No more planned excuses

Over the years there have been a number of reasons/excuses as to why this country’s premier sporting facility, the Arnos Vale Playing Field, cannot be lit.

Among the list of debilitating factors was the venue’s close proximity to the ET Joshua Airport.

Reason being that the lights on the field could interfere with the navigation apparatus of the aircraft in cases of night landing.

Accepted by some, but not by many, as the Stanford Cricket Ground, now known as the Coolidge Cricket Ground, is in similar proximity to the VC Bird International Airport in Antigua.

Now that the ET Joshua Airport is no more, then the necessary lighting and other upgrades should be next in line for sporting upgrades by the policy makers.

The Arnos Vale facility and, by extension, St Vincent and the Grenadines, has endured a drought of sorts in relation to international cricket matches, especially the shorter forms, ODI and Twenty/20, because of a lack of lights.

Whilst we back pedal on such advancements, others in the region are making haste and have gone ahead of us in many respects. As a result, we get the crumbs and are the ultimate rejects when matches (mainly cricket) are handed out.

With the constant change in the economic landscape the world over, sports is moving rapidly to post afternoon happenings, glazed with a cultural entertainment package.

We see what takes place at the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the carnival type atmosphere is commonplace at such events.

We have also been made aware of the millions which those venues that host the CPL matches rake in and how their countries’ economies get that kick.

Unfortunately, St Vincent and the Grenadines cannot be counted among those prepared for such cash in.

Therefore, with the promised national stadium placed on the backburner again, the time is opportune to take another, closer at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex and make it into a better sporting arena.

Although one understands the financial limitations of SVG, and the fact that we are still being strangled with the undertaking of our largest capital project, sports should be the next big thing to receive that national attention.

And, giving the Arnos Vale Sports Complex a lift should be pursued by the current political directorate.

Set aside, the enticement and attraction of regional and international sporting events, as a people, we need such a first class facility, to assist in that national feeling good state of mind, which often leads to greater self-worth.

Also, the Victoria Park, which at present is the best facility for sporting activities at nights, particularly football and most recently athletics, the lighting is deplorable, to say the least.

We are spared hosting regional football matches there, merely on the understanding of visiting teams and officials, rather than it meeting the minimal lighting requirement standards.

More so, it is clear that sports at the Victoria Park venue is in the relegation zone, as the mere configuration of seating shows a bias for cultural events.

And, while the Arnos Vale Playing Field gets a redo, the transformation and enhancement can be taken a step further, as another use can be found for the hangar previously used by one of the local carriers.

This hangar can be retrofitted and used as the promised indoor sporting facility, which, like the national stadium, is fading into oblivion and can have a resurrection of interest.

Hopefully, as part of the planned development for that acreage of land on which the ET Joshua Airport sits, provisions can be made to allocate the hangar as an indoor facility.

Others in the Caribbean have done similar creative make-overs to benefit their sporting stock of facilities, where netball, boxing, basketball and other floor games can find themselves a place to call home.

Here we are at a turning point where an occasion is provided for us on a platter.

Therefore, we should not pass up the time to utilize all available resources for the betterment of sports here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.