Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 16, 2022 (SKNIS): The overall health and well-being of athletes in St. Kitts and Nevis are a priority area identified by the government that must be improved for sportsmen and women to achieve their full potential.
During his presentation to the Budget Debate on December 15, 2022, Minister of Sports, the Honourable Samal Duggins, said that training in physical, mental, and emotional health as well as proper nutritional guidelines will be addressed in 2023.
“I am happy to say that apart from our monies budgeted here, our good friends from the Republic of Cuba have also agreed to support advanced training and education in the area of sports with the provision of some new scholarships,” Minister Duggins stated in his parliamentary presentation.
The availability of new scholarships came about following discussions between Minister Duggins and the Resident Cuban Ambassador, His Excellency David Rivero Pérez. Studies will be available in advanced sports medicine that will benefit physiotherapists and specialized medical personnel.
“They will be trained in Cuba and then will come back to enhance our sports sector,” Honourable Duggins stated, in an interview. The expectation is for some of the scholarships to be free of cost to successful applicants while others will be available at a reduced tuition cost.
Having local coaches and officials training in Cuba is also being considered. The programme will be modelled after a similar arrangement with Jamaica.
The Minister of Sports said that negotiations are ongoing with officials from the Cuban Embassy and statements will be made at an appropriate date.