Saint Lucia’s fastest woman, Julien Alfred, receives a diplomatic passport issued by the Government of Saint Lucia.
Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Hon Philip J Pierre, made the disclosure earlier this week during the Budget Debate.
He says this will facilitate her travels as she continues her sporting career.
“We will provide her with the necessary resources to continue her high-performance path,” Prime Minister Pierre said.
The 21-year-old ace-sprinter and University of Texas athleterecorded several new records since the beginning of this year, both in the indoor 60M and 200M and the outdoor 200M becoming one of the fastest female sprinters in the region.
Prime Minister Pierre says the Ministry has budgeted finances to ensure that Alfred continues to receive the very best training to perfect the craft and hopefully represent Saint Lucia at the 2024 Olympics.
“No more long lines when travelling anywhere in the world to represent this island. No more long lines when returning home to be with your family. The respect that you deserve will be given to you at airports around the world! You deserve this!” remarked Sports Minister Kenson Casimir.
Later this year will see the commencement of a semiprofessional football league in showing his Administration’s continued support for sports development on the island.
In addition, football players will be compensated to encourage them to remain disciplined and focused on sports.
“Pierre says, “This league will ensure that players who have the necessary skills and make the necessary sacrifices can be adequately compensated and also have hope of being recruited by international football scouts.”