By Clint Chan Tack Friday, June 29 2007

SPORTS MINISTER Roger Boynes yesterday said former West Indies captain Brian Lara will be helping to develop a holistic plan to develop sport in the country and has no intentions of making a comeback to international cricket. Boynes also said Government supports the cancellation of the West Indies A Team tour to Zimbabwe, has approved $1.6 M for a National Youth Award Programme and hopes to have a National Youth Executive Council established by the end of August.

Speaking with Newsday after yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Boynes said he is currently in discussions with Lara to determine how the former West Indies skipper or his foundation will play a role in encouraging the development of sport in Trinidad and Tobago and greater youth participation in domestic sport.

The minister said preliminary talks centre around either Lara or his Brian Lara Foundation being used as a catalyst to develop sport in the country.

Boynes said Lara has made it clear that “putting TT first” in terms of sport development is top priority in his life after cricket.

Asked if this meant Lara had ruled out any chance of playing international or regional cricket again, the minister said the former West Indies batting maestro told him he only remained available to serve West Indies cricket in an advisory capacity.

Boynes said Government fully supports the decision taken by the West Indies Cricket Board to cancel the A Team’s tour of Zimbabwe because it was “very concerned” that the players security could not be guaranteed in that African nation. Grenada Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) also called for the tour’s cancellation on security grounds. During the news conference, Boynes announced Cabinet approval for National Youth Award Ceremony that will be held on August 12 (International Youth Day).

He said the purpose of the awards is to recognise the work of youths and youth-related agencies in several fields of endeavour from business to sport. The minister anticipated that over 1,000 young people will be nominated for these awards. Boynes anticipated that at least 130 youth and 20 community agencies will each receive $5,000 worth of units from the Unit Trust Corporation

(UTC). He added that the winners in the individual and community organisation categories will receive $10,000 worth of units from UTC.

Today, the Sports Ministry will launch an online database of 878 youth agencies that are registered with it and a National Youth Expo will be held on July 29.