The other side of the coin

The recent outburst by two of the nation’s most promising athletes – sprint twins Reberto and Reuberth Boyde – must surely have come as a shock to many in the local sporting circles who have been following their rise in sprint events in athletics.{{more}}

The two youngsters, since 2012, have been heralded as bright prospects and were fast making a name for themselves, not only for their athletic abilities, but for their humility.

Beyond their demands for a stipend to travel to the Trinidad for the Hampton International Games, it was reported that it was the manner in which they acted which prompted the action of the local track and field body. The result was that they two brothers will not be part of the team to Trinidad. How sad.

But the entire happenings were not only unfortunate, but must have poured cold water on the duo’s growing public acceptance and their emerging status as potential national sporting treasures.

Additionally, the episode took some hype from the sport, given that just over a month ago, Reuberth gave the nation something to smile about by gaining a silver medal at the Carifta Games in St Kitts/Nevis when he placed second in the Under-20 200m. His achievement was not spared national attention and headlining.

Significantly too, over the past months, there has been much talk and advances proposed to force the authorities to attend with some sense of conviction, efforts geared at the installation of a synthetic track for St Vincent and the Grenadines.

On the other hand, the hue and cry in some quarters, is that our sportsmen and women are not being afforded enough opportunities to express their talents regionally and on the international scene.

Whilst the latter is rare for many of our upcoming athletes, this cannot be said for the two athletes in question, as they have benefitted from relatively much exposure in recent times.

Such has been their run, that they even refused to attend the Pan Am Junior Championships in Colombia in August, 2013.

Conversely, other athletes have felt that they have been sidelined in preference to the twins.

Reports are the brothers were again being lined up for some advanced training overseas. Was this offer also refused? If so, who then was responsible and influential in turning down the proposal?

Notwithstanding that over time the brothers have matured, but are they acting on their own or are they being driven by a force from behind?

Or are there other hidden agendas, in which the boys are being used as pawns?

Has everyone been honest in their declaration of being kept out of the loop?

The question still remains, are any of our sportsmen and women across all disciplines, in a position to demand from their national associations terms and conditions before they can represent St Vincent and the Grenadines?

Amidst everything, let us not, however, conclude that the brothers are unable to handle the limelight which has been thrown on them, but their outburst was a fit of miscalculation and over exuberance of youth.

They are still in the development stage of what is hoped will be a budding athletics career and are in quest of scholarships and the likes from outside of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

So, let us wish that down the road that reconciliation be the route to follow and not a complete fall-out for their transgression.

It is, however, a lesson in the local sporting circles and more so for the discipline of track and field, as the cauldron has been boiling among those outside the administrative framework of the head organization – Team Athletics SVG.

Persons who are close to the sport would concede that there is a certain level of fencing which is ongoing with a barrier erected between the coaches and the executive of the Team Athletics SVG.

However, the occasion should now present itself from the emerging antagonism between the major stakeholders and journey on the pathway of synergy.

As it appears, things are just evolving, and it is high time that the right knows what the left hand is engaged in, as the two are needed to clap the athletes when they do well.

This existing “We against Them,” which is taking root, must purge itself naturally, as all concerned move away from doing things in isolation.

Above all, it must be remembered that “For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”