“One of ten leaves naught”. That was the view of one West Indian politician when Jamaica withdrew from the proposed West Indian Federation more than 50 years ago. This view represented the collective consensus on the issue at the time. This editorial from the Barbados Nation, seems to be an ode to a Caribbean Federation. Will Jamaica again say no? Can a Federation exists without Jamaica. Can we imagine a future where there is an all Caribbean team at the Olympics? I bet Jamaica would not have it – the glory is too sweet, the ‘Brand Jamaica” too mystical – but think of the greatness of Cuba and the rising force of Netherlands and the ever-present Bahamians!

The Caribbean Dream
Published on: 8/22/08. THE BARBADOS NATION NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL

THIS PAPER has long trumpeted the view that small size is no bar to excellence or world-class performance.

Events in Beijing have amply demonstrated the truth of this proposition.

The past week has seen the Caribbean stand tall and proud. Principally through the winning ways of Jamaica’s track and field stars, an island – and a region – has stunned the American superpower while setting new world records in the men’s 100 and 200 metres and sweeping the women’s 100-metre dash.

The emotional outpouring in praise of these achievements suggests that we are all Jamaicans now.

We are overwhelmed by a sense of common identity and oneness that overcomes the waters that separate these islands.

We therefore claim the 100 metres Caribbean queens, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson and Kerron Stewart, as our very own. We claim two-time Olympic 200 metres champion, Veronica Campbell-Brown, as our own.

Usain Bolt is our very own. We, the Caribbean, claim them all.

Bahamian, Cuban and Trinidadian athletes, together with those of the Netherlands Antilles, have all contributed to making our dreams come true in vivid fashion.

In excess of 91 000 souls at the Bird’s Nest Stadium sang Happy Birthday to Usain “Lightning” Bolt.

For a transcendent moment it seemed that the whole world had joined in chorus. Let the American TV pundits debate among themselves who is the true champion of these Olympic Games; we now know the answer.

The United States men and women and the British men were eliminated during round 1 of the 4×100 metres relay; perhaps symptomatic of the seismic shift in the track world and perhaps evidence of a levelling playing field.

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) is providing us with world-class coverage of the Beijing games. The American network NBC may be providing CMC the various broadcast feeds, but it was CMC’s skilful blending of those ingredients that has provided us a gourmet’s offering. The CMC’s resources are slender in extremis.

The proposed team of 23, mauled to eight brave and committed people, are thriving in the face of adversity. The CMC broadcast package, in our view, is more balanced and far superior to NBC’s offerings.

The Caribbean was treated to a range of events that truly showcased the Olympian diversity of the games

CMC has in fact been simply outstanding. We are confident that this view is shared throughout the Caribbean. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation sings in praise of the excellence emanating from CMC’s understaffed and underequipped facility and compares it favourably to the output from far, far superior facilities.

CMC constraints are severe and the pressure under which it is operating in Beijing is intense. Out of so little CMC has generated so much. One would never have imagined . . .

CMC presciently titled its coverage The Caribbean Dream. How extraordinary that the reality for us in Beijing is so dreamlike!

How extraordinary that our tiny Caribbean archipelago could so defy the odds and confound the superpowers of sport.

The Olympic achievements and the CMC’s coverage of them underlines why we should be filled with self-belief.

The evidence is ample regarding our potential to succeed and the actuality of our success when we engage in joint undertakings.