Dear Editor,
On July 26, 2014 I had a chance to attend the Digicel Schools Football Championship at the Beterverwagting Community Centre Ground.
What should’ve been a pleasurable afternoon on the East Coast turned out to be a most discomforting episode. This discomfort stemmed from the atrocious behaviour of some of the Beterverwagting fans.
I write to register my disgust at what I witnessed and can be verified and confirmed by others.
The visiting side first had to contend with the omission of one of its main players on the official register. None of the officials could explain the omission but all insisted the boy could not play. This along with other incidents left members of the Waramadong delegation wondering if discrimination by “coastlanders” was not in play again.
The home side had a large supporting crowd, but the Waramadong supporters came out in their numbers too.
The Beterverwagting side was taller and faster and initially it seemed as if they would have the upper hand. Immediately after kickoff you began hearing the most racially derogatory language being used against the Waramadong players by fans and supporters of the Beterverwagting team.
I am offended by the use of the term ‘buck’ even though its usage is ‘common’ even amongst Amerindians. This kept up for the entire game and beyond.
I’ve caught games in this tournament for the past three years. I’ve never seen the Beterverwagting team and have no information on how they placed in previous tournaments. That being said, I was surprised at the ignorance of certain football experts on the sidelines vis-à-vis Waramadong’s football know-how and abilities.
In 2011 Waramadong lost to Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School in the semi final round. They made it to the finals in 2012 and 2013 losing to the same team again. They were in the finals again this year which I can assure you has everything to do with football skills.
Social decay is visible all over Guyana and a lot of it was on full display here.
Cursing, name calling, running onto the field, threatening players and smoking cigarettes and marijuana.
What I witnessed there were classic symptoms of a society in free fall even as some continue to delude themselves by bigger and better traffic jams and concrete palaces to the sun gods.
For the record I support total legalization of all drugs, however, I do find it highly improper for anyone to light up a joint at a high school football game. Many of the Waramadong supporters came as family, is it fair, right or proper to subject guests to your lawlessness? I think not.
Some may say I’m too picky, but for too long we’ve been carrying on in this country and wallowing in filth. I’d be remiss if I didn’t speak to this degeneracy that was in my face for two hours.
The Beterverwagting goalie, Ricky was not a favourite with the home crowd after he was beaten for the first time. He was taunted and denigrated with vile language. Emotions and dreams of going to the finals aside, Ricky is about 16 years old. To think that his own villagers would berate him in such manner was disgraceful.
As halftime approached, Waramadong was up two nil and the incidence of vitriol began to multiply. Streams of BV supporters began making tracks for the exit. To make matters worse, the BV players were now arguing with each other on the field and cursing.
Ricky was visibly shaken contending with the Waramadong players, but probably moreso by the dozens of screaming advisors behind his goal.
BV fought back in the second half and scored a banging goal early on a questionable indirect penalty.
What happened next leaves a lot to be desired. Many BV supporters ran onto the pitch in celebration and dance. This lasted for quite a few minutes as the Waramadong players and supporters watched on in amazement. When BV scored again to tie the game in an exciting buildup this behaviour was repeated.
A senior man from Waramadong approached me, ‘what is wrong with the BV fans? Why coastlanders behave like this? You know when we have football games we celebrate but no one run onto the field and we don’t have a fence’
As an Afro Guyanese I was ashamed at what I saw given 99% of the BV supporters were Afro Guyanese and coastlanders like me. For me, the beautiful game was ruined by all I witnessed.
Waramadong won the game in a penalty shootout as captain Gerald Isaacs not only scored the first penalty but saved one as well.
Ricky momentarily redeemed himself by miraculously saving a penalty as well. If he goes on to greater things I could only imagine the possibilities. His supporters interrupted the shootout and hoisted him in the air. The wild joy of the moment is understandable because no one could imagine Ricky saving a penalty. Interrupting the game is a different story. The cow on the pitch could partially be excused, and she did put on a rodeoesque display.
While many of the BV fans conducted themselves properly, a sizable portion disgraced themselves even after the final whistle.
A common thread that binds people from the coast of Guyana is the belief that they stand superior to Amerindians. When they’re relieved of this fantasy, their reactions are often troubling.
In 2010 Doretta Wilson soundly defeated one of the ‘stars’ of Guyana’s track and field, Jevina Straker in the 10k road race. Straker is the winner of two gold medals at Carifta Games.
One year later 13 year old Regina John would humiliate Straker again at the same distance. One need not ask which athlete continues to represent Guyana overseas.
Ricardo Martin and Samuel Kaitan both defeated national champions at nationals but are both forgotten people in Guyana track and field. A few years back Martin won three of the four races he entered at nationals and placed second in another.
Are we serious about developing sports and winning in this country? If so, why aren’t Amerindian players represented in the male and female football teams representing Guyana? Why aren’t Amerindian swimmers on the swim teams?
The spectacle at BV proves once again that our national motto is a farce. Guyana will not move ahead with a lawless, disrespectful and indisciplined population.
When an organization or state fails, it is the leadership that is the root cause.
The mis-leadership class of this country is in a terminal state of decay and will destroy this country if it is not reined in. However, I do believe there are still sufficient descent people left in this country capable of rescuing it from further bedlam. Not all slaves wanted to leave the confines of the plantation, but that never stopped Cuffy, Harriet Tubman or Dessalines.
We cannot sit idly by and pray for things to change in Guyana. We have to make it happen.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Jacobs