Sir, - Tom Humphries writes (August 7th): "How is it, however, that almost every great athlete and most of the middling ones we have produced have been buffed and polished by the American college system? Can we not take one of our great universities and graft a truly worthwhile track and field programme onto it?"
I am not sure if Mr Humphries is aware of the athletic scholarship programmes that are offered in Irish universities. If so, he seems to have chosen to discount the contribution they have made to the development of Irish athletics. Scholarships or bursaries are now offered by most universities in the State. The oldest and arguably the most successful programme is administered by UCD, which has offered athletic scholarships since 1991. At present six athletes benefit from the scheme, including the Olympian David Matthews, the national champion and record-holder at 800 metres, Antoine Burke, runner-up in the high jump at the 1994 World Junior Championships, and James Nolan, a semi-finalist in the World Indoor Championships.
These athletes' achievements are modest so far compared with the likes of O'Sullivan, Coghlan and Treacy. However, Matthews and Burke are 22 and Nolan is 20, so they have many years of top-class international competition ahead of them in which to earn their places in Irish sporting history.
Moreover, they have already played an important role by showing those top-flight athletes a few years younger than them what can be done if you stay in Ireland. In the words of their coach, Noel Carroll, whom I interviewed him for UCD's University Observer, "David Matthews is the first athlete who has shown that you don't have to go away to the States be a success." - Yours, etc.,
Arran Hussey,
Stillorgan Road, Co Dublin.