Paul Regis as Ethan Hunt? Sedley Joseph as Mr Phelps?

These Maple stalwarts better get ready to be lead actors in "Mission Impossible IV", that is if the two venerable members of one of our sporting institutions really believe they are up to the challenge thrown down to them by the country's head of state.

There were no busloads of schoolchildren brought in to provide constant cheering to his every sentence, so it might be interesting to assess the general reaction of those in attendance on Friday night at the Centre of Excellence when President Max Richards, while delivering the feature address to mark Maple Club's 90th anniversary, issued a challenge that he suggested would give the organisation a new lease of life in the 21st century.

"There must be a way to revive the spirit of the amateur and provide an outlet for the entry of skills by young people," the Prez declared, adding later that "a determined revival must begin within the Maple family so that it becomes a leading club once more among the amateurs".

No doubt there would have been polite applause at the very least, but even with the best will in the world, it seems Professor Max, if he is sincere, has a better chance of getting Tom Cruise, Shah Rukh Khan (you know how Bollywood likes to copy everything the Americans do), Steven Spielberg and Dreamworks to at least produce a believable movie blockbuster in which a humble sporting organisation triggers a gigantic wave of social transformation.

Then again, seeing that this should really be a local effort, how about Errol Fabien as old "Polly" Regis, Sprangalang as Sedley and Raymond Choo Kong as the Prez to ensure a degree of ethnic integrity to the Banyan production?

It's all well and good to talk about bringing back the old time days and recapturing the true amateur spirit of sport. Those memories give us all a warm feeling inside and make us misty-eyed for the days when life seemed so much simpler, when there was a greater sense of discipline, dedication and respect, and when fierce confrontations on the sporting field were hardly ever confused with the camaraderie and lifelong friendships that developed off it.

Truth is, those days are gone forever and will never return. Even if we were to endure some sort of massive revolutionary upheaval against the increasing trend towards lawlessness and anarchy, we cannot exactly recreate the past, unless it's for a few nights' performance on the stage at Queen's Hall or Naparima Bowl.

So should we just consign President Richards' clarion call to the same rising pile of utterly irrelevant speeches and addresses as delivered by a host of politicians and other public figures, especially in recent times?

Not necessarily, for there will always be merit in seeking a way out of the swirling morass of indiscipline, disrespect and downright absence of broughtupsy that now defines our country. However, just as the mushrooming popularity of Twenty20 cricket-if managed properly-can help to sustain the traditional variety while at the same time satisfying the needs of a newer and very different audience, so too must we be prepared to tailor a new suit in keeping with the very different fabric of society from what obtained up to 30 years ago.

In stating that "there must be more to the game and to this club than becoming a professional, and I believe that more must be done to revive and intensify the interest of the amateur", President Richards seems, maybe inadvertently, to be repeating the old English public (meaning private) school mantra that institutionalised a clear class distinction between those who were paid for playing sport and those who competed for the love of it.

It reflects the sort of Victorian era discrimination in which the working class-the miners, bricklayers and chimney sweeps who did real work and were therefore physically fitter-were excluded from amateur sporting competition like the Olympics because, unlike the upper-crust (Andy Ganteaume's "Establishment"), they were not born with silver spoons in their mouths and saw sport as a means to excel in a competitive environment and also earn a decent living.

I'm sure most of those gathered at the Centre of Excellence on Friday night, or who have left this realm of existence but are still remembered for their great deeds for club and country, would have wished to be properly remunerated for their efforts, confident in the belief that being a professional sportsman would not have diminished their love for sport in the slightest.

True, there is always the danger that financial considerations will erode sporting integrity. But going back to the days when satisfaction was its own reward at the highest level of our sporting landscape is definitely not the answer. It is about striking a balance, for we have allowed the situation to swing from one extreme to the other, so much so that even the most ordinary of performers now expects to be compensated for making what can only be described as a meaningless contribution.

This is a task, should the Maple veterans accept it, we should all be prepared to actively support, especially as our so-called leaders will disavow any knowledge of an effort that does not achieve immediate success and earn them instantaneous nationwide acclaim.

An impossible mission it may be, but there must still be a few good men and women around, Mapleites and non-Mapleites, capable of rescuing us from self-destruction.

fazeer2001@hotmail.com