New Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, Anil Roberts, says one of his first functions will be to re-open the Wallerfield Auto Sports Facility. The former talk show host was confirmed in his position by newly appointed Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on Wednesday night, at a function held at Crowne Plaza, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.
He will be officially sworn in today. Commenting on his appointment and vision in his new role, Roberts who was busy with his fellow People Partnership MP's surveying the damage done by flooding on Wednesday in Central and South Trinidad, first thanked Persad-Bissessar for making him one of her early appointments. "It shows that this PM is very serious about sport and youth development in the country. She made Sport a number one priority. Never before was a Minister of Sport given an appointment so soon after the swearing in of a Prime Minister. She did it after being named Prime Minister and the naming of an Attorney General, which shows the priority she has given sport." With regards to his approach to the task ahead he said: "We must have a multi-prong approach first and foremost."
The former national swimming coach who guided Olympic bronze medallist, George Bovell III, to his title, Roberts gained 9,541 votes to defeat outgoing Finance Minister, Karen Nunez-Tesheira who tallied 8,421 votes for the D'Abadie/O'Meara seat.
The 40-year-old Roberts' previous experience in government was as an advisor to former Sports Minister, Roger Boynes under the PNM regime from January 2002 until his contract expired in 2004. However he explained one of his major reasons for not renewing his contract was because the then Minister of Sport was making promises to the people of T&T and not fulfilling or implementing them. "Out of 54 concrete documented ready to implement plans the then Minister of Sport implemented less than half. "For me the final nail in the coffin was when he refused to take advice to torpedo the Tarouba Stadium plan, which I went through in detail and explained many negatives. "There was never any question of me being fired from the position. Even Minister Boynes stated on Radio Power 102 that I refused to renew my contract." The second Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup will be held in T&T from September 5 to 25 and Roberts said his Ministry will be giving full support.
"They (Local Organising Committee) were not getting the full support of the previous government but I want to make it clear that this will change. We have to ensure that we put on the best possible show for the world." With so many of the projects started under the previous Government being scrutinised Roberts said his Ministry will also have to put on pause all projects and allow for forensic audit.
"We have to allow some legal minds to go through the major principles of expenditure to make sure the people of T&T are getting value for money," added Roberts. Roberts also said as part of his long term goal he would like to see sport in T&T develop as a serious business and also for the establishment of Sports Tourism. Back in October 2005, the PNM Government through its agent Eteck (Evolving Technologies and Enterprise Development Company Ltd) had evicted the entire auto sport fraternity from its home of 40 years at Wallerfield. The eviction letter received on September 20 by the T&T Automobile Sports Association was for its removal from the south runway at Wallerfield in order to make way for the construction of an Industrial and Technology Park (InTECH).
However, Roberts said he will meet with the incoming Minister of Science and Tertiary Education to see if there can be some synergy with the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs with regards to the use of the facility at Wallerfield. "I think that both the Ministry of Science and Tertiary Education and my Ministry can work side by side which will allow for the racing facilities at Wallerfield to be re-opened. "It's the best available venue for our drivers to race and drive safely and I see no reason why we cant work together," added Roberts.