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Gov’t has to take sports more seriously- Hon Fraser

- said he will continue to advocate for more Gov’t support for sports
Third District Representative and Leader of the Opposition Hon Julian Fraser RA has admonished Government for seemingly not doing enough for the development of sports and ultimately the youth in the Virgin Islands. Photo: Stephen A. McMaster
From left: Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) and Pastor Albert O. Wheatley at the 3rd Annual Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League launch on July 28, 2015. Photo: Stephen A. McMaster
From left: Opposition Leader Hon Julian Fraser RA (R3) and Pastor Albert O. Wheatley at the 3rd Annual Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed National Basketball League launch on July 28, 2015. Photo: Stephen A. McMaster
Hot action last year in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed League between championship team Bayside Blazers and Da Third. Photo: VINO/File
Hot action last year in the Hon Julian Fraser Save the Seed League between championship team Bayside Blazers and Da Third. Photo: VINO/File
DUFFS BOTTOM, Tortola, VI- Third District Representative and Leader of the Opposition Hon Julian Fraser RA has admonished Government for seemingly not doing enough for the development of sports and ultimately the youth in the Virgin Islands.

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.

22 Responses to “Gov’t has to take sports more seriously- Hon Fraser”

  • off to africa (31/07/2015, 18:29) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    Where is john?
  • W*F (31/07/2015, 20:14) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply

    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

    • Softball Player (01/08/2015, 08:21) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
      I have been playing softball for years with the BVI and I never could understand Why the hell the softball assn do not look for league and ball sponsors like every other association, they need to stop depending on government and put themselves out there and send in their begging letters earlier. This is the only sporting assn who wants the bloody government for these umpteen of years talking bout govt do not help them. Help your damn self. And when they have to go away they want gov.t to fund them .also come on raise funds to subsidise the registration and stop leasing the bar aand use it for yourself.
  • bvi (31/07/2015, 20:16) Like (5) Dislike (3) Reply
    That Minister for Sports killed softball. Not one dime for the natiomal sports, but the islandman sports, cricket and soccer, have his full support. Umpires are trying to keep the sport alive even though they are not being compensated
  • open wide (31/07/2015, 21:43) Like (7) Dislike (4) Reply
    Hats off to fraser and his league
  • nonsense (31/07/2015, 21:56) Like (6) Dislike (6) Reply
    The VIP Government has nothing to show they support sports.
    Fraiser needs to go sit down.

    As bad as NDP Government is VIP is even worse when it comes
    to sport.
    • bull ship (01/08/2015, 10:35) Like (2) Dislike (1) Reply
      The VIP built all the basketball courts and softball fields around here. Wasn't it the VIP who built the horse track? Wasn't it the VIP who wanted to bring drag racing?
    • BVISA (01/08/2015, 19:46) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
      We never run out of bslls and umpires got paid under vip govt though
  • Just saying (01/08/2015, 00:26) Like (8) Dislike (0) Reply
    If you want to get full participation from locals in anything put a white person in charge. I will give you a few examples to prove my point. (A) The annual dance fest. (B) The soccer league in the schools. (C) The previous baseball league for the youths. When the man left it died a slow death. (D) Cedar School Halloween Party. Just to name a few. They will work their butts off for others but not for themselves. Its a sad situation but if we want to bring back Basketball and Softball give white a leading role in them. Also put more of them on the Festival Committee. You will see wonders.
    • Ponder (01/08/2015, 08:57) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      You may just have a point there. First of all we need to know what our entire Sports Strategy/policy is then we can proceed. Progress people, progress.
      • Just saying (01/08/2015, 12:22) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
        They had Coach Mike here working with kids and sending them to States. He had connections with camps which my son and 4 others are attending this week.

        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
    • coach (01/08/2015, 12:37) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
      I just told someone in youth and sports that tortoians love white people.

      I'm glad I'm not only one see that
    • Ghost (01/08/2015, 22:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      You fail to realise these things aren't free. They are done by independent people and financed independently. Apart from the Cedar School Halloween Party, everything else you listed, the parents have to pay some sort of money for their kids to participate and for the uniforms their kids wear. No one kicks up a storm for that but the minute government or some government official does something, every body think government should pay for the whole things and no one should have to pay anything. I understand that not everyone might have the funds but if everyone paid a five dollar fee, maybe the softball game would not have been cancelled because of balls.
  • TOTAL (01/08/2015, 12:47) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    We have the perfect individuals to do the job right here in the territory. We need to stop shunning our young people because of their age and give the opportunity to fail or succeed. You just don't put someone in a position at yours affairs because they experience. Experienced in what? Patrick was a waste of time. Paul and dean are just sports reporters that aren't seeing the bigger picture, the Brenda lady really. There's numerous individuals that came back from school on sports scholarships that are also doing paperwork within offices. Find them and put them where they would be more effective.
  • my two cents (01/08/2015, 15:11) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    Ok this is about the hon julisn fraser save the seed league its not about saving the world
  • Forbidden Truth (01/08/2015, 17:30) Like (4) Dislike (0) Reply
    Five young ladies put the VI on the map in the Ukraine two years ago in the WORLD YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS and this government not offer a stipend/or scholarship of any kind to any of them. Shame, shame shame. Yet the play the politics with their success.
  • ... (02/08/2015, 10:42) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Blah blah blah


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