Governance Commission to be set up by Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee are to set up a five-member Governance Commission ©TTOC

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) set-up a Governance Commission tasked with creating a Sport Governance Code, they have announced.

Olympic sport governance expert Professor Leigh Robinson, head of sport studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland, has been confirmed as one of the five members of the Commission.

The remaining four will all come from Trinidad and Tobago, with discussions over the proposed members expected to be finalised at the end of July.

None of the members of the Commission will have a known affiliation to an Olympic sporting organisation within the country and they will be tasked with establishing a Sport Governance Code, which meets international standards regarding good governance.

The Commission was established by TTOC President Brian Lewis, who earlier in the year spoke of the importance of ensuring good governance of sporting organisations in the country, which he believes will help the sports to develop and the ethic to remain intact.

The establishment of the Commission comes while Jack Warner is being investigated regarding corruption in FIFA ©Getty Images

“Good governance of national sports organisations and national governing bodies is essential to ensuring the development of sport is in accordance with the ethics and values of sport,” he said.

“Given the role of sport within society to inspire and influence, the transparency, democracy and integrity of national sport organisations and governing bodies, clubs and sport based organisations needs to be assured.”

Lewis outlined that the Commission would begin their work on developing the Sport Governance Code in August, with the ambition to have it completed and included in the TTOC Constitution at next year's Annual General Meeting.

By writing the Code into the Constitution it is hoped that it will help to guide Olympic sporting federations throughout Trinidad and Tobago on how to govern their sports effectively and driving out unethical behaviour.

The establishment of the Commission and development of the Sport Governance Code comes at a time when one of Trinidad and Tobago's most foremost sporting administrators, Jack Warner, was indicted by the United States Department of Justice in their investigation in corruption within FIFA.