Loss of this year’s AIMS Games a life lesson
When news of the postponement of the 2020 Anchor AIMS Games broke on Tuesday, thousands of tiny hearts also broke.
The annual Games have been running for 17 years and attract more than 11,000 athletes to Tauranga each year.
The intermediate-aged athletes come from far and wide. They travel from Rotorua, from Auckland, even from Tonga.
It’s a highlight in the Tauranga events calendar but also on school sporting calendars. Postponing it was the hardest decision the organisers have had to make. But it had to be made.
The number of registrations was already down with just 60 schools signed up, compared to
The postponement could be a good chance to show just how serious the Covid-19 pandemic is.
190 at the same stage last year.
It goes to show that while we may be at alert level 2 - many of us back at work, travelling domestically and dining out things are not back to normal and may not be for some time.
But the postponement could be a good life lesson for those who were anxious to participate and a chance to show them just how serious the Covid-19 pandemic is.
The disappointment the student athletes may be feeling is probably a smidgen of the disappointment international, elite athletes felt with the postponement of the Olympic Games.
Like those athletes, the kids are learning things won’t always go their way or go to plan but that doesn’t mean you should stop trying or training.
Now is the chance to knuckle down, train harder, persevere and come back stronger and more prepared, not just physically but mentally.
It also shows them how serious the Covid-19 pandemic is if they didn’t know already.
It is a pandemic affecting every aspect of life and we are adapting to a “new normal”.
But for the hopeful AIMS Games athletes it is a chance to learn a life lesson. A chance to pick up the broken pieces and come back stronger in September 2021.
The National Party claiming to be the party of small business is, in my view, a complete crock.
For big business and greedy corporate mates, yes, but for small businesses, no.
Some available statistics indicate that National MPS’ backgrounds in business and government is 44 per cent and for the Labour coalition 39 per cent, which is very close.
While not dangling a specific “small business” label, the Government has signalled numerous ways to assist business recovery, such as employment subsidies, options for debt relief, infrastructure investment and incentives for apprenticeships (male and female).
A real problem still bedevilling the New Zealand economy is the appalling decision by a previous National government to kneecap apprenticeship schemes, costing us at least several generations of tradies.
National has mainly nit-picked during Covid-19 and now I have little confidence in its vague post-crisis economic plans.
I am still extremely glad that this government is in charge of our recovery, not the alternative.
(Abridged)
Papamoa
Good time to change
It’s a good time to change the 9 to 5 working day and put important tariffs on some goods to suit our situation.
Remove GST from food, introduce a capital gains tax on the amount above government valuation on homes, and reintroduce apprenticeship in
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Email editor@bayofplenty times.co.nz. Responses may be published.
trades.
Introduce a Kiwi car like the Germans did with the VW Beatle designed and manufactured in NZ and all parts made and services in our country as affordable.
New transport removing the older imports which are high in maintenance. Reintroduce carpet, clothes and shoe factories. Increase gardening in areas that soil and climate suit to produce products that can be canned for long life that suits the African diet as well to help the starving in need. Build massive glasshouses using thermal for all year growing of edible products as well as flowers and nutrients in our city.
Set up fish farms so it becomes affordable as a staple diet for all people.
Reintroduce Nz-made with modern transport and new links for more easy access to certain places. Just a start. What do you think? (Abridged)
Rotorua