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| Hon Laughton Brandy Junior Minister of Youth and Sports, Community Affairs, Community Education, Trade and Industry in the Nevis Island Administration |
CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (November 22, 2005) -- Junior Minister of Youth and Sports, Community Affairs, Community Education, Trade and Industry Hon Laughton Brandy in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has dispelled the notion that youth of Nevis have lost interest in sports but holds the view that technology would play a critical role in ensuring continued interest, a route that his ministry has already taken.
During a pre recorded interview at the Nevis Television Studios for the Minister's Notebook Programme hosted by Mr. Charles Bussue on Monday November 21, 2005, Mr Brandy said that the apparent lack of interest in the sport is as a result of youths shifting to other sports apart from cricket including tennis and golf.
I think the young people still have a passion for sport. I think for some of them the sport has changed it is no longer cricket for some of them it might be basket ball or some have gone to tennis and some are even playing golf.
"But the thing about this sport is that our young people are into technology if we bring technology into the sports we could generate the interest again that was (evident) in the 70s. In the
70s there was a high level of sports, a high level of participation one of the reasons for that there was nothing to do, there was no work people had all the time," he said adding that there was less time to practice and perfect their technique over time in order to develop a competitive regional or international level.
The Minister said Nevisian youth would benefit from bringing technology into sports and that the (NIA) has already gone that route.
"We have purchased a ball machine for the cricketers to go out there and play cricket, practice on the weaknesses and we need to bring these kind of technology into the sports. Put a big screen in the community centres so that people can go there and watch a video of learning to play a cut shot, of training how to play that leg by and on drive. In netball as well, to look at how the game is being played, look at the critical points of play and learn," he said adding that over the years Australia had become known for studying their opponents with the use of recordings and strategies before the cricket match.
"We need to provide those types of opportunities for our people here to really have that exposure while in a classroom setting not just toiling and guessing what the weaknesses are but seeing for themselves the weaknesses and the way to get over these weaknesses as well. I think we should be able to generate and revitalise interest in most of our sports if we go to high tech level," Mr Brandy said.
Regarding the Palm Awards, an annual excellence recognition in music from his ministry, given to deserving individuals, groups and schools in a number of categories Mr Brandy said that they were considering alternative options to widen the scope of the contest in a bid to attract Nevisians living in neighbouring islands.
We have considered various options we have considered the option of opening the Palm Awards competition to include people from the neighbouring islands and also to give our own nationals who are residing in neighbouring islands to come and participate and be able to win a Palm Award.
"But in order to do so we probably need to bring together the whole Palm Awards activity into one weekend, so that people could come, stay and enter into the competition and to attain the highest level during that visit to Nevis, so we are considering that. We know that there are challenges with that but we are in search of a way to include other people, other countries in the Palm Awards," he said.
Commenting on his ministry's strategies to assist in the development of young people on Nevis Mr Brandy said that he would like to generate interest in the formation of community clubs because as a Ministry much cannot be done at the community level in the absence of an established club.
"Certainly it is our desire to go in there and to develop community clubs but this is not an easy thing. We may not be able to accomplish six in a year but if we accomplish two or three in a year that's an accomplishment. We would also encourage them to establish sporting clubs. We have been able to revive the Eastern Cricket Club is one of the clubs that we have been rejuvenated and it's still going strong," he said.
Also Mr Brandy noted the need for greater attention to be placed on the primary school students because they are at an age in which their minds are being moulded. "We need to get in there and understand what is it that is influencing these young people what is it they need to influence them in a positive way. We need to guide them along the areas of technological development," he said, stressing the need to work on Nevis using technology as a means of development.
For that reason he said all classrooms should be equipped with computers and that kindergarten students should not be left out. Notwithstanding, Mr Brandy noted that this would be a costly exercise but worthwhile since computer literacy and the ability to move to programme design would be the target.
"It is not cheap and the development of our people is not cheap. We must be prepared to spend the money and in some cases Nevis does not have the money but we (NIA) call on all and sundry, certainly our business houses, on Nevis to come on board and assist us with this very important task of the development of our young people," he said.
