Tourism Minister Senator Robert Tonge has highlighted the importance of “Sports Tourism,” an initiative he said the government is looking at closely.
He was speaking on Kairi’s Heng Programme on Thursday morning.
“Sports tourism is something we are looking at, and we are hoping that the various associations they are the best ones to advocate and push these things forward, so we are opened to persons coming and speak to us, to see what projects we can put together with their help to promote sports tourism,” he said.
He continued, “Something is starting but it will be a good idea for the various associations to put plans together and come to us and let us discuss it and see which ones we can support.”
He stated that the Dominica/Guadeloupe Association is promoting cricket throughout all the French Caribbean islands including Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana.
“The intention is to expose cricket to the youth in the French islands and also bring them to Dominica…,” Tonge noted.
He went on to say that there were two teams in Dominica over the weekend playing cricket.
The good thing about all what we think and say about these kids is they keep getting paid for just talking S to Dom-in-cans like them self. One day these people well wake up to the world only a big JOKE my people its 2016 OMG
Oh really only now. Stop talking and start walking.
We have the world’s biggest obstacle course in the world already. It is called the Waitikubuli national trail. After we built it with EU money we improved it by neglecting it. Have you ever tried to walk even one section of it mr. Tonge? What? You are not fit? Just what I thought.
These statements can only be made because the ministers arent being held accountable.
For a start, the grand titled ‘sports tourism’ which he refers to is a basic cricket match. I really dont think we need a sports minister if this is the best that present circumstances allow.
It is really sad that we have no development, investment or continuity for those few credible athletes we’ve had on the world stage. It will be interesting to see how our representative athletes are selected for the next major world games.
I wonder if our team will consist of more officials than athletes?
Robbie, we have a Dominica swimming association but not even one international standard pool for competitions. The only facility we have for professional sports is the Windsor Park Stadium but that is really only for cricket and that is not the only sporty in the world or a leading world sport. We even have to engage mercenary athletes so we can show our face at the Olympics. We must build the facilities and simultaneously train competent athletes first.
Mr. Tongue, if you have nothing vital to report then please don’t state trivial things. The concept of sports tourism has been attempted before under various guises. However for your idea to work, we would need an efficient airline service, something that is far from reality now. Your focus now sir, should be on boosting the confidence of visitors and excursion providers in light of the previous tragic occurrence. Of importance too is a drastic need to clean up Roseau, Portsmouth, and environs.
It is about time these government ministers stop fooling the people of Dominica. How can he look at sports tourism, before bringing as many playing fields as possible up to international standards. Where is he going to play the many sports to make this venture profitable, in order to encourage international teams to come to Dominica. If he believes getting top stars to sing at the creole festival is the same as getting international professional athletes to perform in Dominica, the man must be more stupid than I thought.
Dominica is an excellent venue for marble hole sports
.We won’t have to build any new holes.Our roads are full of holes.
This guy is so ridiculous, that one wonders if he knows what he is talking about, when people exists with a blank or confused mind, one expect to term whatever the say senseless. Herr is a new terminology “Sports Tourism.” Only in Dominica, so that means that Tongue will have a cricket match played in Dominica, hence cricket lovers form all over the world will go to Dominica spending days at as time watching games of cricket.
At the same time he will have games of football, boxing hockey horse racing motor speed way racing; fencing, shooting contest, all of which are sports.
He personally will be in charge of the donkey, horse, race, and chicken fight too! I’ve never seen someone more desperate than this guy, how he manage to deduce such nonsense is beyond elementary comprehension!
Government is looking at what? This takes me back to the days when government told a lie: Lest’s say we need a toilet built; government would say “somebody want to do it;” but the person…
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Government is looking at what? This takes me back to the days when government told a lie: Lest’s say we need a toilet built; government would say “somebody want to do it;” but the person never have a name. They told Dominicans they could build International Airport for a fraction of what UWP was spending; because “somebody wanted to build it for them where is it after twenty years?
They even claim that “somebody in Dubai was going to build International Airport in Dominica, and operate until they make back the money the spent to build it, and then they would give it free to Skerrit and his government where is that International Airport?
Well we exchange it for Douglas-Charles swamp at Melville Hall!
I don’t believe you…already sounds substandard and uninspiring …sigh
Invest in sports for Dominicans, not for visitors, numbnuts.
First need to male a change, get a more competent and person who can work with others, sport coordinator.
Oh lordy lord here goes Lying Robbie again with bogus pronouncements. Trump labeled Hilary as “Crooked Hilary” and Marco Rubio as “little Marco” so I now baptise you LYING ROBBIE. I mean come on, is that the man Skerro intend sending up next election against Jo Issac
. The man is yet to do anything meaningful or say anything truthful to us but rather continues to fib and make excuses for the failed cabal. Let me say again, GO AWAY “Lying Robbie”, please GO AWAY! Cant believe I had so much confidence in you when you came onboard since you “appeared” to be a cut above the rest. 
Always Assertive!
Ridiculous
You know, Robbie is beginning to look like Aloe Bernard. Look at him closely. Trust they will go down the same road from Senator to ………………………?
Mr. Tongue if there is nothing to report, then don’t say anything at all. This whole concept of sports tourism has been attempted in various guises before. Besides for what you consider as sports tourism to work, we need a more efficient airline service. What you should focus on now, is boosting visitor confidence in lieu of what happened, and keeping Roseau, Portsmouth and environs clean.
here we go again, another spin doc….haha..
only zero results under labor..all sectors are dead, not sure how the people of dominica loved being fooled continuously…….and the sad thing the love the tricks and deception..
dominicans brought upon themselves this darkness only they can bring light back on!
whistler……….it was the dominicans diaspora who did this………………NOT the real dominicans who are actual living in Dominica.
And u weren’t at the stadium to give support. I don’t understand how you pexpletive operate. It’s like yup have all lost control of ur sensibilities. You though are particularly surprising as you don’t need state money…….
Sports tourism can only be successful in dry countries like Antigua and Barbados…rainy countries like Dominica would never be successful at that. Unless if is Water based sports tourism he referring to.
Oftentimes we read of many promising comments by members of the political directorate, and they love to end with the phrase that “Government is looking at it.” Of late I have come to realise that this phrase is often a BIG lie; a fib!
Robert Tonge you need to be fired!!!!!!!…This is boy doing a man’s job.
Sport Tourism is an excellent idea but in the context you want to development it is very mediocratic.
This is what I was waiting to hear:
1. The GOVT is going to create world class training facility for athletics/sports.
2. Establish direct links to top athletic institutions in the US , UK and Europe to develop, market our athletics. and the athletic/sport program
3. Get INTL successful trainers to work with local trainers for 2years and doctors with a focus on Sport Medicine.
4. The goal is to brand Dominica as a destination to get top sport men and women for the INTL market.
That is what I thought too. If the government believes in exporting a dying sport to a country is sports tourism, we are in for a lot of sousay cel.
Are you for real?
@Real!!!!!. Great responses, hope the minister reads them and if he did not have them on his agenda add them to it.
Exactly!!! They not looking to develop the sports on the island..but now they trying to make money off it. Smfh.
Well said
Thats all these guys do. Make statements and pronoucements. And nothing ever come out of them. Nothing to show. Aye Dominique!
They just grasping at straw, fooling the people making them believe they are doing things. all empty promises.
ideal……they will start to FOOL themselves one by one just Now…………let us PRAY honestly for deliverance for our country