THE EDITOR: Permit me a portion of your valuable newspaper space to air some heartfelt comments about the recent World Netball Championships in Jamaica. I am at present studying at a university in New Zealand. And here I was, boasting to everyone that I was from the country that was joint champions with New Zealand and Australia in 1979. My boasting stopped when, about a month before the tournament, I saw New Zealand beat England in a three match test series here in New Zealand. I was astounded to say the least. Their style of play, professionalism, fitness levels, strategies and analysis of the game were way superior to ours (light years ahead). I had seen highlights of our local competition on television and some games at the Lystra Lewis court before leaving for New Zealand in February this year so I was sure we did not stand a chance against any of the top teams.

In New Zealand there was only concern about Australia. Jamaica did receive a passing comment only because they saw Jamaica as an improving team and the host country. Anyway, I have only been in New Zealand for about six months to date and I see the difference between First and Third World or developing nations in every respect, from sports to in-depth and complete investigative analysis when there is a road accident. About netball in New Zealand, there are complete indoor facilities in almost every suburb. There is a country-wide professional league (our professional football league is close to this except for the meagre support) with paid players and sell-out crowds in the hundreds and thousands for premier games.

They analyse every team with videos and calculate shooting and ball possession statistics rigorously. The Silver Ferns who won the World Cup were in training for about 18 months leading up to the championships in Jamaica. They spent time playing and training in an indoor steam-heated court and spent about two weeks in Miami acclimatising before going to Jamaica. I read with pain that Trinidad was in preparation for less than three months or 90 days. I can say a lot more that I have seen and observed for the last six months. However, it pains my heart that countries like us, with such God-given talent, gifts of oil and gas resources, businesses and banks declaring millions in profit on an annual basis choose not to invest for a better showing at international sport tournaments such as the one just gone.

New Zealand has about four million people and Jamaica about a little more than half of that number, but look where Jamaica is without the kind of wealth that we boast. Are we that lacking in vision? Or is Trinidad a country simply driven by individuals who want to get wealth, get it fast and hoard it all for their pleasure and luxury? That which a man or country soweth will they not reap it? It seems to me that all sports in Trinidad are treated in a flippant manner. Nobody is really serious apart from the poor struggling athletes and coaches. Imagine our netball team failed to get past Samoa, a twin island Pacific state of less than 190,000 people, proving that size doesn’t really matter if you have the right training, preparation and facilities. Come on Trinidad and Tobago, let us get out of the mould of only backing winners, and start building them. Let’s start a true professional netball league, so that 1979, is not eventually seen as a flash in pan, and the late Jean Pierre can come to some rest in her grave. Minister of Sport, Businessmen/women, banks, oil companies, gas companies, it is time to step onto the court and have a shot! Sadly our showing in netball represents a systemic problem.

W M JACKMAN
Heartbroken, but hopeful Trini
New Zealand

THE EDITOR: I make reference to Professor Kenny’s response to mine, published recently in Newsday. First I should like to admit my error in referring to the reptiles and birds as phyla.  They are, of course, only classes of the sub-phylum Vertebrata of the Phylum Chordata.  And I am truly grateful to Professor Kenny for the refresher course in animal classification.  I should like to apologise to the public for having misled them in such an important matter. I also thank the good professor for broadening my knowledge of the reproductive niceties of the Phylum (Sub-phylum?) Onychophora, and that there are two species in Trinidad and Tobago.
 
Are these both members of the Genus Peripatus?  Up till this I had only known of one species, but for the life of me I cannot remember its specific name.  I am sure that Professor Kenny can also enlighten me on this intriguing matter. Also, I truly did not know that the velvet worms had a placenta.  Are we talking here of an analogous structure, not a homologous one?  This too needs elucidation. However, in my defence, I did not think that these matters, obviously very weighty in their own right, had anything to do with my argument that the abortion-promoters were attempting to negate the evolutionary success of mammalian reproduction.  Apparently Professor Kenny did not think so either, as he did not even address this, which was the whole point of my letter. My argument stands.

By the way, Professor Kenny also indicts me for referring to the reproductive improvements in mammals as the “evolutionary climax”, on the grounds that evolution is a “continuing process”. Evolution might very well be that, but in this present era of the earth’s history it is the climax, though I concede it might one day be superceded. Yet can we presume that?   Had they been able to think, I’m sure the horseshoe crabs might have figured they would develop further, but for 425 million years they have been waiting in vain!  Amongst the vertebrates, ask the crocodiles how long they have been waiting! (Approximately 150 million years, I think).  Evolution seems already to have come to an end for a large number of extant species.  What of man? Finally, the fulminations of Professor Kenny’s last paragraph are an entirely gratuitous attack on what he seems to consider misguided (Catholic?) Church domination.  This is possibly an indication of where Professor Kenny is coming from.  I should advise him to be careful, for prejudice could cloud (has clouded?) his scientific judgment.

GERRY FARFAN
Port-of-Spain

THE EDITOR: An article in the press on Sunday concerning NEDCO prompted me to pen this letter. I am really grieved to know many persons benefited from loans given by NEDCO just before the last general election. I am one of the applicants who is still on the waiting list. I would like NEDCO to explain how come a pastor was able to secure loans for approximately 20 members of his congregation, some of whom were established in business years ago, some who got the loans and to date have not started any business at all (the loans were taken for their own personal gains). I wonder is this politics or what?

J GOBERDHAN
La Horquetta

THE EDITOR: Please allow me a place in your esteemed newspaper to endorse the sentiments expressed by the residents of Woodbrook. As a resident of San Juan for the past five years, we too are faced with the daily ordeal of unclean water flowing from our taps. Numerous calls to the Water and Sewerage Authority have only added to our frustration. If our calls are ever answered to begin with, the caller is transferred around the various departments and eventually disconnected. One of WASA’s employees rudely told me to “buy a filter,” and promptly hung up. As a matter of fact, filters attached to our tank, quickly become clogged with mud and have to be replaced frequently.

Meanwhile, I continue to pay charges at the laundry because it is unthinkable of washing whites at my home, unless of course I wanted to end up with ‘brown cotton’ blouses. Even dark coloured clothing emerges from the wash with a brown hue woven into the fabric. A visible film of mud has settled at the bottom of my ice trays, and even when boiled, there is evidence of muddy particles swirling around my discoloured drinking water. While we commend the Authority on the regular supply of water in the San Juan area, we appeal to you, please, make it a supply that we can actually utilise. In this case the question arises, is quantity, in fact, better than quality?

CHIVONE CHAPMAN
San Juan

THE EDITOR: Please allow me to express how disappointed I am with the Welfare Office. My effort is to help an elderly woman to continue receiving her old age pension. She lives alone and depends on it for survival. If it had not been for good saving and the aid of her niece she might have ended up begging for assistance from neighbours and friends. This elderly lady cannot move around as she once did and is confined to her home. It has been approximately seven months since this pensioner received her pension. It turned out that the Welfare Association thought that she the old age pensioner had passed away and so her name came off the list.

Even though reports have been made to them informing them that she is alive and well, she still has not received her pension. It seems the Welfare Association cannot wait to take your name off the list as soon as they presume you are dead. Instead of her saving her money for when the inevitable happens, she has to take it to ensure that it does not happen before time. I would greatly appreciate it if they can look into this matter as soon as possible and really take time and check themselves, for now it is people’s lives that they are playing with.

KEDA ROBERTS
County of St George