Gov’t has to take sports more seriously- Hon Fraser
Speaking at the launch of the 3rd Annual Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League at the Save the Seed Energy Centre on July 28, 2015 Hon Fraser shared that sports is an important element of education and a major vehicle for developing the youth.
He pointed out, for example, the absence of gymnasiums, which he said is a facility in most schools nowadays but not in the Virgin Islands.
The Leader of the Opposition also stated that it was only Sunday last that he went to witness a softball match in Road Town but was disappointed to learn the game was cancelled because the balls were finished.
Further, Hon Fraser said he has often seen young people miss out on overseas sports engagements because they did not have the funds.
Other countries, he said, that have produced successful athletes on the international scene have done so through the strong support of their government. “And we need to take a page out of that book.”
“We need government’s participation. It’s going to have to be massive and it has to be done,” Hon Fraser said while noting that he will strongly advocate for it as an elected member.
Hon Fraser League here to stay
Meanwhile, Hon Fraser is confident that the ever growing in popularity Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League is here to stay, with one of his guarantees being that the Committee has run off two successful leagues before and has been able to attract sponsors, two of which were invited to the launch.
Present at the launch were Platinum Sponsors Digicel and Nagico Insurances who both pledged their continued support for the league.
“We are into a third consecutive season and by all accounts the league has grown.”
He also said the league has something that no other league has, which is the Save the Seed facility and noted that Bishop John I Cline, the founder of the Save the Seed Energy Centre, is fully in support of the league.
One of the questions asked was whether the recent elections campaigns had put a strain on the relationship between Virgin Islands Party Chairman Hon Fraser and Bishop Cline, with Bishop Cline being openly supportive of the National Democratic Party.
“Rest assured that if he [Bishop Cline] wasn’t one hundred percent behind this league we would not have been sitting in this room right now. Who campaigned against whom and against what is immaterial right now. That is not important,” Hon Fraser replied.
Meanwhile, Mr Albert O. Wheatley who represented Bishop Cline at the launch said the idea is to build the nation by building the youth. “Government, politics or anything should not get in the way of building our youth. We must be big enough to rise above this challenge and am confident to be speaking on behalf of Bishop [Cline] that we remain objective,” Mr Wheatley said.
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22 Responses to “Gov’t has to take sports more seriously- Hon Fraser”
So balls finishing at a softball game is Government fault? No wonder this place is #$&$#! WOW! People can afford to fund the spanish and other women's projects back home but when it comes to their home it's always Government. Hmmm
Fraiser needs to go sit down.
As bad as NDP Government is VIP is even worse when it comes
to sport.
He was the most professional and consistent trainer on island for the top program and because of lack of government support and corporate sponsorship he's gone. The children in his program are now suffering and the guys who claimed they are on his level truly are not. After watching them versus Coach they are not in same class.
Bring him back now before he signs contract with some other country
I'm glad I'm not only one see that