Maho: ---Despite a late and sluggish start the two young women who represented the island of Anguilla in the 37th Annual Leeward Islands Debating Competition came out on top beating their proposition Island of Montserrat. The moot for the first night was "The Present Practice of Spending Millions on Sports is Justifiable".Representing Anguilla was Olufunmille Banks who not only won the night's debate but she managed to capture the best speaker's prize. Banks was accompanied Mekela Shellekie who managed to capture the keen attention of the three judges. Anguilla gained 280 points over Montserrat with 191.
The pair who did thorough research on how much money are spent on sports and how little is returned to society. They said while sports are beneficial to ones health it is only the elites that benefit from huge salaries at the expense of tax payers while the poor and middle class does not. These monies they said can be better spent on education and health care. Comparison was made to the amount of monies Africa plans to spend on security for the 2010 games while people in that country is dying of HIV and AIDS. Another stark reality that was pointed out by the Anguillan teams is the mismanagement of funding and corruption in the sporting industry has created.
The judges find that the Anguillans did a much better presentation in content as well as how composed they were they made it easier for everyone to understand, while Adena Johnson and Seymoura Dyett was advised to speak slower the next time they debate and try to convince themselves of what they are saying. Chief Judge of the night Taco Stein said it was evident that the main presenter for the Montserrat team Adena Johnson was not convinced with what she herself was saying. He also felt that if Johnson had taken her time to speak and articulate then her team may have scored more.
Present to witness the debate which is organized by the Hyacinth Richardson Foundation was the president of the foundation and his wife, Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards who gave the opening speech, leader of government and commissioner of education Sarah Wescot Williams and Dr. J. A George Irish founder of the Leeward Islands Debating Competition (LIDC).
