EXCEPT FOR cricket, I can’t remember ever seeing so many local politicians at a sporting event.
Alas, they came out in their numbers on Sunday for the opening of the LIME?Pelican Football Challenge.
Along with major tournament organiser Mia Mottley, I saw others from across the political divide, including Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler and Opposition parliamentarian Cynthia Forde.
Government Ministers Richard Sealy and Michael Lashley as well as Noel Lynch, Trevor Prescod, Rudy Grant and Indar Weir were also there among others.
It was truly a sight to behold to see the politicians interact freely and seem very comfortable in each other’s company.
Naturally, there was discussion among regular football fans on how come so many of them were there.
Views were diverse. Some interpreted it as a truism that the richest out-of-season football tournament in Barbados has a buzz and that any wise politician would want to be seen to identify with the grass roots, mindful that a general election is due within the next two years.
National recognition, especially among the youth, is key given that their vote can be decisive when the poll is called.
It’s a matter-of-fact perspective that may have plenty of truth in it but the other holistic point to be considered is that it is good when our leaders can see for themselves what it means to recognise the talents of our youth in a tangible way – morally and financially.
It is the right mix, given that there is a perennial distrust of politicians who many believe only get involved in projects when there is a direct benefit for them.
So it is not a bad thing in this instance if they grab the opportunity to try to dispel those perceptions.
It was not without concern among some in football circles when it was known that Mottley was one of the brains behind the tournament. Some suggested it was nothing more than football politics.
Since then some have conceded that she seems to be sincere in her pursuits because she is interested in human development. And to tell the truth, footballers are usually portrayed as boys off the block who don’t have any serious intentions or positive goals in life.
Subsequently, they are left in their little corner and if someone chooses to give them a crumb, so be it.
It is the one mass sport that has been treated like a pariah.That image has deprived it of the level of influential support it is receiving in the current tournament.
I believe that because football carried that enigmatic tag people in positions of influence kept their distance like it was a contagious disease.
Corporate support for the biggest participatory mass sport has been meagre within the context that increased financing can touch and change the lives of hundreds or even thousands who may have felt that nobody really cares about them, so they wouldn’t care less about the way they have been branded or stigmatized.
It is in this context that the initiative of the Mottleys and others along with a major corporate player like LIME can help to transform the society in a way we all wish for.
In every transformation influential people tend to play a leading role simply because they can knock on and open doors the average person can’t.
They should understand their true value as well and know that history will be the judge if they were in a position to make a tangible difference in the life of others and didn’t.
At this stage of the game, I am taking the high ground and believe that political involvement in this tournament was born out of a genuine goal to restore faith and bring renewed hope to a section of our social capital that has been misunderstood and ridiculed without the necessary research being done.
Indeed, if the way players carry themselves is under the microscope, I think the radar is very much on the politicians who may not only have a stake in the running of the competition but a chance for youth to change their perception of them.
My eyes will be wide open too.
Andi Thornhill is sports editor at the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation.
