Pogba’s fairytale could serve as inspiration for local athletes

Aug 08, 2016 Sports

By Rawle Welch
The story of French international footballer Paul Pogba is one that should be told to many young individuals in Guyana who may be feeling dejected and without hope.

Paul Pogba

Pogba, who is on the verge of completing a transfer from Italian Serie A club Juventus to English Premier League club Manchester United for a record fee of $100million, was born in Lagny-sur-Marne, Seine-et-Marne, France to Guinean parents.
The fairy tale of how a boy from a commune located in the eastern suburbs of France, a community that has come under the radar of French Law Enforcement for suspicion of radicalising and harbouring terrorists, rose from ordinary beginnings to become the world’s most expensive footballer should serve as motivation for young athletes in this country.
It clearly shows that with the right motivation and the will to excel it is possible for a similar script to be written about someone from right here in Guyana.
The temptation is there to compare the abundance of opportunities that exist in France with the lack thereof in Guyana, but hard work and dedication could make a world of difference in elevating an athlete from ordinary to extraordinary.
While one cannot overlook the helpful conditions that Pogba enjoyed as a citizen of France such as international standard playing facilities combined with excellent coaching, his will to succeed must have been the fundamental reason for his undeniable talent and subsequent success.
Here in Guyana there is no doubt that very often we are on par in terms of ability when compared with other nations both regionally and internationally at the junior level, but somehow converting those capabilities to the next level has been the Achilles heel for our athletes.
Squash, hockey, table tennis and cricket are perfect examples of how we dominate at the junior level, but somehow fail to transition the talent to the senior level and this recurring scenario should have been the scrutiny of an examination already, but I stand corrected if I’m wrong, there has been no disclosure of such an undertaking in recent memory.
Perhaps, a study of such may provide the answers to why we are doing so poorly at the senior level regionally and internationally.
Pogba’s spectacular rise to stardom, his story, should serve as an inspiration to quite a few of the participants of the just concluded Digicel Schools Football Championship.
There was an encouraging exhibition of talent throughout the tournament and while it is a fact that many components needed for player development are missing, it is also important for a player to possess a personal desire to increase his skill despite the numerous deficiencies.
Examples of athletes who’ve not allowed limitations to affect their determination to succeed can be found and these are the ones that our local athletes could emulate in their quest for career success.
Sports can be a way out of poverty it could also be used as a vehicle for economic progression and Pogba’s illustration along with so many Jamaican athletes like Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce are positive images to imitate.
Sports administrators have failed our young athletes, but because the world has now become a global village, a video of a talented athlete or even a feature could fashion a similar fairytale to that of Pogba’s.
It was reported that Pogba was due to undergo a medical today, before announcing his switch to Manchester United.

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