Youth and Sports Development Minister Kenson Casimir has joined the chorus of praise for Saint Lucia sprint Queen Julien Alfred, hailing her historic Bowerman Award.
Alfred claimed the prestigious Award last Thursday night in Denver, Colorado.
It is the highest honor in collegiate track and field.
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre and opposition leader Allen Chastanet have lauded the achievement.
“It’s a wonderful time for Sports in Saint Lucia,” Youth and Sports Development Minister Kenson Casimir told reporters, declaring that Saint Lucia was experiencing its best year in its sporting history.
He spoke to reporters on the margins of Monday’s Cabinet meeting.
“1987 was our pretty much barometer year in achievement, winning the Caribbean Cup in football, cricket, doing great things. But this year, we have seen Julien Alfred reach the absolute pinnacle of collegiate track and field,” the Gros Islet MP noted.
“We also had a weekend where our table tennis team came out on top, in fact, in every division – male, famale, overall champions in table tennis at the OECS level and so we are very proud of where we’re going in terms of sport,” Casimir stated.
“Certainly, Saint Lucia may have six (athletes), perhaps not at the Paris Olympics, but certainly at the Olympics after. A minimum of six athletes in terms of the field events, javelin as well,” he said in response to a reporter’s question regarding local representation at the international multi-sport event.
Casimir observed that several local sporting associations were doing very well.
He recalled that Saint Lucia won the Caribbean Boxing Championship, the Schoolboys Boxing Championship, and the OECS championship.
“We have been exporting athletes to Venezuela, to Martinique – all over the world,” the Minister noted.
In addition, he asserted that Saint Lucia had not lost hope in swimming due to the impact the country expects from constructing the national aquatic center and implementing the coaching programme.
Casimir told reporters that regarding sports, the government had not focused only on the physical, an error he believed the country has made for the last forty years.
“We’ve had the best athletes. But they have not been the most mentally competent,” he explained.
As a result, Casimir said there would be a breakdown attributed to physical issues during the competition.
However, he indicated it was important to determine the state of the mental strength.
“So this government has really focused on the psychosocial, and when I say psychosocial, I mean their social life, their parenting, their background, their society, the community they live in and what they eat – all those sort of things so we could take care of that aspect of their lives, so they can focus on the field and then focusing on the physical development,” Casimir told reporters.
Bravo
Made us proud
Good day to all readers. I want to extend my Support to ALL our St.Lucian Athletes in their respective sports. Congratulations to all Teams and individuals sports men and women who was Successful in their meets.To those who were not able to reach their desired Goals, Smile😊 ok because, you came forward AS REPRESENTATIVES for all of St . Lucia and you did your BEST. BRAVO 👏👏Keep working and praying your way, upward and forward Hopefully you and your Teams will be more Successful; If God is willing next time.My dear keep working on improving your SKILLS and FOCUS ON TRAINING TOWARDS YOUR DREAMS; TO KEEP IT ALIVE. Don’t give up👍👏👏. On another note ; I want to Big up miss Julien Alfred on her milestone in track and field😇 I am proud of you young lady. To the Honorable Mr Casimir, I am sooo happy to hear what you said; concerning the forty years of lapses on , the previous Government leadership part ; where MORE COULD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR THE SPORTS and ATHLETES here IN ST.LUCIA. ALSO, YOU MADE MENTION OF
THIS GOVERNMENT FOCUSING ON THE CARE OF THE PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECT OF OUR ATHLETES; SO, THEY CAN GIVE ALL THEIR ATTENTION TO THEIR GENRE OF SPORT. I PRAY THAT AS A YOUNGER MINISTER YOUR DESIRE AND ADVICE FOR OUR SPORT’S MEN AND WOMEN WILL BE ACCEPTED AND BE PUT INTO GOOD WORKS BY THE OVERALL LEADERSHIP OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ST.LUCIA.THANK YOU FOR HOLDING THIS MINDSET😇 IT’S A GREAT IDEA. LET ME USE THIS PLATFORM TO EXTEND; WELL WISHES AND SEASON GREETINGS TO ALL ST.LUCIAN.LETS PRAY FOR ALL AND BE HAPPY FOR THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS, SO WHEN YOUR TURN AND TIME OF SUCCESS WILL COME; ANOTHER WILL BE HAPPY FOR YOU OR YOUR FAMILY IN THE SAME MANNER. ALL OF GOD’S BEST FOR THE HOPEFUL 2024; IF GOD IS WILLING TO SPARE OUR LIVES. 😇😇😊 AND SHARE LOVE DURING THIS FESTIVE SEASON; REMEMBER THE LESSER PRIVILEGE AMONGST US. REMEMBER LUCIANS ; UNITED WE WILL STAND AND DIVIDED WE WILL FALL. SO BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST; FEAR GOD AND DO GOOD. 💪✌💖👍