Boyce never questioned Morgan’s character

Apr 21, 2009 Sports

Alika Morgan

Colin Boyce

Leslie Black

By Edison Jefford
It is quite lucid that based on Alika Morgan and her coach, Leslie Black’s recent outburst that the top athlete does not understand the essence of an Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President, Colin Boyce’s comment.
This is not a public relations lubricant and furthermore, Boyce did not spark this article in making contact with Kaieteur Sport. However, it is only fitting to clear the air on Boyce’s comments since this newspaper had the first interview.

In indirect reference to an article that appeared here on Thursday, April 16, 2009, Morgan told another section of the print media that she is disappointed in Boyce’s comments on her performance at the recent Junior Carifta Games.
“I am really disappointed that he (Boyce) would think such about me, because for three years I have brought back medals from Carifta and the year I don’t bring back, they saying all these bad things” Morgan allegedly stated.
It must be made clear that neither Boyce nor this newspaper said anything that can be, in any form of description whether denotative or connotative, “bad” about the current dual national ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ in our interview.

This is what Boyce had said: “Frankly speaking, I am disappointed that Morgan did not medal. We did not carry out a proper check to see if she was physically fit to get on the medal podium but I would not describe that as an oversight”. Boyce, in his capacity as AAG President, had revealed that he was expecting Morgan to add to Guyana’s medal tally despite her injury.
The association’s leading official noted that he was expecting six medals at the Carifta Games.
In his comments, Boyce had also accepted responsibility for allowing the athlete to run while knowing she was injured when he said “we should have ensured that we got her certified medical attention. We overlooked that…”

No where in our interview with Boyce anything that can be perceived as “bad” was said about Morgan.
The headline “Did Black conceal Morgan’s injury?” was a question asked on available evidence and not a conclusive position.
Later at an AAG Press Conference the following day after our article appeared, Black, in a subtle manner, threatened to quit coaching because of the news item. “I have to decide with my family” if I will continue coaching he said.

The outbursts from the athlete and her coach are really unwarranted. Her competition fact is clear; Morgan had a recurring ankle injury that was not given enough time to fully heal and she did not recover fully to compete at a high level. Black said that Morgan did not complain about pains during the nine days she had to train for the meet.
He said based on that, he assumed that she was fit to run and to support his assessment Morgan wanted to compete in her last junior year.
If the coach and athlete had gone to compete on amateur physiotherapy advice, then there is not need for their outbursts but rather acceptance of the consequences. After all, Black and Morgan made the choice to compete.

“The President of the AAG (Boyce) should have said that he was not satisfied with what I told him and should have gone to consult a doctor,” Black had indicated at the media briefing on Friday at the Guyana Olympic Association.
Boyce accepted responsibility from the AAG perspective for the blunder and has assured that systems will be put in place to prevent a recurrence. When will Black accept liability for not acting accordingly with the athlete on the matter?
Instead, Black is attempting to justify the athlete’s dismal performance that her injury and lack of training because of injury is clearly responsible for. It was a management error that should not have happened in the first instance.

Morgan is a national sportswoman and professional athlete; she is a role model that has a social image to maintain. The media is not a coercive institution; therefore, applaud and criticisms are natural functions that are administered daily.
United States swimmer, Michael Phelps lost millions of US dollars in endorsements for a well publicised and circulated photo snub, especially from cereal giant Kellogg where he was allegedly raking in between $3–5M a year.
The media was not kind on Phelps and rightly so because journalists and public relations officers have different functions. Kaieteur Sport has a moral responsibility to its readers to publish the news in an objective and balanced manner.
Welcome to professional sports, Morgan.