LIME to the rescue

The Dominican team at the parade of athletes at the beginning of the games
The Dominican team at the parade of athletes at the beginning of the games

Telecommunication giant, LIME, has stepped in to assist Dominican athletes as they make their way home from the just concluded CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas.

Reports indicate that the group and the coaches were worried that they had no accommodation for a stay in Panama on Wednesday night.

But president of the Dominica Athletics Amateur Association (DAAA), Cedric Harris, said  LIME has put all fears to rest.

“LIME has come aboard big time for us and we will be accommodated in Panama, fully accommodated, in a hotel for the night,” he told Q95’s Matt Peltier on Wednesday.

He said the group will be picked up at the airport since ground transportation is also provided. “Our athletes will be treated with royalty,” he remarked.

Harris noted that when the manager of LIME Dominica, Jeffery Baptiste, heard of group’s plight in the Bahamas, he immediately called and offered assistance. “He (Baptiste) gave me a call and asked for our particulars, time we will be arriving and departure and that has been confirmed and he gave me all the necessary information that I need for when we get to Panama,” he said. “Everything is moving along smoothly.”

He further pointed out that an anonymous benefactor has given a financial donation which will assist the group as they return to Dominica.

Harris said the athletes are now breathing a sigh of relief. “When I gave the news that we are going to be in a hotel in Panama they acted with a big sigh of relief on their faces,” he stated.

The team is expected back in Dominica on Friday.

Dominica captured a total of four medals at the games. Shanee Angol, a student of the Pierre Charles Secondary school in Grand Bay, won gold in the U-17 Girl’s Javelin with a throw of 43.89 meters. Thea Lafond, a US-based athlete representing Dominica, secured bronze in the U-20 girl’s high jump with 1.80 meters.

Chelsey Linton took bronze in the Girls Outdoor Pentathlon Open with a total of 3,151 points while Lafond also captured bronze in the Girl’s Under 20 Triple Jump with a performance of 12.68 meters.

The team had encountered financial difficulties before leaving Dominica for the games. However, callers to Q95, led by attorney, David Bruney, pledged to assist and the Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC), donated $42,000.00.

CIBC First Caribbean also made a donation of uniforms worth over $4,000 to the team before they left Dominica.

The CARIFTA Games were held from March 29 to April 1.

A total of ten athletes represented Dominica.

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59 Comments

  1. December 25, 2013

    There is perceptibly a bunch to

    realize about this. I consider you made various good points in

    features also.

  2. Righteous
    April 4, 2013

    My comments were censored I guess. The problem lies with the President of the DAAA.

  3. Yes Fada!
    April 4, 2013

    Noble gesture… :)

  4. Jay
    April 4, 2013

    Do we have a Minister of Sports???

  5. Jah guidell
    April 3, 2013

    Can we have the names of all participating athletes?
    More power to all sponsors.. When will our govt put their money where their mouth is. Choops!!!!!!!

  6. Mamizoo
    April 3, 2013

    Whoever is scheduling CARIFTA games should set the dates 1- 2 months before a general election. That would insure that athletes won’t have to sleep on benches at the airport or have to a good high protein meal the night before.

    Please don’t crucify me is s we like it. Ussaine bolt is invited to universities in Europe to do interviews and auditorium sessions. Ussaine Bolt on NBA allstar celebrity events. I f the government can’t lead the charge in grooming our athletes to become Bolts and positive publicity for Dominica then we might as well vote preschoolers I to parliament. Every television appearance or international event that bolt does is worth millions of dollars in advertising for Jamaica nt withstanding the money Bolt himself makes.

    • April 3, 2013

      Well said. They need to put their money where their mouth is .then they run their mouths about this generation is the worst .

    • ??????
      April 4, 2013

      Carifta is for Dominicz alone nor? What if all the Islands want it before their election? Is election once a year?

  7. ?
    April 3, 2013

    While LIME saved the day for the athletes, I am unsure whether they should receive bouquets for the gesture. Why did it have to get to that point for them to step in? As far as my understanding goes, LIME was a sponsor of the CARIFTA games. So why wasn’t LIME Dominica onboard from the start?

    • anonymous2
      April 4, 2013

      Good question. Lime seems to sponsor just about everything.

  8. an observer
    April 3, 2013

    hats off to lime, but i really would like to ask mr harris, what is his purpose as president of that club. is it the ministry of sports and the government that take care of the group or the club. to many times we wait last minute and when things go wrong we try to but the blame on someoneelse. it is the president to find out the necessary port of embarkation and disembarkation, and the necessary documents for the athlets before departing to their distination. you can not give the children hope that they are going somewhere and when you arrive at one distination you finding out your don’t have the proper document to continue, that just not making sense. you mean if lime was not there the peoples children would be stranded in midair, then he would call on matt to make another radiothorne to assist our children to come back home? you did not do anything to raise funds, you get dominicans to do that and you still did not have enough and know that you had to over night in panama? Sometimes we want post and can not handle it. Mr Harris it is not the first time our children had have to endure that situation and is not the government fault. As an organization, before departing to another country you must know all the facts and conditions of that place.

    • Humility
      April 4, 2013

      My lady or gentleman these are some of my questions. I really cannot understand that whole situation.

  9. sports teacher
    April 3, 2013

    I am so not surprised at all this.The ministry of sports and sports division are a waste!All they do is set up fixtures,run inter schools competitions and that’s it!no development for students nor teachers. Some of those who work in sports division are there because they were fed up of being in the classroom;ran away from doing lesson plans,classroom management,writing of tests etc. Hearts off to you athletes but to excel, you all need to go abroad. Talent and skill is wasted here!

    • Observer 2
      April 4, 2013

      From what I heard on the radio from both ends, I feel like you have it wrong.

      I believe the buck stays with the Association. They need to have things worked out properly…from start to finish. You need to do the preliminary things…like early budget, fundraising whether you are going to raffle or go to donors, go early to these people and plan accordingly as it relates to travel. You need to know where you are overnighting and the costs involved.

      If you do all your preliminary work and nothing works then you can make all this loud noise but not if you are wrong…pulling on the heartstrings of the public.

      The public must then ask for a break down after the Games…last year, I remember the same loud cry and they did get money from both Government & Olympic Committee..more than was needed and nothing was said after.

      So if Mr. Harris knows the movement..then he needs to work early…hope this is not repeated…

      And everything, Dominicans make it political..what Skerrit and them have to do with that?..this is public servants that have to work (in terms of approving monies etc) but requests need to be submitted on time since the Treasury does not operate now for now.

      Hope for better next year.

      • just a suggestion
        April 5, 2013

        I couldn’t agree with you more. Its about efficient admin, planning and time management. They need the services of a really good Administrator with fund raising experience plus excellent communication and negotiating skills. This should ensure all relevant stakeholders are on board delivering what they say they will,in terms of assistance.

        This situation must have been very demoralizing for our athletes, it should not happen again.

    • All the way
      April 5, 2013

      It is clear that you donn’t understand the issues here, with people like you as a teacher it is no wonder our students are the way they are and classroom management is out of control.It is no wonder intra secondary school sports is in the mess it is because people like sit and expect the sports division to do your work for you. They are not paid to do sports at the schools on a daily basis,you are paid to do it so get busy and find some work to do in order to ensure that the pupils at the various secondary schools are kept active so that they will stay away from negatives.Just maybe they might stop beating you all teachers in the school yards.The officers at the sports division were looking for upward mobility and also moved to areas where they could make a difference,the only thing is that since they exist the school system classroom management seems to be a mess under persons like you.You and your other colleagues who are dying to join the staff at the division are the only ones who see the division as a waste certainly not the athletes.Your cry is the typical sour grape mentality.

  10. LEGIT
    April 3, 2013

    y should the gov give my back pay money away when there is an athletic Association responsible for management and sourcing funds..i find alu crazy

  11. Truth to Power
    April 3, 2013

    Dominican athelets are under serious pressure. I witnessed young athletes practicing their runs on extremely rough, uneven grounds. Surface hard, baked from the dry season. Imagine the risk factors of damaging ankles, legs etc.

    Who cares? How much does it take to provide athletes with an athletic track? $27,000,000.00 for a State palace is more important? Who cares even if their own children receive such treatment in their quest to honestly represent their country? How much did a certain entertainment venue receive from our Treasury for renovations? Money that could put an athelitic track in place for the youths to develop? The youths are seeing, hearing, feeling the pressure, the neglect,the injustices being done.

    • Hmmm
      April 4, 2013

      Why it is important for track…don’t get sidetracked? Find out where Asafa Powell them trained and sometimes still train….the same looking facilities like us…don’t get things twisted.

  12. anonymous
    April 3, 2013

    Who organised the travel agenda? Was it a one way ticket to the Bahamas? Was this a last minute change :?: :?: :?: If there were no changes to the original agenda,where is the money for accommodation in Panama.The president should explain before praising Lime.

  13. Morihei Ueshiba
    April 3, 2013

    Is skerrit in Dominica?

    • April 3, 2013

      never stayed in dominica he dont care abitskerrit

  14. Aye Dominique
    April 3, 2013

    This is such a shameful situation and in all of that the ministry of sports remains mute.

    Don’t know why we would even question the rise in antisocial behavior by our young people. We do not encourage their participation in positive activities like these, so what do we really expect. I am not making excuses for criminals, but government must recognize and accept their responsibility to provide opportunities in which both the young and old will thrive. A country where one feels suffocated and hampered by economic and social challenges will produce nothing less but broad daylight zombies and the rest will be history. You cannot tell the children there is no money to send them to the games after all this training and preparing, while they see all these politicians driving around in big SUV’s and building extravagant homes and living Hollywood style lives in little Dominica.

    This administration needs to take note. I know all of them got big houses with high fences but something tells me not even that will be enough to protect them.

    • Joe
      April 3, 2013

      @ Aye Dominique, if you stop listening only to Q95 you would have heard Trevor Shillingford, Sports Cordinator on Kairi explaining the procedures involve in spending (in that case receiving)Government money, he was on a full hour educating listeners.

      Contrary to what you may hear, there is alot of beeauracacy involve, you cannot wake up Friday morning and request $50,000 from government and expect the checque to be forthcoming on Monday morning because your group is flying out on Tuesday morning… It doesn’t work that way and we must not encourage such poor planning.

      The Minister of Sports do not control the government coffers, she nor none of the Ministers including the Prime Minister has a cheque book that allows them to write cheques against the account of the Government of Dominica!

      The DAAA Manager MUST come much better than that next time… SMDH

      • Reader
        April 3, 2013

        True that Joe! From a young age I was taught the 5 Ps: “Proper planning prevents poor performance”.

      • jamal
        April 4, 2013

        Isnt this event held every year? Both should come together to ensure that this does not happen again.

      • Nac Vibes
        April 4, 2013

        Red tape? funny how there is no red tape in the red clinic.

      • Aye Dominique
        April 4, 2013

        Yeah Joe, I don’t think you know the government service better than I do, I’ve been there and done that. I do not need Trevor Shillingford to tell me, I know exactly how it works and how cheques are prepared and I do know for a FACT that if the Ministry of Sports had any desire they could assist and get a check prepared in as little as 15 minutes.

        You people thnk that everyone who contributes on here is lost somewhere in the diaspora nd is clueless of the operation of the country.

        I say shame on the ministry and minister for sports and by extension the government of Dominica. I hope the young voters are taking good note.

    • yes
      April 4, 2013

      Q95 will never give you a balanced view. The people gave a couple days notice to ask for $50,000. Now give me a break.

  15. April 3, 2013

    If they are in the Bahamas, them someone explain why they have to go through PANAMA to head back to Dominica. SERIOUSLY DOES NOT MAKE SENSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! we voting labour out next elections.

    • April 3, 2013

      @frm da northeast,I live in the U S I have Bahamian friends when they need to travel certain country in the caribbean they go through the U S and these countries have international airport I guess if they hold a u s visa they would had go through the u s ,and Bahamian doesn’t require visas to travel to the u.s

    • Malgraysa
      April 3, 2013

      Seriously, I have that same question. The Bahamas are in the Caribbean but the route the team took to get there takes longer, and costs more than to fly from Dominica to London. There must be a logical explanation but so far I have not seen or heard it.

  16. April 3, 2013

    just want to big up lime dominica in a special way in comming to the assistance of the dominican athletes what the sports minister cannot able to do am very dissapointed with them congratulation is in order to shanne angol again in makin not only her self proud but dominica and her parents proud and to the others athletes you did very well as nuff respect to coach bazil as well as president harris you will always be a great leader nuff respect and one thing i must say luan is not only the dominican athlete we had others as well but is good to see shannae miller did well as as the other athletes they all run other 23 seconds why couldn’t she do that but she’s dominica princess or rather miss sensational .

  17. grell
    April 3, 2013

    great job bro.

  18. my oh my
    April 3, 2013

    I know we do not have much in Dominica, but at times and events like these I do not think we should depend on government. If everyone who can afford give 50 cents it will go a very long way.

    Thank you lime and the other generous sponsors.

    Dominicans make your presence be felt at the airport on Friday. Turn out in large numbers to support these young people. I can already see the gates to grand bay being locked

    • Lookit
      April 3, 2013

      Some of u need to be ashamed of urself. After things so personally tight with people you still want people to take 50 cents the dont have to put o a side for what? And do t wait for who? Smh. But I guess is that DA come to. For medicals check Mat I the morning, For t ravel ticket for team Dominica , check Mat in the morning. for money to sender child to school, doh worry, Dominicans will give with a willing heart check Mat in the morning. see all what Mati. The morning can do for us. On the off chance that Mat decided to contest elections I wonder how many of us he supports so willingly will do the same for him.
      It takes a special breed of people to live in Dominica. We mighty special.

    • Bold
      April 3, 2013

      yeh we should depend on the red clinic. Who else should athletes ambassadors depend on, their parents who themselves are either living from hand halfway to mouth or parents depending on red clinic treatment. How much lad must lime and digecel carry. If the people are broke the private sector cannot be doing well either .

      Keep allowing your tax dollars to go into supporting those milking the cow and not proving grass nor sy for the cow.

  19. Doc. Love
    April 3, 2013

    The Minister of Sports receives approximately ten thousand dollars a month, apart from being a mother, I understood that their were athletes from Grandbay and knowing the inconvience the girl athletes had to go through,atleast she could make a small personal donation. If general elections were around the corner,money would flow on the athletes,especially those from Grandbay,like the Roseau River.

  20. old school
    April 3, 2013

    Why is the government tight lip about that,is it because they got support through Q95 and genuine concern citizen or are they so partisan that they think that these Atheles are uwp children,i doe get it.

    • hmm
      April 4, 2013

      The government is not tight lipped. You only listen to Q95 and that’s your problem right there.

  21. BAFOOON
    April 3, 2013

    alas…that is next level eh too

  22. Tri-State Beauty
    April 3, 2013

    I want to thank LIME for stepping up and giving dignity to these young athletes on their return home. It would be remiss of me not to thank Matt Peltier and Q95 for shedding light on their plight and allowing the public to come out and assit.

  23. Bold
    April 3, 2013

    Next level . What else can I say. public Works is on the brink of shut down, DSC teachers cyan get paid, nothing is going right . Athletes on their own – no proper sporting and training facility but hey we have a president mansion, politicians with millions hidden in banks, passports going wonky Dinky , birth certificates forging renky Denk. Go Da go

    • vanassa
      April 3, 2013

      I with you 100% where is the polician when we need them.

  24. Lord lord!
    April 3, 2013

    LIME is doing what our government won’t do. Why do we need this bunch of A**H***s anyway. Shame on them.

    • Anonymous
      April 3, 2013

      If our government had done what Lime did you all would say is show off, remember the last time, sackway no medication people. :mrgreen:

  25. dee
    April 3, 2013

    thanks lime even i can breathe a sigh of relief!

  26. 2Cute
    April 3, 2013

    Thanks Lime…

  27. simplicity
    April 3, 2013

    While tis is appreciated, it begs the question – Wy wait till last minute to put everyting in place.

    I know for a fact that Carifta provides some sponsorship but why is the association not raising funds throughout the year.

    we cannot always depend on donation, we need to get off our “hinees”. god help those who help themselves.

    • OMG!!
      April 3, 2013

      If you listen to the news, you would have known that this was an unexpected expense. The team had to spend an extra night at the hotel. Jeeze u ppl!

      • missmyhome
        April 3, 2013

        So they did not budget for unexpected cost… well thats not good budgeting at all…

    • Jimi Henndrix
      April 3, 2013

      That is exactly what I was thinking. They took people’s children and almost had them stranded in Panama?

      • Anonymous
        April 3, 2013

        Unexpected!!!!???? The question is why was it unexpected? Is it because of poor planning?? Lets get to the route of the problem. The Organizers should known exactly what documents are needed when traveling, including transit stops. These rules do not just show up from no where. We have had these transit issues in the past but we are not learning. Their should be a special individual designated to find out about these issues because, clearly, the travel agent isn’t going to tell. It’s all part of the planning process. Good job to Lime for stepping up.

      • Dohtinkso
        April 4, 2013

        Jimmy are you for real?

    • Sprinter
      April 3, 2013

      ‘I know for a fact that Carifta provides some sponsorship”. What sponsorship does Carifta provide? Please state. Since I was responsible for getting teams out of Dominica at some point for the CARIFTA Games, let me state that Carifta does not prvide sponsorship to countries to get their teams to the games. At one time under the leadership of the late Teddy McCook, Past President of NACAC, lime provided help as they were major sponsors of the games. I am not sure what level of sponsorship lime provided for the games this year other than, thankfully, the gesture just made. Every country is responsible for getting its team to the games. Yes, fund raising is important but these same funds must be used to host track meets, help pay buses to transport athletes to meets, etc, etc. As it relates to travel routes, one of the biggest issues faced by athletic officials re:travel arrangements is that many of their athletes do not posses American visas. To ask the DAAA to try to secure these visas for the athletes would be an added cost as now individuals have to fly to Barbados for the interview process. The DAAA is doing what is can, but under no circumstance should a team leave Dominica with athletes to represent Dominica without all travel arrangements made. If for cost reasons, the team number must be cut, then so be it, but all plans should be in place before departure. This was deinitely poor planning.

    • Reader
      April 3, 2013

      My sentiments exactly! Fund raising needs to be a year round priority. Organizers need to know what games they will attend and the estimated cost per athlete to attend. Let’s stop doing things half a$$. I mean, how do you take people’s children out of the country and not have all the particulars of the trip. What message is this sending to our young people?

      Thanks Lime for coming to the rescue!

  28. Malatete
    April 3, 2013

    I’m often a critic of Lime but must admit that this gesture is not only generous but will help the development of athletics in Dominica and win Lime new friends. This is far more beneficial than sponsoring just another “jump up”. Thumbs up Lime.

    • too late
      April 4, 2013

      But Lime is an official sponsor of carifta games….in fact they came on board late if you ask me.

  29. D/a guy in antigua
    April 3, 2013

    I should be in Dominica to take part in welcoming them back in a big way hearts off to them God bless them and am asking the people to go out and be part lets love our young people.to all Dominicans one love

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