Premier refutes that gov’t doesn’t give Athletics Association funding
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has disputed assertions that the government has not been giving financial support to the BVI Athletics Association (BVIAA) over the last few years.
The Premier was questioned at a recent press conference about the government’s support for that entity and insisted that while he couldn’t give a figure of the total amount contributed recently, it amounted to a significant number.
“From 2019, I don’t want to give the exact figure because I might get it wrong, but from 2019 we gave tens of thousands of dollars,” the Premier said.
Dr Wheatley said it was also not correct that the Association had not gotten funding from the government over the last six years as was being alleged.
“When I was minister in 2019, I gave a huge contribution to the BVI Athletics Association and they also got a big contribution as well when they were going to the CARIFTA Games from the Tourist Board, through the Minister of Tourism,” he added.
In addition to this, the Premier said there are other monies which have been given to the Association over the years, a fact that can be researched.
Premier Wheatley recently noted that new categories of funding will be derived from the government’s money services levy, some of which will be used to support grassroots level of sports in the BVI.
“It can be put towards our elite athletes programmes and it’s for the Minister of Sport and the ministry to be able to manage how those funds will be spent,” Premier Wheatley noted at the time.
“From 2019, I don’t want to give the exact figure because I might get it wrong, but from 2019 we gave tens of thousands of dollars,” the Premier said.
Dr Wheatley said it was also not correct that the Association had not gotten funding from the government over the last six years as was being alleged.
“When I was minister in 2019, I gave a huge contribution to the BVI Athletics Association and they also got a big contribution as well when they were going to the CARIFTA Games from the Tourist Board, through the Minister of Tourism,” he added.
In addition to this, the Premier said there are other monies which have been given to the Association over the years, a fact that can be researched.
Premier Wheatley recently noted that new categories of funding will be derived from the government’s money services levy, some of which will be used to support grassroots level of sports in the BVI.
“It can be put towards our elite athletes programmes and it’s for the Minister of Sport and the ministry to be able to manage how those funds will be spent,” Premier Wheatley noted at the time.
