Fixing those damaged pieces

There are several aspects of the Vincentian sports structure that have been left over the years to fester and almost to decay without any actions to cure or fix them.

But the space does not permit for all to be highlighted in this exposition.

Without prioritizing some of the issues, the constitutional matters of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Table Tennis Association (SVGTTA) require a look in.

At last week Wednesday’s general meeting, the association’s constitution was one of the sore points.

This has been so for many years, although attempts were made at some resolution.

So, as it stands in 2017, the SVGTTA is still operating on a set of statutes which date back to 1970.

Nothing short of archaic, as time has gone past the life of that constitution; but it is what it is and that 47-year-old document still stands.

Such is state of the SVGTTA affairs that there is simply little or no eligibility ruling for the persons who can vote at a general meeting.

This is just one of the obsoletes that are in train, thus making a mockery of modern day sports governance.

A serious indictment on the many administrators, who over the years, have not seen it fit to have a well-written and ratified constitution, to satisfy the current demands and operations of table tennis here.

Hopefully, newly elected president Orville Haslam would see the need to fix this and do so with some urgency.

Also in need of fixing is that understanding of the purpose of persons serving on national associations.

Many make their egos and self-image more important than the sporting discipline that they are entrusted to serve.

As a result, personality clashes take centre-stage, at the expense of the association itself, and most critically, of the athletes, who are the most precious and important commodities.

Associations, therefore, are wrecked; there is a lack of public confidence and a general loss of appeal.

There will never be perfect human beings nor flawless sporting organizations, but elected members must be ready to, as much as possible, be professional in the dispensing of their services.

Fixing the frequency of personality battles in our national sporting associations joins the list of those broken pieces.

Equally requiring mending in ways, are those who after exiting an organization, choose to spill the affairs of that grouping, showing a lack of confidentiality.

They are not alone, as there are persons in positions of authority, who take pride in executing ill-will by deliberately stalling progress, as a vendetta for fallouts with others.

One which is very difficult to patch, or even fix, adds to the “must do”, in our sporting progamme, at the community and at the wider national level.

Also among those pressing matters which need some urgent addressing is the wanton destruction of many of the sporting facilities.

Very few of those facilities have escaped the hands and body parts of vandals, who expend their fangs of devastation on structures placed to serve everyone involved in some kind of recreational or sporting activity.

These culprits need to fix their minds and rearrange the psyche, replacing their jungle mentality with that of civility and human thinking.

But it is more than a big ask for anyone to fix what is happening with the nation’s schools’ sports programme.

This, as the fractures and destruction are deep and possibly only a complete overhaul will do.

Plagued with a severe bout of inefficiencies and deficiencies, schools’ sports have suffered what could be irreparable damage.

The once meaningful set of activities, which inspired hope and provided a platform of achievement for our youths, have been left to ruin with prolonged scars.

The remains of schools’ sports have already been thrown in the dumpster, waiting for transport to the landfill.

Unfortunately, those who have caused its demise are happily in place to oversee its final demolition.

It therefore stands to reason that getting rid of such personnel is the lone solution, as the damage is too far gone, or any efforts of retrieval and refurbishment would be futile.