 To congratulate her and to thank her for all her gifts and more importantly for her own perseverance and the development of her skills and to commit to her the support of the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the Olympics in the first case, which is in August in Paris. Well, since her appearance on last Thursday's Sportsmax Zone, where she detailed her financial struggles in preparing for the Paris Olympic Games, Chaviqua Maloney has been receiving the much needed support. In last week's interview, Maloney, the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines national 800 meters record holder, was almost brought to tears in expressing her current state of affairs. Being a professional athlete is not easy. I don't think a lot of people realize how much goes into being a professional athlete, especially in the US. I'm from the Caribbean. If I need some food, I can't go to my grandma's house and be like, I'm hungry. You know, can I get some food or every case is when you're up here. Most of the time you're on your own from coaching feet. Like I have not paid my coach and three years or so. And you know, this is America. If folks don't get paid, they don't, they're not going to work, you know. And so, you know, a lot of kudos to my coach for sticking with me despite everything. And, you know, he's not in it for the money. You know, he saw the talent and what I am capable of. And, you know, for him to, you know, be able to work with me despite, you know, not being able to pay him and stuff. Because I would like to pay my coach. Like he sacrifices a lot. You know, I don't have to pay to use the track or the weight room. I haven't paid my weight coach either. And so, you know, for both of them to still work with me despite all that. And to the university orchestra that still, you know, allows me to be around and use their facilities. You got to get massage therapies, supplements, chiropractor, food, living situation. I've been homeless for like a couple months. Yeah, I've been, especially last year, I was bouncing around from home to home right now. I was living like a dorm situation. So I'm happy for these people who allow me to stay here right now. But it's been hard. And, you know, I've had to put my trust in God. I really had to put my trust in God because when I started out this last year, knowing that I wasn't going to be able to work, I don't know what my financial situation was going to look like. One thing I knew, though, that I was going to put in the work. And after a while, I realized that's the only thing I had control of. And so when I came to practice, I worked, I worked so hard. Sometimes I couldn't even walk off the track sometimes. And, you know, in life, you got to make sacrifices to get where you want to get to. And I made those sacrifices, but I also had to make sure those sacrifices didn't, you know, just be in vain. And so I had to do the work when I got to the track and I did that. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonzalez has since pledged his government support for Maloney in a cabinet presentation. All I want to know is that in going forward between now and the Olympics, we have to take care of this young lady and see that she gets what is reasonably required. She told me a number which I wouldn't reveal between now and August. I told her to send me a detail. And in relation to the visa, which I know about and some people who are trying, but, you know, the U.S. visa authorities are problematic. Told her to send me all what has happened to Tassif at a particular level. There's a new person, there's a new ambassador who may be able to make some representation and talk in American ambassador. But she's waiting on certain words and we'll see how that goes. Last night, I called Camillo, who is in St. Kitts, who attended the OECS meeting, a meeting with the IMF, OECS heads meeting the IMF and also today there is a Eastern Caribbean Central Bank meeting. So I wanted to get from Camillo a report on those meetings. And while he was reporting to me, he said, you would expect a call from Jomo Kato from ECGC who had called him to say to him that ECGC wants to be engaged possibly in a sponsorship with Shafiqa. So I called him this morning and asked him to send for me what is, what they have in mind. Well, gentlemen, some much-deserved support coming for Shafiqa. Are you surprised at the attention this interview has garnered? Who do I go with first? Y'all decide. Well, I can't say we're surprised because we did suggest on Friday that, well, it was pretty clear to me that if Ralph Gonzales heard about this, which there was no way he could have missed it because it was live on Sportsmax and whether he saw it live or not, I know he watches the show from time to time. He would act and his response to me is predictable because he's a very proud prime minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the story presented by Shafiqa didn't look good for the country. And I don't think it is at all surprising that prime minister Gonzales has come out in the way that he has. We didn't present all of what he said at cabinet, but he did address the issue that he has known about her for 13 years now. And there was a proposal to him from many years ago to the authorities for some help for her. He didn't go into details. There are points in the presentation that prime minister Gonzales said he wouldn't want to go into some of the issues that surrounded her problems over the past 10 years or so, but suffice it to say that he was willing to look past it. Damage control is what he's dealing with now and he wants to make sure that her immediate future looks a lot brighter than the past two or three years has. Yes. So two things for me, Lance and Mariah, that I think I have to commend the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the prime minister Ralph Gonzales. One, the quick response. This interview was done last week, Thursday. The response came on Friday at cabinet. That for me is extremely important because one, the entire issue is time sensitive. Like every day matters in a situation like this because especially as it relates to the visa issue. And I said at the top of the show, my hope and I know it would be a miraculous one at this stage is that the visa issue would be sorted out for her to make it to the world indoor championships as much as I understand that is unlikely to happen. So I really do have to commend the quick response. What it says to me is that as soon as the prime minister heard of or watched the interview that we did with Shefika, he went into action mode. Yes. And for me, that says a lot. And I think that's a big man move. That's big leadership move. So I have to give a lot of credit to Ralph Gonzales as prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and the second thing because in watching prime minister Gonzales presentation, it became apparent to me that there is history. But I have to commend prime minister Gonzales for not going into too much of whatever that history is. I don't know what it is, but clearly there is. But to look ahead and to say, listen, it doesn't matter what has happened in the last 10 years, what is important now is that we have an Olympic prospect, an athlete who has the potential to be in the Olympic final, an athlete who has the potential to maybe even win an Olympic medal. And so from that standpoint, the important thing now is that we put everything in place to ensure and I love the fact that he says reasonably possible because everything has to be within reason. No, it's not just, I think because he's a politician, I think that's also important for everyone to understand that yes, support is needed, but support also has to be within reason. And even Shafika herself and her own management team cannot expect that all the assistants will come from the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and that there are some other avenues that they will have to explore in getting the full support that they require to get to the Olympic game. So I thought it was important that he mentioned within reason but extremely important from my standpoint that the focus now is getting her the help that she needs to prepare for the Olympic games. Yeah, and it's important that that point is made, Ricardo and Mariah, because as you mentioned, Ricardo, there is history here. Shafika Maloney is not new to Prime Minister Gonzales. He did mention in his cabinet presentation that he, her ability was brought to his attention many years ago by Mike Olivier, who the Calypsoanians would know as Lord of Mercy. That's his Calypsoanian name. And of course, he's also the father of the reggae star, Protégé. Some of our viewers may know that Mike Olivier, Protégé's son, and he has a musical background, but he's a solid coach who had been based in Jamaica for several years. And he was the one that had tried to propel Shafika's talent in her mid-teens. And it's obvious that because Prime Minister Gonzales knew of her growth from many years ago, he feels responsible now having seen what has happened in the past couple of years to address it as assertively as he can, and which is what he has done from the cabinet perspective. And to expand on the point that Ricardo was making earlier on, or earlier on last week when we were discussing this, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has not produced prolifically outstanding international athletes. We can think of Ezra Combs, Natasha Meyers, Kenyka Alexander, Paminus Ballentine, the outstanding marathon runner, who had made names for themselves internationally. So Shafika Maloney is now the latest in that list. And there aren't many who have come out of St. Vincent and the Grenadines over the years. So this is a special talent that the country has to propel and boost and support and give a platform so that she can acquire the help needed to give her best at the international level because she has a talent. There's no question about it. Right. And when Ricardo made that point to Shafika, she did mention the 800-meter runner. She spoke about Robon. Yeah, and Robon. And I also think, and y'all can correct me, Prime Minister Ralph Gonzalez had mentioned that athlete as well. And I think he also may be benefiting from this because I think because this has reached this level of public scrutiny, everybody finding out that one of St. Vincent and the Grenadines top athlete who, I mean, making an Olympics is not a baby feat. It's a big, big deal. And to represent your country at that level is a big deal. And of course, just at the quality of this athlete, I think it will trickle down because any other athlete that is of the same caliber like Shafika or close enough will get the attention now of the sporting bodies and the ministry in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Yeah. I also believe that there is a bigger conversation or a wider conversation that has to take place. And it is not just for St. Vincent and the Grenadines, but it is for a number of nations right across the Caribbean. And it is how you give assistance to your athletes and not just track and field athletes, but across several sports. And I think what has happened over time, and I know, for example, even in Jamaica, the issue exists. Even within track and field, a hugely successful sport in Jamaica. And we had a situation, whether late last year or early this year, where I think it was the hammer throw who came out saying that she was not getting any support and whatever the case might be. The bigger issue here for me is that on the part of the athletes, there is a lack of understanding of how they get support from one the government or their sporting organizations. And I think it is time that these sporting organizations or government entities make it abundantly clear to the athletes what they have to do to first of all qualify for support, what level of support they qualify for. And I think once we do that, and these things are made official, then we will not have a lot of the issues that we see from time to time where athletes come out and they are crying for help. And a large part of the reason for that is they don't know. Yeah, they're not aware. And I think making it aware is number one. Like many of them don't even know what help is accessible to them. And that's part of the problem. And if help is accessible. So let me, for example, use a Jamaican example. The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association will say they have said from time to time, we support athletes all the time. And I don't doubt that that is a fact. But do the athletes know how they qualify for support? Can I go on the website of the Jamaican Athletics Administrative Association or any other entity across the Caribbean? And I can see the criteria for qualification to get financial assistance. If that does not exist, then it leads me to wonder, okay, is this a friend thing? Because otherwise for me Lansomari, it does not make any sense. And I think it is the conversation that St. Vincent and the Grenadines must start having now. How do we formalize an assistance program for our sportsmen and women? You have Shafiqa Maloney now. You spoke about Handel Roban. There is Amal Glasgow, who is 19 years old. He's a tremendous talent training at Kingston College here in Jamaica. He's coming through the system. We've seen other St. Vincent and the Grenadines athletes in recent years have success in the Jamaican high school system. And I suspect a lot more of them will and a lot more of them in future will require assistance. They need to know how they can tap into the support of either the government or their sporting associations. And to take that just a step further, another discussion we have to have is the issue of, you see the Caribbean because of our economic situation is hamstrung by our infrastructure. But that doesn't stop the Caribbean from formalizing whatever assistance they do give. I'm not saying no to that but I'm going to the bigger picture now about what is actually available. Because in bigger countries where there is a lot more investment financially in sport and developing athletes, there isn't as big a problem. I say that the Caribbean has done tremendously well in producing world-class athletes given the financial investment because invariably what happens is government steps in when the athletes begin to have success. And corporate as well. That's the only time athletes get success. And they actually need the help before that, where there are the embryonic stages of development. In the Tokyo Olympics, Shafiqa represented St. Vincent and the Grenadines. She was the only track and field athlete. There were two swimmers there. So SVG were represented by three athletes at the Tokyo Olympics. And Shafiqa was the only track and field athlete. She carried the flag, I think she did. And that is already reaching to the top flight, getting to the Olympic Games. But I think there is a complaint among Caribbean athletes all the time that government, private sector and people who can help appear when they start having success and the help needs to start happening before that. And I understand that. That is normal, right? Because no corporate... I'm not saying it's not normal, but it's... No, but okay, Lance, just think about it. Corporate sponsors will support an athlete when they're doing well because you want to put your brand on a big athlete. I guess that. But I think we go back to the point that Eureka was making, where just a system, a startup, a reasonable startup for athletes that are just beginning their career or on the track of like making the Olympics. So there's that something like a stipend. So they don't feel as if they're alone because at the end of the day, you're doing this for your country. It's not a personal venture. I mean, even if it is, you're still representing your country at the highest stage. So it still goes back to the fact that you have this to fall back on. Yeah. And you have to formalize it. So if I'm an 18-year-old athlete and I've made a national junior team, is there assistance for me at that level? If there isn't and the assistance only comes when I've made an Olympic qualifying standard, then make that very clear. So I know when and where I can tap into whatever assistance is available. And I don't have to seem or make it seem as if I have to be begging for that assistance. I don't think any athlete wants to come on national or international television. It's actually a last resort. I am homeless. I am struggling. I have no money. I can't eat. No athlete wants to do that. Don't let them have to do it. Yeah. For me, I will always say that has to be a last resort. And that interview for Shafiqa must have been very, very painful. She also launched a GoFundMe account last year to assist her in continuing her pursuit to become a professional athlete after her student visa in the USA had expired. Her goal was to raise $45,000 and it is just over $15,000 with donations coming since her Sports Max zone interview. So that made me smile. Happy to see that. Of course, she got some assistance. $15,000 is some help. And building. Yes. I think it's building. Yeah. It's building. But you know what bothers me is the fact that we even had to get to this point. Like I wish it didn't reach this point. Yeah. But also I think that's part of the reason we are here as media and we have the opportunity to help in ways like this. I will also say quickly that Shafiqa had put out a statement saying thanks to all those who have been supporting her. But in that statement, she's also directing individuals to her local management in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Here it is to take charge. That's Renita Peters-Maris. Because as you can well appreciate, she still has to be preparing. And so she doesn't necessarily want to be the one dealing with all of this at the moment. She still has to remain focused on preparing to compete and to do well. And so she's asking you to get in contact with her manager if indeed you want to help. And I think that's important to allow her the space to compete and prepare while we assist. Yeah. All right. Let's take a quick break here on the Sports Max zone when we come back. Time for sleep time.