Darren Matthews isn’t the only cyclist worthy of funding.
Well, at least according to one of the sport’s followers.
Concerned parent and cycling enthusiast Carol Kelly is calling out the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) on its elite funding programme, saying that some of the country’s other riders should also get a share of the pie if the sport is to advance.
“We question whether it is fair to exclusively fund one cyclist whose last notable medal for Barbados was in Argentina at the 2012 Elite Road Race where he placed third,” wrote Kelly in a letter sent to the SATURDAY SUN entitled “Fair Funding for Cyclists in Barbados”.
“Darren Matthews currently receives a monthly salary from the Barbados Olympic Association in addition to essential equipment used to assist him in his training programme and at competitions [but] cycling is a team sport and it would be extremely difficult for Darren to medal against competing teams.
“All other aspiring cyclists have to fund their own training and travel or seek private sponsors [but] athletic success is achieved through a combination of equipment, training, nutrition, racing opportunities and talent. Funding needs to be based on merit and performance, and must be assessed on a regular basis to benefit the most deserving athletes,” she added.
Kelly, mother of promising riders Jesse, Joshua and Jacob Kelly, made the comments in light of over the recent controversy surrounding Matthews’ shocking exclusion from a team that contested the Caribbean Elite Road Race Championships.
The highly-debated decision apparently stems from Matthews’ failure to contest the National Road Race in favour of training in Pennsylvania.
“This is the main selection requirement for the Barbados Cycling Union and this is customary worldwide [as] selection criteria is required in all sports, for example cricket and football, in order to make their national squad,” reasoned Kelly.
“Failure to comply with the official selection process is considered excusable only with the presentation of a doctor’s certificate or an appropriate letter absence and requesting permission to be excused. Darren Matthews, like all aspiring cyclists, is aware of this protocol.”
However, BOA president Steve Stoute doesn’t seem to be as similarly impressed with the upcoming talent, having described the performances of Jesse Kelly, Javed Mounter and Jamol Eastmond at the Commonwealth Games as embarrassing after all three failed to advance in their respective events.
Coincidentally, Matthews had the team’s only final appearances after finishing eighth and ninth in the points and scratch races respectively.
“Over the last year the track at the [National] Stadium has been deemed unfit for racing and has held back local cyclists; hence the performance at the Commonwealth Games was never expected to be a medalling event for the Barbadian cyclists sent to represent our island,” explained Kelly.
“It was purely a training exercise and world-class experience for young athletes. They competed against the best-ranked cyclists in the world today. Regrettably, all involved knew of the struggles of the cyclists and still choose to highlight the poor results publicly.
“In Jesse Kelly’s case he has only recently secured a local sponsor who assists in his expenses overseas and this still has to be subsidized. With no high-level races taking place here he has been forced to train and compete overseas,” she added.
