Principal of the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies, Professor Sir Hilary Beckles, has defended a decision to name the new sports complex at the university after Jamaican Olympic and world sprint champion Usain Bolt.
He was adamant that a debate over Barbadian, Jamaican, or Trinidadian should not enter the equation since the university was a West Indies facility and not solely Barbadian.
We are true lovers of things/people foreign. Pray tell me, Sir Hilary, where in Barbados was Usain born?
Why isn’t it being named, as suggested, after Jim Wedderburn, Obadele Thompson, Akela Jones, or any other of our outstanding athletes?
Do we always have to degrade our athletes/artists in such a way?
The part about Sir Frank Worrell doesn’t hold water, because Sir Frank had adopted Jamaica as his home, and he was working there.
In any case, I do not only voice my strong opposition to naming the complex after Bolt. I will not attend any events at all at that venue.
My money has more sense. Charity begins at home, Sir Hilary.
Â
