What is my current status?

EDITOR: My name is Alex Forbes. The intent of this letter is to request official confirmation and/or documentation of my current status within the St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) swim team and, at the very least, recognition of my competition results that I have earned thus far.

This St. Vincent & the Grenadines Swimming Federation (SVGSF) has repeatedly failed to acknowledge my status as a St. Vincent & the Grenadines (SVG) swimmer and also has yet to recognize my many record-breaking competition results. Instead, due to a recent event and some asking around, I find out that I have been classified as an unattached International swimmer; instead of a swimmer with the Black Sands Swim Squad (BSSS) and member of the SVG National team.

Furthermore, as a result of this SVGSF’s failure to respond to my continuous, consistent, communication I have missed out on my opportunity to compete in the 2021 Winter & 2022 Summer World Championships, the 2022 Commonwealth Games, and other SVGSF sponsored competitions.

I have met and/or exceeded the requirements of the “Policies for National Team Representation”… in order to become eligible for selection to any team/squad/roster representing SVG at regional and international swim competitions as follows:

1. “In order to be eligible to swim for SVG, a person must first be a citizen of SVG. We require a passport to show evidence of citizenship.”

I acquired and emailed proof of my passport/citizenship of SVG.

2. “ ‘The basic policy’ which states that the “best swimmers” are selected and funded. In determining the ‘best swimmers’ the Council will consider the times of the swimmers. The Council may also consider the Motivation Time Standards achieved by the swimmers. The Council may also consider using the established FINA points system.”

I have exceeded the Motivation Time Standards, obtained higher FINA point scores and accumulated more FINA points than anyone else, and in the process, broke national records.

3. “In the case of overseas based athletes, times must be verified by independent sources recognized by the SVGSF. The athletes or their parents/guardians are responsible for submitting verifiable results to the SVGSF within 30 days of the competition when the results were achieved.”

All of my times are verified by USA Swimming and USA Masters Swimming and I have emailed my results after every swim meet.

Despite not being recognized for virtually anything, I received a summons to compete in the SVG Nationals Swim Competition in August which led me to believe that there was some sort of standing amongst this Federation. But upon completion of the competition (5 first places; 5 national record breaking performances…), I continued to not receive any recognition of and for my accomplishments. (This is where/when I found out I was classified as an unattached international swimmer).

As clearly stated above, I have gone above and beyond everything you have told me to do. I have signed, sealed, and delivered all the necessary documentation. I have followed all of the rules sent to me in emails and what is found on the SVGSF website. So why have you, the SVGSF, repeatedly not recognized, not acknowledged, not selected, not promoted me as one of your own, and why is that continuing to this day?

So to put it in the most succinct of terms:

Am I part of this team? Yes or no.

Alex Forbes