People across this island witnessed on television over the past two weeks some amazing feats during the just concluded Olympic Games in London. We can only marvel at the achievements of the athletes, some of whom turned in extraordinary performances.
For us in the Caribbean, it was pride of place. Yes, Usain Bolt of Jamaica performed as expected and earned himself and his country three gold medals.
Kerani James, the talented quarter-miler, also delivered, not only medalling but taking gold and in the process putting Grenada on the world stage.
Then there was Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago with a stunning win in the men’s javelin, breaking all sorts of long held records. And we cannot overlook the 4×400 metres relay team from The Bahamas in their golden run.
Of course, we in Barbados were delighted by the performance of our own 110-metre hurdles finalist Ryan Brathwaite, even though he did not get among the medals.
The English-speaking nations of the Caribbean, with little physical resources, ended the games with 18 medals. If we add the performances of our Spanish-speaking neighbours Cuba and Santo Domingo, the tally looks even more impressive. What more could we ask for at the premier sporting event in the world?
Well, in the case of Barbados, quite a bit more. There are lessons to be learnt and action to be taken if this country is to come out of the medal wilderness. We have been there before and must not make excuses for lacklustre performances.
Success in sports can bring as much benefit to the country as it will to the individual.
Take our only living National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers as an example. He is a brand throughout the cricket playing world and certainly brings tremendous benefit to the country.
Last week Minister of Sports Stephen Lashley, before going off to the Olympics, made the valid point that the associations leading the various sporting disciplines needed to change their approaches. One salient point was for them to have a more professional structure. We agree.
What the minister did not say, but we recognized is also imperative, is that the National Sports Council must undergo major transformation. It may also be a good time for a critical review of the umbrella bodies for many of these sports and also the Barbados Olympic Association. It is as imperative too for the sporting associations to embrace greater accountability and transparency.
Governance of these organizations is a crucial part of our overall plan to improve the total sports package. And this is the opportune time for us to look at sport in Barbados and map out a strategic plan to take us forward.
Our sports programmes must begin in a meaningful way at the primary school and be pushed forward. It must also be a joint effort involving both the public and private sectors.