At Monday’s pre-cabinet briefing Minister for Youth Development and Sports Hon. Kenson Casimir announced the inclusion of the semi-professionalization in this year’s budget.
He says people have expressed their excitement regarding football players being paid to play for the first time in Saint Lucia’s history.
“In the budget, we will be discussing the semi-professionalization of football, people are very excited that for the first time in Saint Lucia’s history footballers will be paid to play football.” he says.
The minister reminisced on his younger days saying “I am jealous, I am the minister along with the prime minister pushing the agenda and I look back on my times waking up very early in the morning to get my forty-minute jog and then ball drills with coaches like Francis Baba Lastic and of course later on at the end of seventeen level with Stuart Charles and training so very hard and never being paid a dime.”
He says in this year’s budget it is expected to hear the prime minister’s pronouncement for the semi-professionalization of football in Saint Lucia.
Casimir says this serves as motivation for the youth as it gives them an alternative to being on “blocks”.
The minister added that with the semi-professionalization of football more avenues for career opportunities will be made available and will benefit the public.
“I think our young people can benefit from knowing that they don’t have to be on the blocks, they can come play some football and get some compensation and of course eventually you would see the physiotherapists, those who want to get involved in videography and the other aspects of sports entertainment could definitely benefit from that commercial activity.”
Photo: ef.com
