Letter of the Day | Land of wood and water, but a dearth of swimmers
Published:Monday | December 11, 2023 | 12:09 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
One could easily be forgiven to presume that a country described as the land of wood and water would also be a land of swimmers. But based on my unscientific survey of 120 Jamaicans, I believe it might be fairly accurate to estimate that in the land of wood and water, as much as 85 per cent of the people cannot swim. The fact that swimming is a sport of no less significance than some other sports in which Jamaica is involved, and that it is a life-saving and recreational skill that one will find extremely useful throughout one’s life, is reason enough for swimming - like so many other sports – to be made a part of the physical education curriculum in all of Jamaica’s secondary schools.
Yes it will require significant investment in infrastructural development, but it can be done on a phased basis and the facilities can be made in locations so that they may be shared by designated schools.
This could mean that the Trelawny Stadium that is mostly idle could be outfitted with an Olympic-size swimming facility to be made available to schools in the West for the practical aspects of their swimming classes. Given that the Martha Brae River with an abundance of water is nearby, the Trelawny Stadium could be refashioned to accommodate water sport competitions locally and internationally, and as such become more useful. No doubt this improved facility would also add tremendous value to tourism in the west.
This endeavour could, in due course, put Jamaica on top of the world in swimming, as Jamaica has been in some other sports. It would make more Jamaicans able to make full use of our many beaches, make Jamaicans happier, and deliver some economic benefits to respective communities and the country.
There are lots of reasons to upgrade Jamaica into the land of wood, water, and swimmers. Hopefully, the necessary collaboration between the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, and probably the Ministry of Tourism, will be done to make it happen.
WINSTON FOSTER