AFTER EVERY FIFA World Cup and Summer Olympics I keep fantasising about a West Indian World Cup and Olympic team. I am sure we will do pretty well as we did on the cricket stage. It just shows you that West Indies cricket has done a lot to us. Evo Morales, at the Summit of Americas in Port-of-Spain this year, said sports can unite the region. Again, West Indies cricket is proof of that.

But it is not just about sport. It is much more. A West Indian community can benefit from all the facets of modern life: social, economic and environmental development. One clear benefit is a bigger market that would trigger more regional manufacturing and less imports. We could even delve into specialist products and gain momentum on the global market. Items such as traffic lights; manhole covers; children's play equipment and hospital beds can all be manufactured in the region. Shared resources in crime fighting and traffic enforcement would always be welcome. This is just to name a few of many.

Powerful concoction

We have the ingredients of a powerful concoction. The discipline of Barbadians, the pride of Jamaicans, the diligence of the Guyanese, the enjoyment of life by Trinis with spices from the rest of the islands would surely savour a flavour the world would love.

I am sad to see some influential groups making moves to have a T and T cricket team or a Bajan team. That by itself would see the end of West Indies cricket. That would surely be a sad day. This move afoot to have national cricket teams on the world stage, comes about from problems and wrangling between the West Indies Cricket Board and players. How on earth can a few months of discord jeopardise decades of glory? This symptom is called 'leave the dirty kitchen to buy fast food'. These are the people who only see the light of day and fail to see tomorrow.

West Indies cricket is our pulse. Regional integration is inevitable. For this to go ahead in a meaningful way it has to have a participatory approach free of politics.

I am, etc.,

Navin H. Sankersingh

Trini in the UK

navin.sankersingh@milton-keynes.gov.uk