Dear Editor,
It was interesting to learn of what was described as the Inaugural Sports Conference organized by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. It is reported that there will be constructed a virtual ‘Academy’. Additionally, one learns of presentations and panel discussions involving representatives from what are described as core disciplines, listed here in alphabetical order: athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, football, hockey, lawn tennis, rugby, squash, table tennis, volley ball, swimming. More critically however it needs to be explained how agencies that are substantive contributors to the development of sportsmen and sportswomen were not mentioned as participants in this critical human resources development exercise – namely the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health.
Surely the very fact that the host agency is composed, amongst others, of Youth & Sports, should speak immediately to the fact that it all starts in schools. Nor could there be any argument that success in Sports is measured by one’s physical fitness which often invites specialist attention and advice. But in the same breath did anyone reflect on the very recent Paralympics, and gave consideration of attending to, and developing those disabled persons who may be interested in being more physically active than they now are? There may well be other relevant views of which opportunity should be taken to invite. For what is needed is more than just presentations (talk). The next obvious step is the development of a strategic plan for each sport in respect of which there should be objectives to be achieved over the next five years. ‘Friendship’ is simply not enough.
Sincerely,
A former school sportsman