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02nd
February 2012
Fortuna
Belrose speaks on 2017 Commonwealth Games in
St. Lucia - PART1
Anthony De Beauville
She was simply
the guest speaker for the evening and when the
audience that was present thought she would
have just touched on the evening proceedings,
believe me, they had it all wrong, but at the
end, her marathon speech was well worth listening
to.
Better known for her netball, athletics and
tennis exploits in her earlier years, First
Vice President of the St.Lucia Olympic Committee
and a member of the Commonwealth Games Federation,
Fortuna Belrose while on the podium challenged
the young athletes and coaches in attendance
at the annual Sports Awards of the St.Lucia
Athletics Association.
Fortuna said, “The awarding of the Commonwealth
Youth Games in 2017 to St. Lucia did not just
happen. A series of efforts were initiated to
ensure that the country was given the right
to host the Games. This included consultations,
negotiations, obtaining commitments and engaging
our counterparts in the Olympic and Commonwealth
Games Movement regionally and internationally.
It required having credible people in the international
arena – we have Richard Peterkin, the
President of our Olympic Committee who is a
member of the International Olympic Committee,
and Alfred Emmanuel who has been on the circuit
for a while, and of course your humble servant
who serves on the Commonwealth Games Federation
Board. It also necessitated, that we had support
from both Government and opposition to seal
the deal.
Fortuna was in a no nonsense mood when she further
went on to say, Now that we have that right
to host, we must ensure that we continue to
engage in all the required processes to facilitate
the successful delivery of the Games and its
legacy. We can do so by embracing the concept
of three simple A’s. Planning ahead, thinking
across by looking at the best practices and
thinking again meaning revisiting our plans
and strategies to ensure that they are relevant
at all times.
The awarding of the Commonwealth Youth Games
in 2017 to St. Lucia provides a platform for
a fresh approach to our overall development.
St. Lucians have been cultured to be dependent
and move only when they are pressured or excited.
Planning effectively for the 2017 Games means,
that we have five years to make maximum use
and capitalize on the opportunities the Games
present. Because of the proximity of the forthcoming.
London Olympics, the FIFA World Cup in Brazil
in 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil
in 2016, those who will be charged with the
responsibility for moving the process along
have an ideal environment to prepare our country
and people.
The hype associated with these mega events taking
place in our front and backyards, will allow
for our people to easily connect with the realities
of hosting and inevitably create an environment
that will stimulate them and cause a greater
level of interest and involvement in sport and
nation building to emerge. We therefore need
to plan effectively to capitalize on this opportunity.
As the vision unfolds, citizens would be able
to determine for themselves what roles they
would want to play. The reality is, while each
one may have different goals, it is the common
vision and understanding of what ought to be
that will keep us unified and focused as we
plod along as a confident active citizenry with
a healthy work ethic not only by Games time
but for generations to come.
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To maximize the benefit of
hosting the Games, we need to look across
the globe to see the best practices and lessons
that have been learnt. For years before any
major event, the planners and visionaries
are engaged in holistic assessments of the
respective country’s needs and aspirations.
They work assiduously on crafting strategies
to achieve the desired goals. The Chinese
for example, knew that hosting the Olympics
meant that the world would come into China.
But more than that, it was an opportunity,
to change the perception, of the world about
their country.
Up until the Olympic Games in 2008, the Tiananmen
Square massacre which occurred somewhere in
the late eighties to early nineties was what
shaped the world’s perception of China.
The Chinese leaders were very clear that the
Games and its legacy would be the opportune
time to change that global view of their country.
And so, they use the opportunity of the Games
to launch and sell China to the world. Yes,
millions of dollars were spent to woo the
rest of the world to china but as every Chinese
would tell you the investment and intense
education and preparation that they received
was well worth it. While culturally we may
be different we can learn from the experience
of the Chinese and plan meaningfully for the
required change.
Hosting the Games has the potential to be
a life changing experience for many if it
is managed properly. Over the last decade,
criminal activities have skyrocketed in this
country. The number of young people who have
lost their lives to crime, drugs and violence
is astounding for a small nation. The Commonwealth
Youth Games will serve as a catalyst to inspire,
educate, and provide opportunities for young
people to enhance their lives through sport
with a clear link to increasing both participation
and elite performance.
If we managed this project properly we will
see the results manifested in increasing medal
hauls at regional and international events,
we will see our young people energized and
moving and participating with a greater sense
of purpose in everything that they do. We
need to start from now to put the support
systems in place to allow for the young creative
minds of our people to work for the betterment
of the nation.
The Games’ celebration will provide
the opportunity to showcase the diverse culture
and festival spirit of St. Lucians. After
all, the seventy-one nations of the Commonwealth
and their media representatives are going
to be here. Our teachers, students, cultural
enthusiasts and entertainers have something
to look forward to. They can be engaged from
now in building relationships and engaging
in exchanges with the youth of the rest of
the Commonwealth.”
St.Lucia in the last 5 years has hosted the
ICC Cricket World Cup, the CARIFTA Games and
the ICC T20 at the Beausejour Cricket Ground
in Gros Islet and the George Odlum Stadium
in Vieux Fort respectively.
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Discuss
Story
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