“RAL-LYY, RALLY ‘ROUND the West Indies.” The cheers and chants went up from every village in every nation of the Caribbean. They were equally euphoric in every city that defines the diaspora, be it New York, Toronto, Atlanta or London, even as it fell under the intensity of the Brath quake.
The overwhelming pride we felt in the achievement of our Under–19 champions was now pressing deeply into our hearts. Our senior men and women had also previously seen the crowns affixed to their deserving royal heads.
What a day to be a West Indian!
Consistent with my praises for the outstanding youth performers, I shout fromthe hills for Gayle, Samuels, Bravo, Brathwaite and the Sammy team of winners. They have done what very few expected, and they deserve all kudos. Their story will be told for years to come.
Today, however, I want to sing the glory song of our female champions. Theirs is a story filled with all the elements of a Pulitzer Prize. This is the virtual rags to riches climb that is lived only in dreams or story books.
As we celebrate, I encourage you to give a quiet word of thanks to the pioneering efforts of Monica Taylor and her teammates who opted to burst out of the box. They withstood the criticism and the immense obstacles put in their way.
Let us show true appreciation for the sacrificial and resilient efforts of the heroes such as Dorothy Hobson, Vivalin Lattie-Scott and Pat Whittaker. They had no sponsors, were denied use of the grounds of choice and the media gave attention only to their male counterparts.
The perseverance of these outstanding women led to the emergence of equally determined individuals such as Carol Whilby-Maxwell, Cinda Bobb, Nadica McIntyre and Ann Browne-John who as a team official in India must have dropped a tear of pride as she reflected on the distance they had travelled.
From a local and personal level, I honour the work of Alfred Campbell and Richard Clarke. Every one of the Barbadian champions with one possible exception, was unearthed and developed by these individuals. They understood that nothing of worth comes easily, and they worked hard.
We hear of the pitched battles over sponsorship deals in the men’s game. No such thing for the women. They had to rely on the individual support from persons such as Clive Lloyd and Wes Hall who invested in what they saw as our future. They also survived on individual loans and gifts.
Unlike the men’s game, the women had to pay to host their tournaments. I am moved to thank Joel Garner, who early in his presidency accepted an approach from me to have his board help finance the tournament held here. This filled another part of the puzzle.
I also commend the efforts of Tony Howard who moved boulders in his efforts to secure a major sponsor for these women. I hope their success will now make this possible. He also did all to ensure that the women had regular and quality competition. That was vitally important!
We deservedly sing the praises of Stefanie Taylor whom I once interacted with her mom to bring her to school here in Barbados, Hayley Matthews, Deandra Dottin and Anisa Mohammed, but let also acknowledge the contribution of Nadine George Pam Levine and Debbie Ann Lewis.
I lift my head in pride to these true champions who conquered their journey of challenge!