[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he National Lotteries Authority of Saint Lucia was pleased to announce on January 30th that it would be contributing to the annual school sports programme.
Speaking at the event held at the Financial Adminstrative Centre, Pointe Seraphine, the Chairman of the National Lotteries Authority, Mr. Benson Emile, stated, “In this gesture we will be providing to 104 schools in total, which includes both private and public schools, not forgetting the children with special needs, who will have their own presentation.”
Benson continued: “Developing our youth and sports requires a strategy; it requires a plan to implement this strategy; it requires resources to execute that plan; it requires constant monitoring and evaluating of that plan’s execution. It also requires a critical assessment of the strategy from time to time.”
The National Lotteries Authority will donate $1,000 to each secondary school and $500 to each primary school in order to fund school sports activities for the academic year of 2017.
Honourable Prime Minister Allen Chastanet was present at the NLA presentation where he shared his thoughts on crime, and its effects on all sections of Saint Lucian society.
“When you do your research it’ll point to one thing when it comes to gangs: a failure of family,” the prime minister said.
“What does that have to do with sports?” he enquired. Answering his own question: “The Minister of Sports and I truly believe what is missing is more developed sports in this country. Putting money into sports is not a cost, it’s not a political favour; it’s an investment in our country. Both the minister and myself come from sporting backgrounds and one thing I know about sports is that it teaches teamwork. It teaches competition and not just the ability to learn how to win but how to lose.”
Minister for Youth Development and Sports Edmund Estephane, who also attended
the event, thanked the NLA and other stakeholders for their valued contributions to youth
and sports.
