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by Mac Fingall
When a lie is told publicly about you and you do not respond, it suggests that what is being said might be true. Based on that philosophical view, I feel compelled as Chairman of Board of The National Sports Council (NSC), to respond to the lie which has surfaced multiple times in the daily Nation newspaper.
In the Nation newspaper dated Thursday August 4th 2022, on the back page, under the title “Job Tension”, it is stated that “… an incident which happened at the National Stadium two years ago involving the disappearance of weights was being held over Worrell’s head when, according to Franklyn, he knew nothing about the missing weights and no police had ever been informed”.
Also, in the next paragraph in the same article, the newspaper quoted Franklyn as saying “…why didn’t they call the police?”
Then, on page three (3) of the daily nation newspaper dated Thursday September 1st 2002 in an article titled “Worrell returns to stadium post”, it was repeated thus “…no complaint was ever made to the police”.
It is a blatant lie to say that the police were not called in relation to the missing weights from the national stadium. The police were called in relation to the missing weights from the national stadium. The police came. A sergeant and a constable responded to the call. We have their names. They even visited the national stadium concerning the missing weights on two (2) separate occasions.
The Board of The NSC instructed the management of the NSC to investigate the matter while waiting on the police report. Management completed an extremely detailed and time – consuming report having interviewed the pertinent members of the stadium staff including Mr. Worrell.
Three (3) letters have been written to the Commissioner of Police so far requesting the report concerning the missing weights from the national stadium. The first letter was sent on the 20th of May 2021. The second letter was sent on the 4th of May 2022. The third letter was sent on the 24th of August 2022.
I myself, spoke to The Commissioner of Police, after the second letter was sent, to let him know that we were waiting on the report concerning the missing weights from the national stadium. He promised me that he would look into it.
To have such a major occurrence which is tantamount to thousands of dollars being taken from the public purse and not call the police, smacks of incompetence, lack of responsibility, lack of courage and surely not understanding civic duty.
I view this LIE to be insulting to The Board, management and the staff of the NSC for if it were left unchallenged and therefore digested by the public as the truth – with all these three entities of the NSC knowing of the mysterious disappearance of the weights – it could easily be interpreted as collusion or downright “don’t give a damn, it is government” mentality.
However you look at it, it would hurt me because of the quality, integrity and professionalism of the NSC’s board members who continue to make sacrifices to make sure that the Council’s business is taken care of.
It would hurt because the Management along with the entire staff have been producing excellent work especially in these trying times. Projects such as swim for life; summer camp; hot summer burn; bajefit; national road tennis tournaments; painting over 230 road tennis courts; opening of a spanking new state of the art gym for the sporting federations; modernizing the NSC digitally; beautifying the surroundings of The Wildey Gymnasium.
Coaches, general workers, admin, security, grounds men and supervisors – they all have been making the council proud. Oh, what a shame it would be to taint their work and reputation with a lie.
And not just a lie, but a FOOLISH LIE for (1) Mr. Worrell, as Superintendent of the National Stadium, it was his duty to make sure that the police were called. He was the ultimate superior. The buck stops with him.
(2) Mr. Worrell, having been a policeman, surely should know of the urgency and importance of reporting such matters, also the procedures.
(3) He himself is a former bodybuilder and is currently the P.R.O. of the bodybuilding association which should cause him great concern if weights are missing thereby preventing athletes of all disciplines from training – especially bodybuilding.
The aforementioned three (3) reasons should automatically demand calling the police. Hence, the LIE makes no sense.
