A FORTNIGHT ago, the University of Technology (UTech) announced its need for $65 million to upgrade its sports facilities to world-class standards. The university hopes to get professional help to drive the effort.
While we understand that Jamaican firms and individuals may not have a lot of spare cash lying around, we hope that UTech does not find it too difficult to raise the money. For the project, to say the least, is good and worthwhile.
Of course, some will argue that UTech would better serve its purpose by allocating such a significant sum of money on more traditional areas of education, training and research than on sports. These are the things, practical science and technology, the argument will go, that will lift a country like Jamaica out of underdevelopment.
Sports is liberating
Such an argument misses the point; it underestimates the critical importance of recreation and the positive impact that prowess in sport has on the national psyche. Development in a society involves the full and rounded growth of its individual members. Recreation and play is liberating. Indeed, it is no mere accident that Jamaica at play and at sport, whether it's the national football team or Asafa Powell in competition, unleashes the great sense of Jamaican community.
Money to be made
But there is for the hard-nosed among us, good, hard accounting reasons why an institution like UTech should invest in sport development. Jamaica has proved itself good at track athletics and with the technical skills to leverage this ability for economic returns. To put it bluntly, the country can make money by being a centre for global athletics training ... and who knows what else.
Over the last 60 years, Jamaica has been, on a per capita basis, very near the top in the league table of global track athletics. The island has been a virtual factory of sprinters, many of whom it 'exported'.
It used to be thought that while we engaged in the early development, they were sent abroad for 'finishing'. The MVP Track Club at UTech has changed that: Powell, Sherone Simpson and others proved the point. Other coaches and their athletes now see merit in staying home.
Top-class facilities at UTech could begin to encourage more athletes to come here to work with Jamaican coaches.
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