Paul Wright | For the greater good

The pandemic known as COVID-19 has decimated the plans and wishes of sportsmen and women, as well as the fans, the ones whose economic and emotional support guarantees their success.

Games and competitions that are ongoing and planned have been either cancelled or postponed, leaving millions of us with the enforced prospect of a sports-free future for months. Some sporting events pleading severe economic and physical devastation have outlined and even occasioned sporting events against the medical and scientific evidence that halting sport activity is in the best long-term interest of the majority of a vulnerable population.

In Jamaica, the promoters of horse racing, Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), in conjunction with the regulating authority, the Jamaica Racing Commission (JRC), sidestepped the Government’s anti-COVID-19 initiatives by continuing race-meets, ostensibly sans spectators at Caymanas Park while knowing fully well the difficulty off-track betting parlours would have in maintaining social distancing while punters purchasing bets and “encouraging” their selections gathered around a television screen.

The Government’s mandate of no more than 20 people in any establishment and social distancing of at least 3 feet while purchasing bets was inherently set up for failure while exposing their clients to a fine of $1 million dollars and possible jail time.

That the police stepped in and began closing establishments without strictly applying the full effects of the law speaks volumes to the patience and understanding of policemen and women, who, apparently, understood the difficulty patrons and punters would have in strictly adhering to the letter of the law. Faced with obvious severe cuts into the bottom line of “profitability”, SVREL, seemingly reluctantly, announced that racing at Caymanas Park would be indefinitely postponed.

Access to the compound by those members of the stakeholders, as well as allowing the equine athletes to continue their activity during the period of shutdown, is a welcome gesture to men and women who will face severe economic deprivation while racing is closed.

They would, however, be joining a vast slew of other members of the population who will also face similar economic pain until this pandemic has been conquered. Everyone will be called upon to make a sacrifice for the good of all of us, health-wise.

The cancellation and postponement of other sport -, cricket, football, and netball to name a few - has already been announced. What has baffled some athletes and fans is the seeming reluctance of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to postpone this summer’s Olympic Games, scheduled to be held in Japan.

Non-event

A fact that has so far eluded the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, is that an Olympic Games without athletes is a non-event. Mr Bach, with the apparent support of the authorities in Japan, seems to be scared stiff of the apparent economic fallout that postponement or even cancellation of the Olympics would cause. However, the influence of the superpower known as the USA is now making its position known.

USA swimming and athletics have “suggested” postponement of the Games, and the influence of television powerhouse NBC will ultimately cause the Games to be postponed!

The one-month delay in announcing a decision that will come only leads one to assume that the president of the IOC is failing one of the tenets of leadership: decisive considered announcements. His apparent failure in the face of this pandemic is a malady affecting different sports administrators and leaders around the globe.

It is during times like this that citizens get an inside look at the mettle of those who lead. The picture emerging is not encouraging, and when this pandemic is over, there should be a wholesale review of the quality of the leadership of the many sporting organisations affected by this crisis.

Frequent handwashing, avoidance of touching one’s face, social distancing when inevitable contact with others occurs, and a nationwide effort to “tan a yuh yard” will reduce the severe effects of this crisis. Let us, this one time, unite for the good of ALL of us.