They have done what no politician has ever been able to do. They brought the whole country together. PM Patrick Manning said of the efforts and the success of the Soca Warriors when they won the match in Bahrain which qualified T&T to play in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. He was correct in that they did bring the country together even if only for a short time. They showed what was possible and maybe the whole country would take notice, take heart and make the effort to be as resolute and committed to their cause as the team had been.
We, as a country, have short memories and pay no notice to our history and to the people who have been writing what will be the history of this country in years to come.
We have forgotten the wild delight and pride that lifted the spirits of us all when Hasely Crawford won this country’s only gold medal at the Olympic Games. I can remember how I felt when our national anthem was played on that occasion.
More recently, who can forget the celebrations and the atmosphere of pride at the achievement of Brian Lara when he broke the records in 1994 for the highest Test innings and in the same year, the highest first class innings, still the only innings of 500 played in cricket. Lara was lionised and given all sorts of awards, the TIC, a lovely piece of real estate which has been since had a palace built on it. To top it off, Lara has again broken the record for the most Test runs scored by any individual and he has done it in Australia, the home of Allan Border, the previous holder.
Boldon and Bovell, Brown and Burns have performed on the international stage in ways that belie the small population and the comparative lack of facilities and coaching expertise that hinder the development of the many talented young people in the country. These men have won, literally, against the odds.
The Soca Warriors and Lara again have attracted the attention of the politicians, ever willing to recognise greatness by publicly handing out rewards for achievement.
How will the country honour both Lara and the Warriors?
Let us look at Lara first. Just giving him money will hardly be the most meaningful or appropriate manner in which we can show his fellowmen’s appreciation of his efforts. Brian already has a house and though nobody ever has too much, money is not now a concern for him.
Would it not be more appropriate that a scholarship be named in his honour and it be accessible to the cricketer who shows not only exceptional ability as a player but also as a student of scholarship potential. This would be both appropriate and encouraging to the many good student/players who stop playing cricket when they get into Sixth Forms.
The Soca Warriors are a more difficult lot to honour in meaningful manner.
Dwight Yorke’s or Russell Latapy’s needs are not the same as those players who do not have contracts with clubs in the English or American Leagues. Money may not be such an attraction for those but the local players may well need the money or houses that are the blandishment offered by the likes of Bahrain and many of the smaller countries battling for a place in the sun.
It would require the thoughtful attention of people in responsible positions like psychologists or business managers to look at each individual Soca Warrior’s circumstances and thus determine what would be the best reward, sign of the country’s appreciation of their efforts.
But, the Soca Warriors, Brian Lara would be forgotten by the next generation, even before that as we have seen in the past.
Not too long ago, some members of the cricket team of one of the leading secondary schools in the country, could not recognise the members of the of Clive Lloyd’s world beaters nor could they recognise any of the Three W’s.
The need is for the next generation to remember the beginnings and the progress that each of the trail blazers have made for the progress of our country and not for each generation to begin the journey on the road to excellence.
That need could be filled in two ways. Most young people look at television and pay more attention to it than to the written word. The deeds of our pace setters should be recorded and shown on television — matches in which they have played, the manner of their training, interviews with individuals and coaches revealing the problems encountered and overcome in training, in getting proper equipment especially by the less well off members of the teams.
Getting to the top is never easy or everybody would be at the top and our children should be shown the hurdles and handicaps that had to be overcome to get to where they now are.
But the TV show ends and the image fades. For the rest of us and for the refreshing of the memory of those who had seen the show, the deeds and the trials of our stars should be recorded and placed in schools as part of the social studies curriculum.
The country would honour and reward our heroes. Let there be some thought in the effort and not merely the writing of a few cheques. As important as money is, there are other considerations that must be recognised.