Column for Friday 9 October 2026
SPORT CAN DO WITHOUT LIP SERVICE
In a recent programme on radio, this Columnist found it necessary to remind listeners that the old saying, ‘the more things change the more they remain the same’, is still very relevant when applied to St Vincent and the Grenadines. Unfortunately, this phrase can be applied to almost every aspect of Vincentian life. This can be stated without fear of contradiction.
In the realm of sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines we have had decades of politicians serving incessant episodes of ‘lip service’ to the nation about how valuable it is to young people. Much of what they articulate are delivered on political campaign platforms, ministerial addresses at sport events, budget presentations and arrival ceremonies for successful individuals and teams at airports. Review of the foregoing reveals a plethora of political platitudes that have no foundation nor justification in the sporting realities of St Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a grave disconnect between what is read or said and what is happening ‘on the ground’ in Vincentian sport.
History
On 16 December 2011 this Columnist penned a piece in the News newspaper that addressed in part, the important role of what is today the Arnos Vale Cricket facilities that enabled us to host international cricket under the aegis of the then West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WICBC), now Cricket West Indies (CWI).
Prior to this event, however, it was necessary to state, ‘the area now occupied by the E. T. Joshua Airport, constituted a massive recreational arena called the King George V Playing Field.
This was the venue of horse-racing and some cricket. Most of the football was played at Victoria Park, Kingstown, where it shared top billing with cricket.
‘However the very popular Cork Cup Cricket Competition, the forerunner of the current Windward Islands Cricket Tournament, was first played at the King George V Playing Field before shifting to Victoria Park as the Goodwill Series.
‘In 1960 the field was identified as the most suitable site for a new airport on St Vincent. In the perennial conflict for use of land, between recreation and economic infrastructure, recreation was again the loser.
‘The loss of the King George V Playing Field created a major vacuum in national sports.
In late 1966, after much consideration and conscious of the awesome nature of the task to be undertaken, local Cricket authorities agreed that the sixteen acres of land adjacent to the newly constructed airport at Arnos Vale could, with consistent hard work, be transformed into an adequate replacement for the King George V Playing Field.
‘It was the few far-seeing and committed visionaries who approached Premier Cato with the idea. The Executive Council readily bought into the idea and quickly approved the handing over of the area.
‘By Ordinance No. 22 of 1968 on 27 June 1968, the Legislative Council established the Arnos Vale Playing Field Board.
Administrator, Hywell George, later to become Governor, took on the leadership role of Chairman of the new Board. Frank Thomas, former captain of the national cricket team, was its Secretary.
‘Gideon Cordice, President of the local Cricket Association, made representation before the West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WICBC) at its meeting in 1969 for St Vincent and the Grenadines to gain access to First Class matches. The WICBC agreed that should St Vincent and the Grenadines establish a sound turf wicket in time, the country would be allowed to host a game involving the touring New Zealand team, in 1972.
‘Cordice challenged his Executive and the Government to complete the transformation of the Arnos Vale arena into a First Class sports facility.’
Interestingly, following the establishment of the Argyle International Airport, the then government found it almost ridiculous that this Columnist should dare to suggest that the area be transformed into a major Sport City’ for St Vincent and the Grenadines. Instead, the leadership touted its plans to create a second city for the nation. In 2025, work began on the construction of a new hospital. Perhaps this was to pit health ahead of sports.
The politics of this country’s leadership over the years has been that sport seems incapable of receiving much more than cosmetic attention when it is shown to possess some political currency for the ruling political party. The most recent examples have been the commence of work on the promised stadium at Diamond in 2025, and the upgrade to the Arnos Vale Cricket facilities ahead of hosting the Cricket World T20 World Cup in 2024.
Reviewing Vincentian history, sport has never been a priority for successive administrations beyond its political value ahead of general elections. So it is that sport does not have any ‘official’ symbiotic relationship with health in St Vincent and the Grenadines beyond mere political ole talk and occasional reference in token officialdom.
Some may recall that on 15 September 2007 the Caricom Summit on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (CNCDs) concluded ‘with the adoption of a fourteen-point declaration committing Heads of Government to collective action to stop the epidemic of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases.’
The declaration issued ‘a call for the mandating of the re-introduction of physical education in schools where necessary; provide incentives and resources to effect this policy and ensure that our education sectors promote programmes aimed at providing healthy school meals and promoting healthy eating’.It further stated that the governments ‘will promote policies and actions aimed at increasing physical activity in the entire population, e.g. at work sites, through sport, especially mass activities, as vehicles for improving the health of the population and conflict resolution and in this context we commit to increasing adequate public facilities such as parks and other recreational spaces to encourage physical activity by the widest cross-section of our citizens.’
It is doubtful whether any ministers and/or government officials can recall the foregoing commitment of the Caricom Heads, or the call made by then Prime Minister Gonsalves for the regional body to lead a ‘Wellness Revolution’ to strengthen the fight against CNCDs. Personally, it appeared that he could at least have shown some leadership by personal practice but that may well have been beyond him, if we are to judge by what we have seen through the years following his appeal.
Even as there is an official ‘Caribbean Wellness Day’ on Caricom’s annual calendar, most of our countries ignore it at their peril.
A few years ago, there was great haste amongst some of our region’s governments to introduce national movement institutions. That has fallen flat in most Caribbean nations, including here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Addressing the present
The small size of our country should allow for ease of communication as well as face to face meetings at which meaningful dialogue can take place and appropriate decisions taken. Somehow, in St Vincent and the Grenadines we do not appear willing to follow this principle.
It is important for us to understand politics and power in the nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines. Ascension to positions of ministers and high-ranking government officials is often treated as synonymous with accession to positions of power. The example of possession of power that is dominant in Vincentian and Caribbean political culture translates to a sort of benevolent dictatorship. The capacity to listen and make life one of continuous learning diminishes, and so too, easy communication., to say nothing of the perception that they now possess ‘all wisdom, knowledge and understanding’ of all things.
Since the new government has been installed following this country’s most recent general elections, there has not been a meeting of any government authority with the full grouping of national sport organisations. Indeed, one questions whether there has even been a meeting of all of the government institutions sharing even the most minimal authority in sport in the leadership’s own structure.
Most sport bodies in St Vincent and the Grenadines remain unaware of the policies, strategies, plans and programmes that have thus far been put in place under the new governmental administration.
On the campaign trails of both the previous and current administrations, the people of this nation were promised a consultative democracy in which transparency, accountability and engagement would feature prominently. That is yet to be realised beyond the lip service to which we have unfortunately grown accustomed.
There is no honeymoon in governance. Sport is an everyday affair. The matters of the country require constant attention and, for success, full engagement of the people.
The response to public desires for answers to promises made on the campaign trail must not be interpreted as cause for acrimony. Instead, they must give cause for concern and consistent self-evaluation, eager, informative engagement, shared decision-making and committed collaboration in the best interest of the collective that is St Vincent and the Grenadines.
If sport is to become a main pillar in the national development strategy, then all of its stakeholders must be informed and engaged at all levels.
Development if about people. Lip service can get us nowhere, in terms of a genuine commitment to building a nation.
Our leaders must resist the temptation to cite Mandela’s insistence of what sport can do for a nation if we have difficulty getting past lip service to the creation of a real commitment to nation-building.
Let the words of D Man Age be our mantra, ‘We have a county to build’. It is the collective, we, that must stand shoulder to shoulder to realise and sustain this goal.
We can do without the lip service!
