By now I should have become accustomed to being in the midst of great athletes from different parts of the world and in various sporting disciplines. But my Caribbean Airlines flight home on Monday was filled with an extraordinary type of satisfaction which was brought upon the other passengers and myself by the presence of some of the officials and T&T Olympians, including the gold medallist Keshorn Walcott. Like a little child, my anxiety to meet and speak with anyone of these performers and coaches who were guiding them through to their events, was not different to the times when I intermingled with the likes of people like the legendary Pele, Diego Maradona, Sir Bobby Charlton, Michel Platini and Carlos Alberto Parreira. It started at the Gatwick Airport when we were informed that the Caribbean Airlines scheduled flight would have been late on arriving in London and passengers were asked to check in to the Hilton Hotel at the airport for a night's rest until 5.30 am the following morning.
Disappointment, because I had already begun to miss my family, but my distressed stroll to rearrange my luggage had promptly disappeared when this young solidly built athlete wearing the shirt used by members of the National Olympic team drew near me. Gold medallist, Keshorn Walcott, was just casually strolling past me, seemingly going nowhere in particular. I could not help but introduce myself to the now-popular athlete, whose mildmannered acceptance of my outstretched hand for a congratulatory salutation was well received. His shyness was accompanied by a soft voice, which one would hardly associate with tall, strong athletes. He responded humbly to his short, but successful career and quietly admitted, that its only after being a lover of cricket, that he decided to take up javelin throwing. He accepted a request from my wife and I to take a picture, one which will take a strategic place in my album of pictures with other successful sportsmen. The morning arrived far too early and the hustle to get onto the aircraft was uncomfortable even to the special guests from our team.
However, all boarded the flight, where the flight attendants welcomed the team, describing them correctly as special guests.
There was speculation as to the location of the gold medallist, simply because many were planning to meet and personally greet the young man. The flight was no more than two hours in the air when the announcement came from the cockpit that Keshorn will be allowed to walk through the aircraft so that the admirers will take pictures and the numbers were enormous. By then, the tinkling glasses began, the voices became louder and the creation of a most-pleasant atmosphere unfolded. Peace and quiet had suddenly changed into regular chatter among the lucky ones who had the satisfaction of meeting the athletes, mainly Keshorn and Njisane Phillips. The latter happened to be, in my opinion, the man who showed the world the direction from which our country's next Olympic gold medal will come. Phillips had done all that any youngster could do in a sport which is often filled with more experienced cyclists, all with regular races in different parts of the world and opponents who are as cunning as they can be.
Do not forget the name Njisane Phillips. The guy is a class act and has the temperament which makes great athletes successful. The presence of the country's Soca Monarch champion for the past few years, Machel Montano, also gained the attention of the travelers, who also stood in line to meet and greet him. No. He did not sing because he was having a problem with his throat. I have to admit that my little chat with him was inspirational and it clearly demonstrated some of his spiritual beliefs. No wonder he is such a winner. Another interesting personality sitting next to me on the flight was Edwin Skinner, the former Olympic 400-metre bronze medallist of 1964. His assessment of the athletes and their performances was literally a lesson in the development of athletes. His hobby, which is coaching, has brought him much satisfaction, especially when he groomed the youngsters for many years. The sport needs that type of guidance for our athletes to take that step further towards more medals, and Ed has maintained that he will continue to do his best to bring the desired results through the athletes under his care.
The arrival of the flight at Piarco indicated that the large crowd was at the end of a long wait to welcome the successful team and its officials. Keshorn was the man of the moment. He deserved the kudos given by the politicians and the public.
His gifts have suddenly turned him into a millionaire and his family towards a better standard of living. This array of goodies should now serve as a precedent for the future, and the thirst for winning medals will increase in the future athletes.