The Cascadia Hotel in St Ann's literally came to life as participants of the first International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, Sport and Dance (ICHPER-SD) Caribbean Regional Congress and Exposition were animatedly informed on the fundamentals of walking yesterday, as the event officially began.
Author of 38 books on sport science, health science and health fitness, Professor Yoshiro Hatano, brought the crowded Cascadia Ballroom to life with his hands-on presentation entitled The importance of Walking As A Human Legacy Should be Emphasised in Lifetime Physical Activity.

"You need to develop a good way of walking. How do you do that? Right foot and left foot. How fast? You must maintain a certain pace, a good way of walking is effective for burning calories." he said. He went on to explain the importance of having a ‘proper' walk, and pace, explaining that, maintaining a good pace was efficient for maximising calorie burning. Speaking before Hatano was sport management professor, Thomas H Sawyer, who touched on the importance of having efficient sport management programmes internationally. He said the fact someone had played a sport, did not make them a qualified sport manager or coach.

"I don't want someone operating on me just because they were operated on for the same problem, but don't have the necessary experience and qualifications to be doing the job of a surgeon," said Sawyer. The ICHPER-SD congress opened on Wednesday night at the same venue. West Indies legend Gordon Greenidge was the guest speaker for the night and shared his concern, as to why it had taken so long, for such a programme to come on stream. "It baffles me as to why this is so late in the Caribbean. A physical education programme that enhances the youth. Hopefully, UTT with this initiative will take this product and not only advance it through T&T, but the entire region," said Greenidge.