Small islands with big hearts at Pan Am Games 2007

Once more the other athletes did not live up to expectations and the question must be raised as to the effectiveness of the year-long training investment for two athletes
at the High Performance Training Centre, HPTC, in Jamaica and the six-month training for two other athletes in Trinidad and Tobago. Clearly Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines would have to review its development strategic options for the future. The recently launched Project 2012 may have come at the right time and one would hope that it would yield good results over its life span.

There is also an urgent need for resources to be made available for the adequate preparation of athletes, beginning with playing fields.

Of concern to us all must be the fact that St Vincent and the Grenadines did not have any other qualifiers making it to the Games. All of the sports being practised in St Vincent and the Grenadines need to re-focus on their respective development strategies if they are to impact the future. The Beijing Olympics are around the corner and thus far only Kineke Alexander has made the requisite standard. Some may suggest that there is still time for others to make the standards but it still requires great effort and application on the part of all. Basketball has already faltered at the Preliminaries earlier this year and is therefore ineligible. The other sports still have qualifiers ahead and must endeavour to give good account so that we can not only be present but proudly and successfully represented in Beijing.