This was one of the major announcements relevant to the sporting fraternity made by Finance Minister Brian Kuei Tung yesterday as he delivered the 1999 Budget.
According to Kuei Tung, the government would be allocating some $504,000 through the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs to make the payment towards the fund implemented a couple years ago by the West Indies Cricket Board as part of a programme to develop players in the region on its own.
Earlier this year Grenadian Prime Minster Dr Keith Mitchell, chairman of the Caricom Heads of Government, had lamented the fact that not all countries­p;T&T included­p; had not yet delivered on their promise to contribute to the fund.
But the WICB will not be the only organisation or individual benefiting from financial support. World 200 metre champion and Commonwealth 100 metre gold medalist Ato Boldon will receive $518,000 towards his preparations for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney while the national Under-17 team currently gearing up for the 2001 World Youth Cup will get $378,000 to help with those preparations.