The disregard of local sports achievers reeks to high heaven

Apr 13, 2010 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin

The total disregard for our past sports heroes has often been the talking point of many concerned Guyanese, yet the trend continues with total impunity. It reaches a point of disgust when one realizes that our sporting heroes are oft times relegated to the back burner and totally forgotten as soon as their active days are over.
Recounting the sterling achievements of our past sports stars often times prove to be a headache and a humbug for most Guyanese. Many suffer memory lapses, yet these very persons possess institutional memory of the many failures of our sportspeople during their active days.
A few days ago, as I was passing a group of young men on the street I heard one of them whisper to the others, “Do you know who that is?” A member of the group replied, “How ya mean he is Mike Benjamin the former boxing champion.
That conversation was not meant for my ear but I heard it and inexplicably I experienced a sense of pride followed by nostalgia as I mentally recounted my heydays.
Fortunately (or unfortunately), I have had opportunities of discussing the past performances of my peers the likes of Lennox Blackmoore, Terrence Ali, Michael Reid and Kenny Bristol, to name a few.
There are some people that refuse to say anything bad about our past local sports stalwarts.
A friend said to me a few days ago that the mere fact that this group would have made immense sacrifices during their heydays (where the country benefited), is enough to place them on a pedestal for all Guyana to glorify.
Sadly, the direct opposite obtains in this country. It is as though some people, instead of viewing sports accomplishments as a national thing that ought to receive national kudos, and the persons that have performed these feats as national heroes, automatically rejoice when these sportspeople are unable to perform the athletic feats that have distinguished them from the riff raff. Yet we are wont to unashamedly identify with foreign sportspeople, some whose accomplishments are mediocre by comparison, even to the point of idolizing them.
As a journalist, I have had this overarching urge of searching for those among us that possess institutional knowledge of our past sports ambassadors so that I can tap into their reserves.
On several occasions I’ve tried but the frustration experienced after being unable to locate such individuals forced me to abort the mission. I find myself wondering where to go in order to procure data on past athletes, boxers, table tennis players or other sports ambassadors.
It is almost impossible to do so. Yet I can readily source information on the infamous defection of our football team in Los Angeles USA during the nineties. Further, there is always someone to clearly remember the 1984 defection of the entire Los Angeles Olympics team to the USA yet no one seems to remember that Gordon Carew had demonstrated staunch patriotism and returned to Guyana.
Recently, one of the boxers that defected on that tour returned to Guyana on holiday. He is no longer in the fight game but has since regularized his status in the USA. He told me that he is well off and owns his own house and car plus a decent bank account. This is no indictment on Carew but after returning to Guyana his career spiraled downwards. If he were to receive praise for his patriotism on par with the ridicule his colleagues faced for defecting, he might have been much the better for it.
I can recite many such incidents where achievements of local stalwarts have been downplayed while their failures have been the talking point for ages after the event has concluded.
One of the ploys I admire in the cricket fraternity is the industriousness of the executives to utilize the talents of past cricketers in the commentary booths, for analytical duties and administrative positions.
Such ploys lend a rich output to the respective divisions in the discipline in question commentary, while preserving historical achievements and creating employment for cricketers that would have served the fraternity.
The opposite obtains in Guyana. I have heard what passes for boxing analysis by some folks who cannot differentiate a left hook from a fish hook, yet steal the spotlight by dint of certain affiliation.
Where is the data on James Wren Gilkes, Terrence Alli, Patrick Forde, George Cumberbatch, Laddie Lewis and the plethora of local heroes that have contributed to the rich, diverse sporting culture locally?
The countrywide celebrations that greeted Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis’ world title victory has now dissipated to be replaced by the ‘mouthwashing’ episodes. Such behaviour begs the question, “Who are our heroes and for what time span is such heroic achievements acknowledged?
Finally, Mike Paris bronze medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics may not have hit the jackpot but it is the best any local athlete has done to date.
Yet our young generation is allowed to forget such an historic achievement. Every local athlete enjoying the prime of their career should be alarmed by such attitudes. As old people say, “A hint to Beneba mek Quashiba tek note.”

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