Dear Editor
From public courts (where NAPA now stands) to public courts (Mandela Park) to the National Tennis Centre (renamed Tacarigua Racquet Centre) the frustration continues.
Just when I was beginning to beat my chest with pride after two failed practice attempts at opening the state of the art facility is still not available to the stakeholders. Through the now defunct T&T Tennis Coaches Association, a recommendation was made (32 years ago) to the Tennis Association of T&T to build a Tennis Centre and hire two previous national champions in Larry Yearwood and Orville Adams as coaches.
Will my minister of sports please explain how what started as the National Tennis Centre is now shared with badminton, table tennis and any other racquet sport that dares to apply for squatting—rights. Recently, our new tenants, hockey caused a shutdown of the facility. Yea man, no tennis but the players’ lounge provided accommodation for hockey players and was decorated with the daily laundry of the temporary occupants. This was compounded with the practice sessions on the courts, not tennis of course. Are they hockey or tennis courts? Rediculos.
Tennis players were taken aback with the gross abuse of their new facility. The genuine users of the facility were further debarred from enjoying their new home when the hockey tournament started. Can the honourable minister justify the recent activities? Can an arrangement be put in place to prevent one the activities of one discipline adversely affecting another? And furthermore, is hockey going to share the revenue because of the inconvenience?
To the concerned onlooker there appears to be no clear-cut policy for the use of the centre. What is the status of each of the discipline in regards to management; usage to earn income and the scheduling of training sessions. Or should each body prepare a strategic plan to justify its occupancy?
Even a simple schedule of usage can be submitted to the authorities to get its blessings. Be reminded that good, bad and indifferent proposals to the ministry were met with the same inert response by the authorities.
Any proposal to decentralize the management of sports; reduce heavy dependence on the state coffers and create a sense of independence for the different disciplines should be encouraged.
The alternative to this is to continue the traditional way producing white elephants managed by green donkeys resulting in high maintenance cost, under-usage and very little revenue streaming in.
Is this new facility going to follow the same fate as the Jean Pierre Sports Complex? To avoid maintenance cost exceeding revenue it was turned into an Entertainment Centre because sports could not foot the bill. Jean Pierre must be turning in her grave to see what was built in her honour now used to disgrace her name. Other sport facilities that bear similar testimony Mannie Ramjohn; Ato Bolden; Larry Gomes and Dwight York Stadia. To follow are the Brian Lara Stadium; the Cycling Velodrome and the Aquatic Centre if history is allowed to repeat itself.
In these times when sport is big business can we afford the wanton wastage? The scourge of missing the opportunity of earning higher wages; depriving the citizenry of employment; denying the population of an excuse to be healthy; condoning the drop in productivity through the increase in reported sick days and preventing individuals from satisfying their physical, social, emotional and psychological needs must not continue to plague us.
Hire our Sports Management and Facilities Management graduates, not watchmen and turnkeys to handle these sports investments professionally.
Time to reset the sports button Mr Minister.
Lennox Francis
Former National Tennis Champion; National Tennis coach, Retired Teacher