THE EDITOR, Sir:

I AM elated at the performance of our athletes in Beijing - every single one and, of course, the medal winners! I am very aware, however, that their success is the result of their own amazing, relentless and dedicated hard work and sacrifice with very little support from the state. Most of them have come through the secondary-school system, in which the track-and-field programmes are powered to a large extent by volunteer effort. It is ironic that while "products of our educational system" are excelling in Beijing, we cannot even find the will to finance our schools properly.

Spend on athletes' schools

How can we as a nation honour these athletes? Celebrations and even a public holiday are being mooted. May I suggest that the Government contribute the money they plan to spend on celebrations instead to the track programmes in the athletes' alma maters in their names? This would be a long lasting, fitting and appropriate salute to them. This is not to say that there should be no public celebrations for them. Let's just not go overboard spending money that we do not have!

With regard to the public holiday - considering the gruelling work these athletes have put in, including sacrificing many a public holiday, may I suggest that we do not go this route? What we ought to be doing now is buckling down and trying to make Jamaica not just the sprint capital of the world, but the capital of the world in all spheres!

I am, etc.,

MARGUERITE ORANE

Kingston

mo@cwjamaica.com