I WISH to bring to your attention, and by extension, the attention of every well-thinking Jamaican, something to which my eyes were subjected and about which my heart is bleeding. On Saturday February 2, 2002, I went to the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education to play an inter-collegiate match. There I saw for the first time, the remnants of two pools - one supposedly built for swimming and the other for platform-diving. These pools are now being used to breed mosquitoes, toads, and frogs. When I enquired as to the possible reasons why the two seemingly well-intentioned projects were being so used, I was told that they were being built by Cubans but when the JLP took over the government in 1980, they chose to discontinue the project. Hence, what now remains is a grand dream - sadly deferred! I do not know whether those statements are indeed correct, however, as a young patriotic Jamaican I am quite disturbed by what appears to me to be a sick practice on the part of our politicians of discontinuing the good work that their opponents started. Can you imagine the benefits that can be accrued to sports in Jamaica if the English-speaking Caribbean's only sports college has a functional swimming facility? I can bet you this -there would be more Janelle Atkinsons, even Jamaican divers at the Olympics. If this sounds like a big unrealistic dream, just consider this: Captain Horace Burrell was told that his France '98 plan was a big dream, but lo! political leaders and well-thinking Jamaicans, dreams do come true...G.C. Foster needs some attention now!
