Better site for Bovell pool

THE EDITOR: Once again, TT has reason to believe that the performances of George Bovell III in the recent past will catapult this twin island into the swimming big league. All that is necessary now is for Superstar George to come back home, swim at the newest and best facility that is to be built before Christmas and everything will be all right. This country needs facilities if we are to go anywhere in swimming. Finally, we will have it before Christmas 2003. There are just a few things that a simple soul like me would still question such as why is there a need to locate a 50-metre pool just a stone’s throw away from the only Olympic-sized pool in TT.  The planners or maybe the power brokers are deliberately trying to hoodwink the nation into believing that this modern facility is necessary in Powder Magazine. It will not be great in Sangre Grande since there is not a dual highway to take the swimming supporters safely to that part of the country. Furthermore, if those people want to swim, then there is always Manzanilla, Balandra or Toco.

Even though there is a dual highway through Chaguanas to San Fernando and soon to be even past Sando, there is no real reason for locating the major hope for this country’s swimming over the next twenty years (at least) in these parts since the majority of the present swimmers come from town. The same argument holds firm when we look at Tobago. Tobagonians can swim from Milford Bay or Store Bay all the way to Toco for starters since maybe there is no space next to the Dwight Yorke Stadium or even Shaw Park for a fifty-metre or a 25- metre pool that Tobago people can utilise. I believe that planners, power brokers, sponsors, ASATT and supporters of swimming in TT must look towards the holistic future development of the sport in this country. In other words, country comes before self. It will be great to name a swim facility after George Bovell III as he has taken TT to the top echelons of the sport; a position that we are privileged to enjoy. We do not have to build one to achieve this. George Bovell III is a Trinidad and Tobago hero not the hero of a few. After all, he was representing all of TT in Barcelona and Santo Domingo. At least I thought so! When a swim facility is built in the name of a Trinidad and Tobago hero it should be better that as many of us Trinbagonians benefit rather than those from just one corner of the country and hence the George Bovell III swim facility should be more ideally located. 

GANESH NARINE
Tunapuna