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Should the Caribbean Consider a Joint Team in Future Olympics?
Below are five very interesting letters which I’ve labeled Letter #1, Letter #2, Letter #3, Letter #4, and Letter#5. These letters, all written immediately after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, attempt to discuss the following BBC Sports questions:
Should the Caribbean go further up future Olympic medal tables by pooling its resources? Is the region spreading its resources too thin by entering as individual nations? Should the training be a joint effort and participation be country-by-country? Should the Caribbean consider a joint team in future Olympics?
BBC Link: “Forum: Caribbean at the Olympics”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/caribbean/news/story/2008/08/080808_olympic_interactive_windies.shtml
Letter #1 (Historian’s favorite of the lot):
Jamaica has demonstrated that no matter the size, any country can achieve and do well with enough will, dedication and talent, as have many other islands or small countries in this and past Olympics. Who exactly would benefit from "the Caribbean" having a bigger medal tally? As if that's what the Olympics is about. The Olympics is an opportunity for individuals of all countries to compete on the world stage and represent their nation. The national pride is tangible, to hear their anthem and know that they represented their country well. The Caribbean is not one country nor should it be one country. I am incensed by these debates that seem to surface whenever we achieve something on a world stage. The Olympics is one of the few arenas Jamaicans can celebrate their achievements and have national pride. I went to UWI, I have a respect for other islands, but to suggest that we enter one team is a step too far. No one ever suggests that Central America have one team. They are already trying to pass off reggae and jerk as a "Caribbean" invention, now this. The day Jamaica entered its first world cup final was such an achievement. Other islands have achieved this on their own. Have patience and any island or country can achieve it, no matter the size or economic condition.
Kay,
Kingston, Jamaica
Letter #2
It may make sense for the OECS to compete as a team. there is a natural synergy there and the pooling of resources would uplift these smaller islands. Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad have already made thier investments in sports and have proven that they can already compete on thier own.
Jeannelle,
Castries, St. Lucia
Letter #3 (Historian’s second-favorite letter)
Jamaica has suffered under nearly every Caricom initiative and pooling our sporting resources will prove to be the same. To ensure that every island is fully represented some of our talented young people will be sacrificed. This is big PR for our troubled island and we cannot afford to have it spread thin by removing our countries name from it, name recognition is key here.
Tyrone Hall,
Jamaica
Letter #4
I do not believe that it is necessary for the Caribbean countries to send a combined athletics team to the Olympics, as there is enough individual talent within those countries. But what are needed are centres of athletic excellence. Perhaps one or two centres located in the region whereby athletes could train together and coaches could pass on expertise. These centres would attract regional and international (warm weather) athletes, coaches, academics, and spectators alike.
Olando Wilson,
London
PERSONAL NOTE: Letter #5 below, in my opinion, is rather silly, and in addition the writer of that letter (Jonathan, who writes from the USA) has made a number of errors. First, the USA is NOT made up of 52 states! There are only 50 states in that federation. Secondly, the USA is a single country: that is, a federal republic comprised of 50 states and Washington, a piece of land located in the District of Columbia. Thirdly, his reference to the European Union is irrelevant in the context of the sports discussion, as the European Union does not send a unified team anywhere!! Each country in the European Union compete in international sports (Olympics, World Cup Soccer, etc.) as a separate entity! (The only unified team I ever heard of was the Unified Team sent to the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games by several former Soviet satellite countries.)
Letter #5
Let me begin by stating that the British did a hell of a job on us with their divide and rule approach to rule African slaves and their colonies. It has worked so well that despite numerous attempts to form various unions of integration among Caribbean people separate from our politicians and intellectuals we have harvested failure because we are so divided. It would be a good thing for the Caribbean to send a joint team to represent the region but i know it will not happen. Imagine the U.S.A made up of 52 different states can find it in themselves to send one team to represent about 300 million people who speak with different accents and who have so many differences between and among states and the Caribbean will not. The U.S.A will grant its citizenship to people from all over the world to represent it at the Olympics and other sports yet the small countries of the Caribbean are so full of themselves and have so much division that they will not do it. Again the political union in America came first before they could see themselves as one nation that the political integration of the Caribbean will have to happen first before we see an Olympic team. It is true that the Caribbean has found some ways to do some joint work together on a few issues but just as the Europeans can come together to form the European Union one day there is hope for the Caribbean which only has only about 20 million between them. May God help us!
Jonathan, U.S.A
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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