ASAFA POWELL

Photo courtesy of the Jamaica Observer

I sat in the Bleachers of the Jamaica National Stadium yesterday May 9, 2015 to experience some of the world's best track and field athletes on show. I went to see no athlete in particular but by the title you can tell who stood out.......IN MY VIEW.

Asafa's time is now a world leading time of 9.84, and although not a personal best clearly shows what kind of shape he is in at this point of his preparations for the National Trials set for June 28.

I must admit I am not an Asafa fanatic like some Jamaicans, but from he burst on the scene you saw his potential, and I am just now getting over the way he allowed lesser athletes to rob him of Major Championship Individual Gold Medals. I have always said only Donald Quarrie had better technique than Asafa Powell......IN MY VIEW.

It is no secret what has let down Asafa in times past, that mental toughness, and that mental toughness does not mean he will always win, but only means that he would have to be beaten and not beat himself. And now for the first time I think he is in that state of mind. If this is the Asafa we have been waiting for well all I have to say is, it's about time.

A gentleman sat in front of me and ask who I thought would win the race and I said without hesitation, I don't see Asafa losing this race if he runs how he is supposed to. He said I was setting up myself for disappointment. I told him Bolt is my runner but I sensed that hunger in Asafa for the first time, from his win in Guadeloupe to his utterances leading up to the meet. He was oozing confidence, much more than before, and what I honestly get from what he said in his post race interview with TVJ, he wants to protect his legacy. He no longer wants to be 'The Nearly Man'.

Asafa's ability is not in question, and I think he is now in a position of no pressure from anyone but himself. Before we were depending on him to hand us glory, but now that can come from anybody in the 100m and 200m sprints. The 100m and 200m world records belong to Jamaica, the 4x100m world record belongs to Jamaica, and the 4x200m world record belongs to Jamaica.

His goal is now much more of a personal nature, there is nothing he needs to prove, well not to me. Whatever he has to prove he only has to prove it to himself.

©2015 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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WHAT A WORLD CUP BRAZIL 2014

Without a doubt this has been the most exciting World Cup I have ever seen. The sheer number of goals is unbelievable and IN MY VIEW, the defending has been quite good......for the most part. Spain has brought back some semblance of respect to their dynasty with a comprehensive 3 nil victory over Australia. Holland asserted their dominance with a workmanlike performance to defeat Chile 2 nil and finish top of the group. A potential meeting now looms for Chile and Brazil in the round of 16; all things being equal.

This has been a coaches World Cup if you ask me and I use this as my proof. Holland brought on 3 substitutes, and 2 of them scored in their victory over Chile. Although out of contention, Del Bosque started 2 of his strikers previously on the bench, they scored, and he brought on Juan Mata and he also scored. Portugal brought on Varela who scored with 15 seconds to go in the match for a 2 all draw with the USA. Belgium brought on Origi who scored in the 88th minute for the victory over Russia (1 nil); and there are many other examples. We are seeing the importance of strategy and tactics in all the games played so far, and who have employed the correct strategy have come out on top, or did not lose.

The two teams that have really come to play and have not allowed 'name brand teams' to intimidate them have been Costa Rica and Chile. Nothing is clear cut anymore as the teams that have put themselves in a position to go through have all looked good in this first round. My disappointment has been with Bosnia, as I thought this team showed good promise coming in to this tournament, they sit comfortably at the bottom of their group after losses to Argentina and Nigeria.

There is one team that has showed real quality as now the top contender to win this World Cup and that is Holland, and the results have shown that; or maybe they will choke on another bone. Germany, Brazil, and Argentina have kinks to work out and Columbia, Costa Rica and Chile need to be given a look in. The teams that make it to the round of 16 will all be deserving of their place, as the quality of football has been very good.

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WC 2014 AFTER 8 GAMES

After 8 games, WC 2014 is looking as exciting as ever. There has only been one surprising result IN MY VIEW; Costa Rica beating Uruguay 3 goals to 1. Holland beating Spain was not surprising, the scoreline was surprising.

The games so far have brought the coaches strategies and tactics centre stage. When teams lose you blame the coach, there is a lot of merit to that statement from what I have seen thus far and I have seen no unbeatable team.

BRAZIL v CROATIA
European teams have fairly good results against Brazil. They play a physical game and man to man mark, Croatia didn't do enough of that to nullify the marauding Brazilians, hence the scoreline.

MEXICO v CAMEROON
The Africans play open indisciplined football for the most part, which prevents them reaching far in major international competitions often. Mexico seemed a much more organized and improved team since their qualification campaign. Cameroon need more imagination upfront and not be too dependent on Samuel Eto.

SPAIN v HOLLAND
Spain seems to have forgotten what they did to beat Holland in WC 2010, and Holland did what they should have done WC 2010. Isolate the Spanish backline for numerous one on ones with Van Perse and Robben; Pique and Ramos as was clearly seen could not contain them. This loss for Spain sits squarely with del Bosque; I don't think I have seen this great coach get something so wrong before now.

The CHILE and COLUMBIA games went as scripted, AUSTRALIA and GREECE don't have the manpower to challenge these teams, although GREECE should have done better. I saw where if they got to the by-line and cut the crosses back to the edge of the 18 yard box, they could create many chances. I saw them do it a couple times and it pried open the Columbia defence; they failed to convert.

Did not see the URUGUAY v COSTA RICA game, but being from the CONCACAF region myself, I am happy with the Costa Rican victory.

ITALY v ENGLAND
I expect England to lose their 3 matches, and this expectation was before the WC started. Pirlo is the maestro for Italy and allowing this 35 year old not-so-mobile player to dictate the game is madness on the part of England. Italy deserve to win.

IVORY COAST v JAPAN
This game more than any showed the impact a coach has on the game. Drogba is nowhere near fit, but Lamouchie took a calculated risk to bring on Drogba and it lifted the Ivory Coast to victory. JAPAN when leading 1 nil were giving up possession too often and too easily.

I foresee more surprise results on the horizon, and the issues and problems that dogged the FIFA administration and the country that is Brazil seem to be dissipating rapidly.

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DISECTING THE SPANISH HUMILIATION

The win for Holland over Spain is not surprising, it is humiliating. In previous blogs I have highlighted the chink in the Spanish armour; the diagonal pass behind the centre backs. This was used by Holland in three of the five goals scored. Spain can't seem to handle this pass at all, and Holland did this in the last World Cup 2010 but never converted; no such luck for Spain this time around.

It is now evident why Ikar Casillas is not seeing much playing time at Real Madrid this season. This is sheer lack of confidence by the seasoned custodian. The third goal was scored due to Casillas lack of command in his own six-yard box. Instead of going to collect confidently he went up timidly to swat away, bouncing and falling when the Holland defender went up for the header, Stephan de Vrij made no mistake with the rebound on the far post. The four goal was carelessness on the part of Casillas, no review necessary on this one.

Failure to convert also weighed on the Spanish team. Being one up and with a glorious chance to go two up, instead of driving hard and low to the far post, David Silva opted to lob Cillessen in goal for Holland, who managed to get a finger on it and the ball went wide of target.

Holland looked crisp and sharp, fit and ready, which in turn seemed to put Spain totally off their game. Ramos and Pique don't work well as the centre backs. Pique will always be susceptible to speed and dribbling, del Bosque has to address this quickly.

Robben and Van Perse were ruthless, and if they are to shrug off the 'choker' moniker that has dogged the Netherlands from the 1970's, they need to do more of this.

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THE BIG SHOW IS HERE

The FIFA World Cup starts June 12, 2014 and everyone is on the edge of their seat awaiting the roll out of the teams they are backing. I must say the coverage this World Cup has received (both positive and negative) has been second to none I can remember. Everywhere I turn there is some advertisement or commentary about the World Cup 2014.........the sponsors must be elated, and saying money well spent.

I still think the traditional powerhouse teams (who have already won the World Cup) will factor in the latter stages with Spain now joining that fray. There is a formula to win the FIFA World Cup and Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, France, Germany, Italy and .........unbelievably England, know how to do this. However, IN MY VIEW, World Cup 2018 will be won by a team who has never won it before.

My only regret is that I won’t get to see Radamel Falcao of Columbia playing at this FIFA World Cup, if I feel this way, I can’t even imagine how he feels. This striker is lethal in front of goal; and if I have to explain to anyone who this player is, something must be wrong with you. Nevertheless, you can read about his exploits here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radamel_Falcao

I think there will be a lot of surprise results at this tournament. The minnow teams are doing their homework and getting much better at organizing and strategizing. I speak of teams from the CONCACAF region, Asia and Africa. Europe holds centre stage when we speak of powerhouse teams, as 5 World Cup winners belong to Europe and 3 belong to South America.

The solid teams have shown themselves so far, namely Spain, Brazil, Germany.......you know the usual suspects. It will be dangerous to predict which 2 teams will be coming out of their groups; I will only attempt to predict 1 from each group:

GROUP A      BRAZIL (FIFA ranking #3)

GROUP B      SPAIN (FIFA ranking #1)

GROUP C     COLUMBIA (FIFA ranking #8)

GROUP D     URUGUAY (FIFA ranking #7)

GROUP E      FRANCE (FIFA ranking #17)

GROUP F      ARGENTINA (FIFA ranking #5)

GROUP G     GERMANY (FIFA ranking #2)

GROUP H     BELGIUM (FIFA ranking #11)

Injuries are impacting all the teams, which is in itself a chance for each team to show their depth. The eventual World Cup winner of this tournament (which I think will be Spain....again), will have it very hard this time around. Firstly, Vicente del Bosque has the fact that only 1 coach (Vittorrio Pozzo) in the history of the World Cup has won back to back tournaments, going against him. Also, Spain is aging and in my estimation this team has hit their plateau (although they are still ranked #1 by FIFA). Nevertheless, they will take some beating as they have the quality and they have done it already.

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THE SCURGE OF RACISM

I am somewhat confused as to why fans would go to a football match, hurl racial slurs, cause the club to get fined, and irritate people unnecessarily. Racism has no place anywhere. Nothing is wrong with feeling confident about oneself, our their race, but to think one's own race superior is basically ludicrous.

Mental conditioning may have a lot to do with how people feel about themselves, however, the human spirit somehow has to shine through if this world is going to get any better.

The last chess tournament I took my son to play, a lot of different races were represented and I watched all of them playing together on the basketball court, the monkey bars, the swings and even American football. Every time I see children from different racial and social backgrounds play like that, it reminds me that they have it right and most adults don't. 

It is now 2014 and the World still has people thinking in a vacuum, and it is not centred in a certain region. Racial slurs are thrown in England, Spain, Italy...........like seriously people. Footballers are there to entertain, let them do that. I would prefer the fans hurling insults like,  'you are the worst defender', 'my daughter could have saved that shot', 'you can't even keep a secret', 'him can't score to save him life', you know, normal insults like that without being disrespectful. If it is to get any worse, wait until you reach home invite your friends over and cuss all you want, but keep that to yourself.

Our beloved World Cup of Football 2014 will be held in a few weeks, and sadly some of these morons will attend. My hope is that with all the unrest that has happened in Brazil, and the race against time to have stadiums completed, we will see a splendid tournament.

© 2014 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

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Disclaimer

All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.

Gibson Relays 2014

 

Bolt yet to open his season......hmmmmmmm

The Gibson Relays 2014 by all indication was a resounding success. I liked the order, the performances and the camaraderie. There are so many good stories that happened February 22, it really look like Boys and Girls Champs 2014 a guh.....tun ovah.

One of the many things that stood out was a gallant run by the Manchester female athlete on the second leg of their 4x200 heat 2 Girls Open. Cramp hold on to this athlete left leg and she stumbled a bit, shrugged it off and handed over to the 3rd leg runner, grimacing with every step; Manchester came a close third at the end. Memories of Bertland Cameron came rushing back. When I see athletes perform in this way I tend to get emotional a bit because that is showing pure heart and leaving 150% on the track.

Why are some athletes still running barefoot? Cake sale and raffle can gwan a di school inuh......mi not calling no names here. The athletes must not come to stadium a run barefoot. Zola Budd would love to see the athletes wear shoes now although shi never did like run inna none, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zola_Budd

I saw some very tall athletes running for Port Morant and these athletes really look ideal for middle distance running. One of them almost look like Asbell Kiprop son, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbel_Kiprop......lol. Their loping strides look perfect for those events.

Xavier Boland a gwan good in the pole vault, a lot of promise there. His meet record of 4.42m shows he is no slouch in that event.

Christoffe Bryan in the high jump repeated his personal best of 2.20m. Recurring decimal for this athlete, big talent.

I need to see our female long jumpers attacking the board a little more.

What can I say about the KC class 2 or the Calabar class 3 or Calabar duo of Donkeyman and O'hara. Anyone trying to follows these people will certainly blow a gasket. Barring injury, this years' Boys and Girls Champs will be exciting and breathtaking. I just want to see these athletes at their best. It is a privilege to watch these athletes perform.

That Wolmers Girls class 2 anchor leg runner in the 4x100 relay is just phenomenal, she dug deep once again to overhaul the leader; Shauna Helps big up yuself.

However, I still contend that KC will win the Class 1 4x100m at Champs. We were much too close to Calabar with Mr Anguilla (Zarnel Hughes) missing. And O'hara in my estimation can't run past Mr Anguilla if he gets the baton before him; once he is sound.

These athletes show promise of epic proportions, and I see the changing of the guards regarding our sprinting going smoothly for decades to come. Also I think we have enough ammunition in our young athletes physique to take a serious crack at the middle distance races.

Yohan Blake look good early in the season and Warren Weir finally pacing himself properly over 400m. Once again Glen Mills methods can't be questioned. Javier Bell nearly injured himself and Yohan on the final leg of the 4x400 relay. Javier can run by Yohan over 400m, no need to force the issue trying to go by Yohan on the inside. Yohan slammed the door (no room was there anyway) and both runners almost fell. At the end of the race Yohan was visibly upset, frankly so was the Gibson Relays crowd.

I want to say congratulations to the Planning Committee of the Gibson Relays 2014 for a splendid event. And the dedication of the games to the memory of our beloved Neville Teddy McCook was quite noble.

I look forward to the coming years.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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Vashon Throws At Champs......What A Surprise

What a surprise.........Vashon is cleared by Ascot Principal Murray to throw at Champs. I think Shakespeare had written 'Much ado about nothing', a suh that guh?

There is not much I can write on this because it was just a big waste of time for Principal Murray to

1. Make such a pronouncement and
2. Put the youngster and his family through unnecessary stress.

I think I know what happened in the board meeting to facilitate the discussion between Principal Murray and the Vashon delegation.

It may have gone like this.....Principal Murray, Vashon needs to throw at Champs, so you may need to get off your high horse and do some backpedalling.

Frankly I am just glad that this is now behind the athlete and he can now really focus on producing his best. Although, what has happened in the recent past didn't seem to faze Vashon at all, he just kept racking up win after win after win.

A special big up to Dianna Lennon on supporting her child.....real woman. Coach Vassell keep on doing what yu doin'. Much more in store from this athlete and he will need the support.

My only contention is that nobody had to even hear about this scenario. Principal Murray could have called the meeting long ago (just as he did now, albeit under duress) and this would have been squashed long ago.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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VASHON WINS.........AGAIN

Vashon McCarthy (Ascot High School) won his pet event (Shot Put U20) at the Queens Grace Jackson Meet January 25, 2013 at the National Stadium. While Derrick Pitt of KC gave him something to think about with a Put of 15.44m, it was not enough to overhaul Vashon's Put of 15.84m. Everyone else was a metre or more behind.

Well I guess this proves that although principal Murray hasn't seen Vashon at the school training, he (Vashon) is actually training.

I wait with bated breath for the outcome of the Ascot school board meeting on the subject of Vashon going to Champs. Personally, I just think the meeting is a way of allowing principal Murray to backpedal on his initial statement, but frankly, as long as it allows Vashon to throw at Champs, so be it.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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VASHON SAGA CONT'D

I heard part of what Principal Murray said on the sports news in regards to his decision to bar Vashon McCarthy from participating at the 2014 Boys Champs............frankly I am still lost.

What I heard from Principal Murray is that Vashon has not trained at the school since September 2013. IN MY VIEW there is some gross miscommunication taking place here. Vashon is a National Age Group Champion, so his ability is not in question. Furthermore, this case is not unique, there have been stellar athletes during the years not training at their school but under guidance from coaches outside of the school; as stated by Hubert 'Mr Info' Lawrence in his article,

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20140123/sports/sports7.html

Why is this even an issue?

I understand what Principal Murray is saying to some degree, but if there is an issue, here is what I would do.....just my two cents,

• Call Vashon to my office and state my position regarding his training outside of the school programme, and ensure he understands my position ( I don't get the impression Principal Murray communicated with Vashon).
• Call Vashon's mother and do the same thing (can be done via phone)
• Call the Ascot coach 'McLaughlin' and aprise him 
• Call Vashon's 'extra lesson coach' Vassell and do the same thing (can be done via phone)
• If necessary call all of them to a meeting at my office and make sure everyone is on the same page

Why is this even an issue?

This did not need to reach here. The only one that will be impacted the greatest in all of this either way is Vashon McCarthy.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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LOVEL PALMER QUITS INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL

I constantly clamored for the inclusion of Lovel Palmer in the Reggae Boyz setup, and now to read that he has retired is very disappointing. This player IN MY VIEW has a lot to offer the National Team.

http://antoniobell.blogspot.com/2013/06/the-reggae-boyz-v-honduras-june-11-2013.html

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20131124/sports/sports2.html

Thanks for everything Lovel, I hope someone can convince you to reconsider.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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VASHON MCCARTHY - ASCOT

Happy New Year friends.

Regarding Jamaican 16 year old discus and shot put phenom Vashon McCarthy from Ascot High School, let me start off by saying we really should hear from the Ascot principal in all of this. Barring an athlete due to assistance from another coach (outside of the school), in my estimation is bordering on lunacy.

I distinctly remember a Camperdown female discuss thrower (her name eludes me now) coming over to Kingston College to be helped by Leo Brown during his tenure at KC; I don't think her school barred her from the Girls Championships. There obviously has to be more to this story as I can't logically see the need to bar a student based on that fact only.

I am all for discipline prevailing in High Schools in all circumstances, but barring McCarthy based on help from another coach just does not make any sense to me at this point.

Vashon is an exceptional athlete, and as far as I am concerned, these types of athletes (even though in High School) should be treated as such. We need to go the extra mile to facilitate them so they can reach optimum performance and potential (without breaking the rules, but bend them slightly). I really don't want Vashon to be thrust into the 'where are they now category' in the future.

This thrower Vashon is a national treasure and I reiterate, should be treated as such, Principal Murray we need to know what is going on with Vashon. The 'no comment' response nah really fly right now. Furthermore, Vashon mother is 'cross, angry and miserable'.

There were once calls for Bolt not to go pro so young.....I am sure glad he didn't go pro so young .........lol.

©2014 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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NIGERIA BOYS U17 WORLD CHAMPIONS 2013

Its been a while, but I felt compelled to write about this Nigeria U17 Boys team.

Frankly speaking they are phenomenal.....period!!!

They embody what many senior national teams should and strive to become, and mi nah tek back da talk deh. These young players are in supreme shape, and run well off the ball. They think.........it is wonderful to see them thinking on the field, and then capitalize on that thought process. They look at ease with the ball and their plans are quite clear. Also their technical ability is tremendous and for that age they are quite patient.

My only hope is that they are able to transition well beyond these years into the senior squad, and not fall victim like the other great African Youth teams that dominate and can't replicate in the senior tournaments.



This team is the Real Deal like Holyfield.

And special mention to their coach Manu Garba.



I look forward to the future of this team and hope that nothing denies it. I want to thank them for a wonderful tournament, it was really a pleasure watching this team play.

ROAD TO THE U17 TROPHY
Nigeria 6 Mexico 1
Nigeria 3 Sweden 3
Nigeria 5 Irag 0
Nigeria 4 Iran 1
Nigeria 2 Uruguay 0
Nigeria 3 Sweden 0
Nigeria 3 Mexico 0

Tha side ya big!!!!

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All Rights Reserved.

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Disclaimer

All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.

PLAYING PANAMA IN PANAMA SEP 6, 2013

The Reggae Boyz go up against Panama in a must win situation playing away from home. Needless to say based on Jamaica’s precipitous position in the tables, this task is akin to scaling Mount Everest.

As I said in a previous blog, temper our expectations of the Reggae Boyz http://antoniobell.blogspot.com/2013/07/temper-your-expectations-of-reggae-boyz.html While I admire the exploits of Senor Schaffer, I ultimately believe he came here to get The Reggae Boyz to the next World Cup and not this one.

The squad has the core players from the previous coaching staff selections, but I still don’t see Lovell Palmer; why?…I don’t know. The inclusion of new English based players is a ‘good look’ and only tactics, shrewdness and a little luck can get us to pass this Panama test.

Panama will try to pick us a part from the get go and will try to maintain possession for the entire match. We really have nothing to lose, however, if we maintain a high press approach to this Panamanian team, we may get embarrassed. Panama’s slick passing and movement off the ball is pretty hard to counter, however, other teams in the group have been able to diffuse them……..we haven’t. It is very important when the Reggae Boyz have possession of the ball it ends with a shot to goal (on target). We can’t exchange possession with this team and hope to be successful, not gonna happen.

I will write again, we need to use the height of Beckford to our advantage. Also, the brain of Marlon King, and hopefully (since he is now included) the brut force of Tuffy to get by this test. We will not exploit Panama with our passing, their team is too compact for that and we have not been able to string multiple passes together anyway. We need to attack down the flanks if we are to be successful and the midfield will be pivotal if we are to be victorious. It would be wise to foul as we lose possession so as to not allow Panama to develop any form of rhythm (just like basketball).

The coach has to find a way to impose Alvas Powell on the game; this boy is a dominant force on the field a we must find a way to use him properly. He however needs to be a bit more technically proficient if he is to play in the middle of the field, which is where I think he is best suited. When I see him play it takes me back to the days of Boban of Croatia, Rikjaard from Holland, and Redondo of Argentina, same build, and rugged play, however, all these players can use the ball properly and pass very well. If we can fix that little issue the Reggae Boyz would have fixed the midfield problem we have had for some time now.

To beat Panama I don’t think we can outplay them we have to outthink them. Well Senor Schaffer, I will not expect much today, but I would love a pleasant surprise.

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

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Disclaimer

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INCREDIBLE RUNNING AND COURAGE

Beres Hammond wrote about ‘what one dance can do’ but for this purpose, I would write ‘what one 4x400 metre anchor leg can do for a country’s psyche’.

Jevon ‘Donkeyman’ Francis (second right)-if not anything else-proved to me what sheer determination, will power, and critical thinking can achieve. Here is a high school athlete who ignored the obvious (him running against some of the best athletes in the world) and moved the country from 5^th place to a silver medal on the final leg of the 4x400 relay at a World Championship.

I believe in empirical evidence and I reviewed the personal best times (PB’s) of all the athletes on the final leg of the race and they were:

Leshawn Merritt 43.74 (USA)

Jevon Francis      45.24 (JAMAICA)

V Krasnov          45.12 (RUSSIA)

N Levine            45.11 (BRITAIN)

W Oyowe           45.88 (BELGIUM)

J Solomon           45.19 (TRINIDAD)

H De Sousa        45.31 (BRAZIL)

Tristan Thomas   45.86 (AUSTRALIA)

Do you see what I see?

At the final changeover, the positions were USA, RUSSIA, BELGIUM, BRITAIN, and then JAMAICA. All the runners with the exception of Oyowe of Belgium have PB’s that are better than that of Jevon Francis; and he got the baton a clear 2-3 metres behind these runners; this is clearly reminiscent of the great DAVIAN CLARKE.

Based on the results, the first three places seemed hungrier for medals than everyone else. USA did a World Leading time, JAMAICA did a Season’s Best, and RUSSIA also did a Season’s Best. Australia also did a Season’s Best, however, they placed 8^th.

The only word I can use to describe what Jevon did was INCREDIBLE. He was able to overhaul athletes with better PB’s than he, and convincingly as well. I love empirical evidence, but there are times when BELIEF weighs more than anything else. Many variables were at play for Jevon, and he was able to make them all work in his favour and for the country.

What I take this to mean for JAMAICA is that no matter the deficit, no matter the obstacle, no matter the history, no matter what others may think……if we truly believe we can move this country forward, it can be done.

Thanks Rusheen McDonald, Edino Steele, Omar Johnson and Jevon Francis for allowing me to continue believing; and strengthening my resolve.

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

Website: www.antoniobell.com

Follow on twitter: @antoniobellmc

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Disclaimer

All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.

TEMPER YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF THE REGGAE BOYZ

In comes new coach Winfried Schaefer. 

If we go back to one of my previous blogs http://antoniobell.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-reggae-boyz-are-up-against.html, and as much as it hurt me to write that, things have actually gone in that direction. In local parlance, ‘it gots to take a miracle’ for Jamaica to reach Rio 2014; make no joke about that.

We now heap the hopes of a nation on Schaefer and knowing our mentality as an unforgiving football nation, if we don’t reach the World Cup next year I can hear the following questions blaring out from all angles,

• Maxwell, Pryce or Duckie could not have done any worse why couldn’t one of them get the job?
• All that and wi still nuh reach?
• JFF don’t know what them doing, why don’t they get rid of Burrell?
• Why them never mek Tappa finish the job then?

 On the flip side and we do reach the World Cup next year the statements would go like this,

• Maxwell, Pryce or Duckie can’t manage this ya now
• Is a good thing Schafer come
• Burrell is a genius
• Long time dem fi get rid of Tappa

Well I am going out on a limb here and say Schaefer is here for the 2018 World Cup and not to actually get us to this one. Schaefer has a penchant for nurturing young talent and Alvas Powell will benefit greatly from his being here. We may see a totally different team come September 2013 against Panama who knows.

For one thing is certain, coaches don’t take jobs like these or in situations like these without certain conditions; exit Montesso and Gama already. That was a no-brainer because normally the coaches have their team that they already work with anyways. We wait to see what Burrell sweetened the deal with for Schaefer to get him here.

What is confusing is that Tappa has not formally resigned or am I mistaken?

 

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

Website: www.antoniobell.com

Follow on twitter: @antoniobellmc

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/antoniobellmc

Email: info@antoniobell.com

Disclaimer

All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.

BECOMING CLEARER – Why the media behaves the way they do

My last blog mentioned Nesta Carter as testing positive, let me retract that forthwith and apologise profusely to this athlete for such a blunder on my part.

Sensationalism is key when reporting anything, and if we understand that, then we understand why the media sees it as necessary to throw Tyson Gay, Asafa, Sherone, Smikle and others under the bus.

I berated Asafa for years because he did not run through the tape and finish strongly in his races. As I said in my previous blog, all the athletes take something, whether it is banned or not is a different matter. I honestly think the only thing Asafa has ever been guilty of is not finishing his races strongly…….full stop. I don’t see him as someone who would indulge in doping; none of our athletes for that matter (yes, call me naïve if so be the case).

A positive test for a banned substance creates such a long shadow it is almost impossible to redeem yourself. Ohurugu and Justin Gatlin have somehow found a way to remove that shadow. These athletes have come back from bans and woven themselves back into the athletics fabric, so there is still a way possible to seek redemption from a positive test and even a ban. Steve Mullings, sorry things never worked out how they should have, big up what you did for Jamaica same way.

I read where Asafa’s new trainer says they are looking for a scapegoat and threw him (the trainer) under the bus. Now the only new addition to the equation is this...............for want of a better word, person, although I could find other words that start with p that would be apt. I am giving Asafa the benefit of the doubt on this one. I understand Franno’s stance, however, distancing himself from the issue so quickly is quite distasteful, due to his longstanding relationship with Asafa, but hey, Franno will always be Franno.

This new episode just highlights our lack of support for each other and speaks volumes of us as a nation in my view. I hear David Rudder’s song ‘Rally roun’ the West Indies’ and it so galvanises things even when West Indies cricketers are doing ‘not so good’. Who will be rallying around Asafa? Sherone? Smikle? I think that should be us.

The line from the movie Training Day ‘it is not what you know, it is what you can prove’ has Asafa and the others in a vice grip. What was proven is that a banned substance was found in their system, and I believe they did not willingly consume the components to provide a positive drug test. But the facts are the facts right now.

I think my co-workers now understand why I berate anyone that does not give their all when performing for Jamaica. The entire country has plunged into depression with the positive tests by our athletes.

When athletes perform their best and lose the country still celebrates, when they don’t give their all and lose, the country is upset. The athletes are like our children, friends, spouse, brother, sister, all rolled into one, which is why I really don’t understand how we can turn our backs on them so quickly.

In a utopian reality I would just wake up tomorrow from a dream and none of this ever happened.

  

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

Website : www.antoniobell.com

Follow on twitter: @antoniobellmc

On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/antoniobellmc

Email : info@antoniobell.com

Disclaimer

All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.

GIVE MY ATHLETES A BREAK

This particular blog is not to condone anything based on the adverse analytical findings of Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson, Nestar Carter, or any of the athletes testing positive recently. However, to highlight my confusion of how the various Governing Bodies select what is to be on the banned list or what is to be taken off.

So, I may be taking something that is working for me this year and I have a stellar season, come next year, it may be on the banned list; my career tanks. With Tyson, Asafa and the gang testing positive this leaves me now even more confused than the VCB incident. I don’t purport to be the authority on doping, or what is to be on a banned list, however, I have some questions that my readers may be able to have me answer for myself, if not I make take some of these questions to WADA.

1. If I am using a supplement, cream, or anything that can possibly release something into my bloodstream and the ‘banned component’ is not listed on the packaging, am I to call up the manufacturer to find out if there is something banned in the product before I use it?

2. Am I to just list all I consume and email it on a daily basis to the Governing Bodies just in case? Even a breadfruit from Portland?

3. How are the substances selected to be on the banned list?

4. Why are substances taken off once put on the list?


I don’t know what was found in the athletes’ bodies, but I can understand their devastation. Tyson seems to even know exactly what happened and who caused it. Asafa has suffered a lot of humiliation despite his achievements, and this is the worst of them all, simply because of how it is perceived when you test positive for a banned substance.

Frankly I feel no different today from how I felt about my athletes yesterday; they have provided a lot of proud moments for my country and as I said about VCB that can’t be erased overnight. Even if their B sample comes back positive my question will be ‘so what?’ The athletes MUST take something to energize and sustain them due to the type of training they undergo, and have to try and recover from injury quickly….MUST; this is their livelihood and the thing that provides many of the earning opportunities for them. You may be taking a substance that is working for you and the banned substance is just not listed on the label.

Same knife stick sheep stick goat. My opinion is in direct relation to how Ben Johnson was vilified as against Carl Lewis……I am sure everyone can read between the lines there. Also, Justin Gatlin has come back from a ban and is now like a poster boy………people please, GIVE MY ATHLETES A BREAK. Most of the drugs really help you recover from injury quickly and allow you to train for longer hours; in essence you still have to put in work.

The only point I am really trying to make here is to ensure the substances are understandable by the average man/athlete. I failed every chemistry exam I took at KC (no disrespect teachers) my head was just tough. Some athletes never even took chemistry, so make it more understandable for everyone.

I may have a race to run tomorrow, my head starts hurting and I need to rest, it’s 10pm and my race is 7am the next day and I need relief. I need a pain killer. I scoured all pain killers beforehand just in case this scenario occurs. There is a banned substance in the pill that is not on the label. I can see the headlines if I test positive.

GIVE MY ATHLETES A BREAK, it can be something way beyond their control, I just hate the impression of them doing systematic doping. If needs be give them lie detector tests or something of that nature. That way we can be a little clearer on things.

© 2013 Antonio Bell. All rights reserved

Website : www.antoniobell.com
Follow on twitter: @antoniobellmc
On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/antoniobellmc
Email : info@antoniobell.com

Disclaimer
All the commentary posted in this publication are my personal view(s) and do not reflect the view(s) of any Association, Federation or Governing Body.