Still standing with Shirley
In recent months, I have endured a lot of criticism from some of my friends because I choose not to join the unofficial ‘ bash Anne Shirley campaign’, which had seemingly become the thing to do, following her disturbing revelations about the many and varied shortcomings of the Jamaica Anti- Doping Commission ( JADCO).
As I have stated in all my writings on this contentious issue, unless someone, especially from JADCO, can provide irrefutable evidence to suggest that Shirley has been mis- chievous and not truthful, I will not join those seeking to malign her, regardless of whether her motivation was honourable or not.
Based on my own personal attitude to life and the principles instilled in me by my parents, I don’t believe that the truth should be sidelined to facilitate patriotism or any other notable virtues, regardless of the situation. In fact, I believe that patriotism based on falsehood is just as bad as being a traitor to a just cause.
Now that the esteemed Dr Paul Wright, Jamaica’s most senior drug tester, has come out saying that the recent rash of failed tests by some of our top athletes might be just the “tip of the iceberg,” I am now waiting to see if his training and expertise will spare him from the venom of those who have been criticising Shirley.
As I have stated before, I believe if JADCO, and by extension the Government, had come clean on this issue from the very outset, there would be no need for the ongoing puerile attempts at damage control, which has left the organisation looking woefully inadequate, if not totally incompetent.
It is sad that in an era in which people with the requisite scientific know- how are probably taking Jamaica’s anti- doping machinery as a joke, the best that the country can do to defend its reputation is to depend on those who are ignorant of the facts to berate those who dare to raise questions about our untidy programme.
Of course, I could not conclude this column without speaking to the comical situation within the St James Football Association ( StJFA), which would make the association perfectly at home on the Ity and Fancy Cat
and in so doing, further expose itself to public ridicule.
After a high- ranking member of the StJFA took the leadership of the Jamaica Football Federation ( JFF) to task on the eve of the recent CONCACAF Female Under- 17 Football Tournament, claiming that as the host parish, they were sidelined in the planning, organising and execution of the tournament, the association has now followed up with a meek apology, begging the JFF for forgiveness.
In reading the apology, which was directed to JFF boss Captain Horace Burrell, I had to smile as having previously read the initial complaint, which stated things such as the following, “How can there be a major event in St James such as this U- 17 women’s qualifiers in any parish and the parish association has no say whatsoever, yet we speak of the importance of having strong association, to do what? I guess we only do the dirty work, the begging, and the things the football gods ( the JFF) are too busy to come down and do,”
“to now read an apology stating, ‘ It ( the original complaint) was penned at a time when I was frustrated and upset and I allowed that mood to influence my comments. I am sorry for the pain I have caused my colleagues, especially my president. For this I unreservedly apologise. I am sure that time will be on my side in convincing my colleagues that this situation was out of character and will never happen again.”
As I have stated repeatedly in this column, the StFA is an embarrassment to all well- thinking residents of this parish. This so- called apology points to an organisation that is clearly reckless and out of control and is begging for the intervention of the JFF to help restore credibility.
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