to actually create some positive yields. I think everyone wants to see sports rise to a certain level in Belize. We can agree, we’ve agreed actually across the districts that there has been some serious regression when it comes to participation of sports at all sporting levels and organization. However, I consider this a genesis. This is where everything has to start all over. And like what I notioned and urged everyone in the room, the sporting leaders across the country were divided. They are divided. And so we need for them to come together so athletes can actually see that camaraderie and togetherness so we can have a unified front. Because policies and strategies and all these fancy documents, they could just be that if we don’t have the actual movers and users being a part of it.”

 

The last national sports policy for Belize was adopted in 2016. Most of the recommendations were never implemented.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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