Assualt On Jamaican Athletes

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                                                              The Caribbean Is One Nation

Neita -Headley
While we do not condone cheating in any form or fashion in any sport, we find it quite interesting that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)is paying a lot of attention to Jamaica and its athletes. Over the past several weeks, the Jamaican athletic community has been forced, almost to the brink of international embarrassment, because some of its athletes have tested positive for banned substances.
We in the Caribbean would be disingenuous, if we did not admit that we expected this to come sooner or later. The meteoric rise of Usain Bolt has placed the entire Jamaican and Caribbean athletic community under conspiratorial scrutiny. Back in 2012   Dan Bernstein a CBS writer questioned whether natural ability or drug enhancement was responsible for Jamaica’s dominance in track and field at the international level. No doubt his myopia prevented him from comprehending how a small country could produce such world class athletes. As he put it then: “What are the odds that a tiny, island country suddenly dominates global competition…just because?”
Of course he was not alone because Mr. Carl Lewis, the Olympic legend, had to join in the party and he was quoted in the same article as saying that Bolt’s ability to run faster in such short intervals was fair game. As quoted, the great Carl Lewis said: ““When people ask me about Bolt, I say he could be the greatest athlete of all time,” Carl Lewis told the Times of London. “But for someone to run 10.03 one year and 9.69 the next, if you don’t question that in a sport that has the reputation it has right now, you’re a fool. Period.” Here we have an Afro American, who often complained about the sports and its officials during his period of dominance, joining with the establishment to undermine an Afro Caribbean brother!
A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) team visited Jamaica to audit the Jamaica Anti-doping Commission (JADCO) and the reception was mixed because while some felt that JADCO was lapsed in its duties, there were others who viewed their (WADA) involvement with suspicion. And recently, WADA Director General David how man, met with Jamaica’s Minister of Sport, Natalie Neita- Headley at the World Conference on Doping In sport in Johannesburg and apparently there seems to be some lessening of tension.
Many sports writers have said that the doping charges brought against some Jamaican sports persons are not out of line with what usually transpires in the different disciplines and other countries. Our point exactly.
We urge the international sports watchdogs to halt their blatant assault on Jamaica and Caribbean sports persons. Enough is enough!




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