Blessing in disguise?
THE BIGGEST sporting casualty from a Jamaican perspective, of the ongoing coronavirus (Covid-19) crisis has been the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships. The world famous event was cancelled as a precautionary measure in response to the outbreak of this still unpredictable virus.
In addition to the $40 million of direct financial fallout as announced by the event’s organisers ISSA, there has been the commensurate exposure deficit to be endured by the main sponsors GraceKennedy, in addition to millions of dollars in preparation funds spent by the various schools that have now gone down the proverbial drain. Opportunities for exposure and academic scholarships for several athletes have also been forgone. There is also the humanitarian consideration in the cruel reality for the senior athletes who had their Champs journey ended so unceremoniously.
After the dust of disappointment clears, for at least one small core, the demise of this year’s Championships could very well prove to be a blessing in the disguise. In keeping with the recent narrative concerning the increasing numbers of outstanding Champs standouts who fail to matriculate into senior successes, for this year’s crop of such athletes, missing this year’s physical and psychological rigours of Champs might not be as bad as it appears. Elite level talent such as Kevona Davis and the Clayton twins from Edwin Allen High, Ashanti Moore from Hydel High, Kimar Farquharson from Calabar High and Kingston College’s Wayne Pinnock have absolutely nothing more to show or to prove at the high school level.
NEW MINDSET
These super talents should have already been adopting the mindset needed to wrestle themselves away from the mental and physical clutches of this ultra addictive spectacle. Over several years the sustained over exposure to the Champs experience has crippled the progress of many a prospective star of the sport. For seniors such as Davis, Moore, Farquharson, and Pinnock, the negative effects of doing all the pre-champs work, and then missing out at such short and close notice must hurt emotionally, but they also must recover to the reality, that in the wider scheme of things, for them, competing at this year’s Champs would have been a wasted exercise.
The quality that these elite athletes possess implies they should begin their respective post-champs journeys earlier rather than later. If the professional quest is the immediate focus then the choices in keeping with that quest need to be taken. Join up with their preferred professional track club locally or internationally.
The collegiate systems both locally or overseas have been a long standing option for those who wish to get certified educationally and then ponder the professional route if the desire remains.
START THE JOURNEY
The earlier these individual journeys begin, the better the chance of successfully completing that journey.
Younger charges such as the outstanding Clayton twins have a little bit more time on their hands, despite having already shown the world that the level of their talent is of such that loftier heights than maintaining Edwin Allen’s winning streak at Champs beckon. It is an understandable challenge for high school star athletes in Jamaica to overcome the glittering lights of Champs, but living through and experiencing the current crisis should provide a sharp and poignant reminder that there are even brighter lights in the distance.
We all rue the absence of Champs. It is an event that should absolutely remain intact.
It is a real pity that this spectacular showpiece will not routinely unfold in 2020, but the silver lining amid the doom and gloom is in the likely possibility that as bad as it feels and as depressing as it appears, if correctly understood, accepted and internally processed by the top draw athletes affected, then this debacle could yet evolve into an incredible blessing in disguise.