In October 2022, the Prime Minister sent the first signal that he would look to Jamaica, which has enjoyed a leading position in international track and field events across genders over the last decade.
But as far back as 2016, Colin Mark, coach of the Mason Hall Police Youth Club athletic programme pointed out the differences between the support and preparation regimes in Jamaica and TT, noting that local success was largely attributable to the distant advantage of American training.
A preliminary delegation from Jamaica's Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) visited TT to evaluate the country's school sports and evaluation systems in January.
The Sports Minister and Education Minister followed up by attending the March 2023 ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships in Jamaica to get insights into how that country prepares its potential athletes for success.
Over the last two weeks, in a programme that draws to a close tomorrow, qualified trainers from Jamaica's GC Foster College – renowned for sprint success, including world-class track and field athletes Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – worked with 60 local coaches and PE teachers.
This first phase of regional skills transfer will continue with a second phase planned for October and a third phase to follow.
It isn't clear that the scale of what's required to build a school-based development system has been fully understood by the Cabinet.
After July's Carifta Games and before the Commonwealth Youth Games, Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe suggested that these events would help the ministry and sporting stakeholders to identify talent.
In Jamaica and other countries serious about nurturing sporting talent, the search for natural aptitude begins as early as age three, with multiple opportunities for athletic skill to be identified and coached long before competitive testing of those abilities. Early professional development ensures that athletes begin their coaching regimes using proper technique instead of having to correct poor habits later.
TT's showing in last week's World Athletic Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which saw Keshorn Walcott withdraw from the javelin competition through injury, Jereem Richards and Michelle-Lee Ahye bowing out in semi-finals and the 4x400 metre team finishing seventh out of nine in the first heat, is a reminder of how tenuous our ranking in global athletics remains despite notable past track and field achievements.
It's also important to note that while an active athletics programme may develop a few outstanding international athletes, it also builds a culture of sportsmanlike competition, an acceptance of discipline and hard work as desirable life skills to deliver success and creates systems of support and collaboration in communities of like-minded enthusiasts.
TT could benefit greatly from all these ancillary advantages.
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