“If the support system don’t change, my kids not running for Jamaica.” These were the insider details that came out from the mouth of a Jamaican veteran recently. The same Jamaica that is known as a sprint factory. And it just didn’t sit well with many. While the viral video of Asafa Powell’s son winning a race led Jamaicans to think that the future of the sport looks in good hands, the perspective from the legend himself shook the track and field world. Powell stood his ground about the lack of support and the thin money in the sport. What’s next? Fans bashed him for ‘complaining’ too much, and a controversy was born. But the same fans are now rallying behind him. So what changed?
Well, Asafa Powell was absolutely honest in his stand, “I got just country pride and all that stuff. I’ve never gotten anything from the country.” The track and field veteran says he ran for free all his life, and that’s not something he wants his kids to do now. He even went as far as saying that he was offered millions of US dollars in 2006 to run for a different country, but he had turned that down.
In retrospect, that looks like a missed opportunity to him now. Well, the man seems to have only loved his nation, but the voids? He has to call them out for them to be fixed. Another track and field legend has now voiced a similar stance, though. In a YouTube video aired by Television Jamaica on April 25, Usain Bolt’s former coach, Glen Mills, made remarks that, “There needs to be a structure through which, um, athletes who qualify, um, are able to apply for some kind of grantorial.”
He suggests that some of the track and field governing bodies, like the SDF and others to come, come together to form a system of criteria. He said, “We are not a very rich country; our resources are stretched and the expectations can be greater than what we can afford, but, um, I think that if we create a structure and an athlete can see what is available within this structure, it will, um, give them the option.”
Mills also cited that attention has never really been given to creating a sort of stability in the support that is given to athletes. “We have not done well in marketing our resources…” he says, as Jamaica is one of the nations that produces some of the best sprinters at the highest level. So if they could market well, they could also get some good money to set up a program.
Now this is something that sounds very close to what Asafa Powell had mentioned. He had cited recently that, “No athlete wants to retire and go work 9-5 or sit down struggling and wondering what’s next. We all want to have a good life afterward; money should work for us when we retire.” He’d called for a better support system, and a somewhat similar idea is now backed by Mills. Thus, there are Jamaican fans who are coming out in Powell’s support, too.
Track and field community backs Asafa Powell’s stand
“At least Asafa opens up discussions on this issue. Much needed. ” Looking at how veterans are now reacting to and jumping into this debate, fans are feeling that Powell’s comments acted as a probable wake-up call for Jamaican track and field. It has stirred discussion on this topic, in the hope that it may lead to something better for the Jamaican track!
Another one chimed in with, “Big up Asafa For speaking you’re Truth and Exposed Jamaica Corruption in Track & Field” Well, previously, another Jamaican sprinter, Yohan Blake, revealed that so many athletes who have won medals for Jamaica had to go back to poverty after retirement. “Other countries have asked me if I could go run for them…if I was running for a different country, I could have retired at 25 or 21,” he said, which suggests the same lack of financial support that Powell now points out.
However, it’s not just the track and field veteran in him. Fans also feel that Powell said what he did from a parent’s point of view. “All parents want the best for their children. Asafa knows his experience and doesn’t want the same for his children.” So, yes, a humanitarian perspective of just a father looking out for his children is something that many fans seem to be considering here.
But that’s not the end of it. Another track and field fan tried decoding Powell’s words further: “You know what? I realize the problem wasn’t the message but the messenger. I stood and still stand with Asafa. He said nothing wrong. Maybe he didn’t say enough. Nonetheless, most of the people who are bashing him for speaking up never even walked a mile as an athlete, much less run in their shoes.”
It may have been Powell’s poorly timed statement that triggered this reaction. Even Glen Mills stated that maybe Powell’s words could have made more impact while he was running. But at the end of his career, it might be interpreted differently. However, many believe that only track and field athletes truly know what it feels like to be in their shoes.
A fan put an end to it, saying, “I said it before and I’ll say it again: who feels it knows, Safa is free to say if things don’t change in track and field, he’s not letting his kids run for Jamaica. So what about it? Talk yu talk Safa , as Jamaican, we love to cover up the facts too much. Safa said it when it was suppose to be said . People were saying his son form is perfect at a young age when he compete at his sports day , and his future looks bright in Athletics, so Safa responded. Big up Safa . “
What do you think of this? Do you agree that track and field veterans like Asafa Powell and Glen Mills are starting a much-needed discussion? Let us know below!
The post Bashed by Jamaicans for Controversial Comment, Track and Field Legend Earns Community’s Support Over Son’s Future appeared first on EssentiallySports.