SO WHAT’S UP with Ryan Brathwaite?
His scathing rebuke of the sporting system in Barbados was the first of its kind uttered by him publicly, and it may have taken some by surprise.
I hope that his pointed, forthright comments don’t cause him to be victimised as he is about to launch a comeback after injury.
Words, after all, are not wind, and if they are as biting as his observations were, they are likely to ruffle some feathers.
However, I would caution those to whom the comments were directed to analyse the message and not lash out at the messenger if that might be considered.
The 2009 sprint hurdles world champion may have been speaking for his generation of sportsmen and even those from another era.
Let’s face it, he really wasn’t saying anything new because fellow Olympian Obadele Thompson has echoed similar sentiments for years and nobody paid him any attention. I think the 2000 Olympic 100-metre bronze medallist offended sports hierarchy in the same way Brathwaite is likely to do.
The crux of the matter is that both of them and others are on point with their observations; so let’s finally have an open mind and do better to help boost the standards and quality of our sportsmen.
To begin with, we definitely need to complete work on the national sports policy. The policy would be like your job description and you would know all the parameters of what has to be done and obviously what resources and tools will be provided to get the job done. Without this, we will continue to shoot in the dark, send underprepared athletes to major meets and expect medals from them when their preparation was far from being on par with the competition.
It should be noted that the few medals athletes have won at the more prestigious meets have come from those who were in the pink of form at the time of their success and equally as important, they got the majority of help from their overseas base. We must take care of our own first and don’t keep leaving it to outsiders.
We can’t continue to enjoy the fruits when they have ripened but are not seen when the seeds are being sown. It is morally wrong and off base.
Brathwaite may have been a victim of this process and has probably suffered in silence for a while.
Commitments
Were all the commitments made to him honoured when he became a world champion? And what about all the other plans that were meant to assist other athletes with his potential to rise to his level? These plans were made during the tenure of late Prime Minister David Thompson, who made the hurdler an ambassador as part of his rewards for a sterling performance in Berlin, Germany. Did they die with him?
Clearly, there was no follow-through and it seemed like the proverbial promise being made to comfort a fool. Just to let the authorities know, the athletes are not fools; but neither do they seem to have enough people of influence to fight their cause. Should Mary Fraser not have her Barbados passport by now as a Caribbean champion in boxing and athletics? Barbados gets the glory, what does she get in return?
At times the voiceless need a voice to put their perspective in the public domain in an effort to get some movement on things that have remained stagnant for far too long. The national sports policy is in this category.
With respect to Brathwaite’s own personal performances since 2009, the observation has been made that apart from niggling injuries, he may have contributed to his up-and-down form because he seemed overweight at times. In that respect he must shoulder some of the blame. Personal responsibility also comes into play.
However, his general points must be considered because he wasn’t only speaking for himself. His take on non-academic athletes who are outstanding is very relevant because they should not be forgotten if they don’t meet the criteria to attend foreign universities. A way must be found to harness that talent where it can still benefit the athlete and the country.
I think that we must stop using the Jamaican parallel, simply because that country’s sporting culture is far different from ours. In fact, noted administrator Steve Stoute insists that because we don’t have a sporting culture it makes it very taxing to get things done. It is one more hurdle we need to clear.
As for Brathwaite’s future prospects, it’s entirely up to him, especially if he regains full fitness. It takes two hands to clap. The athlete has to show dedication and purpose. The powers that be must assist them with the programmes and the resources to turn dreams into reality.
I hope Brathwaite is not martyred for speaking the truth
• Andi Thornhill is a veteran sports journalist. Email andithornhill1@gmail.com