Bermuda has spent many millions to boost our cricket teams on the world stage, only to become famous for Sluggo and this.
This will once again ignite questions about the record financial investment by Government in a men’s squad who have been overwhelmed in virtually every single match, whether it be first-class games, one-day internationals or the 20/20 version, which has been touted as our best chance to make a mark. Is it money wasted?
We make “planning for elite athletes to compete internationally” a throne speech priority … while our youth activities languish underfunded and our local sports leagues are plagued by neglect, poor management, and violence. We have a national stadium that has been “in progress” for several generations.
Bermuda has strange ideas about investing in sport: we are fat and I don’t mean just physically.
We need to invest the money here in Bermuda … and not just in soccer and cricket. We need to invest in all the sports that bring our community together – be it swimming, tennis, sailing, track, golf, softball, or just plain old walking for exercise.
That will generate a healthier society here as well as a wider range of potential world class athletes, or at least average athletes who actually want to compete to win.
Politics.bm points out Bermuda sports hero Shaun Goater’s commentary on Bermuda’s sporting arrogance.
Bermuda wants to spend the money on travel, not on building sports programmes at home. That’s a rookie’s mistake.
http://www.politics.bm/archives/2008/02/14_001776.html