By Fred Sturrup, Associate Editor

(A 10.97 clocking in the 100 meters and 22.01 in the 200 metres, signify an amazingly swift female runner. Gillian Forde can lay claim to those accomplishments. Earlier his week in an exclusive interview, Forde talked easily and forthrightly about her career , the potential for track and field in the region and the mindset adjustment Caribbean politicians need to make regarding sports. In Sportscope today, the second and final article in the series on "Gillian Forde-A Regional Flashback" is the focus. The column follows):

Former Trinidadian sprint great Gillian Forde is hopeful of the kind of regional togetherness that would one day sensitize athletes, coaches/trainers and politicians to the importance of sports in general. if this happens, she is adamant that the concept of the West Indies Cricket Foundation could carry over not only into track an field but in all of the major disciplines as well.

"I would one day like to see a West Indies track and field squad, going up against the rest of the world just like the cricketers have been doing for years. You know, it has been the West Indies Cricket Team against Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, everyone and they have done really well through the years, establishing a wonderful legacy. Well, I feel the same thing can happen in other sports, particularly track and field.

"This can happen for sure but there are some things that needs to be in place.

Firstly, Forde reasons, the people of the Caribbean need to start more so thinking as one in sports. In truth the individualistic demeanor of the Caribbean individual has mitigated against a lot of common interests, especially in sports. There is a Team of the Americas in track and field, that includes Caribbean stars.

Why can't there be or hasn't been thus yet a Caribbean Track and Field Team? With Cuba as the largest Caribbean island, along with Jamaica, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Barbados as the track and field leaders in the Caribbean region, a team from the area would do equally as well or better than the Team of the Americas.

Forde makes a great point.

In baseball, volleyball, basketball, softball, the Caribbean could produce united teams that could tour as the West Indies Cricket Squad does. They could be equally as successful.

That's a great challenge put out there by the ex-track sensation. Perhaps she should follow-up on this.

Forde does seem to be brimming over with the kind of passion that covers more than just a continued contribution to track and field.

She is of the view that the Caribbean needs to be thinking more about camps in all sports, being a priority.

"That must be. You see you have to get the athletes in camps. You have to afford them the kind of sophisticated equipment that can check everything about their bodies everyday to get a good idea of where they are in their development and in their conditioning, whether there is too much emphasis on the build-up or particular muscles or areas of the body," said Forde.

She acknowledged that this is the age of high technology and that the technical aspects of sports and athletic development have become as important or maybe more so that the actual talent.

"We have to get with it," she said.

Forde is well aware of how the rest of the world, Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada and some South African countries have concentrated on availing their athletic programs the best of high-tech training and equipment.

This could be the case for the Caribbean nations also if the politicians would come to the realization that sports not only demands much more financial attention but is so entitled, given the great ambassadorial work done by the elite athletes of the sister nations.

"It's true. Our politicians seem to want to take the credit for achievements but they don't help as much as they should with the development process. They would want you to volunteer your services, but when it comes to (supporting the programs)" according to Forde that isn't happening nearly enough in the Caribbean.

"Our governments have to start doing like the Asians do, get the children from they are very young, work with them and fund the programs. They have to start investing in the youth. The youth of the Caribbean are our future and the politicians have to start looking very hard at giving them the best opportunities to develop. We know that sports is the key.

"If we as a people start investing in our athletes like the Europeans and the Asians, there will be a big difference," said Forde.

She of the view that the level of success attained now by the Caribbean against world competition would virtually triple if the governments put a bigger focus on the youth,

I certainly support that position.

So do colleagues across the Caribbean.

Perhaps stronger voices like Gillian Forde will eventually sink in with the area politicians.

(END OF PART II AND SERIES)