Techniques and strategies

IT’S always exciting and a joy to watch an athletic meet, more so, when it’s our own Samoa 2019 Pacific Games in Apia.

One begins to realise that it is not only about the physical attributes of the athletes, it’s also more about the techniques and the strategies used that often bring home the medals.

Slowing down at the finish line — either from exhaustion or the elation and satisfaction of just reaching it at the end of the run — can often mean losing a medal or a record. Technically, the finish line should be the point of maximum speed or where the momentum is not reduced. Running these days can often come down to mere milliseconds. A difference between success and failure. A difference between a medal and no medal at all.

More so, if the athlete in front is pipped at the tape by another, because the athlete had slowed down at the wrong time!

An aspect that I think needs serious consideration — as perhaps a participation strategy — is the economic returns between participation in team sports and in individual sports, especially when participating in overseas athletic meet.

Thirty two players (rugby league nines and rugby sevens) brought home historic and memorable gold medal wins. It was amazing.

But the interesting thing is that

— as team sports — it took 32 players to provide only two gold medals to add to our overall tally, whereas, 32 players for instance in the individual sports categories like swimming and athletics, can ideally bring home 32 gold medals and even more, where a single participant can even bring two or more gold as, in some athletics and swimming event.

So, virtually 32 players in the individual sports category, can bring, say, 50 gold medals, as opposed to 32 players in the team sports category bringing only two possible gold medals.

Maybe, we should reconfigure the strategy we use for participation in events like the Pacific Games. I am in no way trying to diminish the value or importance of the participation in overseas events of team sports in terms of exposure and the progress and development of these sports.

At the end of the day it’s about the medals count. Sometimes, we just have to be brutally realistic and justify the economic returns of the investments made. Most of the cost of the participation costs in these events, have to be met from fundraising by the individual athletes — and the amounts is often staggering for team sports — sometimes teams are often unable to participate because they cannot come up with the funds on time and all for the sake of just one medal. Maybe in developing sporting countries like ours, I think that we should adopt a more realistic approach with a focus on participation in the individual sports. Especially, where one athlete can win more than one medal.

It will certainly provide a better return on our investment. It will also not add further to the financial burden faced by these sports. It will also take us further up the medal tally with a smaller number of participants. We will probably end up fourth or fifth in the 2019 Pacific Games medal tally, under the current contingent make-up. Quality with more gold rather than quantity with relatively less gold, would be more satisfying in my view.

EDWARD BLAKELOCK

Admiral Circle, Pacific Harbour