Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, the Honourable Phillip Watts, today presented more than $10 million in grant funding to athletes and sporting organisations, reinforcing the Ministry’s commitment to athlete development, institutional strengthening and sporting excellence.
The presentations took place at a Grant Funding Ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Funding was allocated across four major categories:
- 12 elite athletes: $2,562,500.00
- 50 individual athletes: $2,467,984.86
- 50 sport-serving bodies: $4,279,626.00
- Five national governing bodies: $1,329,974.00
Delivering the feature address, Minister Watts underscored the significance of the funding to recipients and the wider sporting community.
“Today is not simply about presenting cheques. It is about investing in preparation, opportunity and performance,” he said.
The Minister described the grants as both practical assistance and a vote of confidence in recipients’ potential, noting that the support could help meet essential needs, including training, travel, equipment, nutrition, coaching and programme development “You have earned this support through discipline, sacrifice and steadfast commitment to your goals,” Minister Watts told recipients.
Among the athletes awarded funding were Keshorn Walcott, Jereem Richards, Akeem Stewart and boxer Tianna Guy. The funding will support their training, development and competitive pursuits.
Richards was also the sole recipient of an award under the Ministry’s Rewards and Incentives Initiative, in recognition of his bronze medal in the men’s 400 metres at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland on March 21, 2026.
Minister Watts encouraged athletes to remain focused on their development and urged sporting administrators to uphold accountability and ensure that resources deliver meaningful benefits to athletes.
“Strong governance, responsible use of resources, sound planning and athlete-centred programmes are critical if we are to build a sporting sector that is sustainable, competitive, inclusive and accessible,” he stated.
Reaffirming his commitment to strengthening support for athletes at every level, the Minister also urged athletes and sporting bodies to submit funding applications early, allowing the Ministry sufficient time to assess requests and address needs ahead of competitions.
As part of its Sport for Development agenda, the Ministry disbursed a total of $19,420,624.00 to athletes and sporting organisations during the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
The Grant Funding Programme underscores the Ministry’s continued investment in athletes’ development, the strengthening of sporting organisations and the pursuit of excellence in sport nationwide.