PARLIAMENTARY Representative for Gros Islet Emma Hippolyte wants to see more women in her constituency involved in sports.
Ms. Hippolyte spoke in an exclusive interview with THE VOICE as she reflected on the outcome of the various events which were organized in Gros Islet in 2014.
Asked whether she was satisfied with the town’s sports agenda for 2014, she replied: “Yes I am satisfied, but as you know football dominates sports in Gros Islet. At present we are working to bring the ladies in because I am not happy with the non involvement of the females in sports in the northern town. In the coming days the sports committee/management team will be meeting with the St. Lucia Netball Association executive to see how best we can bring the sport to Gros Islet, especially to the young ones”.
Ms. Hippolyte was asked about new sporting initiatives for 2015. She replied:“We will continue with what we have. In the past we have worked alongside the National Tennis Centre in terms of the Grassroots programme. We have had some changes in management so we need to sit again with the NTC to see how much we can expand the programme throughout the District. Secondly, we are looking closely at Beach Volleyball in particular. We have done some clearing by the bay and we are hoping with the assistance from the St. Lucia Volleyball Federation to bring the sport to Gros Islet”.
Ms. Hippolyte was asked about the annual Atlantic Rally for Cruisers at the Island Global Yachting (IGY) Rodney Bay Marina for the last 25 years, and what aspects of the event she believed needed to be improved upon? She said: “We want to see quite a bit of that experience emerging in Gros Islet Bay. We will sit down with the organizers, the St. Lucia Tourist Board, to see how much of that aspect can become a reality. It is not just an ARC in Rodney Bay, but an ARC in Gros Islet. I want to see some aspects of that prestigious event in the Gros Islet Bay.
“Leading to the ARC, we had a few events such as the flotilla which is a symbolic event that coincides with the commencement of the ARC in Las Palmas Gran de Canaria and the St. Lucia Mango Bowl Regatta. What I did not see was more grassroots people involved in the ARC and this is an area we have to improve upon”
