 | | Mr. Cardigan Connor (right) with Anguilla Cricket Team |
Mr. Connor was speaking at the Clayton Lloyd Airport just before flying out to St. Kitts, last weekend, with the national team for a Leeward Islands cricket match. The team had insufficient funding and was also in need of more public support. He said the team was leaving the island with great difficulty.
“We were due to be in St. Kitts a couple days ago to play a two-day match against St. Kitts, play the one-day match and then we were scheduled to be there for the semi-finals and the finals,” he stated. “But because of the financial constraints that we are facing, we had to forgo the two-day match against St. Kitts. I am hoping that does not have a negative impact on our players going into the Leeward squad that would play in the West Indies’ four-day tournament at the start of next year.”
Mr. Connor continued: “We underestimate the importance of social development and what sport means to the development of a nation. I think if you asked anybody internationally who they know about in the Caribbean, they would say that in Jamaica it is either Bob Marley in the arts, or Michael Holding or Courtney Walsh. In Antigua, Viv Richards and Andy Roberts; in Barbados, Sir Gary Sobers; in Trinidad it is calypsonians or Brian Laura. I think we underestimate this importance, and when we ask our youngsters to be disciplined and put their energies in a positive area, they need the support from the general public and, of course, all those who make the decisions. “Here in Anguilla, and in the Caribbean, as a whole, we complain about West Indies cricket, but what are we in Anguilla and elsewhere doing before we start actually looking to blame others?I think that is an important factor we really need to pay attention to.”
Asked what made him express himself that way, he replied: “Well, because it is a fact. It is burning on the inside and quite often there is a lot of talk, but very little action done… There is no point of me working within the schools and getting our cricketers to the stage where they can really take us to the next level, but then only to fall short. We have to support them and I think that is something we need to pay attention to.”
Recently, a request to the Government from the Anguilla Cricket Association for $26,614 to finance its participation in the Leeward Islands matches was denied. The reason given was the current financial situation affecting the island. |
