Olympic Affiliates Warned to Adhere to Deadlines

Saint Lucia Olympic Committee (SLOC) President Alfred Emmanuel has called on national federations to uphold accountability, emphasising that governing bodies must promptly report on funds received to continue qualifying for support.

On Saturday, the SLOC distributed cheques totalling EC$69,747.89 to six affiliate members to assist with upcoming or completed activities. This marked the first financial disbursement of the current quadrennium.

“Today is the first disbursement of assistance to our members,” Emmanuel said. “And we sincerely hope the assistance will go a long way.”

However, he pointed to a few points that must be addressed, cautioning affiliates not to take the SLOC for granted.

While the committee remains accessible for support, some federations delay submitting required reports despite repeated reminders, Emmanuel said.

“You have a stipulated time to report back and report back in a particular format,” he told them. “And lo and behold, at times we have weeks and months chasing members to fulfil that obligation.

“Let me say that through this quadrennium, we will not be chasing anyone to report and report on time. You don’t report on time, it simply means your association has outstanding business with the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee. And the penalty for having outstanding business with the Saint Lucia Olympic Committee is no further assistance until that outstanding business has been closed.”

Emmanuel urged members to treat the matter seriously to ensure all parties meet their mandates efficiently.

Breakdown of Disbursements

The largest allocation, EC$28,000, went to the Saint Lucia Athletics Association to support the national team’s participation in the upcoming Carifta Games in Trinidad & Tobago, where 22 athletes will compete over the Easter weekend.

The Saint Lucia Volleyball Association received EC20,000 to retain FIVB (international governing body) specialist coach Augusto Sabbatini, the Saint Lucia National Table Tennis Association was granted EC$20,000 to retain FIVB specialist coach Augusto Sabbatini and the Saint Lucia National Table Tennis Association was granted EC$6,823.25 to send a seven-member team to the 2025 Caribbean Regional Youth Championships in Barbados (April 20–26).

Two associations – the Saint Lucia Basketball Federation and the Saint Lucia Tennis Association – each received EC$5,000 for regional congress attendance. Additionally, the Saint Lucia Cycling Association was reimbursed EC$5,000 for regional congress attendance. Additionally, the Saint Lucia Cycling Association was reimbursed EC$4,924.24 from the SLOC’s administrative grant for prior expenses.

With Saint Lucia’s first Olympic medals, thanks to Julien Alfred in the 100m and 200m at Paris 2024, the SLOC is now focused on delivering an even stronger performance at Los Angeles 2028 – now less than four years away.