Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron Walwyn interacting with players at the opening of the 2012 Summer Jam on August 25.

Photo Credit: Gordon French/BVI Platinum News

Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron Walwyn interacting with players at the opening of the 2012 Summer Jam on August 25.

Photo Credit: Gordon French/BVI Platinum News

Pointing out the need for equal opportunity to be provided for persons living on the Sister Islands, Minister for Education and Culture, Hon. Myron Walwyn has given a commitment to establish a Department of Youth Affairs and Sports office on Virgin Gorda.

"We have to do more as a Government to promote sports in Virgin Gorda and the other Sister Islands," Minister Walwyn said during the opening of the Summer Jam basketball league on Virgin Gorda last Saturday, August 25.

He shared that he wasn't particularly pleased with the way the summer programs for the students who were not in school were conducted.

"We have to do more and I think part of the problem is because the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports is located on Tortola, so it is very difficult to administer that type of work form that far. It is high time that there is a Department of Youth Affairs and Sports on Virgin Gorda and I say to you tonight, it will happen and it will happen very soon because we need to be able to coordinate sports. We need to ensure that the same opportunities that our athletes have on Tortola, the Sister Islands have the very same opportunities as well and getting it organized through a Department of Youth affairs and Sports is very important," Minister Walwyn stated.

Following the announcement, President of Summer Jam, Trevor 'West' Stephens said that he welcomes the move and it is something that should have happened a long time ago.

"It will make it easier for a number of sporting organizations," Stephens stated.

Speaking to several sporting officials on Virgin Gorda last weekend, BVI Platinum News was informed that during a meeting with the District Representative and then Premier, Hon. Ralph T. O'Neal, the need for a branch of the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports for the island was communicated. The meeting was called by Hon. O'Neal to discuss plans for the recreation grounds on Virgin Gorda and included representatives from cricket, football, basketball and softball.

Officials stated that they also communicated the need for a functioning representative under the Recreation Trust and had pointed out the difficulties in having decisions made on Tortola for the use of facilities on Virgin Gorda.

Sports officials had also spoken to the ineffective running of the facilities and again alluded to everything being coordinated from Tortola as the major challenge.