The Caribbean and the Olympics – Part 1

Just over 300 athletes from 17 Caribbean countries, not including the US colonies of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, will, from this weekend, engage with thousands of their counterparts from all over the world in the 2016 Olympic Games, being held in the romantic Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. For many, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be on the grandest stage of all, while for the region’s elite performers, Rio will be another opportunity to further etch their name in the pantheon of the world’s sporting greats.{{more}}

Officially, the Games are referred to as the “Summer Olympics”, since there are separate “Winter Games” providing for those with those traditions and facilities. Amazingly though, there has been Caribbean participation in some Winter Games, from Jamaica and even Dominica, attesting to the versatility and adaptability of Caribbean athletes. But since we have no winter, the summer games is our forte, so much so that, for us the Summer Olympics are the Olympics.

The Games feature some 28 sports with 41 disciplines. Thus, while cycling is one sport, there are four disciplines – BMX, mountain bike, road racing and track racing; and volleyball is one sport with two disciplines, traditional and beach volleyball. For small, developing countries like us in the Caribbean, our limited resources restrict our participation in a wide range of sports, at least at competitive international level. It will be a long time before the smaller Caribbean nations can dream of facilities for such sports as equestrianism, canoeing and sailing, to allow us to compete at a global level. In addition, we have no history or tradition in sports such as archery or fencing. In fact, we would still refer to them as “bow and arrow” and “sword-fighting”!

Where the respective sports are concerned, there is always a tussle for new sports to be included on the Olympic calendar. The governing body for the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), has itself established some criteria on which sports applying for inclusion are to be judged. These include history and tradition, universality and popularity. It makes it difficult for sports dominant in the English-speaking Caribbean, like cricket and netball, to win inclusion, based on their limited global appeal, though cricket, courtesy the T/20 variety, is growing globally. Young cricketers and netballers stand a better chance of an Olympic medal if they take up basketball and baseball.

In spite of its limitations, there is evidence that the Caribbean is broadening its presence in sport, diversifying as we would say, even though there may not yet be an Olympic presence. We have a strong sporting tradition and a long tradition at the Olympics. Cuba, for instance, participated as long ago as the second Games in Paris in 1900, while Haiti took part, again in Paris 24 years later.

The others were all post-World War 2 entrants and on this scale, the Caribbean can be truly proud of its performances. Led by Jamaica and Cuba, but not restricted to them, Caribbean athletes have won gold multiple times in athletics, but also in boxing, swimming, sailing and fencing. They expect more in Rio.

Swimming, boxing, cycling and weightlifting will be the major interest areas this first week for the much anticipated athletics events do not start until August 12.

(Part 2 in next issue)