TIGblogs - NESTA

Ever since the Government of Dominica pledged allegiance to the One China Policy in 2004 there have been public fears/concerns about the increase in the Chinese population in Dominica. More recently, ce

rtain business owners and radio personalities have led the charge about perceived ‘preferential treatment’ from the Government with regards to Chinese business and has called the moved an unfair attempt at undermining local businesses.

But it isn’t all that bad, truth be told. The Chinese have built the Windsor Park Sports Stadium, Dominica Grammar School and other such projects at little or no cost to Dominica or Dominicans, assisting the country with capital projects during a time when international assistance from friendly governments have dwindled and the international markets are failing.

The Ministry of Agriculture, where I work, also has a good working relationship with the Chinese delegation. We have been collaborating on various projects at the Hillsborough Agricultural Research Centre and also at the farmer/field level.

The relationship was further cemented this weekend (Saturday June 26, 2011) after a friendly basketball match at Lindo Park between the Extension service of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Chinese Embassy.

It was a strange game, the Chinese, who were widely regarded as the away team had a larger and louder crowd support, lol. They also had a larger team, playing more than twenty (20) players against the eight (8) that the agricultural service fielded.

The score was never close but it didn’t need to be. The Agricultural team outscored the Chinese delegation from the first minute so much so that the scoreboard was erased with about one (1) minute still left in the game. It wasn’t done in any way to cheat the game but more in gest as it was clear that the Chinese team could never have won and by that time they were mainly playing for fun. The last score I remember seeing was 59 – 26, in favour of the agriculturists.

There’s already discussion about a follow-up game but with serious negotiations as to the number of players allowed to be play in the game. Eight (8) might beat twenty (20) but there’s no way seventy thousand (70,000) can defeat one billion (1,000,000,000).

See a video clip of the game: