By Paul Andre Walker, Staff ReporterTHE COMMUNITIES of Nannyville and Swallowfield have been the latest to benefit from the rejuvenating effects of sport as the Jamaica Swimming Association (JSA) has embarked on a drive to get young members involved in water polo.
National water polo coach, Garth Henriques, says he has fixed a problem that has been around since 1977. The National Stadium has always had trouble with boys who would sneak in at every opportunity. Inevitably, every now and then one of them would drown. After many years and a resurgence of Jamaica's water polo team, a balance has finally been achieved.
"It started with me just paying for some of the boys to come in and learn to swim so they wouldn't drown," Henriques said.
The high expense of paying for the youngsters forced him to make a formal request to have the boys use the pool, and with the sponsorship of Surrey Paving and Construction, that has become a reality.
With a humble start of 16, the venture grew until it now numbers more than a hundred boys and girls and plans are afoot for it to get even larger.It has come to the realisation of the JSA that the marriage between these boys and the sport of water polo might serve the purposes of not only giving them a goal but to also aid in the revitalisation of the sport.
The plan is to start a number of water polo clubs from the bunch of boys and girls present and create a league that will provide for the maintenance of the sport.
"The number of children willing to join the ranks (of Jamaica's water poloists) is fast growing," said JSA president John Eyre.
Eyre has received the unofficial go ahead from the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) and while the terms of the agreement have not yet been set, it promises to be quite fruitful for the sport as the number of boys who have been participating has increased so drastically that a waiting list has had to be employed.
Recently, the Jamaican female team captured the No. 1 ranking in the Caribbean when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago at the Tiger Sharks International Tournament.
This augurs well for the women's team which did not even have a professional league in Jamaica but this is not sustainable without a league and this new initiative plans to change that position.
The short-term goals of the venture involve fielding a team for the Caribbean Island Swim Championships, which are to be held here next year.
Qualifying for the 2012 Olympic Games is the major goal of this project.
