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Adrian Frater, News Editor Western Bureau:
Last Friday, I received an from the Ministry of Youth, and Culture requesting media coverage for the arrival of the participants in the inaugural Mojo 6, Raceway Golf Tournament, which ended at the Cinnamon Hill Golf Course, in, yesterday.
Realising that I would need a special airport permit to access the VIP Lounge at the Sangster International Airport, I made several attempts, through the ministry and the main sponsors, the Jamaica
Public Service (JPS), to secure the requisite permit, but I could not find a single person to provide me with the required assistance.
At the designated arrival time, I decided to make my way to the airport, in the hope of seeing someone representing the sponsors or the ministry, who could arrange for me to meet the golfers, either inside or outside the airport, to get at least a few photographs. When I got to the airport, except for TVJ's Kirk Montaque, nobody else was there.
Through an airport employee, we (myself and Montaque) learnt that the golfers had arrived and were being processed on the inside. We began preparing to meet them, but the same airport worker informed us that they would not be exiting the arrival area, because they were being picked up by buses from inside a secured area inside the compound.
Deciding that we were not going to just waste the morning and not make contact with the golfers, we took the decision to drive out to the Hilton Rose Hall Hotel and Spa, where they were booked to stay. When we got to the, we managed to convince the guard at the entrance to the property that we were there on legitimate media business and he allowed us in.
an abrupt end
Once inside the hotel compound, our earlier frustration came to an abrupt end. We met Adam Harris, an American representative of Mojo, and once we explained the situation to him, he went about making right all the things the Jamaica organisers had failed to do.
In addition to assisting with meeting and interviewing the golfers, the president of Mojo, Joy Stephenson as well as other persons connected with the tournament, Harris personally transported us via his golf cart to the course, where we were able to get photos of the golfers going through their preparations. He later assisted us with sorting out our accreditation, and addressed all our enquiries.
While Harris was assisting us, we saw several local officials from both the Jamaica Tourist Board and the sponsors busily walking up and down the golf course looking more important than the event, but not really doing anything.
The situation was uncomfortable for me as I am sure Harris must have wondered why our own people were ignoring us.
I am a fiercely patriotic Jamaican, who wants to see my country projected in a positive way at all times. I therefore find it annoying when our people project themselves as being incompetent. Monday's situation at the airport made us look second best in the face of the professionalism shown by Harris.
I believe that if local organisers of events want to do justice to the events they are staging, they should strive to put competent persons in key positions, especially when we are in the international spotlight. We can't afford to have people who think they are more important than the event at the forefront, because these people are generally more of a hindrance than a help to those who need assistance.
While I enjoyed the golf and though Jamaica did a splendid job in staging it, I still feel a little bit peeved by my experience at the airport on Monday. If we are really serious about becoming a top-flight sports tourism destination, we cannot embrace 'butuism' when what is really needed is professionalism.
Feel free to send your feedback to adrianfrater@hotmail.com
http://www.jamaica-star.com/thestar/...s/sports2.html
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