BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE Solomon Islands National Sports Council Act requires all National Federations (NFs) to register annually with the National Sports Council (NSC).
This is according to NSC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alison Burchell, responding on behalf of NSC and its Board (Policy Position) to the ongoing issue of athletes being put on hold from accessing the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport (SINIS) High Performance (HP) Centre to train and prepare for upcoming competitions both regionally and internationally, more especially for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics in July.
Setting out some background from the NSC perspective, the NSC CEO clarified that the NSC Board is committed to good governance in its own operations as well as those of the National Federations (NFs).
Ms. Burchell told RAWSPORT that the Solomon Islands National Sports Council Act requires all NFs to register annually with the NSC.
“The Act sets out some basic information required annually, for example, any change in the NF’s constitution, a report on its activities and audited financial statements, minutes of the last AGM, and a report on any grant, technical assistance, or sponsorship received. As many of the NFs only operate in and around Honiara, the Board has also requested that the NFs supply a plan of how they intend to expand into at least five provinces by the end of the year.
“This will ensure that NFs are truly national in nature and that athletes and coaches in the provinces with the potential to succeed internationally are given the opportunity to be identified and selected for national squads,” she explained.
Ms. Burchell said that following this registration process will ensure that both the NSC and the NFs are compliant with the NSC Act.
“The government has invested a lot in sport by building facilities and hosting the Pacific Games last year. It was an enormous investment, prioritizing sport ahead of competing priorities like health, education, and the economy. The seriousness of the government’s long-term investment demands respect from other stakeholders in sports. This means we cannot continue with the same attitude towards sports. We need to respect and reciprocate what the government did to support us.
“The NSC Board made the decision for sports that do not register with the NSC not to access any facilities unless they comply. This is not to push athletes out. The decision was made to remind NFs of their responsibilities to their athletes, their sports, and the government.
“When NFs fail to comply with NSC requirements, they are failing their athletes; they are sabotaging the athletes from using the facilities; and they fail their sports because they are not doing what is required by their sports and required for good governance,” the CEO said.
Ms. Burchell noted that NSC wants NFs to utilize the investment made by the government to the full, and to utilize the government investment, there are conditions to comply with.
“When you run a business, you have to meet certain requirements. You have to register with Company Haus, you have to have an occupancy permit for your building, you have to get a business license from Honiara City Council, and so forth. It is the same with running a national federation; there are requirements to satisfy. The NSC is basically calling on NFs to satisfy these requirements demanded by the NSC Act.
“In deciding that if an NF is not registered, it is not eligible for support from the NSC, the Board also decided that, in view of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, athletes and their coaches who are likely to compete in Paris should still receive support from the NSC and SINIS to enable them to prepare for perhaps the biggest event in their lives,’’ Ms. Burchell said.