Keith Griffith has landed on his feet. And the former Barbados national football captain and coach told MIDWEEK SPORT he couldn’t do it without the help of God almighty.
“God has been great to me. He has inspired and motivated me and I truly believe that it is because of his blessings that I have reached where I have,” he said.
Griffith, who celebrated his 73rd birthday on November 12, had one of his legs amputated on August 13, last year.
However, that challenge didn’t keep him down, and he gained a prosthesis replacement in March and quickly regained his mobility.
“With the help of Dr Ram Kooday, who is in charge of the prosthesis department, and his assistants, along with the physios Ms Holder and Ms Williams, my personal physician Dr Colin Alert, Dr Harley Moseley and Dr Jerry Warner, both of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, I was provided with really excellent care,” he said.
“I also want to say thank you to all the sponsors and individuals who have shown great love towards me.”
Griffith said his family and neighbours in Wildey Gardens, St Michael, have been of tremendous assistance to him.
“People are always at my house asking me if I want any help. If I have clothes on the line, somebody will pick them up if my family doesn’t come.
“I want to thank all the guys who played football with me and all that I coached who have been supportive,” said the National Sports Council coach of 25 years.
Griffith is no longer on the field dribbling balls or moulding young talent but will continue to make his mark in passing on his knowledge of the game.
“My involvement in football at this time is in writing a column for the NATION Publishing Co. and I want to thank them for encouraging me to do the column,” he said.
“Last Sunday, with God’s blessing, I went out for the first time in a year-plus and I did commentary at the David Thompson [Memorial Constituency Councils] Football Classic final.
“I had to walk up 50 steps of the Hall & Griffith Stand and 50 back down. It was excellent. The A Team from StarCom were happy to have me and I was happy to be with them,” he said.
Griffith added that he was looking forward to being a television analyst during the 2018 World Cup.
“A lot of people are asking me if I am going to come out of retirement and do it. The last World Cup in 2014, I wasn’t here and, ironically in 2010, I said that was going to be my last World Cup, but God wants me to do another World Cup,” he revealed.
Griffith is also hoping to use his experience to encourage others through motivational speeches. (RG)
