Thousands of young athletes will descend on the territory next summer for the International Youth Games Invitational.
The games, scheduled for the first week in August, are anticipated to attract from 2,000 to 6,000 participants from cities around the world. This year’s competition was held in Birmingham, Alabama where 10 cities were represented.
St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John will each host events ranging from baseball, basketball, bowling, golf, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field and volleyball.
The biggest hurdle facing USVI Youth Games Inc., the organizers of next year’s event, will be funding. Gadol Wilson, chairman of USVI Youth Games Inc., has estimated it will cost more than $500,000 to stage the event. The largest expense, $212,160, will be housing off-island athletes. The second most expensive item at $114,000 will be to feed the competitors.
Organizers expect some $275,000 to be generated by entry fees. To compete at the V.I. games, athletes must pony up $195 each.
Sponsors and government appropriations are needed to cover the balance of the cost to put on the event.
Department of Tourism Commissioner-designate Michael Bornn said his agency will support the event by providing marketing and promotional assistance.
"This backing will enable the event organizers . . . to obtain numerous sponsors," Bornn said. "The Tourism Department’s new strategy is we’ll market and support special events, not fund them. Our marketing and promotional efforts will help the sponsor’s dollar go farther. We believe the burden of funding should be on the organization, not the Department of Tourism."
Teams competing at the Birmingham games were sponsored by companies like Cheerios, Coca Cola and Bell South.