Where were our representatives at the match in Missouri?

Editor: I was in St Louis, Missouri, this weekend for the SVG vs USA soccer game. It was such a great experience for me! I have travelled to various states throughout the US and I have never felt as welcomed, loved and appreciated as I did in St Louis this weekend. They treated us like kings! They welcomed us with hugs, cheers, drinks, the works! Their kindness was overwhelming. Young, old, male, female – all the people of this beautiful city were genuinely eager to get to know more about our culture and us.{{more}} As I looked around, we were surrounded by thousands of fans in their red, white and blue paraphernalia, proudly tailgating for their country’s team, but they were more interested in getting to know MY country! People were constantly asking for photos and information about St Vincent and the Grenadines. However, the crew and I realized something was missing, something that was a major disadvantage to us during this epic weekend: where were our representatives? Our tourism sector? Representatives from the Football Federation? This weekend was the ideal opportunity for us to create cultural awareness and really put ourselves on the map. We’re always talking about how to fund-raise more effectively and the various ways in which we could receive help for our soccer team, but here was the perfect opportunity and we did not capitalize on it. The people of St Louis were hoping to buy literally anything from and about St Vincent and the Grenadines (T-shirts, bandannas, flags, etc) and we had nothing. People, we have to wake up and learn to work together, so we can recognize these rare opportunities to propel our country and our culture. This is the time for us to really make our island stand out; so, let’s join in solidarity and REALLY put St Vincent and the Grenadines on the map!

Caiphas ‘Supaeyes’ Cuffy