A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. – Mark 6:4 (KJV)
The developing saga involving the World Go-As-You-Please draughts champion Ronald “Suki” King touches me personally as a product of the St George community. This King and I share much in common, including the same primary school alma mater.
The district in which he grew up is virtually abutting and bounding that in which I was born, and in which I moved and had my early being. In fact, only recently we shared a common loss when his cousin and my classmate the late Richard King was laid to rest after a service of thanksgiving at St Jude’s Anglican Church.
The St George community has always been proud of its sons and daughters. And we, like most Barbadians, continue to laud and celebrate the achievements of this King in name and nature.
Coming, as he has, from humble beginnings in Retreat Village, or Cottage, as we called it, Suki, as he is fondly referred to, is credited with putting Barbados on the international stage as far as draughts is concerned.
Without getting into the issues cited in the last WEEKEND Nation, for sometime now I have been concerned that while other “elite athletes” have received house, land, car and ambassadorial status, the world Go-As-You-Please champion, with many other titles under his belt, still has to “walk around with a bucket with what appears to be a few homeless kids” trying to raise funds for various projects.
Admittedly, he has received some recognition to date. On the compound of St Jude’s Primary School is a bust of the King Of Draughts. Less than one mile away, and about 75 metres from the Newbury Church of Nazarene, of which I am a member, there is the Suki King Complex And Hard Courts, constructed by parliamentary representative for St George North Gline Clarke.
Hallam Hope, in the Bajan Reporter of February 17, 2012, notes that “Bajans are leading in US draughts with Ronald ‘Suki’ King among the top performers. Barbados’ national draughts champion Jack Francis and World-Go-As-You-Please champion Ronald ‘Suki’ King took early points in the US national tournament in Springfield, Illinois.
“Lubabalo Kondlo of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, won the WCDF World Qualifier in GAYP at the Plaza Hotel in Las Vegas on September, 2007, and earned the right to challenge Mr Ron ‘Suki’ King of Barbados for the title in 2008”.
As a country we followed his exploits the world over and we all rejoiced as he triumphed time after to time.
A few days ago I spoke to the King myself. I felt like I was in the presence of royalty. There was genuine humility meshing the “kingly” spirit that saw him conquer his opponents one after the other.
As he related the various experiences, I felt the sense of frustration and fatigue that saw him going for a relaxing swim that almost “took out” the King.
According to the Midweek NatioN, Suki said “his dire financial situation and his inability to get assistance or a hearing contributed to his state of mind. Indicating that suicide never entered his mind, Ronald ‘Suki’ King said he had a cold and was feeling very depressed”. As he put it: “I just went in dey to try to get myself together and to study how to come out and attack . . . .”
The reality was that our King, who put down many a champion the world over, almost went under. As he put it: “Water start to go in my mouth and I know I was going down.”
In true King style, according to the lifeguard, Suki, as he has been in many a game the world over, “was pretty calm for someone who was in difficulty”. Many of us would recall the time when he was caught in many a rip tide during his games, but he never succumbed.
The picture of our draughts king on the Front Page of the Midweek Nation of February 8, 2012, was a sorry sight that hurt me to the core. While the genius which characterized his concentration over the years is still lurking both in the furrows of his forehead and in his glimmering piercing eyes which tracked and anticipated many a move over the years, the photograph of a “crying King” should evoke the empathy of the nation.
It is my considered opinion that the our Suki deserves better. He has done enough for the country that he merits treatment befitting of a king in name and in nature. Indeed, when a king cries, the eyes of his subjects should be sore with tears and the nation must be moved to action.
Perhaps, now is the time for us to establish the Ronald “Suki” King Relief Fund. As a son of the St George soil, I hereby express my interest in working with others to ensure that our King will not have to swim in the night or day, as he prepares to defend his title against Italian Sergio Scarpetta later this year.
The King’s weeping has endured for the night, let us ensure that his joy can come in the morning!
• Matthew D. Farley is a secondary school principal, chairman of the National Forum on Education, and social commentator. Email [email protected]
