Way to go with Crawfie exhibit

So I was happy like pappy when I read that national hero Hasely Crawford, also called Crawfie and Rajpaul, was being honoured with a travelling exhibition titled “Invicta” featuring his athletic career and memorabilia.

The exhibition has been curated by the University of the West Indies (UWI) and produced by the National Gas Company (NGC). It runs at the Alma Jordan Library, UWI, from July 25 to August 18.

This effort shows that we still have thinkers in our society who recognise the worth our national heroes and are prepared to give them their just due. Way to go! I was 22 years of age and was following Crawfie’s career as a sprinter at the Munich Olyimpics Germany. Crawfie, who showed true grit as a sprinter, was injured in the semi-finals of the 100 metres but still qualified for the final, which he ran with a bandaged leg.

He did not win the race but came roaring back in Montreal in 1976, striking our first ever Olympic gold medal.

Crawfie was feted and given the Trinity Cross for his effort, and so burnished his name on the national and the international landscape.

Calypsonians Kitchener (Aldwyn Roberts) and Maestro (Cecil Hume) rushed in to pay tribute with songs, Hasely Crawford and Gold, respectively.

In my view, Crawfie was not given the respect he deserved in latter years, forcing calypsonian Explainer (Winston Henry) to lash out with the song Don’t Treat A Hero So, a gem of a composition.

I am calling on young people to go out and bond with this exhibition and learn about a true national hero, if they haven’t already, who rose to the top of his game from humble beginnings.

I humbly suggest that the NGC tops off this effort with the long awaited bronze statue featuring his iconic Olympic start or finish with finger pointing to the sky. Of course, this statue must be positioned prominently at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port-of-Spain.

This will be money well spent, and a fitting tribute to the legacy of a great hero. One for the legendary netballer Jean Pierre can also be looked at.

KEITH ANDERSON via email