 Alright, we continue our discussion on the just-concluded Carrefter Games. The 51st Carrefter Games stage last weekend at the Karani James Stadium in St. George's Grenada was a huge success for the host country. Celebrating its 50th year of independence, the Grenadians have the pleasure of hosting the 2024 edition of the Carrefter Games. This was their third time at hosting duties, having previously staged it in 2016. Well, Chair of the Local Organising Committee, Veda Bruno-Victin joins us to recap the Games and Grenada's hosting duties. Welcome to the Sportsmax zone, Veda. Thank you very much. Let's start the discussion by reflecting on the Carrefter Games. How do you think your team executed? Because I know it was a lot of work, a lot of preparation based on the number of athletes and officials coming to your country. So how would you say the execution went? Well, I think that we did very well, especially seeing that we only had one year to put things together, and the committee really worked very, very hard. And what I want to say, though, is that sometimes you see things happening and you think, oh, Lord, this is good, but more than that, we have people who have spent a lot of time and a lot of effort putting things into place to make sure that this goes off well. So I think there's a committee that's playing this job, trying to put our things together. And I mean, now that it's come and gone, I think we miss it. Yeah, I know, especially when you've invested so much time and effort into something, and then it just happens and it goes away and you're like, you know, you're missing that part of what that part of you that went into putting this event on. So I totally understand what you're talking about. Now, Vida, what I do know is leading up to the Carrefter Games, you were stressing the importance of security. And I understand that because you're having a lot of youngsters coming into your country and you want to ensure that they are very safe. Also, it's on an Easter weekend where you know people are going out and celebrating during that period as well. Talk to me about the security aspect and if everything, as well, it went to plan. Well, yes, let me just say that the Royal Grenada Police did an excellent job of working along with us to ensure that the security was of a high standard. We had to use 14 different hotels to run this meet. Unlike 2016 when we only had two. But for this one, we had to use all of these numbers. And the 14 of them, this created for us a challenge. But we had security in all of them just to make sure that everything went well. So the security, the police force, and then we had local security ourselves. We had security at the National Stadium and we had security at the different hotels. National security was at its maximum. And then, as of interest, the commissioner ensured that no one went off duty. All the policemen were on duty. Nobody got time off. So we were all, all, all, everyone was on board making sure that everything went well. Vida, can you talk to us quickly about the expanded accommodation venues that you just referenced? Because, yeah, I just want to get... Go ahead. Yeah, I just want to find out what was behind, you know, the big increase in the number of accommodation spots that you had. Well, let me tell you what happened. You remember, in 2016, we used two major hotels. Yes. Now, one of them was also folk circulation. So we had to use a few of the smaller ones. And then we had almost 600, almost 600 people there. So with the, the 600 athletes were the new officials, 700 and something. And the Grenada team, the Grenada team was over 67. So that created, now, we had to get more rooms and more tents. But I must say that the tourism authority worked with us. They held meetings with them and they told them what they were expected to do. So that's how we ended up with all the different smaller ones. In addition to that, you know, sometimes what people answer correspondently. And so we placed some of the hotels, the smaller one that we had. We let them go so that the Caribbean neighbors could come and so many people came to the games. So with that now, we were not able to go back on our word and take these hotels back. So we had to use some of the smaller ones. Yeah, can you talk to us quickly, though, about the track and field fraternity in Grenada and how satisfied they were with a 13-metal hole, including one gold. No world-class talent like a Kirani James or Anderson Peters on show for Grenada at this stage, some may develop in the years to come. But how satisfied is the general public with how Grenada asserted themselves at the meet? Well, let me say that the general public was very satisfied. As a matter of interest, the gender public came out in their numbers to support the team and to support the games because we just had the intercall championships for athletics of two weeks before that. And so, you know, Grenada is an island that people love track and field. They were all there and they know their track and field too. So they were in good support for the team. They wanted us to win the final race, which we thought we would have had in our hand, but you know these things happen. And so they were very happy with the performance of the team. Most people did not expect them to get so many medals, but they did exceptionally well, we think. And we didn't have a lot of time to make the preparation. In 2016, we had two years, but the team had two years to start training too. And we wanted to win all the event medals. And so we did a lot of work in those areas. So people were satisfied with the performance of the team. Yeah, Vita, can you put on your other hat now for a moment? Because I remember back in October, you made a presentation at the kind of general assembly in Barbados, criticizing or may I use a different word, urging Karakum as a region to invest more in sport. And your narrative pretty much was that you don't think governments are investing in sport in the tangible way that they should. You've been a permanent secretary in the sports minister there, you're general GenSec of the Olympic Committee as well, a former netball star, a former netball coach. So your background in sport is well documented. Could you just elaborate on the point that you were making at the general assembly that you think more needs to be done with investing in sport for the youth? Well, listen, if we don't invest in sport for the youth, we leave them to do anything that they want and they will get into trouble. You have to channel people's energies in the right direction. As you did say, I have been involved in sports, perhaps all my life. So I know what I'm talking about. Governments need to do more. I want to commend our government because they really have stood up to the task and have been working along with us. And you know, government, we decided years ago that anybody who qualifies for character must go and that was government's call at the time I was permanent secretary. But how many countries, how many more, how many governments do this? You have to invest in sports with young people. You have to ensure that they get an opportunity to play more. So I found that if we don't seek out and encourage the government to put more money into sports, you have to. Other than that, you have to expand the jail or sometimes the hospital. So what you have to really do is focus on how you're going to help. And I must commend our government. I must commend them because they worked so hard to ensure the track was ready, the help with the accommodation, and to ensure, and before that, the help with the training because we had people who came in to help us prepare our team. And that was all part of government's doing. So I just wanted to encourage the government of the country to work, to work hard and help us in the different sports, to ensure that something is done for our young people. You did in your presentation, though, Vida, accept that governments will put on the table that there are urgent issues as well to deal with the health industry and education and so on that competes with how they disseminate funds to the different areas and sports sometimes get sidelined because of these other important issues, which you accepted to a point, but... Yes, I did, because I'm the permanent secretary. You... I mean, one has to be realistic and everything. And if you don't have oxygen in the hospital, how can you buy balls and net balls? You understand? So I made the point, though, that all the... We need to sustain everything in different areas so that folks will get a fair share and not be in the background. And perhaps when there's nothing left, that's what you get. But the point that I really wanted to make was that we want to make each share because if we don't, you would have more to put in the hospital. Health depends on good work activities, good sports ability that helps your health. So I was trying to make that point also, although I am aware that sometimes, when especially in small countries, you don't have all that is needed and therefore you have to look at the education sector, you have to look at the health sector, you have to look at the social development sector. So there are all areas that you need to look at. But in the same way, you have to make sure that you put some more money into sports. All right, Veda, well, you know, we want to thank you so much. One, we want to commend you on the work that, of course, you and the entire team did to ensure that the Carifter Games went off without any hitches. And I want to thank you so much for your time for stopping by on the Sportsmax. So hopefully we can chat again really soon. Yes, I would be delighted too, since my people in the Caribbean were not able to see me in my pretty dress. We've been to this show. So I'll come back with you again. But I just want to say in closing that this was a wonderful experience for us all, and we look forward to closing again. All right, thank you so much, Veda and Bruno Victor there, the chairperson of the local organizing committee. We take a break, then we come back. We still have just the facts. We have interactive. I have zone update two, so stay with us.