The Tribune

THE owners of the recently closed Sports Locker in the Town Centre Mall donated its inventory of sporting equipment to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for public schools and youth programmes in New Providence.

The generous donation was initiated by Happy Hall, founder of Youth Empowerment through Soccer International (YESI), who approached the proprietors of the Sports Locker to ask them to donate the unsold merchandise to the ministry for public schools and community youth sports programmes.

Hall shared the idea with Evon Wisdom, sports administrator in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and together they obtained the sports goods.

During the presentation of the equipment at the ministry yesterday,Jerome Fitzgerald, minister of education, science and technology, expressed gratitude to Hall and Wisdom for their efforts to acquire the products. He also thanked Sports Locker for its generosity, stating that their donation is an excellent example of public-private sector partnership in education and sports.

The minister also stated that he is always grateful when he sees individuals and organisations helping young people to advance in their sporting pursuits.

“I am always excited when I hear about donations of sporting equipment because it is very expensive,” the minister said.

Minister Fitzgerald also revealed that the government’s commitment to sports will be seen in four sporting complexes it will develop over the next four years in each district in New Providence. Each of the proposed complexes will have a swimming pool, tennis court, and basketball court and soccer and baseball fields.

The minister noted that the soccer fields will also serve as playing grounds for American football, a sport that the ministry is interested in seeing introduced in public schools.

Hall said he was delighted to assist in the effort to secure the donation. His soccer programme at the Gambier School was also a recipient of some of the items donated.

Other recipients were Mario Ford for the Mario Ford Inner-City Baseball League, Mrs Dawn Knowles, senior education officer in the Primary School Unit in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and David Johnson of the New Providence Youth Association of American Football League (NPYAAFL).

Each of the organisation heads expressed gratitude to the ministry and Sports Locker and appealed to other corporate citizens to assist them with developing youths through sports.

Minister Fitzgerald also expressed the government’s plans for sports development with Hall, who has already done a considerable amount of work with forming a soccer programme at the Gambier Primary School and also in Cat Island and Harbour Island.