Rumours can be destructive . . . and they can be helpful.
Sometimes, they are started out of sheer malice and vindictiveness.
Sometimes, they are started to get a specific response or to observe how they are handled.
I hear a lot of rumours every day in this profession, some that are ludicrous; others, I only whisper; and there are those which are never repeated.
For the past year or so, I have been hearing this rumour that Christian Taylor had expressed an interest in representing Barbados before he made it big, but was rebuffed.
What we do know is that last year, Taylor won the gold medal in the triple jump at the London Olympic Games.
If there is any truth to it, those who were responsible can only blame themselves.
Two years ago, Lisa Ann Barrow and her parents Earl and Jackie came to Barbados so she could compete at the Junior National Championships. She was on the CARIFTA team to Jamaica, but has not represented Barbados since.
She has been injured, but apparently, information has been hard to come by. It is difficult to find out about a meet three or four days before it happens, then have to make arrangements to rush to Barbados.
Lisa Ann wanted to run for Barbados again but has given up hope of doing so and is on her way to the World Youth trials for the United States.
If an athlete and family pay for multiple plane fares and come to Barbados to compete, it means that athlete is genuinely interested. Plane fares aren’t cheap.
That is why I am watching to see what will happen with Lutalo Boyce.
The 21-year-old and a few relatives arrived here on Thursday to compete at last weekend’s National Championships.
Boyce is American and lives in New York, but his family, through his mother and grandfather, are from Accommodation Road, Bush Hall.
He won the long jump with a leap of 7.76 metres, one centimetre shy of the Barbados record set by David Caddle in 1988. It was also a qualifying mark for the Central American and Caribbean Senior Championships had he been eligible.
That record was set 25 years ago and roughly four years before Boyce was born.
Imagine, in 25 years, we have been unable to get a jumper back to that distance, and here is this young man who, rumour has it, wants to compete for Barbados.
If someone travels with relatives, pays plane fare and comes to compete in one event – Boyce and his entourage left the island on Sunday – clearly, he is serious.
Don’t worry about whether he has jumped 8.00 metres yet; because none of the local jumpers have.
Those of us who saw him believe he will get there soon. But if we wait until he reaches that magical mark, I can guarantee that he won’t be competing for Bim.
For Rio 2016, we may see Lutalo Boyce waving from our television screens under the Star Spangled Banner.
Rumour has it that efforts are being made to get the issue sorted out as the process started late.
Boyce didn’t help his case by returning to New York on Sunday since the Immigration Department is only open on weekdays, but getting the “paper work” sorted out isn’t rocket science.
That’s why we have the office of the Minister of Sports to expedite matters and we also have international carriers which can get your paper work where you want to by business hours the following day. (That was not an advertisement.)
I am not saying we should just hand someone a Barbados passport without doing due diligence. Please, do your checks, but don’t take too long.
But if someone buys a plane ticket, comes to your National Championships to compete in one event, clearly they are serious about what they want to do.
And those of you who are there to facilitate the athletes, it doesn’t demean you to reach out to them. You are there to help them reach their full potential and a familiar voice with some timely advice can stave off a whole lot of trouble.
