Tweet
The human spirit and Pan Am success
Saturday, August 04, 2007
The fabulous performance of the Jamaica Under-20 football squad which won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro recently will gladden the heart for sometime to come.
As was pointed out in this space a week ago, the hope is that the unexpected success of the Under-20s will ignite "a resurgence of growth and belief in our national football programme" and also demonstrate what "can be achieved when there is a confluence of purpose, determination and talent".
That silver medal achievement was remarkable for a number of reasons, not least because as coach Mr Wendell Downswell has repeatedly pointed out, the team had only limited preparation for the tournament as a result of a late change in eligibility. Local administrators were under the impression that as has been the case in previous years, the football tournament at the Pan Am Games would be contested by Under-23 age-group teams. They apparently discovered just two months before scheduled departure for Brazil that this time around the competition would involve the younger age group. The situation was further complicated because several of the Under-20 players were still at school and involved in examinations. That meant the squad only got together as a unit two weeks before boarding the plane for Brazil.
Bear in mind also that this Under-20 squad with a few exceptions were the ones that performed poorly in Group B of the CONCACAF Under-20 FIFA Youth World Cup qualifiers in Mexico earlier this year. Then they managed just one point in a group that included the hosts, Costa Rica and St Kitts and Nevis.
That's the backdrop against which the young footballers went to the Pan Am Games with success-hungry Jamaicans paying them little or no mind.
A word or two should also be in order regarding Mr Downswell. Readers will recall that just a year ago, Mr Downswell, who in 2005 guided the Reggae Boyz to the Digicel Caribbean Cup, was unceremoniously dumped as head coach of Jamaica's football after big defeats, including a 6-0 whipping by England in a pre-World Cup friendly.
His success in Brazil is further proof of the capacity of the human spirit to overcome disappointment and defeat and return stronger yet.
Naturally, the novelty of a silver medal in football at a major Games served to distract attention from other deeds in Brazil. In fact, while it was not our finest Pan Am performance, Jamaica did well overall.
Despite having only a weakened team because the top athletes are focused on the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, later this month, Jamaica struck gold through the women's sprint relay team, decathlete Mr Maurice Smith and sprint hurdler Ms Delloreen Ennis-London. Shot putter Mr Dorian Scott, 400-metre hurdler Ms Nickeisha Wilson and 200-metre sprinters Ms Sherri-Ann Brooks and Mr Marvin Anderson all grabbed silver medals. A fortuitous bronze medal also came by way of Welterweight boxer (69kg division) Mr Ricardo Smith after his Cuban opponent abandoned his team.
Others may not have won medals, but can feel satisfied. Swimmer Miss Alia Atkinson, for example, reached three finals. And as Chef de Mission Compton Rodney has said, our competitors earned invaluable experience across a range of disciplines, including cycling, badminton, taekwondo, equestrian, tennis and basketball.
All told, we are well pleased. Now to Osaka.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
The fabulous performance of the Jamaica Under-20 football squad which won the silver medal at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro recently will gladden the heart for sometime to come.
As was pointed out in this space a week ago, the hope is that the unexpected success of the Under-20s will ignite "a resurgence of growth and belief in our national football programme" and also demonstrate what "can be achieved when there is a confluence of purpose, determination and talent".
That silver medal achievement was remarkable for a number of reasons, not least because as coach Mr Wendell Downswell has repeatedly pointed out, the team had only limited preparation for the tournament as a result of a late change in eligibility. Local administrators were under the impression that as has been the case in previous years, the football tournament at the Pan Am Games would be contested by Under-23 age-group teams. They apparently discovered just two months before scheduled departure for Brazil that this time around the competition would involve the younger age group. The situation was further complicated because several of the Under-20 players were still at school and involved in examinations. That meant the squad only got together as a unit two weeks before boarding the plane for Brazil.
Bear in mind also that this Under-20 squad with a few exceptions were the ones that performed poorly in Group B of the CONCACAF Under-20 FIFA Youth World Cup qualifiers in Mexico earlier this year. Then they managed just one point in a group that included the hosts, Costa Rica and St Kitts and Nevis.
That's the backdrop against which the young footballers went to the Pan Am Games with success-hungry Jamaicans paying them little or no mind.
A word or two should also be in order regarding Mr Downswell. Readers will recall that just a year ago, Mr Downswell, who in 2005 guided the Reggae Boyz to the Digicel Caribbean Cup, was unceremoniously dumped as head coach of Jamaica's football after big defeats, including a 6-0 whipping by England in a pre-World Cup friendly.
His success in Brazil is further proof of the capacity of the human spirit to overcome disappointment and defeat and return stronger yet.
Naturally, the novelty of a silver medal in football at a major Games served to distract attention from other deeds in Brazil. In fact, while it was not our finest Pan Am performance, Jamaica did well overall.
Despite having only a weakened team because the top athletes are focused on the World Championships in Osaka, Japan, later this month, Jamaica struck gold through the women's sprint relay team, decathlete Mr Maurice Smith and sprint hurdler Ms Delloreen Ennis-London. Shot putter Mr Dorian Scott, 400-metre hurdler Ms Nickeisha Wilson and 200-metre sprinters Ms Sherri-Ann Brooks and Mr Marvin Anderson all grabbed silver medals. A fortuitous bronze medal also came by way of Welterweight boxer (69kg division) Mr Ricardo Smith after his Cuban opponent abandoned his team.
Others may not have won medals, but can feel satisfied. Swimmer Miss Alia Atkinson, for example, reached three finals. And as Chef de Mission Compton Rodney has said, our competitors earned invaluable experience across a range of disciplines, including cycling, badminton, taekwondo, equestrian, tennis and basketball.
All told, we are well pleased. Now to Osaka.
Comment