SVG at multi sport Games in 2006
Still, given the level of exposure and the extremely high standard of the latest edition of the Commonwealth Games it was felt that the team was not entirely embarrassed.
Some suggested that the Games came early, March, and that it was not the best time of the year. Many athletes peaked much later in the year.
Generally though the excuses offered for the teams performance seemed lame.
It seemed that not enough effort had been placed on preparation for the Games.
It was clear that performances could have been much better if the teams prepared themselves for the level of competition expected at these Games.
After all the respective national associations would have known as many as six years ago that the Games were due to be held in Melbourne in 2006.
There is also a feeling that national associations need to engage themselves in long term rather than short term planning.
The CAC Games
The 20th Central American and Caribbean Games were held in Cartagena, Colombia, 15 30 July 2006.
The National Olympic Committee once more committed itself to having St Vincent and the Grenadines duly represented.
St Vincent and the Grenadines became eligible to compete in the CAC Games at the same time that it earned membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in early 1987. The latter membership also meant that the NOC qualified to participate in the quadrennial Olympic Games and the Pan American Games.
Since accessing membership of the IOC the NOC has ensured national representation at the CAC games in Mexico City, Mexico, in 1990, Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1993, Maracaibo, Venezuela, in 1998 and San Salvador, El Salvador, in 2002.
Our best performance at the CAC Games, the oldest multisport Games in the world after the Olympic Games, having begun in 1926, came in 1990 when Bigna Samuel placed 4th in the 800m behind Cubas remarkably outstanding, Ana Fidelia Quirot. Since then we have done precious little in terms of achievements.