By Tyrone James
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) national junior track and field team returned home on April 23, after representing SVG at the 2019 Junior CARIFTA Games in the Cayman Islands over the Easter holidays.
The team won 3 bronze medals. Ulanda Lewis won bronze in the women 100m and 200m (U17) and Randal Roban won bronze in the men 800m (U20) events. Moreover, Ulanda Lewis is now the youngest athlete to have won a medal for this country at the CARIFTA Games and also the first athlete to win more than one medal at any CARIFTA meet. Were these achievements not worthy of congratulations? When one compares the conditions under which our athletes, as opposed to their regional counterparts, have to train and compete, to win any medal at any external meet speaks a lot to the abundant talent in this country. Alas, if only…
The silence that welcomed the team from official circles was deafening. Recall last year the efforts made by the Minister of Sports to be at the AIA to meet and greet and for his photo opportunity with the athletes. So what happened to this year’s team? Are they not deserving of support? I know they did not win a gold medal but our young people must be supported and we can’t wait until they are successful to be at their side.
In contrast, the Prime Minister found himself in Parliament extolling his political interference in sports, suggesting that the best junior athlete in this country was victimised and he had to step in to save the day. He attempted to justify his political interference by stating that the athlete won all his races in Grenada. According to the Prime Minister, he was informed by Minister of Sports Cecil McKie and the Minister of Health, Luke Browne that, an exceptional athlete, was not chosen for the Grenada team and as there were not enough time to organise support through the government “… I put my hand in my pocket to provide to send money … to the young man’s family”.
The nation later learnt the embarrassing truth, that the claims made by the two honourable ministers were incorrect. The facts did not support their claims of discrimination. It would appear that the goodly gentlemen were so eager to get at TASVG that they grasped at what appeared to be an opportunity without a proper check of the facts.
The team has since participated in the CARIFTA Games and that particular athlete was not part of it. TASVG has a policy of sending athletes to overseas meet to provide them the opportunity to meet the selection standards. Despite being sent to the CARIFTA Trials in Trinidad, that athlete did not meet the selection standards. Where are the politicians now? Will they now provide that athlete with further support? What explanation can the coach provide for this? Will he again blame TASVG? There is a selection committee in place. Would they now receive the brunt of the attacks against TASVG?
This is not the first political incursion by Gonsalves and the ULP in sports, especially in track and field. In 2015, Gonsalves made a commitment to two athletes (who incidentally were twins), and assured them of sponsorship support, after, according to him, they had a falling out with TASVG. He further said that until he arranged the sponsorship he will “take the money out of his own pocket” (sounds familiar?). Where are those athletes now? What happened with the promised sponsorship to those athletes?
It appears more than passing strange that the only time support for sport is manifested by Gonsalves and the ULP is when they think it will work against TASVG. Perhaps this was the motivation for Minister McKie to hasten a reception at the AIA last year when the TASVG team returned with two gold medals and an overall 5th place ranking at the Games.
In their 2001 manifesto, the ULP promised Vincentians that they will construct a national stadium. On the heels of this promise, the ULP announced in Parliament on Dec. 4, 2001 that Ralph Gonsalves had acquired some $4 million dollars from the Libyan government towards the construction of the stadium. On April 17, 2002, the nation was told that the stadium was estimated to cost $15 million. On Feb. 28, 2005, this nation was again told that US$21 million was allocated to the national stadium. On March 22, 2005 the ULP again promised (again) in Parliament that they will construct the stadium. In 2018, Gonsalves said the cost of the stadium in 2008 was $56 million. In 2018, McKie surfaced at a photo op and again promised this nation a stadium.
It’s now 2019 and our athletes are again competing on grass track for the Inter Secondary Schools Games and other major national championships. After 18 years we are no better off than we were in 2001.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Minister of Sports Cecil McKie, and Minister of Health Luke Browne should hang their heads in shame with their lack of performances in sports. McKie is an absentee Minister of Sports. He cannot be found to offer any substantial support to sports but is only present when a team is successful. He is now the Minister of Photo Ops.
Gonsalves boasted of putting his hand in his pocket for sports. The CARIFTA team participated in the Cayman Islands, did Gonsalves, McKie or Browne put their hands in their pockets to support the athletes? Did they consider making funds available from the government to the team along the same lines as they wanted for the individual athlete to get to Grenada? Did the National Lotteries Authority provide assistance to the team, in keeping with their mandate for sports?
What exactly then is the ULP’s legacy in sports?
Once again, broken promises and shattered dreams are the sum of the ULP’s overall legacy in sports. Ralph Gonsalves, Cecil McKie and Luke Browne should hang their heads in shame.
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Our greatest “legacy of shame” is surely that we have allowed ourselves to be brainwashed into believing that the government is the salvation for all our wants, needs, and problems.
It is time for us to shed ourselves of this childish illusion and get up and get for ourselves. In particular, these athletes need to raise their own funds and beg for support from the private sector.
I cannot argue with your comment C. Ben. The problem is that other governments around the world do assist athletes to make it to competitions; and a great winning athlete usually always gets funding. I know of a woman that from SVG that would have been one of the world’s greatest Rugby stars, already accepted for the Canadian National Team, but she was forced to return to SVG and sell peanuts on the street, live in a small storeroom in someone’s basement because she did not get any funding.
Our ULP lieing of what they do or will do should not surprise anyone. I can think of many times they have lied and it never made it to any news outlet. lieing is the craft of politicians and we have a few that are so good at it that they could even compete against the US Democrats in lieing. As James H. constantly mentions, the Freedom of Information promise by the ULP. That could be the most harmful lie (promise) ever told by this government. I remember that in the last election a politician said he would do the most extensive roadworks in SVG history. Well….we are still waiting, where is this work?
Yes, We as a people are very stupid to believe it when any government says they will fund so much. a person voting should first ask, “Where will the money come from?”…A coalition of the willing? I would rather listen to a government that is modest in spending but I am in a minority because those that tell the biggest lies always seem to get elected, especially in SVG.
Ben what is the presedence set by other countries? . By participating they bring honor and prestige to their countries and worthy of their financial support. The athletes themselves do not benefit financially unless it’s one that has an international presence. According, they should be seeking public assistance.
“Honour and prestige” can’t feed a hungry belly.
Why should we pay to send athletes overseas to compete when we don’t have the money to send our sick people overseas to receive life-saving medical treatment?
Let’s get our priorities straight.
You sound like you are from 2019 B.C and not 2019 AD, why not suggest getting proper medical facilities here in SVG instead of sending persons outside every time they become sick. Every other progressive and developed or developing country in the world invest in sports for its people.
It is simply a part of a nation’s cultural development and state of well being for its citizens
I have to agree with C. Ben this time It is more important to take care of those that have life-threatening ailments than to give money to athletes. Nevertheless, the government should stop making promises they never intend to keep!
The issue here is not only the ULP government what about the NDP opposition shadow sports minister, the schools, communities or athletic clubs did they go to welcome back these young ambassadors.
We need to take a page out of the Jamaicans book. Their athletes though it may not be all of them get some perks from being involved in competitiive sports. Sports inclusive of athletics can open avenues for scholarships for these (svg) youngsters, atleast they are doing something positive by not getting involved in drugs, gangs and crimes on a whole.
It is time enough to improve our sports facilities thereby giving young people more avenues to excel in the sporting world. Businesses in SVG need to give back to the community in the form of sponsorship and mentoring programs. They are certainly not doing due diligence to assist in guiding the younger generation of the country. The government alone cannot do it all even though they can or should try to do more.
Congratulations to all the athletes you have made us proud.