Vincentian athletes Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban will be receiving assistance on their athletic journeys from local businesses and the Government. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during parliament this week confirmed this.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that in the first instance, the Government will be sending significant amounts of money to both athletes.
“In relation to Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban, both of whom I know, Handal being from Byrea Hill, that I have been in communication with business entities in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and I can report to this honourable house that ECGC, and Coreas and the Government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines will be putting resources to the Olympic campaign of Ms. Maloney from this period right down until the end of August. I received the requirement, so to did ECGC and Coreas, it is not an insubstantial amount of money, but preparing for the Olympics is not a cheap business, and without making reference to the numbers, I can say that the Government will sending off resources, significant resources, in the first instance, to both Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban,” the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister said that he hopes that the funds can be transferred by as soon as Monday.
Shafiqua Maloney recently surpassed the 2024 Paris Olympic Games entry standard of 1:59.30 to compete in the women’s 800 metres.
24-year-old Maloney holds the 800m national record for SVG and represented her country in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Prime Minister Gonsalves said that a third company has expressed interest in providing assistance to the athletes.
