Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author(s) do not represent the official position of Barbados TODAY.
By David Comissiong
I would like to publicly congratulate the young Barbadian athletes who represented our country at the just concluded 50th CARIFTA Games, particularly the medal winners – Ashlyn Simmons, Layla Haynes, Aaron Massiah, Favian Gollop, Chamecia Bryan, Nya Browne, Kadia Rock, Ariel Archer and Aniya Nurse and Nikkolia Kennedy.
While it has to be admitted that Barbados’ achievement at the Games was very modest – two gold, six silver and three bronze medals – we also have to acknowledge that our athletes are striving within the context of a national Track and Field programme that has been considerably setback by the tragic and inexcusable neglect and loss of our sole National Stadium several years ago. Regrettably, this was yet another casualty of the “lost decade”!
It goes without saying that the Barbadian athletics community desperately needs a new National Stadium around which to construct a new and re-energized developmental programme from the Primary School level up to the adult athletics club level. And hopefully we won’t have too much longer to wait. Many of us would have heard the recent good news that the People’s Republic of China has graciously offered our new Republic the gift of a new National Stadium, and those of us who are fans and supporters of Track and Field can hardly wait for this development to materialize.
However, if Barbados’ overall performance at the 50th CARIFTA Games was modest, there was one particular Barbadian feat at the Games that, as far as I am concerned, stole the entire show!
I refer to the demeanour and actions of Barbadian middle-distance runner, Layla Haynes, immediately after winning her under-20 Girls 1,500 metre race in scintillating fashion. The very first thing Layla did was to reach out to every single competitor in her race and to offer them a handshake or a pat on the shoulder, and also what was clearly an accompanying word of acknowledgement or appreciation of their effort.
What made Layla’s actions stand out so much is that they were in stark contrast to what was happening with virtually every other medal-winner at the end of each event. As soon as a race or field event finished, team officials were rushing to the victorious athletes, placing large national flags in the athletes’ hands, and encouraging them to wrap themselves in their national flag in all too obvious national separateness and isolation from their fellow athletes from other Caribbean nations.
Indeed, the victorious athletes were so taken up with wrapping themselves in their national flag and posing for photographs that, unlike Layla, they had little or no time or opportunity to reach out to and share some comradeship with fellow athletes from other Caribbean countries.
This business of athletes wrapping themselves up in the national flag was started by the Americans at the Olympic Games, and it was an action that was designed to convey not only American supposed super-patriotism but also to drive home a point about American dominance over other nations. And, unfortunately, wherever America goes, much of the world tends to follow – often without even knowing why.
So, thank you Layla for setting a good example of both Caribbean integration and Caribbean sportsmanship. You eventually went for your Barbadian flag, but not before acknowledging and appreciating your fellow athletes. Well done!
