Call for a national sport strategy

Carole Beckford,Contributor

JAMAICA NEEDS to decide on a more creative way to invest in sport and make it a business, to maintain and even improve the status of that sector.

Mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that sport gets the support necessary for teams to compete in regional and international competitions and to create opportunities for growth and development of Jamaica's economy.

In getting the best value for sport, national strategy must be created, geared at reducing the inequities associated with gender, age and social class. It must also address the issue of finding the funding necessary to maintain the programmes aimed at reducing these inequalities.

The strategy should therefore speak to: improving quality of life; partnership approach to complex social issues; voluntarism and active citizenship; building and maintaining sporting infrastructure; attracting major events to Jamaica.

Jamaica has some aspects of a policy in place in its creation of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) and CHASE Fund to help with the funding aspect, but still there are gaps.

DISHEARTENING HEADLINES

Too many times we hear and see ... KFC to the rescue; Team may not make it to Caribbean Championships; SDF steps in; only 10 players can go.

The stress associated with the anxiety of whether my team will go or not does not make for healthy participation at any level.

Jamaica is in the history books as being one of the most competitive nations in sport anywhere in the world. Our island has one of the richest sporting histories per capita in any nation in the world as we come close to celebrating 60 years of participation in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. That is no mean feat for a small nation. So while we laud so much of what is great, let us fix what needs to be fixed.

While I am asking more of the system, I need to tell the sporting bodies to be even more vigilant in their efforts to seek support. Write three to five-year plans, make the plans realistic, align your plans with a community and get the Government's support when bidding for international activities.

BIG BUSINESS

Sport is big business and the economic impact of sport has long been assessed and recognised. Recent reports and studies have shown the impact of sport on several economies.

Some examples to look at include Birmingham and Manchester, England; Atlanta, United Sates and Sydney, Australia. These are examples of large communities that have committed to investing in sport and recreation, improving the social fabric of its community and keeping the community attractive for investors and tourists.

If a survey was to be done I can guarantee that at least six out of every 10 Jamaicans would say it is important for Jamaican sportsmen and women to achieve international success.

I, therefore, urge the powers that be to consider a national sport strategy which will, no doubt, drive Jamaica's economy. We have the talent, we have the heart, let's get the will to do it and move on.