HOME	AUGUST 28st, 2004

AUGUST 28

Gender and Family Affairs Minister Yolande Joseph says she is shocked that someone could have downplayed the performance of quarter-miler Hazel Ann Regis at the Olympics games in Athens, Greece.

She made the comment following statements made by Parliamentary Representative for St. Andrew's South-East Kenrick Fullerton who was speaking Wednesday during a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives. Fullerton quoted someone as saying that local male 400M runner Alleyne Francique is more important to the country at this time than female athlete Hazel-Ann Regis. Grenadians were glued to their television sets Monday watching the 27 year Francique old compete in the 400M finals in which he placed fourth.

Before the scheduled start of the race, veteran broadcaster Lew Smith held a live media link up in the studio at the Grenada Broadcasting Network (GBN) that included Sport Minister Roland Bhola as well as Sales & Marketing Manager of Cable & Wireless Aaron Moses. The telecommunications giant has been involved in a major fund raising drive for the former St. Andrew's Anglican Secondary School (SAASS) student.

It was during conversation with Smith, that Minister Bhola is reported to have made the comment about Francique's performance being more important to the country than that of Regis. His statements did not go down well with at least one radio announcer as well as some members of the public who phoned into local call-in programmes to criticise the remarks made by the senior government minister. Both opposition and government Parliamentarians showered praises on the quarter miler as well as the other four athletes during the Special Sitting.

Fullerton, who is an executive member of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) said that it is important for the entire country to recognise Francique for the contribution he had made and provide him and the other four athletes at the games with some form of reward. He said that contrary to comments made in some quarters, he wanted to state that Regis' performance is commendable as well and that she is important to Grenada just like Francique.

In making her contribution in parliament, Minister Joseph wondered who could have made such a comment about Regis. She said that, "no one in their right sense would have made a statement like that" and she wondered who could have said such a thing. Sport Minister Roland Bhola sat in his chair quietly as his female colleague made the condemnation. In his own contribution, Bhola who is the M.P for St. Andrew North-east commended the Grenadian athletes at the olympics on their performances and accused some media houses of making statements that are misleading and inaccurate.

He did not mention what the statements were, neither did he call the name of the broadcaster/announcer who was behind these "erroneous statements". The Sport Minister called for a Professional Services Act to be brought to parliament to deal with the way the media operate in the country.