'I know he was working hard'

• Asafa's mom says sprinter was ready for Daegu

A pensive Reverend Cislyn Powell sat between her two grandchildren, five-year-old Hadiya and nine-year-old Zaunika Powell, at her home in Angels Grove, St Catherine, yesterday. It was a few hours after she heard that her son, Asafa Powell, would not be lining up for the 100 metres at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea.

As she reflected on her last conversation with Powell before he left Jamaica for the games, Rev Powell told The Gleaner she was confident that he would have been a favourite for the gold.

"I am sure that he would have gotten the gold because even when he was leaving, he said, 'Mama, I want you to watch the race this time, you know, because I know you normally don't watch it. But sit down and watch it this time'," she recalled, a smile bursting through the sadness etched on her face.

She said her confidence was also boosted by the hard work he had been putting into his preparation for the event and his remarkable performance of 9.78 seconds at the IAAF Diamond League Athletissima in Lausanne, Switzerland, on June 30.

"I know that he was working so hard because I talk to him and he said, 'Don't worry, I want to achieve the gold medal this year, because I'm working hard'," said the reverend.

However, she said since Tuesday she felt as if something was wrong, adding that a dream she got on Wednesday night caused her to be even more concerned.

"In the dream, I saw Shelly-Ann Fraser signing up some papers and she signed up the papers and gave them to the person in charge, and I said, 'How I don't see Safa (Asafa) sign up papers, and Safa said he didn't understand the paper," Powell related.

Worst fear confirmed

And that dream was a sign of what was to come as, on Thursday morning, Rev Powell's worst fear was confirmed.

"This (Thursday) morning Nigel said to me that it look like something is wrong with Asafa because he spoke to Safa's manager and he understood that Safa got an injury and wasn't going to run and I have to be strong."

Despite her disappointment, the God-fearing Powell says she will not question the Lord, as she has to be thankful for her son's achievements.

"I don't want to be ungrateful to God. I just want to be gracious for the good times. I want to look at the good times knowing that he still has a future on the track," an optimistic Rev Powell noted. "I want him to be strong and we love him. I want him to know that everybody is praying for him. This is not the end, the sky is still the limit."

At the same time, she said she wished some persons would be more understanding and be less unkind towards him.

"I wish that some of the people wouldn't talk all these negative things about him. He is devoted to what he does and I know he wants the best for Jamaica," stressed Rev Powell.

Though disheartened by her son's absence in the 100m, she remains upbeat about Jamaica's prospects.

"I hoping that even Usain and the rest of the team will be strong and get their medals," she noted.

rural@gleanerjm.com