Cabinet has approved the Anti-Doping Policy for the fiscal year 2009 and steps are being taken to prepare draft legislation to adopt the policy and create a National Anti-Doping Commission in T&T.
This was revealed by Finance Minister, Karen Tesheira during her 2009/2010 budget presentation in parliament last Monday.
She said that the objective of this policy was to protect the athlete's fundamental rights to participate in a sport that was free from drugs in order to promote fairness and equity for athletes worldwide.
Tesheira said that in 2010, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs would continue to be a dynamic, customed-oriented and policy driven organisation that briought all stakeholders together to promote youth development, total participation and excellence in sport.
She said that the ministry would continue to implement sporting programmes to promote the participation of more than half of the country's population in sporting and recreational activities under the vision 2020 goal.
"All citizens will have access and participate in a sporting or recreational activity in keeping with the 'Sport for All' philosophy," she said."
Tesheira said that in 2009, new policies were implemented which would come into effect in 2010.
"Of particular reference are the guidelines on the disbursement of grant funds, youth and sport activities, and an anti-doping policy.
"The objective of this policy is to provide grant funding to groups, organisations and individuals in support of their programmes and activities that foster youth development, assist national youth and sport organisations and other related entities to implement institutional and capacity building projects, and to encourage structured entities to deliver programmes and activities that promote youth development and excellence," Tesheira said.
She added that Government's investment in sporting infrastructre over the years had contributed significantly to the ability of the citizenry to participate and compete in major international and sporting competitions.
"The Government proposes to promote the country as a venue to host regional and international sporting events. In a bid to increase T&T's chances of obtaining medals at International events, a task force has been established in the Ministry to develop a model for the development pathway in sport for primary and secondary schools," Tesheira added.
Among the infrastructual projects for implemention are the the construction of the swimming pool at the National Aquatic Centre, the National Tennis Centre and the National Cycle Track.