Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis sees opportunities for the growth of the sporting industry in Trinidad and Tobago and says the onus is on the various national sporting organisations (NSOs) and sporting bodies to attract sponsorship and investment.
Lewis welcomed Monday’s...
Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Brian Lewis believes that Thomas Bach's Opening Ceremony speech at Sochi 2014 was at odds with Rule 50.
The German International Olympic Committee (IOC) President opened the Winter Games in the Russian city with a call to "build bridges" to keep people together.
Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) President Brian Lewis believes that Thomas Bach's Opening Ceremony speech at Sochi 2014 was at odds with Rule 50.
The German International Olympic Committee (IOC) President opened the Winter Games in the Russian city with a call to "build bridges" to keep people together.
"Olympic Games are never about erecting walls to keep people apart," Bach said.
"Olympic Games are a sports festival embracing human diversity in great unity.
"Therefore I say to the political leaders of the world - thank you for supporting your athletes - they are the best ambassadors of your country.
"Please respect their Olympic message of good will, of tolerance, of excellence and of peace.
"Have the courage to address your disagreements in a peaceful, direct political dialogue and not on the backs of these athletes."
Russia faced criticism in the run-up to the Sochi Games, in particular due to the country's treatment of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
Lewis, also the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, has called for the IOC's Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter to be scrapped.
It states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas".
Rule 50 is now under increasing pressure with athletes around the world more keen to make their voices heard.
This is particularly the case after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in the United States, and the global rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Writing in the Autumn edition of The insidethegames Magazine, Lewis said: "The IOC has already shown itself to be capable of moving with the times and even leading change in some cases.
"At Sochi 2014's Opening Ceremony, President Thomas Bach gave a powerful speech about the need for tolerance and anti-discrimination as he stood atop the podium in the Olympic Stadium.
"It was a brave choice in the face of Russia's anti-gay laws.
"It was the right choice.
"Bach spoke at a critical moment at the most-seen podium of the Olympic Games, in Russia, to clearly speak out against social injustice in the country and elsewhere.
"His was a deliberately political act, a defining example of the importance of free speech.
"Bach's speech was also a clear and welcome demonstration of the Olympic values being articulated.
"But, as political propaganda, it was also prohibited under Rule 50."
Lewis said that Rule 50 has racist roots after black sprinters Vincent Matthews and Wayne Collett were banned from the Olympics for life at Munich 1972.
Matthews invited Collett to climb up from the second step of the podium after winning 400 metres gold, with the pair looking around and speaking as the anthems were played.
Collett then raised a fist as he returned to the dressing room, with Lewis since leading calls for the IOC to pardon the pair.
The IOC has asked its Athletes' Commission to gather responses about possible changes to Rule 50, before an Executive Board meeting in December.
Sports marketing expert Michael Payne, who spent 16 years at the IOC, believes the future of Rule 50 is not a decision to be rushed, however.
Also writing in The insidethegames Magazine, he said: "IOC President Thomas Bach has rightly turned to his Athletes' Commission to seek their thoughts, and they have spoken to the national Athletes' Commissions around the world.
"What initially looked straightforward has started to seem more complicated.
"The magic of the Olympics is their ability to pull humanity together, with different languages, traditions, religions and political views all promoting harmony amid diversity.
"It is exactly that diversity which now presents a conundrum.
"The Olympics are not a national event, targeted at one given culture or nationality.
"It is a global event for all cultures.
"And what might be acceptable in one region may be interpreted differently in another."
Payne added: "Rule 50 was never intended to stifle debate on any topic.
"The IOC has often been at the forefront of many of these debates and athletes are not forbidden from speaking out.
"Each country may issue different guidelines, but from the IOC's perspective they are free to express views at press conferences, mixed zone interviews and on social media."
The articles by Lewis and Payne can be read in full in the latest edition of The insidethegames.biz Magazine here.
Hampton Athletic Club president Noel Hyland passed away on Wednesday.
National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) president Ephraim Serrette told the Express Hyland was very committed to athletics, and will be remembered for his passion for the sport.
Hyland, who was described by Serrette...
Brian Lewis is the President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) and the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC). He has 32 years’ experience in sports leadership, and has established a reputation as a creative and insightful thought-leader.
Prior to assuming the presidency of the TTOC, Lewis served on several committees, including marketing and finance, and worked hard to secure sponsorship opportunities. A strong advocate for diversity and gender equality, the TTOC launched the “Future is Female” programme under his leadership, which champions and advocates for gender equality at all levels of Olympic and Commonwealth sport in Trinidad and Tobago.
Lewis holds an Executive Master’s degree in Sports Organisation Management (MEMOS).
TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis has called on national sporting organisations (NSOs) to brace for a further reduction in financial investments from private, corporate and Government agencies following Monday’s presentation of the National Budget.
The covid19 pandemic has crippled the international economy forcing the closure of several multi-national corporations and medium to small businesses.
Sport continues to be one of the biggest financial losers since the majority of tournaments which have resumed, after several months of postponement and cancellations, have done so without spectators.
While Lewis anticipates a challenging future for sport globally, he remains confident the Tokyo 2021 Games will get under way. However, he believes TT is expected to face a lengthy period of unwelcome change, owing to the covid19 pandemic.
“Sports in TT is in for a very difficult year, maybe even two years. With regards to the budget, I forecast some NSO’s will struggle more than others. It’s really going to be the strong who will survive.
“But I’m anticipating a tough, difficult budget. It’s not just only sport, it’s the entire country and all sectors. But I think that the NSO’s will be in for a very difficult period. Nobody anticipated covid19,” said Lewis.
Qualifying and preparing for an Olympics is very costly. Qualifier events, equipment, international travel, world-class training and experienced staff are just a few critical assets needed to equip an Olympian, much less produce a podium place.
According to Lewis, if there are dire financial situations regarding national Tokyo-bound teams, the Inter-national Olympic Committee (IOC) steps in to aid National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to offset costs towards athlete participation.
The TTOC, however, continues to develop multiple creative and innovative means of marketing and attaining sponsorship to help finance its national representatives.
“It’s also a sense of comfort from our (TTOC) part that the IOC will try to support the NOCs and their team athletes as best as they could with Tokyo 2021 in mind. The IOC will do what it can.
“The TTOC is very cognizant of the economic challenges the country is facing. We will be focusing a lot of effort, notwithstanding the challenges, on our marketing and working with our sponsors. It is a challenging environment,” he added.
Before the pandemic, several NSOs were already cash-strapped. The TT Football Association epitomizes this financial struggle having been indefinitely suspended by FIFA for failing to adhere to its statutes. Football and its stakeholders are now left to suffer while the rest of the globe presses on.
Lewis thinks the novel virus is testing the leadership capacity in TT and our creativity and innovation. He said the TTOC will continue focusing on finding opportunities amidst the medical crisis.
Although the future seems bleak, Lewis remains “confident.”
“I know the circumstances have proven very difficult for our athletes, those preparing and those already qualified for the Summer Games. The nature of sport is rising above adversities, failures and setbacks. I remain confident that we possess the necessary spirit, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit to rise,” Lewis stated.
He reiterated the TTOC has been very creative and innovative in their marketing efforts and must implement new strategies to capture the attention of the corporate world. The Lewis-led fraternity is still going ahead with several fund-raising events in the near future destined to churn out finances in aid of TT Olympic athlete development.
“Our (fund-raiser) events must be in accordance with the public health guidelines. We are working on a number of initiatives, some out-of-the-box ideas that are necessary given the current circumstances.
“In context of the budget, some NSOs will make it and some won’t. It reorders societies, communities and markets and shapes the new normal. Our priority remains the athletes. We will continue to work with the Ministry of Sport and Community Development and NSO’s, in particular the ones likely to make up the Tokyo 2021 Olympic team,” he concluded.
For sports to survive and thrive in Trinidad and Tobago, there needs to be a significant re-framing of the way how sports is perceived, toward an overarching belief that individual participation in sports is service to the country.
And to begin this shift, there must be a strategic pivot of the measure of sporting excellence not only from National Sport Organizations (NSOs) but also Community-led Sports Organizations (CLSO).
Magnifying the role, the amateur or recreational enthusiast has to play will greatly assist the achievement of that overall objective.
Sport is often viewed from a very narrow perspective, over-simplified to the pursuit of excellence through competition.
Do not get me wrong - the desire and aspiration of an individual to represent his or her village, club, school, and their country at regional and international level topped off by the pursuit of medals has an important role in instilling pride and acclaim.
But sports with such a singular focus on competition will only truly benefit select groups rather than the masses.
Now, it may sound cliche but there is a wider perspective that sports - by its very definition - can play a bigger role in the development of a society.
Sport: all forms of physical activity that contribute to physical fitness, mental well-being and social interaction. These include play; recreation; organised or casual sport; and indigenous sports or games. Participants may be motivated by internal or external rewards, and competition may be with others or themselves (personal challenge).
Let's differentiate and take an honest look at sport beyond competition at two basic levels.
The first is sports performance while the second is sports participation.
Numerous organizations operate under the mandate of sports performance. Rightfully or not, a large majority of NSOs fit this mould and their mandate can be recognised by their programmes, often geared towards identifying the next talent and qualifying that talent for the different stages of elite competition.
However, the number of well-run and active sports clubs and groups with a more grassroots and community development mandate has dwindled significantly today. Over the course of several years, many have suffered due to poor support and administration, but more so, wrongfully adopting the focus of exclusively developing talent for elite participation or sport for performance.
Through this approach young people are inevitably fed a narrow narrative, resulting in crushed dreams if no scholarship is attained or an innate feeling of failure if they do not achieve representation at the highest level. In turn, this often guides them away from the many more fulfilling and beneficial experiences available through prolonged participation in sport. - Good Health.
Involvement in sport is not an entirely euphoric endeavour. Issues of governance, abuse and corruption have plagued sports systems globally and T&T has not been immune. Therefore, the delivery of community sports programmes is required to be intentionally planned, designed, and executed to achieve the maximum positive impact.
Creating access to sport and sporting programmes for human and community development.
Like many businesses in the world, sports has not escaped the wrath of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sports activity in its traditional sense came to a complete halt with team sports taking the hardest hit with Government-imposed restrictions. However, physical activity such as walking, hiking, cycling continues to be the go-to activities for most. The more pro-active and innovative sports organisers among the population may find tremendous opportunity to successfully coral these participants - many of them totally new to these activities - into structured community-based “weekend warrior” type of groups.
While this period has restricted organised sport severely, it has simultaneously been a reminder that sport and physical activity is a celebration of what the body can do, overcome and excel in and is not reserved for athletes. Honestly, once you can move your body, you're an athlete. An athlete of life.
Sport has an undeniable role in assisting communities in developing healthy habits, inclusive of community connection, social inclusion and relationship building.
A monumental shift in our approach and mindset to the role of sport could lead to a healthy society, pushing it to the forefront of our country's national policy. This way, there will inevitably always be opportunities for elite performance.
In the recent reread of “Who moved my cheese”, Spencer Johnson, MD, tells a story of two little people and two mice, with NSOs being represented as the little people - slow to change and adapt to their environment - and perhaps community sport organisations as the mice - moving and adapting quickly to the changing environment.
This wave of change, the development of our sports industry, will swell through social entrepreneurship and grassroots innovation of community sports organizations.
Community sport organisations can maximise the talents of the university graduates being churned out at our university sports programmes over the decades and employing their ability to provide quality services and products for the communities.
A robust look at social entrepreneurship in sport provides an opportunity to build a healthier society through sport and physical activity.
Social entrepreneurship for sport requires 21st-century leaders - courageous and persistent in their pursuit to use sport as a tool for development and investments to enable such an environment to see economic benefits for our country.
I was elated to see the merger of sport and community development at the national level and hope it will increase the inherent value of sport to the community, making it more tangible to everyday people.
In that way, sports can play a dual role in evoking national pride, developing heroes but also serve the development of a very healthy society.
I am very curious and passionate about sports and physical activity as a tool for social development and will continue to offer a perspective to promote and advocate for the power of sports in the community.
Editor's Note:
Kwanieze John - IOC Young Leader & Sport Educator IBIS Sports Hub. The views expressed in this column are solely those of the author and they do not reflect the views of any organisation of which she's a stakeholder.
