Arising out of the ashes of the dreadful trilogy
“In our society sports are a very important social construction. As sports continue to grow, they are becoming more integrated into the major spheres of social life. Sports have become an entity, due to the fact that they not only create entertainment and jobs; sports have become a huge platform for various causes (https://www.bartleby.com).
St Vincent and the Grenadines like the rest of the world has come to accept that sport is a critical aspect of life. In many respects, it helps determine who we are just as much as we contribute to the fashioning of sport.
It is therefore important to reflect on how sport can help Vincentians emerge from the impact of the dreadful trilogy that has wrought havoc on what we have come to know as our society. Covid-19, Dengue and the explosive eruption of the La Soufriere volcano have caused major disruptions in Vincentian social life. Many therefore wonder what the future holds and will Vincentians return to what can be termed, ‘a state of normalcy’.
The dreadful trilogy
COVID-19
Initially, the Vincentian sports fraternity did not pay much attention to the emerging illness labelled COVID-19.
Indeed, in St Vincent and the Grenadines, for a very long time, there was a rather nonchalant approach by all in the society to news of the illness. Everywhere Vincentians moved about without due attention. The international news reports were largely ignored as many thought that this was another passing phase, one that would steer clear of us and that soon enough, like so many other aspects of life, it will go away.
This continued well into the period when the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared that Covid-19 had attained pandemic status.
The adage, ‘God is a Vincentian’ was trumpeted all across the nation as we watched ominously the number of cases rise at the international level, in advanced industrial nations, and the death count started to mount.
The world of sport was soon enough impacted. One cation after another started to impose restrictions necessitated by the sheer numbers being infected and increasingly, of those dying.
The determination of just how the virus is spread went through several theories before it was agreed that the best preventive measures included the consistent application of basic hygienic practices in terms of handwashing and covering up while sneezing, the wearing of masks and social distancing.
For the vast majority of sports practised in St Vincent and the Grenadines, social distancing is particularly difficult. Additionally, several sporting organisations failed to adhere to the suggested preventive measures. Others were provided with guidelines by their respective international federations, Unfortunately, sporting organisations were never brought together by the authorities to discuss the pandemic. Instead, as happened with football, athletics, cricket and others sports, the leadership found themselves shaving to approach the authorities for permission to conduct sporting activities.
The fact is that the authorities did not initially appear desirous of taking on board the guidelines offered by the respective international federations for their member federations across the world. Thus, it came as no surprise that in our country, it was more or less that the health authorities imposed a ‘one size fits all’ approach.
Happily, many sporting organisations encouraged continued exercise and the practice of sport in wide-open spaces.
Dengue
The onset of dengue was predicted as far back as the early part of 219. Unfortunately, we did not pay enough attention and did not do enough to stave off the dreaded fever.
We recorded several deaths due to dengue before we had any death from Covid-19.
By the time dengue was impacting Vincentian society, we had already been in the throes of Covid-19 and so restrictions were already in place.
The authorities appealed for adherence to the measures aimed at preventing the mosquitoes from finding places to breed.
Admittedly, the sport was not particularly hampered by dengue. But that it emerged at a time when Covid-19 was spreading, put the brakes on sorting activities.
La Soufriere
Vincentians may well feel cheated by those who had information of the activities of La Soufriere volcano as far back as 16 November 2020 and kept it from the Vincentian public. The dispute as to where to apportion blame for what appears to be a major intransigence will continue for years to come.
The explosive eruption on 9 April 2021 led to the evacuation of peoples, thousands of whom went to established shelters and several others to live with friends and family.
Living in shelters is very uncomfortable and certainly not private. Having this as an option even as the country confronts the coronavirus pandemic while dengue is still very much among us, makes life all the more challenging.
International sports bodies
During the volcanic eruptions, many have been anxious to learn of the responses of the various national, regional and international sports organisations.
Suffice it to say that the international sports arena is not a level playing field.
Apart from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA is easily the most financially secure among international sports federations. It is for this reason that FIFA has been able to provide funding to its member federations to assist with Covid relief. Not many other international sports federations have been able to afford this approach.
The volcanic eruptions have caused much damage to St Vincent and the Grenadines and many have been displaced, temporarily. CDEMA has recently commented that having Vincentians in shelters should only be a temporary measure as these are not private and does not permit healthy lifestyles. Constructing new housing for the displaced must be prioritized.
Many international sports organisations have learnt from the Haitian experience of several years ago when that country suffered a catastrophic earthquake. Back them several international agencies hastened to assist, often tripping over each other and sometimes, operating at cross purposes. In the end, one is uncertain as to just how well the response to the earthquake was managed and whether it led to a better quality of life for the most affected.
In the aftermath of Soufriere’s latest eruption, several international and regional organisations have already arrived here, and many have sent assistance of one sort or another. They may be distribution issues, but a tremendous amount of support has already arrived and will continue in the short term.
Once things have settled, sporting organisations here must realistically assess their particular needs in terms of sports infrastructure and equipment. These can then be collated, and assistance sought from their respective international federations and the IOC, to facilitate the requisite rehabilitation and revitalization of sport in a meaningful way.
Arise!
Much has been and continue to be said of the resilience of the Vincentian people. We have seen this displayed on several occasions in the past and we are certainly seeing it all around us under existing circumstances.
In the initial phase of Soufriere’s explosive eruptions, the entire country was inundated with volcanic ash. This rendered breathing a challenge. Exercise and the practice of sport were difficult, even indoors.
But many of the occupants of shelters still occupied themselves and entertained themselves through playing board games, even as they tried to maintain social distancing, something was that not exactly readily possible in shelters.
As the frequency of volcanic eruptions started to slow, many in shelters have taken to the outdoor sports, seizing every opportunity to engage in allowing themselves to benefit from the exercise, the entertainment and the camaraderie.
Wherever the evacuees in shelters have been allowed to practice sport there has been a difference in their lives. The monotony and boredom are cast aside and the value of sport in enhancing people’s general well-being have been brought to the fore.
Many athletes are anxious to resume, not just the practice of sport, but their preparation for possible selection to national representative teams. Coaches stand ready to return to this aspect of their sporting engagement.
The Arnos Vale Sports Complex has several re-laid wickets that will be tested in anticipation of the re-start of competition.
The newly constructed national stadium at Diamond stands as a new catalyst for the nation’s leading sport for the past several years, athletics. Despite its incomplete status, the facility has already been host to training and competition that shows its potential to yield the stars of the sport, tomorrow.
The aforementioned dreadful trilogy that impacted us as a nation, can creatively become the latest reason to do better.
Our sports fraternity must seize the moment to harness the sport-technical talent we have in abundance, to work with our sports administrators, to craft a new, collective approach to sports development.
Now, more than ever, we must forge a pathway that is grounded in sport as a vehicle for community development and the harmonization of effort, energies and resources to build better sportspeople, imbued with a strong sense of national pride and purpose.
Now, more than ever, our sportspeople can and must commit to nation-building.
In a very real sense, we now have an excellent opportunity to get our sport development strategies fully aligned with those of the broader national development.
As always, we can choose to do otherwise and return to the disturbing historical antecedents that have in many ways detracted from the realization of our immense potential.
There is, however, every reason to believe that if we choose to strategically review, we can re-focus and refashion a new sporting St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The future of sport in this country has to be co-mingled with that of the entire society.
Sport is not an adjunct to national development. Instead, as the United Nations has finally come to realise, it must be fully incorporated in the Sustainable Development Goals whose target for global change is 2030.
It is time to shake the dust off of us and move forward with remarkable confidence rooted in our indomitable spirit of resilience.
