The Ins and Outs of Vincy Sports 2020
2020 has been truly a year of mixed fortunes, largely because of the rapid global spread of COVID-19 through to pandemic status. As the year progressed so too did the pandemic.
While St. Vincent and the Grenadines has so far been spared the ravaging impact that the pandemic has wrought in most of the nations of the world, there is still much reason or us to be fearful, given the seemingly lax approach of the vast majority of Vincentians.
While St Vincent and the Grenadines avoided the harsh lockdown, we saw imposed on several of our Caribbean neighbours we have been fortunate not to have had any deaths resulting from COVID-19. Indeed, St Vincent and the Grenadines found itself in the rather peculiar situation where we had seven deaths attributed to dengue, which surfaced in the country in near-epic proportions in September, although the Caribbean had received warning about the likely peaking of this illness since the early part of 2019.
While we make fun of the much-repeated phrase, ‘God is a Vincentian’, many in this country have allowed that to translate into a rather laissez-faire approach to the fight to keep the pandemic at bay that borders on the irresponsible.
The pandemic created much uncertainty in the realm of sport in St Vincent and the Grenadines with the cancellation of all of the inter schools’ competitions for the entire second term. Only the preliminaries for the annual inter primary and inter secondary athletics championships were completed.
National sporting events were cancelled in almost every sport for a considerable period of time, as each national sports association sought to comply with the government’s issuance of COVID-19 health protocols.
The forementioned measures also put the break on regional and international travel and by extension, the cancellation and/or postponement of major international sporting events, including the much-anticipated Summer Olympics scheduled for Tokyo, Japan. The latter has since been postponed to the same time in 2021.
But sport’s indomitable spirit was kept alive in St Vincent and the Grenadines and there is much that we can celebrate even as there is much that we should be cautious about.
Synthetic Track
Undoubtedly the nation’s single most important sporting achievement was the government’s construction of a synthetic track at the Diamond Estate. For many, this is a dream being fulfilled, even as they await its completion as a national stadium.
Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines (TASVG) held its first official competition at the incomplete facility on Saturday 12 December much to the delight of the athletes and spectators.
The absence of national sports associations in the design and planning of the stadium will result in the facility not meeting the expectations of those who have been dreaming of a national stadium that can readily accommodate the very large crowds associated with international football competitions, any time soon. The same can be said of the annual inter primary and inter secondary schools athletics championships which also attract relative large crowds.
The sport of athletics remains particularly disappointed that the level of preparation of our athletes for the annual Carifta Games would have seen the country’s largest contingent to the Caribbean athletics spectacle with Ulanda Lewis probably missing out on two gold medals in what would have been her final year in the Under 17 category, given her bronze-medal performances in 2019 having been defeated by two athletes who have both gone on to the older age grouping in 2020.
TASVG did host its annual national championships late in the year. The annual Round D Town Road relay was also completed with much excitement. However, the NACAC Chatoyer International 10K Road Race was cancelled.
Swimming
One of the sports that appeared least affected by the pandemic was swimming.
If swimming ever stopped it was but for a very brief period.
Once the local health authorities permitted, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Amateur Swimming Association (SVGASA) was able to complete most of its local programme and readily introduced events to make up for the regional and international events that were either postponed or cancelled.
As with athletics, the SVGASA held a very successful national championships.
Football’s Club Structure etc.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation (SVGFF) has had a change of executive which has continued the programme of restructuring to meet the international federation’s (FIFA) requirements. This has meant the application of the fundamental principles that forced the implementation of a comprehensive club structure, complete with attendant legislation, inclusive of penalties for defaulters.
FIFA has insisted on the completion of one of the federation’s earlier project, the facility at Brighton and has made several sets of lights for some of the nation’s major playing fields that the federation uses for training and competitions.
The SVFGG has a long way to go towards professionalising the administration of the sport. The annual grant of $1m US, allows for the paying of Executive members and several staffers both administrative and technical.
The SVGFF should not have had the spectre of players urinating on the sidelines and against walls at Arnos Vale #2 in a tournament that received its sanction. Equally, with the government having upgraded several playing fields across the country, the Federation ought not to have the national football league, officially played on a ‘home and away’ basis, use one venue, Victoria Park, for the national competition. This makes a mockery of the sport and much disrespect for the football fans all across the country ho would relish the opportunity to see their local team confront opponents in their respective geographical areas.
The Federation needs to determine whether it is a national football championships or a Kingstown tournament.
VPL Part #2
Cricket has been very lucky. At the international level, it was one of the first sports to establish a very rigid health protocol in the face of the pandemic. That was enough to get the approval of the Vincentian health authorities to all of the local governing body to host a patron-less competition earlier in the year.
Later on the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGCA) hosted its local competitions as well as the 2nd Vincy Professional League, with live audiences.
Patronage continues to be weak for the sport despite the initiatives being undertaken to attract spectators.
The shorter version of the game – 10 overs – is yet to prove attractive.
Critics suggest that it is just not cricket and may do more damage to the development of batsmen and bowlers than anything more favourable to the sport.
Netball’s Fast Five
With the FLOW National Netball Tournament truncated by the onset of the pandemic in St Vincent and the Grenadines, the local netball association spent most of the year encouraging its members to participation in the very useful education and training sessions conducted by the international Netball Federation (INF) and the Americas Federation of Netball Associations (AFNA).
Later in the year, the association organised the first-ever ‘Fast Five’ competition using a round robin format. This is a shorter, faster version of the sport with teams using fewer players than is the case in the traditional version.
Participating teams found the initiative both interesting and exciting and there is reason to believe that it will form an integral part of future annual netball calendars.
Other sports
Table Tennis has grown by leaps and bounds, given the fact that boards are readily available in almost every part of the country, including schools, community centres and other facilities. Its most recent competition witnesses scores of children eagerly showcasing their rapidly improving skill competencies.
The St Vincent and the Grenadines Table Tennis Association (SVGTTA), with consistent support from the Vincy Table Tennis Foundation (VTTF), is already the nation’s fastest growing sport and could easily become the nation’s second most popular sport after football.
Cycling was able to conduct several of its road racing events, including its annual championships, once more dominated by Zefal Bailey.
Basketball has had the good fortune of securing funding to finally upgrade its home at New Montrose.
Unfortunately for the federation, the Development of a National Sport Structure (DNSS) programme funded by the National Olympic Committee and Olympic Solidarity, had to be stopped because of the travel and quarantine requirements that prevented the international expert, Nelson Isley, from returning to the country to complete it.
Gymnastics struggled during much of the year as the very nature of the sport necessitated great caution in the face of the pandemic.
Volleyballers have resumed training after having been disrupted for much of the year.
The contact sports of Karate and Taekwondo were severely constrained during the year and only recently restarted face to face activities.
Sailing has received a new lease on life with a vibrant executive in place and an aggressive plan of action. The association ended the year with a sailing regatta for juniors that was well attended.
The plans for the introduction of archery received a major setback with the international transport restrictions rendering it impossible for the international expertise to visit to conduct training sessions.
Donnie’s passing
During the year, St Vincent and the Grenadines lost former President of the National Olympic Committee and of the SVGTTF, Donnie De Freitas.
Several sporting stalwarts have also passed on, having left a legacy of profound love for sport and for all that it has done for St Vincent and the Grenadines. They are forever etched in the annals of the sporting history of this beautiful country we call home.
