Brand Jamaica marred

It was in Stellenbosch, South Africa, that I realised for the first time just how powerful Brand Jamaica really is. It was December of 2002 and I was walking from the Stellenbosch University to my temporary residence a few hundred yards away from the main compound. I was dressed in khaki trousers, a white short-sleeved Oxford shirt, and loafers, with a wristband on my right arm bearing the colours of the Jamaican flag. A little Caucasian boy of no more than nine years old was walking towards me on the pathway. When he got near, he stopped me and asked if I was really from Jamaica. I asked why and he pointed to the wrist band. I said yes. The boy broke into a smile before dropping his book bag and asking me if I would kindly consent to giving him my autograph! Confused and a little embarrassed, I assented and scrawled my name on a page in his notebook. The boy told me he had read and heard so many wonderful things about Jamaica and was finally realising a dream of meeting a living, breathing Jamaican. He said he knew of Bob Marley and that his parents were loyal to Blue Mountain coffee. Before the strange encounter ended, the little boy shook my hand, his voice saying thank you and his eyes expressing a far deeper gratitude.

Entertainers', athletes' exploits

This brand Jamaica and the tremendous equity it has around the world is because of the exploits of our musicians/entertainers and our athletes. The adulation and respect that mere mortals like me are afforded when I travel overseas have been built on the backs of Marley, Tosh, Livingston, McKenley, Wint, Ottey, Hemmings, Cameron, Walker, Campbell-Brown, Holding, Fraser Pryce, Bolt, Powell, Blake, Walsh and countless others. Wherever I've been in this world, whether in the Far East, Africa, Europe or even in the United States, I know respect will accrue to me automatically when I slip on my Jamaica gear and 'do-road'. That respect is not only a function of the wonderful talent and exploits of illustrious Jamaicans over time. It's also because of how Jamaicans achieve their success. People appreciate and celebrate what we do, almost as if they are honorary Jamaicans, because they see us as honest, genuine people who reject the idea of cheating our way to success.

In this context, the recent difficulties in which five of our track-and-field stars, including two of our finest, have found themselves is causing me great distress. This matter concerning the failed drug test threatens to daub excrement on Brand Jamaica. It also threatens to mar the careers of Asafa Powell and Sherone Simpson who are not just fine athletes, but first-class individuals. Their difficulties may have provided a moment of rejoicing for those who've long envied Jamaica's success and others who believe that no country this size should be as potent in the track-and-field arena as we've been since after the Second World War.

Negative light

For those who venerate things Jamaican and wish they could at least split their nationality, this latest doping saga is unlikely to be seen in a positive light. It may cause them to question if previous world-beating performances in athletics have been the product of a unique 'Jamaican-ness', or whether our stars have been doping their way to glory. They may perhaps see this as confirmation that the sport of track and field is beyond redemption given the number of high-profile stars who are now in the category of fallen idols. Indeed, the sentiment may very well be that if the Jamaicans are cheating, it's a clear sign the sport has finally lost its core.

While there's so much about this particular episode that we don't know, one thing is for sure. The moment the story began making the rounds on the Internet, Brand Jamaica began losing its lustre. And while we hope this is all a big misunderstanding and that our heroes will avoid taint, irreparable damage may very well have already been done to this country's image. The details of this episode will determine whether outsiders still regard us as the small island of the huge talents. Selah.

George Davis is a journalist. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and george.s.davis@hotmail.com.