Dear Editor,

I understand the reservation that many Christians appreciably have concerning competitions. There’s a side of competition that has many competitors and their supporters often verbally attacking opponents. This attack, as history shows, sometimes gets physical. People of inferior ability many times try to take the competition to a psychological zone, whereby they hope to attack the confidence of their rivals for the glory of gold. For this, I understand the reservation to engage in competitions.

The fact of the matter, however, is that none of what has been described above has to be a feature of competitions. Attacking rivals is the strategy of the inferior class.

As I watched what is speculated to be the bowing out dash of her final 100 metres at an official championship, the Tokyo World Championships no less, I saw in Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce a lady of class and decorum. I saw an astute professional who has added a significant stroke to the big Jamaican brand crafted by the likes of Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, Louise Bennett-Coverley, and Usain St Leo Bolt. Shelly-Ann is the real deal. She’s the kind of child every well-thinking parent would wish they had — passionate, intelligent, articulate, disciplined, excellent work ethic, humble, kind. Love you, Shelly!

But even as Shelly-Ann bows out, in comes the newest sensations in the Clayton sisters — chock-full of promise. Even with Tina’s silver in the 100m finals, you get a clear sense that this is just warming up. There’s a whole lot more to come.

Jamaica feels like a barrel full of amazing athletes, artists, artistes, and academicians. There’s just something about us. There’s a wheel that is set up over this barrel. Most of the wheel is exposed for the world to see. But, as the wheel spins, there’s a part of it that dips into this barrel of outstanding Jamaicans. Those whom fortune favours, get a hold on this great wheel of athletic, artistic, and academic showmanship, and are taken to towering heights of success.

That many don’t make it is not a pure function of inferiority. They, perhaps, lacked timing, the right connections, the push and passion that may have been fed by a parent, a teacher, or a coach. Can we find a way to harvest more of our brilliant Jamaicans? It behoves us to.

Sunday morning was indeed a delightful one for me as, after the thrill of watching Shelly-Ann’s final 100-m race and Tina’s silver trek, the morning was beautifully rounded off with an amazing 1-2 in the men’s 100m finals: Oblique Seville gold (running a personal best 9.77) and Kishane Thompson, silver (9.82). For nine years since Usain Bolt, the wheel has been coming up empty of male athletes. But a couple have finally caught on. Let’s see how high they’ll go.

It was great to see Usain Bolt rooting for Seville in the stands. Really special!

Excellence is not you doing better than somebody else, but is a state of always doing better than your last best.

God has endowed each of us with talents, let’s develop them to His honour and glory.

What a delightful Sunday morning! Proud to be Jamaican!

Charles Evans

Mandeville, Manchester

charles.evans@ncu.edu.jm