|
Karl
Senior Member
USA
914 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 19 2005 : 1:55:57 PM
|
Posted by: Huntress [IP: LOGGED ] - 122 active posts. 6/19/2005 2:30:55 PM This post has been read 2 times
Putting sport into economic mainstream
LETTER OF THE DAY - Putting sport into economic mainstream
published: Sunday | June 19, 2005
THE EDITOR, Sir:
LET ME first congratulate Asafa Powell and his coach Steven Francis for their magnificent achievement and world-shaking performance in Athens, Greece.
It is interesting to note that the accolades and the praises being afforded to Powell and coach Francis are not necessarily different from that afforded to René Simoes and the Reggae Boyz on their successful Road to France campaign. The success of the Reggae Boyz, however, failed to motivate the 'powers that be' to seriously invest in infrastructure for the development of football in Jamaica.
We would have expected to see that after the Road to France campaign, a concerted effort to develop a National Training Centre, properly enclosed playing fields at the parish and confederation levels, as well as an emphasis on the upgrading of our local coaches to international standards. If we were serious about the sustained development of local football, it follows that in order to repeat or maintain success in international play, the above-mentioned would have to be in place.
Similarly, in the case of our most recent world record holder, when all the hoopla is over, what would be the tangible benefits to track and field in Jamaica? Will there be a new track stadium, perhaps named in honour of Asafa Powell? Will there be the continued bias within high schools and society in general as it relates to the 'value' placed on the sportsman
or sportswoman vis-ŕ-vis that put on the 'educated' man or woman? Will we continue to view sportspersons as not educated?
POLITICAL MILEAGE
Unlike the case of the Reggae Boyz, we sincerely hope that the Government and private sector sponsors will move beyond accolades and acquiring political mileage to physically demonstrate their appreciation and commitment to the development of sport by 'putting their money where their mouth is'.
What is ironic is that these successes in both football and track and field have yet to signal to the power brokers of society that sport is an 'alternative industry' which, if properly nurtured, could address many of the complex socio-economic and political problems which often manifest in crime and violence.
Few persons will deny the fact that sport is an important part of Jamaican culture, and with a greater percentage of our population being young persons (under 25), the challenge we face in the area of unemployment cannot be resolved in traditional ways. We, therefore, suggest that the opportunity to bring sports into the mainstream of the economy is NOW. Let us not miss the boat this time.
I am, etc.,
IMAN BLAK
blaqnity@yahoo.com
Institute of Caribbean Studies
University of the West Indies, Mona
Via Go-Jamaica
The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next
|
Karl |
|
Putting sport into economic mainstream
