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“[…] Last Saturday, the malls were jam-packed with juveniles and police had to be called in to disperse the crowd. Beaches remain open and quite obviously will be crowded this weekend, just as they were reported to be last weekend, while there are sure to be new movies released in the cinema.
“Yet still, sports is being picked on…”
The following letter to the editor on the government’s restrictions on sport was submitted to Wired868 by Nicholas, a football coach:
(Copyright Allan V Crane/CA-images/All Sport)
As a concerned citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, I write this letter hoping to generate a healthy discussion from the public, and possibly hoping for those in charge to pick sense out of nonsense
Don’t get me wrong, I respect all that the government has been doing to safeguard myself and the nation from the deadly Covid-19 virus that has hit the world by surprise. However, some things aren’t adding up at all with certain decisions that are being made.
School’s out! It’s Easter. Last Saturday, the malls were jam-packed with juveniles and police had to be called in to disperse the crowd. Beaches remain open and quite obviously will be crowded this weekend, just as they were reported to be last weekend, while there are sure to be new movies released in the cinema.
Yet still, sports is being picked on.
Mind you, competitions are not allowed and there are no stadiums activities, so pavilions and bleachers remain empty. Yet still the minister of health chose to take away the little stress reliever for the youngsters.
I’m trying to understand. Does it make sense when your entire backdoor—beaches, cinemas and malls—remain wide open.
Have you noticed the increase in murders of our juveniles recently? Eighteen-year-old Brad of Santa Cruz, a 17-year-old from El Dorado, a 15-year-old from Port of Spain. How about the 14-year-old and 15-year-old from the children’s home, and the kidnap of the 17-year-old in Enterprise?
While some might be unrelated, what if the lack of recreational activities permitted to youngsters have led them to channel their energies in a different direction?
One might argue that your health is more important, but so too is our sanity. Good sense must prevail. This is not an argument about Covid-19 really, it is about the rationale behind taking away ‘leisure’ activities when the multiple other ways the virus can infect persons remain untouched.
A more sensible approach with more informed consultation should be considered, which involves: protecting one’s physical and mental health and, especially, the overall wellbeing of youths.
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A month ago this article was written and look what’s the situation. At that point in Time was only 46 cases with sports open and strangely as the author wrote malls packed, beaches opened now the cases are more than quadruple.
If the government had take note and maybe close up just fir the 2 weeks of easter the situation might have been different?
Yet still they’ll never accept blame.
I have heard the prime minister say he dont need to consult with anyone . Well boy, take responsibility Keithos………
I am in total agreement with this article. Why pick on sports and in particular where the young people are able to channel their energy. Once they are properly supervised what do you expect them to do being locked down at home doing nothing.
It is quite clear that this action was not properly thought out.
There seems to be no true logic behind the decisions being made.
It is said that they are following the science, could it be that the 46 persons came from a sports activity to form a cluster or an innocent village activity.
Donkey logic is being used. One of the reasons identified is religious gathering but nothing done,