Shame on Jamaica
THE EDITOR: In utter disbelief I read where the Jamaican Football Federation shamelessly accepted US $1million to host the Bahrain soccer team and stage warm up matches with the best of the Jamaican outfit. This unscrupulous act will serve to put Bahrain in good stead for the upcoming qualifying matches against the able, TT squad. So Jamaica is actually assisting Bahrain to defeat the "Warriors" and deny TT inclusion in the big tournament next year. In contrast, it must be noted that Guatemala previously turned down a similar offer from Bahrain, citing solidarity for the Concacaf family. This is what integrity and true allegiance is all about — qualities clearly lacking in the Jamaican government, as it sees no reason to intervene and reverse this betrayal. Jamaica and TT have so much in common — Caricom, Concacaf, The Caribbean Court of Justice, The Caricom Single Market and Economy, to name a few. Nationals from both countries even play cricket together and are teammates unified under the umbrella of the "West Indies". And still, this reprehensible act is committed against us, a sister isle. What happened to regional integration? Is it only in theory? Where is the unified Caribbean that TT tries so hard to nurture? Why is that so soon after helping others — one year after the virtual outpouring of money, food, clothing, labour and love to both Jamaica and Grenada in the aftermath of Ivan, that we are so unconscionably stabbed in the back? Caribbean citizens were thought to believe that being part of the Caricom meant that we are siblings in a family, orphaned by Independence, and so, must band closer together because of our similar people, cultures, challenges and proximity in the region. Thus as chiefly small nations, we are mandated to help each other to progress in all aspect of endeavour. When TT failed to qualify for World Cup 1998, Trinbagonians rallied around the "Reggae Boyz", nonetheless, and we were thrilled when they managed to achieve what we couldn’t because ultimately, the Caribbean was being represented. We should not have to ask for the same support of Jamaica today. It is what we deserve. To put the injustice on a more personal level, we need to ask ourselves, "Can I ever sell out my beloved sister for a relatively small sum of money? Sadly, Jamaica’s obvious allegiance of Bahrain dollars over compatriot country, TT only serves to fuel an archaic perception, that Jamaicans just don’t like Trinis. So kudos to Guatemala for reminding us that a true ally may be found in an unexpected place, whereas treason often lurks behind a friendly facade. I hope that the money was worth it. DEXTER J RIGSBY Mt Lambert
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"Shame on Jamaica"