President: Keith Joseph
Secretary: Alexandra Walrond
Treasurer: Jacintha Ballantyne
P.O. Box 1644, Kingstown
St. Vincent, West Indies
Tel: 784 457 2970 ● Fax: 485 6412
Email: [email protected]
Track and field athletes, coaches and aficionados are all very keen on the fact that before their very eyes a national stadium is being constructed at Diamond. For many, this is the realization of a long-held dream.
Already, coaches have begun conceptualising strategies that would allow them appropriate use of the facility to bring them to a higher level of preparation or regional and international competitions.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines is one of just a few Caribbean countries yet to have its own synthetic track. The others are Anguilla and Montserrat.
Six months into a new government, St Vincent and the Grenadines confronts a devastating economic reality and sport has been a political plaything for 24 years. This column examines the chronic indebtedness, the Cricket World Cup 2007 debacle, the NLA's bypass of the NSC, and the expired Diamond track licence. A critical look at why sport has never been a pillar of Vincentian development and what must change.
Vincentians have watched with envy as the likes of Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda, all of the OECS, produced athletes who proudly mounted podiums at World Championships and other major events.
We are certain that with the ever-emerging array of talented athletes supported by eager coaches, St. Vincent and the Grenadines could soon stand shoulder to shoulder with the best of the Caribbean in track and field athletics.
TASVG commends the government of St. Vincent and the Grenadines for the construction of the national stadium and encourages the establishment of an appropriate management team that would allow for the facility’s sustainability for the foreseeable future.
We encourage parents, teachers, and coaches to work with the children, introducing them to athletics, our sport, and the world’s leading sport for individuals. They can all make St. Vincent and the Grenadines proud by serving up outstanding performances on the track and showcasing their growth as roundly developed persons.
Keith Joseph
President
TASVG
31 May 2020
