Building sport post-election 2011

Saturday, December 24, 2011

We shouldn't expect sports to be forefront in the thoughts of the average voter as he or she enters the polling booth next Thursday.

Joblessness, crime, education, health and the economic vision are far more likely to be issues being contemplated as Jamaicans choose between the ruling Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) and the Opposition People's National Party (PNP) to form the next Government.

And yet, all well-thinking Jamaicans can attest to the absolute relevance of sports to nation-building. Jamaicans now in their 20s and over, and some among the younger ones, can still recall the tremendous sense of national well-being and pride when the Reggae Boyz qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup finals in France.

The extraordinary success of our athletes at major games in recent years has been a source of inspiration for us all, and those of us of an older generation can recall the national and regional pride as Caribbean cricketers ruled the world.

At the community level, sport has been a healer -- often providing the avenue for communication, understanding and even partnership between once hostile communities. We recall with wonder the use of football in bringing peace between once warring communities in Trench Town and Western Kingston in the period of the late 1990s leading to the early 2000s.

The legacy of that football-inspired peace is celebrated today, less than a week to parliamentary elections, with people in those communities now crossing once impassable borders without a second thought. For that achievement Dr Omar Davies and Mr Edward Seaga will forever be honoured.

And there should be no discounting the value of sport in simply providing positive activity for unemployed youth and for facilitating good health across the age groups.

But the value of sport goes far beyond all of the above. Today sport is a money spinner, providing millions of dollars annually for our top international sportsmen and is a growing foreign exchange earner.

No surprise then, that the JLP and the PNP have included sport as critical agenda items in their manifestos leading up to December 29.

We note that both have articulated the case for a National Sports Policy. In the case of the incumbent JLP a green paper has been tabled in Parliament, while the PNP has pledged "broad consultation".

Both claim to recognise the value of sports tourism and see the need for the development of a sports museum amidst much else.

It will be incumbent on all Jamaicans, and in particular the media, to hold to account whichever party triumphs next Thursday.

And notwithstanding the austere times ahead for Jamaicans, this newspaper suggests that thinkers in both political parties should be giving thought to the development of sporting infrastructure. Ideas need to be generated for the financing of a new national stadium -- the one we have is now 50 years old.

Also, plans should be put in place for the installation of lights at Sabina Park, Jamaica's headquarters of cricket.

Twenty/20 cricket played under lights at the end of the working day is proving extremely profitable worldwide. This, we believe, can also be the case in Kingston.

Further, we believe that if it is managed properly in a crime-free environment, cricket under lights would be an invaluable boost in restoring downtown Kingston as a centre for entertainment and business.

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Building sport post-election 2011