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By Raffique Shah
August 10, 2024
I thought I would never forget her. That night, when everyone left and only a few family members stayed to keep us company, the words of comfort from my dearest relatives and friends had little effect. I just saw her face everywhere.
Wherever Rosina was, she was smiling: I was sure she was in our room because I heard her laugh, her voice, and even saw her face smiling at me. Readers may be annoyed by this 78-year-old man who had just lost his wife. This happens almost every day to someone or several people around the world, and when people read this column, they may laugh at my missing Rosina.
What saved me was something that made many people laugh more. It was the Paris Olympics. Not the opening ceremony, which I barely watched. For me, the Olympics only begin when I see the action, competition, excellence and magic in the pool, on the bike and on the track, where the greatest pleasure is to see people run faster, jump higher or leap farther.
I should explain that my preference for track and field events dates back to my childhood when boys like me were allowed to participate in track and field sports when we were in primary school. Everyone – students, staff, parents – took an interest in school sports, even though we ran in school campuses, most of which were unpaved and the roots of mango trees protruded, becoming obstacles rather than railings.
In better economic times, our parents and teachers could rent or borrow, or sometimes even steal, entire playgrounds, and some government officials who held the keys regarded them as their property.
When I was about ten, I was walking six miles to and from school every day. My teachers seemed to think that this was a sign that I was cut out for long-distance running. No tutoring, no coaching (what was that?), no help. Just someone asked me one day.
I was lucky to get through the finish line because by the time the starter blew the whistle to get us going, some of the older boys had already set a pace they were comfortable with. I thought they were too slow. So I sprinted. Of course, by the time I was a quarter of the way through, I was exhausted and almost collapsed. The older boys ran past me, laughing as they ran. I loved the sport and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the races live on television – a development that people who lived before the age of information technology would probably never understand.
I am disappointed that Trinidad and Tobago – which has had some of the world’s top sprinters and relay teams since 1948 – could only muster a handful of athletes, none of whom won medals. I felt sorry for 400m specialist Jerriym “The Dream” Richards; he fought valiantly for our only medal at the Games this year but was beaten at the finish line and had to settle for fourth place.
Of the other athletes heading to Paris, only Keshorn Walcott seemed likely to medal, but he fell far short of his goal, as did several other men and women heading to Paris with high hopes of medals.
In contrast, we have seen a wave of world-class athletes emerge from many young athletes from some of the world’s smallest island nations taking center stage, with millions of viewers knowing nothing about Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada.
Jamaica seemed a bit lost as they didn’t dominate in the track and field events but they introduced us to discus superstar Roger Stoner who took home gold in the event. Then there was Shanika Ricketts in the long jump and Rajendra Campbell in the shot put. Jamaica did their homework and they are reaping the rewards.
Like most commentators, sports officials and fans who attended or watched the Games on live television, I would be an unfair critic if I did not mention the personality of Saint Lucia’s first gold medallist, Julian Alfred. Not only did she excel on the track as she beat the American favourites, but she also commanded great respect for her words and responses to media interviews. In this regard, Kielani James also won plaudits, as did Jerrim when he apologised to his country for not bringing home a medal.
Now is not the time to exchange insults or to act unseemly over the failure of the Paris meeting. But it is clear that we need to understand the economic potential of non-traditional products that can bring us good returns with minimal investment and promotion.
And, watching the Caribbean perform at this year’s Olympics brought some temporary relief from my sadness.
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