By Raffique Shah
Sunday, August 10th 2008
How I look forward to the next three weeks as the magic of the Olympic Games impacts on most people across the world. There’s something about the Games that holds human beings spellbound. It gives us some respite from wars, a lull in crime, relief from politicians, makes us forget our daily woes. What makes the Olympics more appealing than football World Cup is that every country, small and big, can participate in it, if only with one athlete-and six officials! In Beijing this year, a record 205 countries are participating.
Many athletes in whatever discipline they choose may never make it past the first round. But that does not matter. Just being on the biggest world stage, running in a heat with superstars, swimming with legends or merely looking at graceful gymnasts or divers perform, is the experience of a lifetime. Medals they may never win, such is the level of competition. But just being there inspires them to strive to improve their lives, whatever their backgrounds, however poor they and their countries may be.
In our case-and here I refer to Trinidad and Tobago and our Caribbean neighbours-we have much to look forward to. We have had a rich history in several sporting disciplines, way out of proportion to our sizes and populations. Indeed, if the Caribbean has stamped itself in the minds of people who would otherwise look at us as sand-and-sea tourist havens, it has been at the Olympics. I dare say that our successful athletes are better known globally than our writers, academics and other achievers-which may be unfair to the latter. But again, such is the magic of the Olympics.
This time around in track and field, always the arena in which we shine brightest, the debate over how many medals our athletes would win would rage until each event climaxes.
Trinidad and Tobago has a good team. It’s the first time in many years we have gone to the Games with so many track and field athletes who have not just met the qualifying standards, but some of whom stand a good chance of mounting the medals’ podium. We ought not, however, to get carried away, to hold expectations that simply cannot be realised.
Take the blue-riband 100-metres sprint, considered by many as the event of the Games. In the men’s version, Trinis swear our Richard Thompson, Marc Burns and Darrel Brown would medal. That’s not impossible: I have learned, as an ardent athletics fan and one who knows a thing or two about athletics, that the 100-metres is the most unpredictable race. Given it lasts all of ten seconds, if that long, any finalist can win (as Thompson said in an interview). A split-second bad start can turn a winner into an also-ran. Jamaica’s Asafa Powell and the USA’s Tyson Gay will have to overcome three rounds to reach the final, having recently suffered injuries.
Realistically, though, the favourites for the medals’ podium are the phenomenal Usain Bolt, Powell and Gay. The USA’s Travis Padgett and Darvis Patton, both of whom have clocked 9.89 seconds within the last month, must be factored in.
Thompson, who at 23 is one year older than Bolt, has performed best among our boys this season. He has two sub-10s under his belt, plus a 10-flat. And he has a very positive approach to competing on the biggest stage of them all. Burns, still a young competitor at 25, has raced successfully on the European circuit and is accustomed to the big stage.
With a best time of 9.97 a few weeks ago in London, Burns is capable of exploiting any opportunity that presents itself in the final. Brown, who has disappointed after blazing his way as a junior, also has the ability to deliver.
We should feel proud, though, that whatever happens in the punishing “rounds” these athletes must endure before reaching the final, and outside of the big names in the event, the Caribbean might well see the most finalists ever in the history of the Games. Besides Michael Frater who completes the Jamaican trio, watch for Churandy Martina of Curacao (10-flat), and on the outside, Derrick Atkins of the Bahamas. I should add here that barring anything unfortunate, the T&T 4 x 100-metres team should bag at least a bronze medal, or better.
In the women’s equivalent, I was extremely disappointed when Veronica Campbell of Jamaica failed to make the Jamaican team. For me, she has been the most outstanding female sprinter since the now-disgraced Marion Jones. The toss-up to the front of the women’s 100-metres, though, would be among Jamaicans Kerron Stewart, Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sherone Simpson, and the USA’s Torri Edwards, Muna Lee and Lauryn Williams. For the first time in many years, though, our Kelly-Ann Baptiste has what it takes to put a Trini-woman in the final. She would have to stave off Belgium’s Kim Gevaert, Britain’s Montell Douglas, the Bahamas’ evergreen Chandra Sturrup and Debbie Ferguson.
Yes, the Games are on and I’m in my glee.
-To be continued next week
Synopsis of a letter I sent to media in TnT and US:
Let us hire the Chinese to reform our educational systems. Give them the resources needed and five years, and let them train persons (nationals of the country)to take over and run it when they leave.
I was particularly touched by the selflessness of the little boy who walked besides Yao.At 9-10, he went back into his crushed school to rescue tw others, then walked seven miles, with his little sisters, to safety.When asked why he did it, he said”I am a hall monitor.It is my responsibility”
A little child shall lead them, and he did.
Press the pause button a bit and see how things work out among the Sudanese and other oil rich and resource laden non- democracies that they are presently supporting and educating as is it characterized here. In addition, any political system that eradicates pointless Oppositions to changes might also be progress using this last comment as a backdrop.
The support for the government of a place with resources that you need is part of the way business is done in the world. No doubt the great USA supports governments that gives it concessions in places where none would be forthcoming otherwise. The greatest example of this was the recognition of a revolt against Columbia on the Isthmus of PAnama around 1900. America recognized and supported the breakaway province as the country called Panama. We have the Panama Canal and Zone as a result, which helps cheap Chinese goods to flood the US markets and those of the Caribbean. All of the major structures of the Chinese Olympics were designed by Western(American) architects. Did China’s position on Darfur prevent democracy-loving US technocrats from profiting from this big opportunity? Did it , does it, prevent Trinidadians from doing business in and with China? Long before China got in to Sudan, the Canadians were there. The scorched earth policy of the Janjaweed was put in place to facilitate Canadian oil mining companies. Did the world stop in indignation at Canada, or was cheap oil regarded as part of the process of moving the world forward? China is doing what all the western democracies did first , and are still doing. Check US oil companies in Ecuaadr for example, as well as the recent oil grabs in Angola and Algeria.
If the Muslim north of Sudan is willing to continue to wipe out its Christian south, and the world’s attitude is, a few more dead Africans don’t really matter much, the survivors would produce more children.(This is not what they say, of course. Compare to the strident comments about the conflict in Georgia where the people are white.) If westerners continue to regard Africans as being in the way of a scorched earth policy for oil development, then China, as one of the G8 countries, will continue to act as if Africans do not matter. From whom did they learn? They were never part of the African Slave Trade.
I cannot argue with a single point you’ve raised here Ms. L , as you are correct on each score. Countries will do what works in their own self interest- especially an emerging power such as China desperately in need of resources to feed it’s growing industrial needs. It is simply filling the void in areas across the globe that the many our deceptive powers are ignoring- definitely win/ win for all concerned. I was in diamond and oil rich Angola for over a year and closely observe the country in it’s attempts to grapple with a stupid 30 year war , as Jonas Savambi virtually pull his hair our in consternation, because of the lack of any further support from old benefactors such as Racist white South Africa and Jesse Helms Republican America. Talk about stalemate at ‘The end of History.’
One cannot help but be proud of the Chinese people for what they were able to achieve through the many centuries. Can one think of the progress that Africa could have made if only Tanzania’s Ujamaa/”familyhood” was allowed to thrive regionally as advocated by the greatest African leader that ever lived -Julius Kambarage Nyerere? Even back then ‘Mwalimu’saw the benefits that could have accrued with emulating some aspects of his close allie China policies. If only his people had the fortitude like the Chinese , if only back then other predominantly selfish and divided African leaders could have understood his as well as Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah integration dreams and not fall for the usual 50 pieces of silver poffered by ex colonial, then they too could have something to celebrate today outside of ethnic clensing aniversaries , indictment for war lords ,and attempts at recovery of stolen loot from Swiss accounts.
One got to show some love to Deng Xiaoping however for starting China down that road of Post Mao China economic reforms, commonly known as ‘Socialist market economy.’ Perhaps credit is also due to the majority of the Chinese people that are prepared to sacrifice domestic political freedoms and basic rights for the more significant global economic returns .Pity the drunken, Russian nationalist opportunist Boris Yelsin could not fully comprehend what Gorbachev was all about when he introduced Glasnost and Perestroika, as they would not be dealing with the nonsense they had to undergo in first Ukraine and now Georgia. There is some good that might result from the Chechnya- like onslaught by the Russians on Georgia today. It could finally wake up the sleeping and often indecisive EU community that usually likes to behave as if they collectively comprise the 51st state of USA , especially when it comes to critical foreign policy affairs.
Lessons to be derived for us in our Caribbean neck of the woods. They are that leaders matter, solid , realistic and authentic political and social goals are possible in any country , where patriotism are more than catch phrase slogans.
Once more hats off for an excellent post Ms. L, to use a cricket anology, you took that full toss I bowled/ lobbed you and hit it over the fence for six – as you should .Keep edifying us with your thoughtful analysis.
That this “magic” would be marred by the insensitivity of the Spnish photograph of their basketball team, shows the need for greater international understanding. Spain does not see itself as doing anything wrong. Other articles on the Yahoo News service suggest a lot of latent racism in Spain- another former colonal power that sold my people.
Bela Karolsky, a commentator for USA on the NBC channel, keeps saying that the Chinese Women’s Gymnastic team are younger than sixteen- They beat the stuffing out of the Americans. Sour grapes.
I go back to the small boy walking besides Yao Ming.If I did not know his age, I would have thought he was five or six. The government said he was ten.
Karolsky should watch the Chinese women’s team smile. All of their adult teeth are in. Their smiles look exactly(Tooth-wise) like Shawn Johnson- the tiny US star, who we are to beliee, is sixteen.
Now, whatmakes some people think like that? That the Chinese would cheat on age, but not western states? That its OK to offend your host, when your host does not look like you?
All of Spain and parts of Europe and America need sensitivity training. Your opponent should be treated with respect, especially at the Olympics, which claims to be in the spirit of One Love.Good sportsmanship impliesthat you do not assume that your opponents are lying.
I write in response to Raffique Shah”s “Magic of the Olympics”. I wish the brother would check his facts when it comes to the premier event the men”s 100 meters.(This event is sacred to people like Me) There is nothing unpredictable about it, Mr. Shah the favorite always win. And I go back to Munich ’72 when the Russian Borzoff was the winner. Then after the boycott of ’76, Hasely was the man. Since then, Alan wells. Carl Lewis, even the drug cheat Ben Johnson, Donovan Bailey and Maurice Green they were all favorites. And of course the three big horses this time are Gay, Powell and Gay it will take a miracle for someone else to step in.
As of this time of writing, the muh vaunted Gay is out, leaving three Jamaicans, two Trinis, to from the US and another guy. Thompson has the third best time going in. Go TnT Go.
Do you see what too much wealth can do for a country that’s lacks direction? Don Quarry got no plane in his honor or big governmental Ministerial post as a result of his 1976 victories. Today his country is a household name all over the world because of the successes of many of its extremely patriotic, committed and skilled athletes.
The political irony is not lost on us, for some 30 years after we had food, and apartment fights, and other forms of jockeying by the UNC government/ opposition as they sort to use Senator Ato Bolton to prove inclusiveness. Can’t blame the astute young man to disappear quickly from these shores, ditched his Trini accent and become a NBC sports analyst. Another lost for Trinidad athletics. Again the curse of the dollars in the hand of obvious fools.
Bolt got the gold and Thompson got the silver. Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, two compartively little islands with small populations, continue to stun the world in terms of producing world class athletes. The accomplishment of these young men and women, from Crawford to Bolt and Thomson, is an example of the kind of displine, concentration, and capacity to overcome social obstacles, inherently resident among the peoples of these two Caribbean Islands. The goal should be to harness and nourish these human attributes, in order to enhance extrapolation across all fields of endeavour, be they physical or intellectual.
And the women, ah, the Jamaican women, sweeping the 100m, with a gold and double silver, which I believe is an Olympic record. We could sit and complain, or we could go out there and run. Neither Bolt nor the fastest Jamaican woman in the trials had any fancy university in the USA behind them. Let’s see what the 200m would bring. Go Jmaican women, Go.
I wisk every one would realise that Jamaica is no Johnny come lately to track and field. They have been consistently good especially the women give then their just dues.
Yes, Jamaica has been there before, on the medal stand for women, but never in the history of the 100m has there been a sweep by the women, with a gold and two silvers. Our Trini women have never medalled- Check Nalis’ history of Olympics.
So, once again, Go Jamaica, Go.This Triniproud woman, salutes you.
Jamaica literally running t’ings! fastest nation on the face of the earth. Wicked achievement!!
One cannot blame you and others to be trilled at this fact, but I am surprised that you are not equally outraged and concerned that your own country that is 100 times richer cannot do the same or come close. I wonder how Jamaicans would feel if Don Quarry their 1976 hero had to go to Baharmas or Anguilla and beg for accreditation to get to China and be part of his country’s delegation like Hasley Crawford our 1976 hero had to resort to.http://www.guardian.co.tt/news6.html What a travesty! I tell you ,we do have some of the weirdest nationals in the world . It matters very little the level of education , global exposure , or so-called sophistication we possess. The things that would make other people cringe in disgust , we grin about . Apparently in our quest to be loved by others , we choose to ignore our own , yet complain when our young fall by the way side.
Some how one gets the impressions from few of the expressed sentiments , that success- as exibited by Jamaica today- and failure comes by chance. Without Sports the prison cells across the globe would be filled to capacity with the bodies of many more children like the young victorious flag bearers we often see in the Olympics or on the grand sporting stage.The majority are known to have originated from poor and neglected neighborhoods.
Here in Trinidad , we are fixated with the idea that the only way a child is a success is if they enter Oxford , Havard or London School of Economics, or some equally elite educational institution .Any thing short of that is considered as a failure not only by parents , but teachers , policy makers and other leaders. Not surprisingly,kids all over the country are inculcating this idea and some are even committing suicide when they fail some pointless to reach expectations. A few have returned with a false sense of superiority and ‘claim of right,’upon acquisition of such qualifications. Fortunately we have these and similar examples to show where sports and other less stringently academic but complimentary pursuits , can be a useful ‘ means to an end.’
Sorry, Neal. Sometimes we screw up, but the Soca Warriors negates much of what you say. Now, I have not read the Crawford story. Was he part of the official delagation? What process is in place for someone like him to go? Did Wendell Mottley go? He medalled more than once, at least a silver and one bronze. Bolden, who won three medals is there because he got a wuk with NBC. What would have been the basis of Crawford’s going? Had the goverment just sent him as “honored spectator” the opposition and people would have fussed more than they did about the visit of the Grenada PM, and as such whatever is done, is the wrong thing.
What may be needed here is a specific procedure, applied accross the board, to specific categories of persons. I noticed that Crawford is now saying he is ignored in China, by whom? Who knows he is there, and what role was he expected to play? Now, supposing Peter Minshall, having won the contracts for the show at Barcelona, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, and having won a Tony for Salt Lake City, decided that he wanted to go, should the government send him? And in what capacity.
I know a couple of people who “acocompanied” the soca Warriors to Germany. They went at their own expense.
As I said, why not work to help put a procedure in place?
In Celebrating Jamaica’s women, I am hoping they would be an inspiration to TnT’s women, who are there, and usually get past the first round, but do not get into the finals.Is this an issue of training? Stamina? Confidence or diet?Smaller island women are getting into the semi-finals.
Could it be that our women are more into beauty contests that strict athletic training? These are the questions I would ask, not lambast the government.
Remember, the government IS the people.