Roots of greatness
If one were to trace the achievements of all our athletes I am sure that one would have to go all the way back to their discovery in either primary or secondary school. Of course, a few were discovered later. Now this brings me to the work that is being done by our education system. So often schools which face a multitude of challenges are knocked for poor performances at the CXC-CSEC examinations, but I believe we need to look at all that goes into the mix to produce a Shelly-Ann Fraser, a Melaine Walker, and even an Asafa Powell and a Usain Bolt - all from humble beginnings.
- Amy Allen
prais50@hotmail.com
Kudos to TVJ
I am writing to publicly commend Television Jamaica on their coverage of the Olympics.
The games were more than we could ever expect with our talented athletes making us all proud. This has been said so many times and rightly so, but I must thank Neville Bell and his team for a really enjoyable production.
Kudos to Bruce James, a repository of athletics knowledge, and a gentleman to boot. He is certainly one for the future as a leader of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association.
Congratulations to all the athletes and their families and coaching staff, who often go unheralded.
Many people are asking about the secret of their success. The answer: hard training, good coaching, supportive families (and friends) and going to school.
Thanks TVJ you deserve a gold medal.
- Horace and Gilian Fletcher
hfletcher@cwjamaica.com
Kingston 6
Devaluing athletic work
I was watching a poll on TVJ where they asked the public to vote on how Jamaica should reward the triumph of athletes . The poll suggested; statues, public holiday, land and money.
Is this is a way to test how shallow the majority of Jamaicans are ? Or Is this just a way to make money from text messages ?
Polls like these only serve to downplay and devalue the work of the athletes as ambassadors for the Caribbean. There is absolutely no material value you could place on their achievement. However, the Government should initiate a welfare fund inclusive of a medical scheme to assist them and future Bolts and Veronicas of the island. It is best to upgrade the infrastructure of the G.C. Foster College with the accreditation to grant, for example, doctorates in physiology and related disciplines as well as create top athletes in a variety of sports for the world stage.
- K Nelson
kandrewn@gmail.com
