Sports administrators from nine Caribbean countries have begun a 21-day study tour of Australia to glean ideas on how to develop sport at community and elite levels in their home nations.
Caribbean government ministers and nineteen officials who received Australia Awards Fellowships– which are funded under the Australia Awards Program– arrived in Canberra on 5 July.
The Fellows will travel to Newcastle, Cairns and the Gold Coast to meet sports academics and administrators, including the successful bid organisers for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
The aim is to provide the officials with the skills, knowledge and networks needed to develop sport at home–both in their individual nations and regionally.
By the end of the program, the group will have learned about numerous topics including policy development, strategic planning, identifying sport and government priorities, and developing a funding system for sport and recreation. The group will also discuss how to establishment athlete pathways, from grassroots to elite programs.
University of Canberra sports studies lecturer Sandy Daley said the program is about sharing ideas and creating networks that promote healthier communities.
'Australia and the Caribbean face similar health issues associated with a growing culture of inactivity,' Ms Daley said.
In Canberra, the delegation met with ACT Minister for Sport, Andrew Barr MLA, and University of Canberra Brumbies CEO, Andrew Fagan, along with some Brumbies players.
St Christopher and Nevis senior sports officer from the Department of Sports, Vernon Springer, praised the visit to Canberra.
'Meeting all these people was key for me. Andrew Barr gave us a great overview of how to manage resources. It gave us a chance to tell him just how important the Australia Awards Fellowships are to the Caribbean,' he said.
'The Fellowship Program has been an outstanding personal development opportunity for me. It's given me an insight into things like better time management practices and how to deal with challenges. Visiting Australia has been a real eye-opener.'
Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Nevis, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and St Lucia were all represented in the group.
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Caribbean sporting officials from the Australia Awards Fellowship enjoyed meeting some University of Canberra Brumbies players. Photo: Michelle McAulay