JAMAICA, despite its obvious deficiencies, has earned total respect and well-deserved admiration from the sporting world ever since its entrance on the world stage at the 1948 London Olympics.

Since then, the rest of the world has continued to marvel at the tremendous success reaped by this blessed, tiny nation in various, and sometimes unfamiliar sporting disciplines

Jamaica, which will next week mark the 48th anniversary of its independence, is viewed as a ‘super power’ in the area of track and field, especially in sprinting. Thanks in large parts to the achievements of Messrs Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell, along with Mrs Deon Hemmings, Veronica Campbell Brown and Brigitte Foster Hylton, as well as Misses Shelly Ann Fraser, Melaine Walker, Kerron Stewart and Sherone Simpson, among a number of other precocious youngsters.

With such embarrassment of riches at Jamaica’s disposal just now, which can stymie progress and prove counterproductive in the long term, if not properly managed, we are indeed heartened by the performances of our athletes now participating at the 2010 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, scheduled to end in another 24 hours.

Jamaica currently sits in seventh place on the medals table with 41, behind run-away leader Mexico, which has a whopping 365 medals in the multi-discipline Games.

For the record, Jamaica, which has participated in only 14 disciplines, not surprisingly lead the region in track and field with 24 medals — nine gold, seven silver and eight bronze — despite parading our second and third-tier athletes.

The present medal haul is already an all-time best, beating the previous best achieved in 1998 when the meet was held in Venezuela.

Back then the nation’s ace athletes had little choice but to participate in these regional games, unlike now when the global superstars are lured by the ultra-rich Diamond League meets all across the globe.

The advent of the Diamond League has created for us an opportunity for these second and third-tier athletes to showcase their talents, and at the same time enhance their reputations and résumés.

Again, because of the commercial value of the Diamond League, chances are the world stars will not be representing Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games slated for India in early October, and it will be these athletes in whom we will pin our hopes for medals.

Commendations are also in store for the other sporting disciplines which have managed to garner medals. Of the 14 disciplines in which Jamaica participated, nine — track and field, swimming, badminton, sailing, taekwando, rugby, boxing, basketball and squash — have earned medals, with hockey, table tennis, beach volleyball, cycling and lawn tennis being the others.

To succeed in sports, striking a balance is essential, and so while a nation always looks forward to seeing its superstars compete, especially someone as unique as Mr Usain Bolt, its is equally important and essential to give others a chance to develop and grow in order to maintain continuity.