Are we selling ourselves enough?

St Vincent and the Grenadines lies at the back of the pack when it comes to attracting persons from across the region or the wider world to attend sporting events here.{{more}}

We just seem overly dependent on having cycles of competition come our way and on handouts from regional sporting organizations.

The passing around of the OECS Under-23 Netball Championships; the West Indies Cricket Board’s allocation of four-day regional matches, A team matches and One Day Internationals are what St Vincent and the Grenadines depends on.

These, however, are not guaranteed.

Therefore, except for the annual International Tennis Federation (ITF) Under-14 and Under-18 Junior Tennis Tournament, which gulps up over 100 participants each year during the month of August, there is no fixed calendared sporting event.

And, there are several local events, which, with a greater marketing effort, could attract teams and individuals to our shores.

This is against the crippling cost of regional travel, which, indeed, is a debilitating factor.

But, setingt that aside, more can be done.

On the contrary, Vincentian teams make that extra effort to be part of the annual Barbados Masters Invitational Football tournament, as well as that island’s yearly dose of its Softball tournament.

Others lip across to St Lucia to engage in Junior Tennis, even at the invitational club level. However, at our end, that same fervour is not evident.

Team Athletics SVG has its four-legged road relay, as well as the most recent NACAC 10K as selling cards, which can be pushed to their limits.

But, as we have seen this year, only neighbour Grenada has responded to the call for both events.

Have the organisers sought to make such events national events by incorporating other stakeholders?

Or is it a case where the national authorities, such as the Ministry of Tourism and the like, do not see the need to be part of such undertakings?

Whilst we are lagging in this regard, neighbours, like St Lucia, are capitalizing on every opportunity to get sporting activities to their shores.

Apart from having some aspects of tourism going for them and some superior facilities, their efforts are not beyond the capabilities of Vincentians to do likewise.

Their push to host beach volleyball tours has put them in good stead whenever the NORCECA circuit is being planned.

And, it has not been anything spectacular and out of the ordinary what the St Lucians have done for the past two years, to have the tour on their island.

What they have done is create a niche through a willingness to deliver a package for all to savour.

It was refreshing to the ear that St Vincent and the Grenadines is in line to have a Beach Volleyball facility, and this coming to fruition should serve us in good stead to also negotiate for a look in.

In the interim, maybe the Volleyball authorities here can lay the ground work and spread the sport on the local front and build an acceptance level here at home.

And, there are other areas to tap into.

Some years ago, there was a Sports Fishing organisation which lured persons here for a weekend of game fishing.

What has become of that higher end type of sporting indulgence?

Likewise, despite the St Vincent and the Grenadines Swimming Association not having a full-size swimming pool and a near perfect facility, they too can explore the possibility of invitational meets and have others drop in to compete.

Others can follow the lead of the Grassroot Tennis Club, which is positioned to have regional entries for its Junior Christmas Tournament.

This is through the innovative partnership of Sunsail to get the players here at a cheaper cost.

But are we prepared to release that creative energy that is pent up within and use it for the greater good of St Vincent and the Grenadines?

Or are we satisfied just to survive and not succeed by continuing to sell ourselves short?

Conversely, some may ask, do we have enough for ourselves that we can sell to others?