For Those Wanting a Regional T&F Team

[Historian]

The London Olympic Games: Caribbean Medal Count

CARICOM Medals:
(The Caribbean Community is made up of a total of 15 countries from the Caribbean, Central America and South America)

Jamaica: 12 (four gold, four silver, four bronze)
Trinidad: 4 (one gold, three bronze)
Grenada: 1 (gold)
Bahamas: 1 (gold)

Other Caribbean States (Not CARICOM Members):
Cuba: 14 (five gold, three silver, six bronze)
Dominican Republic: 2 (one gold, one silver)
Puerto Rico: 2 (one silver, one bronze)

Total Caribbean Medals: 36

[Gamma]

it could affect the medal count in relay events especially..... we would only be able to get one medal, whereas right now we could get as many as three.

ALSO in the individual events in some cases we may have had up to 6 persons from the caribbean in a final, this would change to only 3 ... things like that

[Historian]

Re: it could affect the medal count

it could affect the medal count in relay events especially..... we would only be able to get one medal, whereas right now we could get as many as three.

ALSO in the individual events in some cases we may have had up to 6 persons from the caribbean in a final, this would change to only 3 ... things like that

Gamma, thanks for the input.

I have long held views on this matter of a Caribbean athletics team, which no doubt would be similar to a West Indies cricket team. However, I’m going to allow some more replies before I state my strong personal feelings on this.

By the way, this is not an idle topic, as while I have not recently heard any calls for a regional team, suggestions have been coming in for a regional approach to track and field. The latest is a well-argued syndicated column by Sir Ronald Sanders, a former Guyanese diplomat turned newspaper columnist (his articles are published in various newspapers throughout the Caribbean) who is articulating his belief in a regional academy, located in Jamaica, which would train Caribbean athletes.

However, in the extreme case of a regional team, here’s a hint to my feelings on the matter: Remember the 1960 Olympic Games, which took place in the period when several islands were experimenting with the 1958 West Indian Federation?

[Willi]

Imagine dat 4by 4....

Drop 2 Bah and Add Kirani and the Trini. Our peeps could not cross it this trip.

[Willi]

Too many cooks.

No need for a regional team, except maybe for the World Cup! We could demand a lane for ourselves...

USA/Americas/Caribbean/China/Asia/Africa/Oceania-MiggleEast/Europe

[Jangle]

Absolutely no need for ANY joint caribbean teams in any sports. I am a strong advocate of Jamaica going it alone in cricket. I think WI cricket is holding back Jamaica's development in the game. Cricket is a dying sport and I think that if Jamaica was to break away and put a little more emphasis in the development of Jamaica's cricket, then within 5 years, we could have the same effect on the game as we did in the Olympics. We certainly have an abundance of talent plus the love for the game to reach the pinnacle.

[Don1]

a regional team is a non starter... fahget dat fooliniss

[Don1]

With a regional team (which would be laughed to scorn by all but the minnows) so many would be left without a chance at exposure.

.. this discussion is an exercise in fantasy & folly

[Historian]

I Fully Agree With You All

Absolutely no need for ANY joint caribbean teams in any sports. I am a strong advocate of Jamaica going it alone in cricket. I think WI cricket is holding back Jamaica's development in the game. Cricket is a dying sport and I think that if Jamaica was to break away and put a little more emphasis in the development of Jamaica's cricket, then within 5 years, we could have the same effect on the game as we did in the Olympics. We certainly have an abundance of talent plus the love for the game to reach the pinnacle.

Jangle, I absolutely agree with everything you’ve said here, including your views on cricket! I also fully (100 percent) agree with the views expressed by others in this thread -- Gamma, Willi and Don1.

By the way, this issue was discussed some years ago on this Reggae Boyz message board. I cannot remember much of that discussion, however.

If you look at the London Olympic Games medal count, you will see that, aside from Cuba, Jamaica had by far the highest number of medals. And quantity aside, the quality of performance by Jamaican athletes is such that its legendary! (Check the quality of what we did and you will see that this is by no means an exaggeration!) No wonder USA athletic interests, including NBC, had bluntly advertised our strong events, the sprints, as a USA vs. Jamaica competition!

Beyond this, however, is the matter of the immense national pride that comes from seeing our athletes excel in the colors of our country, and celebrate with our flag. Also, what incentive would coaches have in going beyond the call of duty if their charges would end up competing in some new Caribbean colors under a Caribbean name?

What would Jamaica have to gain, therefore, by diluting the success of our athletes and the training program that we have? Hell, I don’t even support CARICOM!

I deliberately mentioned the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy in my post above because at that time, which saw Jamaica as a part of the failed West Indies Federation, our own George Kerr won his 800-meter bronze medal for the British West Indies, NOT for Jamaica! Then, the team that won the men’s 4x400-meter bronze medal at that Olympics was made up of three Jamaicans! Three quarters of that 4x400-meter team was Jamaican! I suspect that little would change in the relays today!

I wasn’t around in 1960, but I still feel as shortchanged by that regional approach as when I first read about it many years ago.

Finally, I suspect that, in addition to Jamaicans, many other Caribbean nationals would prefer to see their athletes performing in the colors of their native country.

I leave you with a response by a Grenadian reader to Sir Ronald Sanders’ article on a regional training facility. This, I am sure, is not representative of all Caribbean thinking on the matter. Nevertheless, I am equally sure that the private conversations and thoughts of many other Caribbean nationals parallel those of this particular Grenadian.

(Source of extract below: The Jamaica Observer, Sunday, August 19, 2012
(http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/A-single-Caribbean-sports-academy--Part-2-_12308675 )

From Grenada: “As a proud Grenadian, and as Jamaicans like to call us, ‘Small Islander’, I wish that there is no sports integration that includes Jamaica! It is bad enough that Jamaican music dominates the English-speaking Caribbean. Worst yet is that the violence and poverty that is endemic to Jamaica is slowly seeping to other peaceful islands. Jamaica should be for Jamaicans, and we should be happy for that. Furthermore, why would any other small island want to be lumped and piled with that chaotic trouble spot.”

[Gamma]

how does jamaica allow poverty to creep into the small islands?!!!! dat baffle mi?

di oddi ting dat baffle ... historian ... yuh neva born by 1960?!!!! mi rah!!!

[Don1]

This is a post of the first water...kiddoes!!

[Gamma]

??!!!

[Don1]

??!!!

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/137550.html

[Gamma]

interesting! thank you!

[Don1]

A gem from my nights as a young young yute listening to Babylon's commentary on strokeplay in cricket... John Arlott in particular... a wordsmith extraordinaire