Towards London 2012

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Every sporting discipline has a very long list of requirements in terms of equipment that it considers necessary for the individual seeking to become proficient in the sport.

Proficiency in the development of athletes goes well beyond the mere provision of the appropriate clothing and shoes. It involves working the equipment that facilitates skill acquisition in the various aspects of the sport.

Then there is the age-old problem of inadequate playing arenas. Basketball and Volleyball are indoor sports. No country serious about making progress can continue to have athletes prepared for basketball and Volleyball on the hard outdoor surfaces provided.

Athletics competitions are no longer contested on grass surfaces and certainly not on uneven grass surfaces with tons of sand serving as the base.

Boxing requires an appropriate home where the athletes have adequate room to work the different stations established for proper workouts.

Cycling requires a velodrome and opportunities to train on good road surfaces in an environment where their rights of access to road usage is not ignored by the average driver.

Table Tennis requires a home
as much as Squash and Tennis, where there are at least 10 or 14 tables available for training at any given time and where coaches can monitor the performance of the athletes.

Athletes in St Vincent and the Grenadines do not have access to any proper gymnasium that at once meets their respective needs and is affordable.