WELL ONCE AGAIN another Olympics come and gone for we, and once again we ain’t get nothing, not a medal. So once again we back to supporting Jamaica and any athlete with Bajan blood in them system.
So once again we whip out the usual speech from under the bed, blow off the dust, put on our glasses and read it aloud; ’bout how we need to do more for our athletes, how guv’ment need to invest more money in them, how we need to draw on the expertise of people like Oba.
And then we does turn to the back of the speech and read the same old question, which is, how comes Jamaicans could do this and do that and we can’t seem to do nothing?
But look, I still happy for my athletes don’t mind them ain’t win nothin, I feel that we got something to work with and I honestly believe that we will get a medal in the next Olympics.
Now because I does be so vocal ’bout certain things, a number of people approached me ’bout setting up a fund, or working with a group of people to set up a fund, to help raise money to assist the athletes for next Olympics.
My thing is this, I don’t mind working with a committee to do so, but I don’t like dealing with people money, ’cause Barbados is one of these places, that from the time I decide to change my car, you would hear that I thief the money and buy a new car. You understand me?
Not only that, but I ain’t working with no group that looking to jook them hands in the money and fly ’bout with the athletes to go shopping and have vacations.
I am not saying that this is the case in this instance, but right now we got more officials than athletes at these Olympics.
And I does be very wary when I see certain people names ’round committees dealing with money, ’cause I have seen situations where money get thief, money get borrow and ain’t paid back or was paid back with a bounce cheque and people in the same committees sweep it under the carpet, and I ain’t wanta be part of nothing so.
But yes, once the right things in place I willing to lend whatever li’l help I could, cause I really believe we can’t leave it up to “the system” to take our athletes to the next level, we the public along with the private sector got to put our money where our mouths are.
If it is better coaches, more meets, better competition, better food that these athletes need, all o’ these things does cost money, and we can’t wait till two weeks before the next Olympics to play we jumping on a bandwagon.
Now getting back to our athletes. I see that young girl Akela Jones run, jump, throw and did everything asked of her, she didn’t medal but she showed immense character in her events, and obviously she is one who with the right backing could be in winners row next Olympics.
But it really bothered me, to see after all she did that some igrunt Bajans were very dismissive and said some very horrible and negative things, some people even went as far as saying “she ain’t no good”.
Let me remind some of these same people, that in 2004 Usain Bolt went to Olympics and did not even make the finals, but look how much medals he got now and is the toast of not only Jamaica but of the world.
Who say Akela Jones can’t do the same? See ya.
Email: madderic@hotmail.com
Twitter@madderic