Light up the country

As we, a few days ago, tucked away the trappings and moods of the recent Christmas season, many homes and communities here in St Vincent and the Grenadines during that period were lit.

Of course, this was in keeping with tradition, as light has the function of replacing darkness.

Therefore, literally and figuratively, sports in St Vincent and the Grenadines needs to get some illumination, as there exist too many areas of dark spots, which are obscuring progress.

This air of accepting mediocrity as our excellence, that despondency, hopelessness and sense of having already reaching the dead end can be substituted, if sports begin to light the pathways.

Sports can be the beacon in every respect, inclusive of the physical pursuits.

So, as we progress as a people and as a nation that is involved in sports, there has come the need for us to have more of our sporting facilities lighted.

Except for the Victoria Park, the South Rivers Playing Field and to some extent, the Calliaqua Playing Field, other grassed sporting facilities are without lights to aid events after sundown.

However, a few of the hard courts across the country are lit, enabling sporting competitions to take place at nights.

But in the current state of our social affairs, several factors point to this as a necessity rather than a privileged undertaking, to have more sporting facilities lighted.

St Vincent and the Grenadines, like other countries, is going through changes; hence restructuring of the hours for recreational activities is inevitable.

Our working population is slowly moving towards moonlighting; thus, in many instances, persons have extended working hours, which invariably provides that evening into night window for sports.

This demand has led to some communities coming up with ways of lighting the fields and have their competitions extended into the evening and night.

The organizers of the North East Football League have undertaken to source portable lights that are available from sources here, and have mounted them at the Chili Playing Field, enabling the current competition’s play after the natural light has faded.

As a result, the league organizers have been given another revenue outlet, while the players are developing their craft, without having to hustle from work and on to the field.

Additionally, such sporting happenings at that time of day enhance the night life in that locale and buff the social and economic standings, as persons with small businesses can now cash in on the increased activities.

With such realities and unfolding of shifts, and initiatives taken, then the adequate attending responses are the best option.

This response obviously must come from the national planners and policy makers, who have to see their need for such infrastructural development and hence put the systems in place to move from promises to implementation.

This suggestion, though, is weighed against the obvious hinge, that of finance.

But when looks analytically of the social transformations that are taking place here in St Vincent and the Grenadines, then there should be no hesitancy in the process of lighting of our major sporting facilities, along with selected ones in some communities.

The start point should be our major facility – the Arnos Vale Playing Field – as St Vincent and the Grenadines is ever slipping down the pecking order when it comes to bidding for some regional and international fixtures, namely the hosting of cricket matches.

Furthermore, it is imperative that we move from the state of stagnation, if we want to correct one of the ills that is restricting the development of sports in our country.

Metaphorically though, light presents hope in periods of despair; thus those with the purse strings and clout should act accordingly.