And here we go again. More disappointment in T&T sport, and more talk of zero tolerance and the need for honest, unbiased public support that will remain just that...talk.
I am fed up. Are you?
I have pangs of guilt when I say that I no longer have much interest in T&T sport. After all, I am (or was) an avid sportsperson, having participated at the club, national and collegiate levels. Back then we played for the enjoyment and mastery of the sport. The struggles were getting financial support, suitable locations to train, proper rehabilitation and athlete healthcare, among other issues too numerous to mention. It seems that while there has been some improvement in the above challenges, the problems have not been solved, and most athletes and sports continue to struggle. But that is old news.
We have new problems. We have new, more sinister problems that point to a change in social priorities and threaten to redefine the meaning of sport as we have known it to be since its beginning.
Trinis are at the forefront of everything corrupt, and sport is no exception. We are cutting edge experts in cheating and defiance. State of the art! The news of the forced withdrawal of Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Semoy Hackett (again!) for doping came as no surprise, considering the society we have become.
Rather, I felt disappointment, and pangs of anger that I had wasted my emotions, my time and energy sitting at the edge of my seat hoping, biting my nails as they ran in the Olympics last year. Maybe they were not doping then, but after I had such respect for them, this news has produced such a sense of betrayal and negativity in me that the energy I put into supporting them now seems to be such a waste.
But this is what sport has come to. It is a worldwide problem, and like everything else, Trinidad jumps on the bandwagon. We see the ugly head of poor sportsmanship raised so frequently now. Apart from the doping scandals in the Tour de France and with Ria Ramnarine, some of the Asian badminton teams were disqualified for trying to lose on purpose so they could play weaker teams in later rounds of the 2012 Olypmics.
There were the match-fixing accusations in IPL cricket, the racial abuse of Italian footballer Mario Balotelli by football fans, and need we mention again that Fifa wins the gold medal for corruption. Sport is no longer "sport" as we know it. It is changing. Sport as we know it is becoming extinct, just as Test cricket is dying in favour of the instant gratification, money-making character of T20.
The history of sport probably extends as far back as the existence of humans as purposeful and active beings who craved a mastery of their environment.
According to Wikipedia, "sport seems to involve basic human skills being developed and exercised for their own sake, in parallel with being exercised for their usefulness." Where does corruption and cheating fit into this definition? Does doping involve mastery of one's environment and the development of human skills?
I suppose some corrupt mind, which has lost sight of the true meaning of sport may come up with a twisted explanation to justify that it does. This is where the problem lies, and why the evolution of sport is going down the wrong path.
Sport through the ages seems to be a reflection of the changes in society and, therefore, a change in the rules of human existence. Right now, we are at a crossroads. We thankfully still have rules that support fair play, healthy competition and sportsmanship.
However, the corruption, the cheating and the acceptance of these are becoming more prominent. If sport is a reflection of the changes in societal rules and we are at this crossroad, we can choose the direction in which we want to proceed.
What is important to us? Is it winning at all costs, recognition at all costs? To what end will we go to win or be recognised, and will it be worth it? You decide. Sleeping peacefully at night with a clear conscience is important to me. If society changes so much that sport as we know it changes its priorities of fair play to "fear" play and cheating, I hope I die before that occurs.
Carla Rauseo, DPT, CSCS. is a doctor of physical therapy and certified strength and conditioning specialist at Total Rehabilitation Centre Ltd in El Socorro.
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