Latest update April 14th, 2026 12:38 AM
Jagdeo, Lara and Bolt: Our World Champions
Dear Editor,
Envy destroys one’s sense of fairness. This is evident in letters and articles written by naysayers attempting to belittle President Bharrat Jagdeo’s awards from Patrice Lumumba University and the United Nations.
Rather than celebrate the achievements of their fellow Guyanese, these naysayers have permitted their envy to destroy their sense of fairness.
The facts are beyond dispute. President Jagdeo received an Honorary Doctorate from Patrice Lumumba University, his alma mater. He was also crowned Champion of the Earth by the United Nations Environment Programme. Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors for both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
He is the only West Indian leader ever appointed to those two prestigious positions. He has also served as the Chairman of the Caribbean Community.
His stature as an international statesman is now firmly established. And yet, envious naysayers are calling him ‘Dr. Champion.’ Sadly, their envy has destroyed their sense of fairness.
When Brian Lara of the West Indies cricket team broke Sir Garfield Sobers world record score in 1994, envious naysayers said he made only 375. The pitch was flat. The bowling was weak. Instead of celebrating their fellow West Indian’s achievement of the most prestigious record in Test cricket, the envious naysayers spewed hypothetical negatives.
Ten years later, as if by divine right, the same Brian Lara regaled the sporting world with a superlative performance of 400 not out. Well friends, those same naysayers said that he declared because he could not make 500. Obviously, their envy has destroyed their sense of fairness.
At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt broke the world records for the 100 and 200 metres and was a member of the world record 4 x 100 metre relay team.
His was a historic performance. And yet, envious naysayers said, “It was a fluke!” After he made a generous contribution to the Chinese earthquake disaster relief a naysayer nastily suggested, “He should change his name to Wing Pong Loom Pang Tang Lang Ting!” She was serious. Envious naysayers cannot appreciate ‘good gold.’ Their envy has destroyed their sense of fairness.
I wonder how many sleepless nights and angry fits those naysayers must have experienced when His Excellency was crowned Champion of the Earth.
Incidentally, they seemed to have missed his unbridled generosity: he contributed his US $40,000 prize to the Amerindian community. No leader has ever been so generous to our indigenous people.
Just like Dr. Cheddi Jagan before him, he is a visionary who fully understands the relationship between social and economic development.
Obviously, the naysayers will not acknowledge the man’s greatness because their envy has destroyed their sense of fairness.
And now they are turning to the issue of a potential Noble Prize for His Excellency. The mere nomination is meaningful recognition of his leadership. What they would say if one day His Excellency was to become the Secretary General of the United Nations? Let us leave that thought aside for now.
Fortunately, these envious naysayers are but a small minority. The fair-minded world knows that although we are geographically small, the Caribbean people have three world champions in Bharrat Jagdeo, Brian Lara and Usain Bolt. Long may they live.
Professor Vijay P. Kumar
St. Johns University
New York, USA
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