Reshaping the sporting scenario in SVG
Some time ago this column called on the then Minister of Education, Youth and Sport, John Horne, to go straight to the heart of the matter in respect of sporting development in St Vincent and the Grenadines by getting the job done and spend less time taking on the role of the politician by talking plenty.
Perhaps the message takes some time to get through to politicians who seem to take delight in talking plenty and in the end doing much less than they had promised.
Politicians seem too disposed to making promises as though it is an integral part of their respective portfolios.
Promises
At the opening of this years Cable and Wireless Netball Tournament the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, Youth and Sport, Glen Beache, took the most unfortunate decision to seize the opportunity provided him at the podium to engage himself in the political role of his predecessors.
Like those before him it appears that he felt it incumbent upon him to make some promises to the netball fraternity.
On Sunday last the Minister thought it necessary to highlight the promises relating to the transformation of the Arnos Vale Sports Complex, the National Stadium and the attendant facilities that are expected to be located at Diamond.
One wonders, however, what was the significance of these promises at the official opening of the Netball Tournament.
Clearly the nation would have heard and read of these promises for the past several years and there was nothing new added except perhaps the works that have been necessitated by the Cricket World Cup 2007.
For some as yet unexplained reason however, the Minister kept up with the offering of promises as though in and of themselves these promises have the capacity to make sense to people at the commencement of a tournament.
It may well have served the Minister and his entire Ministry much better stead to have taken the time to understand and appreciate what has been happening in the sport of Netball at the local level as well as farther afield and so offer some meaningful advice to the netball fraternity here by way of forging ahead to confront emerging challenges.