You make me laugh

Laughter is definitely good medicine. This is a fact. Anyone who is stressed and needs immediate therapy can just take a look at some of the sporting bodies here and a bellyful of laughter is certain to be presented on a platter.{{more}}

You can laugh Ha! Ha! Ha!, that in this day and age, sporting facilities are still being constructed without the provision of wash room facilities. And, hold your belly to know that the Local Organising Committee (LOC) is yet to hand over the facilities that are the Arnos Vale, Sion Hill and Stubbs Playing Fields back to the National Sports Council. It has been more than a year since Cricket World Cup, when this country hosted just a few warm up matches, yet these facilities remain in the hands of the LOC.

And, it was more than a laugh to hear noted cricket administrator Lennox John advising the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation to consider the ‘Park and Ride’ for its World Cup Qualifier against Canada June 15. The Park and Ride was used last year at the World Cup warm up matches. I was wondering last Saturday night if Mr. John just likes the terminology.

You need not giggle at his proposal, but laugh out loud, as the Park and Ride was one of the disasters. Does anyone invite and enjoy disasters? Similarly, President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association, Julian Jack, proffered that some of the regulations will be enforced at the upcoming One day International, West Indies versus Australia, on June 24.

What really are the things that we can take on board that worked in these warm up matches?

Are we still going to search the pelau and restrict persons from taking in musical instruments in the facility? Will Vincentians and visitors alike be free to enjoy themselves like only West Indians can?

Turn your eyes on the Technical Staff and the Executive of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation, and their channel is featuring cartoons. There you will see players still being allowed to participate in more than one Football League, with different units, including national players who proudly participate in what one person some years ago referred to as ‘bush leagues’. What has become of the one club, two leagues, ruling? Yes, you can laugh at this, and we are preaching development. Then this is surely not in line with your plans.

Not to be left out of the laughing parade is the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Tennis Association. You will laugh until you ball, no bawl, at some of the revelations that are coming to the fore from that esteemed body.

And, as if jealous, the executive of the local Table Tennis Association has joined the fun. After their grand charges and promises, they have yet to show that they have what it takes to put the sport back in the public’s eyes. In fact, the sport seems to have fallen off the radar. An SOS has been sent out to look for the sport.

But their actions may just bring a grin, but last Saturday’s Symposium on Sports may cause one to roll on the ground with uncontrollable laughter, not for the ideas, but that was an occasion of another run of the mill stuff.

It was sad to hear participants tittering that they did not expect much to change from Saturday’s session, as they have heard, experienced, but have not seen many things that were discussed tabled, yet implementation has gone on a permanent recess.

But St. Vincent and the Grenadines is not alone.

Turn your attention to the regional cricket scene, as it affects us, too. The West Indies Cricket Board comes in for an entire cartoon serial, as they have done it again. Imagine your team’s Vice Captain Dwayne Bravo was until last Sunday playing 20/20 cricket in the lucrative Indian Premier League, while the Australians were already in Jamaica, and a regional team in camp in Antigua and Barbuda. Is it that Mr. Bravo is the new star on the horizon?

Or is it that the team has turned the corner enough with a 1-1 test series draw that we are in touching distance of the world’s number one team that we need not fully prepare? Any half baked preparations will do the trick.

It was also laughable to hear former West Indies cricket captain Richie Richardson attempting to be in the corner of Marlon Samuels for his transgressions. Mr. Richardson must have forgotten that Samuels is an international cricketer who should be aware of the dangers of match fixing and other peripherals associated with betting, and providing match information and the like. But it was more laughable to hear the Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Donald Peters, also being sympathetic with Samuels, opining that the issues are new to West Indies cricketers. It is for these set of mouthings why the West Indies is scraping the bottom of the barrel and is at near the bottom on the table in all forms of Cricket.

But I still have to laugh at Vice President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation Ashley Caine, who says that Technical Director Stewart John Hall’s salary is ‘comparable’ with that of former Technical Director Zoran Vranes. Mr. Caine, what is comparable? This column will continue to get a big laugh at the Executive of the SVGFF which continues to withhold Hall’s salary. Too, this column will continue to laugh at those who chose to erect that Mound at the Sion Hill Playing Field.

kingroache@yahoo.com