Dear Editor,
On a Saturday night when I should have been streaming a movie as I customarily do, I found myself absorbed behind West Indies cricket again, well Guyana on this occasion, albeit it was a franchise game. Who are we going to blame for Saturday’s colossal loss? Thank God there was no Emrit.
But that aside, Guyana Amazon Warriors played clinical cricket all tournament, and they should receive felicitations. I am not looking for any silver lining, but to consistently reach the finals five times, is an enviable and phenomenal achievement. I personally do not think that any team can emulate that even if they tried. Unfortunately, we do not know how to put the icing on the cake, but consecutive losses in finals can mess with anyone’s psyche. Hence, it is a hurdle that we must overcome.
Nonetheless, as that agonizing night slowly drifted and another defeat seemed inevitable, I distracted myself by reading the myriad of comments posted on social media by fellow citizens, about the condescending comments which spewed from the mouths of popular West Indies’ commentators. Although appalling, are we really surprised by these shockingly contemptuous remarks, is it new for them to berate us as a nation?
I vividly recall that the fall of Hetymer’s wicket immediately spurred one of the commentators to highlight the academic accomplishments of Brandon King’s family, and how articulate he is. Very informative indeed, but how was that relevant at that juncture of the game? Was he calling Hetymer dumb? Granted he played an injudicious shot which caused his demise, but different analogies could have been made, instead of an undignified and clearly sarcastic comment. Secondly, at the half time interview, the West Indies legend found it difficult to conceal his bias by extolling, praising and subliminally throwing his support behind his countryman to win the tournament.
However, I am not startled by all those spurious remarks. How many times haven’t they put us to sit on the esteemed benches at the airports? Weren’t we accused of always coming with a begging bowl by one nation? didn’t we hear everytime cricket comes to Guyana it rains? So, the disparaging remarks and ridicule go way beyond cricket. These scathing remarks are personal and designed to hurt us a nation. Hence, the reason why the Warriors should have sunk their heals deeper into the hides of the horses.
Nonetheless, can we blame them entirely, as a nation what have we done to improve ourselves? Usain’s days as an athlete are beyond him, but that has not deterred Jamaica from churning out other athletes who are as dominant on the world stage. The same sentiments can be echoed for Barbados, Trinidad and some other smaller Caribbean nations. How many significant accomplishments have we made in the world of athletics?
How many past Guyanese West Indies cricketers have pursued studies before, during and after their careers? How many have transitioned into leadership roles after their playing days ? From my recollection, the only prominent ones are Roger Harper, Colin Croft and Clive Lloyd. And research will show that one of those gentlemen is a qualified pilot and another attended the prestigious Queen’s College. Also, in one of the group matches, one of the commentators remarked that Cottoy of the Patriots is currently pursuing a degree in sports medicine. I stand to be corrected, but Chadwick Walton of the Tallawahs may have a master’s degree.
We as a nation have much to ponder, with all the resources that we have our disposal, we cannot sit idly by and allow other nations to trample upon us. There is so much more that we can do for our young men and women. Let us start again from the school levels. Even at the national level, let us teach these players to speak properly and correctly. Take India for example, their first language is not English, but many of the young players are very proficient at speaking it. We too must demonstrate pride and dignity. The onus is upon us to ameliorate ourselves. In addition, it is imperative that we come up with a structure and devise proper plans to support our young people, because these are our ambassadors.
Yours faithfully,
Raul Khan
