Political parties contesting the upcoming general elections are being asked to include sport as one of the growth poles and pillars of their National Strategy and vision for Trinidad and Tobago.
Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) President Brian Lewis has issued a call to the Political Parties to make Sport one of the key pillars of the sustainable economic and social development and future of Trinidad and Tobago .
"Include sport as one of the key pillars in policy plans for taking Trinidad and Tobago forward.
Give sport equal prominence as energy, crime, health and education."
Lewis believes that Sport has an essential role in building a better Trinidad and Tobago: a more inclusive and caring society .
"An important step would be to ensure there are qualified physical education( PE) teachers in every primary and secondary school in Trinidad and Tobago."
"Physical literacy is as important as numeracy and reading literacy. In the education system place physical literacy on an equal footing with literacy and numeracy."
Lewis backed up his view with supporting data from a recent TTOC-commissioned Solution by Stimulation Sport Sentiment Survey in which the pollsters found that 80 per cent of the population considers themselves sports fans while just over 70 per cent believe that with proper implementation and resources, 10 or more Olympic Gold medals by 2024 is a realistic objective.
"Those are significant numbers. Sport ought not to be undervalued by the policy planners, "Lewis concluded.