Dear Editor,
Having read the Stabroek News article of Wednesday, May, 21 2008 titled ‘Nepotism has no place in sport,’ the old creole adage ‘Pot telling kettle he bottom black’ immediately came to mind.
While I agree that nepotism in all its forms can be detrimental to sports, equally so can be editorial favouritism towards young participants in sports. To reinforce my belief, I would like to highlight the situation that pertains to my daughter Ambrose Thomas and many other young table tennis players.
Ambrose Thomas, now fifteen (15) years old, has been playing table tennis for the last seven (7) years. During this period she has won the under 11, under 13 and under 15 girls’ titles on more than three (3) occasions; she has represented Guyana internationally several times and just for good measure, she has also won several “most improved player” titles. Yet not once has Stabroek News, whose Sport editor is someone who is closely associated with table tennis, ever interviewed, featured or highlighted any of her achievements.
I have read numerous articles in the sports pages of Stabroek News featuring other young talented table tennis players – some articles were even full page in length – highlighting their achievements.
While I acknowledge that all players’ accomplishments should be highlighted, I cannot however endorse the selective approach by the Stabroek News Sports writers.
Recently, Ambrose lost the under 15 girls’ title to a young promising player, whose victory was deserved. It was to my consternation to see the SN Sports Editor, interviewing this young player on her singular achievement, an opportunity that he never afforded my daughter who has accomplished this feat several times over.
In Stabroek News’ quest to seek out and expose nepotism in sports, maybe your reporting staff may want to consider spending some time in stamping out favouritism in their sports reporting.
If not, this is simply another case on the pot telling the kettle ‘he bottom black.’
Yours faithfully,
Marva Patterson
Sports Editor’s note:
Contrary to what Mrs Patterson claims, Ambrose Thomas’s achievements have been highlighted in this newspaper as recently as the 13th annual Caribbean and Cadet championships held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, where Thomas was a member of the Guyana team.
In addition, it certainly does not follow that because a reporter interviews one athlete s/he is biased unless s/he interviews all athletes in that discipline.
There are hundreds of athletes who have never been featured, not only in the Stabroek News but in other newspapers as well both locally and internationally. Simply put, it is impossible to feature each and every athlete from each and every sports discipline; apart from anything else, newspapers do not have the space to do so. The approach of sports writers in general, therefore, inevitably has to be “selective.”
Finally, we at Stabroek News remain committed to providing feature articles on sportsmen and women, for we know how much it means to young athletes, as well as to highlighting instances of maladministration in sport which come to our attention.
