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Pompey responds to criticisms

Aug 25, 2008 Sports

– says we should all be proud

Dear Editor,
Without all the amenities and Governmental commitments the Jamaican athletes have, we still got pretty far at the Olympic Games. We do need the same to go any further, he (Rawle Welch) is right about that!

What we don’t need is the media lashing out at the wrong people. The problem is not the athlete or their performances–it’s the support or lack thereof that they have to contend with.

While I was warming up, Sanya (Richards) had someone massaging and stretching her; she did some strides, she had someone pray with her and then worked on her muscles again.

While all that is happening, someone else is there with her repeating positive affirmations. She got third (in the women’s 400m final) and that’s nothing to be ashamed of by any means. 

When Sanya is at home (in the United States) training–she workout, eat, sleep and get massages–then wake up and do it again. I, and most of the Guyanese athletes, try to balance a full–time work schedule and then train.

We make a lot of sacrifices to do what we love so that we are not a burden to society. 
When the last round of the 400m semis was over, I was distraught. It was someone in that round that pushed me out of the last spot of the final. I was inconsolable.

I got some positive feedback and some people that I don’t know emailed me. Most of them were from other countries.

I read some of the articles written in Guyana and felt like I committed a felony. Welch is bemoaning the fact that steps aren’t taken to better things.

This is the perfect example: I finished 11th–highest for a Guyanese at the Games. I’m speaking to a shoe company. As part of their social responsibility initiatives, they help provide countries of the athletes that they sponsor with equipment, facilities in some cases, and other training/educational help. 

We’re having a serious discussion about not only them sponsoring me, but doing things like that for Guyana.  So the company Head looks up the newspapers and search for my name. 

While I have had a decent year, every article he prints and shows me was negative. And he had quite a few. And you know what? That’s the end of it. Not that my performance wasn’t good enough, but that the market he would target in Guyana didn’t feel it was worthy.

The end result: because we find it so hard to hold on to our pride, because we can’t celebrate the milestones when they come, because we find it so hard to promote our own people, we all lose out.

Why is it that the Jamaicans made you felt ashamed? They have the facilities.
We don’t even have a proper track to train on. They have the money. They are a team of full–time professional athletes.  They have the full backing of their entire nation and more so their Government. 

You put Sanya or Christine (Ohorugu) to work five days a week, eight hours a day and then go to practice sessions–I will beat them every time they step up to the line! But they don’t have to do that, I do.

We are a group of people with obstacles thrown our way on a daily basis and we overcome. We overcome and we qualify. We beat people who have it ‘easier’ than us.

We have every right to be proud. Every athlete coming after us should be encouraged and aim to do better.  If you feel the sports administration needs an overhaul then say so without putting athletes’ career in a negative light!

Basically what you’re saying is that “we have athletes worth nil and an administration worth less than that.”  Until the media values the athletes and their efforts, the administration won’t.

They (the administration) can get away with doing anything to athletes’ careers. They can go so far and the circle will never be broken.

For generations you will be writing stories about how the administration needs a change after you bash another athlete for giving their all in competition. 

Tell Mr. Welch, Aliann Pompey says it’s alright to be proud; he has every reason to be! We all do!

Aliann Pompey,
Guyana’s national women’s 400m record holder

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