We support our athletes

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The recent backlash around the issue of persons criticising our athletes has caused me to ponder on the nature of us as Jamaicans.

‘We are Jamaican’ is a phrase that can never truly be put into words. It alludes to a people with an indomitable and somewhat cantankerous spirit. A spirit so strong that often, despite all the odds, this little island nation of 4,000 square miles and barely 3 million people goes on the world stage time and time again, and achieve great success. It is this spirit that allows us to enter winter games, when nary a winter has ever been experienced on the island, and create history.

It is this spirit why Jamaica is considered as one of the ‘biggest little country in the world’.

That’s our spirit, and it is that same spirit that has me considering – are we even Jamaican if we nuh cuss though? It may sound simplistic, but truly, isn’t that part of the uniqueness of the spirit of Jamaica? The Jamaican spirit is undeniable. It is this spirit that allows us to “guh hard and done”. To put it all out, to cuss and cuss when we want things a certain way and feel we can do it. But in going hard – even when we cuss – we support!

Undeniably, our spirit is one of support!

The mocking of our athletes is nothing new – poor West Indies when they lose a match or series – ‘Worst Indies’ is the new name. Poor Reggae Boyz when they fail to perform as we expect!

We cuss, and we cuss, but I put it to you, that even in cussing, we never stop showing our love and our support. Jamaica is not a country where athletes are afraid or unable to return home after an event. Jamaica is not a country where racist tirades or rants are spewed out towards our athletes based on their performance versus expectations. Jamaica is not a country where athletes would receive death threats or are physically harmed by angry fans based on their performance – something that happens in a few countries after large sporting events like the World Cup, for example.

Cuss all we cuss, when it comes to our athletes, we will show up and we show love. Cuss all we cuss, Sabina Park is never empty when ‘Worst Indies’ is playing, nor is the National Stadium if our footballers are playing or our runners are running (well, unless it is COVID time).

A popular meme on social media says ‘Being Jamaican is not just a nationality. It is an experience you have to live to understand.’ Living the experience is what makes us unique and our spirit truly come alive.

Allow us to cuss a little, knowing that even through the cussing, we will never stop showing support and love to those who continue to make us proud. Jamaican, cussing but so PROUD.

DC