Mexican Memoirs: Pyne a real ambassador

Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sports

GUADALAJARA, Mexico:

Buenos dias, amigos.

Jamaica's badminton player, Charles Pyne, really made my day on Sunday.

He is such an articulate young man (some people may not think 30 is young but I do). He knows what he is about and was able to express it, a real good ambassador for his country. Stella Maris Preparatory and Wolmer's Boys, his alma maters, should both take a bow and cheer for him every step of the way as he bids for a medal in the men's singles.

I must say I have always (secretly) wanted the national representatives from the so-called 'lesser sports' to do well. They are always so willing to give interviews. I think it is a way of saying: "We are not being given the support that other sports like track and field, football, cricket and netball get so our best bet is to promote our sport as best as we can when we get the chance."

By the way, my first visit to badminton gave me a chance to test my fitness as the Mulitpurpose Gymnasium is a very long walk from the main road, on a pathway which could only take a golf cart. I honestly did not mind it. At home I try to keep as fit as I can (there is a fitness half hour on one of the local TV stations at 5a.m.), but here it has become very difficult to crawl from under my warm blanket as it is muy fresco (very cool) in the mornings and because of daylight saving time, it is still dark at 7a.m.

However, for various reasons (security is one of them) journalists at Games like these and IAAF World Championships have to do a lot of walking and I will return home on October 31, a very fit man.

I have still not had a chance yet to look at any of the 'cheaper than the USA' prices that my taxi friend told me about three days ago. It is still early and I will do so when my workload gets a bit lighter. Now I leave the Hotel Fenix at 8a.m. each day and return home maybe 13 or 14 hours later. Hasta!