When Olympic gold is not enough

Little did I imagine that the day would come when I would question my loyalty to this hallowed tradition. Sadly, on the night of December 6, that is precisely what occurred.

I watched Michelle Ann-Awai as she excitedly announced a new segment — the TV6 Viewers’ Choice Sporting Personality of the Year — which allows viewers to vote for their favourite athlete of 2016.

What a wonderful initiative to increase our patriotic spirit, to inspire our nation’s youth and to reward the hard work and sacrifice of those who proudly represent our country on the national and international stage.

I waited with eager anticipation to see which athletes made the cut, silently compiling my own list in my head. As the names were announced I sat staring at my screen in utter disbelief. I could have sworn that our country won Olympic gold this year in Rio at the Paralympic Games.

For those who may have forgotten, allow me to refresh your memory. On September 9, Akeem Stewart won Olympic gold in the men’s javelin, breaking the world record twice in the process. This impressive performance was to be followed shortly by a silver medal in the men’s discus.

One year earlier, Stewart did our country proud in the Pan American Games, capturing gold in these same two events.

Perhaps the reason why Stewart’s accomplishments seem to have been erased from our national consciousness is that there was no live television coverage of the Paralympic Games.

While we all sat glued to our television screens to watch Usain Bolt make history in Rio, just one week later we were back to our regularly scheduled programming.

To compound matters, now comes this glaring oversight of the TV6 newsroom.

Were these isolated incidents, they would not be so alarming, so insulting, so saddening, so disappointing.

They are symptomatic of a wider problem, namely our scant regard for people with disabilities.

Marginalisation, exclusion, pity, discrimination, frustration, unemployment, abuse — this is the lived reality of the disabled in this country.

This from a country whose first Prime Minister, the revered Eric Eustace Williams, had a hearing impairment.

This from a country which in 2015 ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; the first human rights treaty dealing with disability as a human rights issue.

This from a country which just last month sent out a Draft National Policy on Persons with Disabilities for targeted stakeholder consultation and review.

Stewart, I want you to know that you are my hero and my choice for the Sports Personality of the Year. I can do no better than to borrow the tagline of TV6 itself — “The choice is clear”.

RIA MOHAMMEDDAVIDSON via email