The ultimate 2020 sports wish list

We are exactly two days away from the start of 2020. The New Year will be a massive one for sport locally and internationally. It does not get bigger than the Olympic Games scheduled for July 14 to August 9 in Tokyo, Japan. The World Cup Qualifying Campaign for the senior Reggae Boyz kicks off on August 31 as the nation goes in search of a place in the prestigious 2022 FIFA World Cup Finals in Qatar. The ICC Twenty20 (T20) World Cup is set to bowl off in Australia on October 18, all in addition to the usual calendar of domestic and national sporting events.

I am not overly concerned for the track and field athletes heading into the Olympics, due to the high standards that have characterised Jamaica’s international success in this sport at this level for almost a century. However, the wish is that the track and field athletes will continue to do what they have been doing, with a more desperate wish for some kind of miracle to unfold and change the fortunes of our male sprinters.

The Windies in T20 format of international cricket have been enigmatic and unpredictable. They are two-time defending World T20 Champions with still enough ammunition to successfully defend their title, despite being ravaged by inconsistency, as reflected by their current number 10 rank in the said format. A huge wish is therefore in order that Phil Simmons, Kieron Pollard and company will get their collective acts together and dominate the World T20 again.

A very special and sincere wish goes out for the members of the national senior netball team, also known as the Sunshine Girls, still Jamaica’s most successful international sporting team. The World Cup saga and the subsequent fallout were very scary signs for the sport. A leadership change is imminent and a coaching change was recent, but the wish is that the new Netball Jamaica leadership, the players and the coaching staff can find the conviction, means and skills to get that ship back on course. We hope they can begin the process of recapturing the level of excellence that we have come to associate with Jamaica’s Netball over the years.

Perhaps the most heartfelt wish is aimed in the direction of the nation’s most popular sport, football. The senior men’s World Cup qualification is not just an ordinary qualification series. This is the activity that effectively drives the entire local football programme. In terms of marketing, general interest and sponsorship for the programme, this is make or break time for both the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the football. A long successful run in the campaign is a potential gold mine, while a short unsuccessful run could spell disaster. The level of success of the World Cup qualifying campaign could decide whether the nation’s football falls back into obscurity or remains relevant.

Put plans in place

Things need to be put in place with meticulous thought and thorough planning in terms of facilitating the best possible preparation of the team, from the scouting and accessing of additional player personnel if the coach so desires, to affording the squad strategic and regular warm-up games.

Coach Theodore Whitmore will be the man with all the pressure on his slender shoulders, but the mettle of the players will also be severely tested. The big wish therefore for the World Cup qualifying campaign is that all hands will come on and remain on deck, and that all stakeholders will play their respective roles in the process.

The fans of the team need to take their place on the wagon, potential sponsors need to now become literal sponsors, and most importantly the virtual leadership of the JFF needs to become the actual leadership, with a place in Qatar being the ultimate reward for the ultimate wish.