Our global economy is fascinating and complex. It presents recurring challenges that even experts find difficult to fully comprehend. But one thing remains clear: money and finance play a deeply fundamental role in outcomes. It changes lifestyles and the way new thinking emerges in the quest for survival. The recently concluded London Olympics demonstrated these tenets of our colonial past. We are still struggling with the reminiscence of colonialism. To honour and serve has to come with training and desire in this period of our history. 1948-2012 has shown that The Olympics is not “just another track meet.” It comes once every four years. Athletes raising the bar and performing Citius, Altius, Fortius levels of their game, to honour and serve their country. They all performed; some did as was expected, and some rewrote the history books.
Rio 2016 is four years away. What should we be doing? The organisations that controls track and field must change their modus operandi. It is time for a new order, a different way to do things. The TTOC and the NAAAs have been operating as penniless organisations since 1948. For 64 years, they have been totally dependent on the Government, without which, these organisations could file for bankruptcy. Despite their predilection, these organisations are quick to blame the hand that feeds them. Money is a fundamental component in a social contract that affects the decisions and judgments of nations and individuals. These organisations have no money. Financial displacements have been known to drive out political systems and stifle the growth of nations. The NAAA has financial problems. They show an unsatisfactory financial statement but want eight million dollars with no strings attached. It’s the don’t ask, don’t tell principle.
The TTOC is the parent body of all Olympic participating organisations in T&T. Their function is to uphold the Olympic functions of the nation—to build and guide the relevant affiliates of this nation. They have not done this satisfactorily throughout the years. The NAAAs, while basking in the glory of 2012 Olympic medal achievements, have done little to help these athletes. This organisation has failed to develop a strategical developmental programme—one that promotes mental, emotional, physical, or social well-being of athletic growth. Exiled on the island of Patmos over 1,900 years ago, a prophet named John wrote to Christians. The apocalypse of John, also known as the Book of Revelation, and Christians and non-Christians alike have been debating its message ever since. The meaning of the Greek word for apocalypse is disclosure, and John’s book discloses dimensions of two age old mysteries: Character of Evil and the Nature of Hope.
The NAAA’s decades of functional evil:
1. Conduct self-fulfilling development meets
2. Conduct questionable National Senior Track & Field Championships.
3. Select no criteria national teams
4. Conduct no show general and executive organisation meetings on phone.
The TTOC’s unjustified evils:
1. Conducted unconstitutional executive and general organisation meetings
2. Approve national teams, no questions asked.
3. Attend organisational meetings abroad, no reports
4. Conduct seminars for interested parties, not members
5. Support the Olympism movement Chaguaramas only
The Government has the constitutional obligation to guide the future of this nation.
Success starts with knowledgeable grass-roots coaching. Apply arithmetic principles to a developmental programme: Division, subtraction, addition, multiplication. For Olympians, you have to start planning: Primary school—five years; secondary school—five years; tertiary education or elite training—four years; total 18 years. If the average age of our Olympians in 2012 was 26 years, then the future 2016 Olympians are currently 22, and the 2020 Olympians are the current 18 and 14 years old!
Checking 2012: Kirani—19, Santos—18, Walcott—19, Rodeshia—19, Mohamed—17, all teenagers. Our current 14-year-olds are our 2020 Olympians. You can adopt the former Soviet Union model, the Chinese model, the US model, the British model, the Canadian model, the Bahamas model, the Jamaican system. GB hired Charles Van Commene in 2009 to plan and build a team. He predicted eight gold medals. The count was six. It took three years. If he had eight years to build, what then!? Plan, fund, formulate a roadmap. Take it one year at a time.
