Drama unfolds in FIFA

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has found itself deep in the most publicized corruption scandal in its long history. Investigations are well underway but two of its most senior members have been suspended. The most damning accusations of vote buying have been greeted with the sternest denials from both Bin Hamman and Jack Warner.

Now it seems as if Warner is about to as he says “unleash a football tsunami on the world of football” with revelations that he knows about FIFA president Sep Ballter’s shady dealings of giving the North, Central American and Caribbean federations (CONCACAF) "a gift of one million USD… to spend as it deems fit" this month.

However with the whistle blowing going on in the highest offices of FIFA its incumbent president is left opposed and will most likely return as president for another term. He has been cleared of any suspicion and the two ‘brothers’ are left with the piercing media spotlight following them around.

One cannot help but wonder if fate had a role play in the timing of these accusations? Regardless of origins of these accusations, one must wonder about their perfect timing; just as some forceful competition was dribbling its way through for a shot of the FIFA presidency.

What happens as the investigations unfold will make for really interesting reading. FIFA itself needs serious reform however. The way it administrates over the sport is too personal. It is time new structures are put in place at FIFA to ensure transparency and accountability. But this will never happen under the stewardship of Sep Blatter. He has been there too long in the broken system of international football.

In the meantime Bin Hamman and Jack Warner have to take to the bench with their red cards and sit out this election. I hope that the investigation truly brings justice and the right persons are dealt with accordingly.

West Indies Cricket and Performance Management

A key feature in modern human resource management practice is performance management systems. This simply means that contemporary scientific managerial constructs are now conventionally accepted methods for assessing efficacy of human resources and forms the basis of modern industry. In its most basic form performance management systems facilitate continuous and dynamic assessments of human resources and trigger a number of solutions that can be utilised by management to ensure that the maximum efficiency of its human resources is realized.

I am happy to see that finally the West Indies Cricket Board is beginning to embrace performance management systems in dealing with its players. If used correctly, this can result in greater benefits to Caribbean cricket.

The objectives of the Board must be clear and must be agreed upon by all parties concerned. Failure to reach the stated objectives must result in consequences for those found liable. Likewise, achieving or over achieving objectives also produce significant benefits and rewards that will affect positively all involved.

Cricket has evolved significantly as a sport since its conception in the 16^th Century. Talent alone is unacceptable on any modern cricket pitch. Today cricketers are far more methodological, astute and technically correct. Cricket has a plethora of new rules especially in its shorter forms that players need to think through and adapt thus enabling them to function effectively to win games. Therefore, a lot of preparation, training and strategizing need to be done by any team before heading into a particular match or series.

 Professional cricketers cannot afford to go to matches and perform constantly in an ad hoc, hit or miss manner and expect to be retained in any squad. The reason a team is formed is for that unit to work together at achieving a common goal. In the West Indies case, I would assume that goal is winning matches. So while many have argued strongly against the exclusion of certain players with ‘experience’, I do not see why such measures should be frowned upon. For too long West Indies cricket has been in a sporadic mode. One could never know what to expect from the team in a game of glorious uncertainty. For too long the uncertainty of West Indies cricket has been inglorious. West Indian supporters at some point must be honest with themselves and demand more from their players.

I began by very briefly touching on performance management system and would like to end by highlighting that while performance related compensation is arguably one of the most discussed elements of the system, training and development plays a very important role. Should the West Indies Board fully embrace the use of performance management systems, they will surely recognise that the training and development of players is immediately required and must be continuous. The WI Board must significantly work to raise the level of regional cricket if it wants to field a team of competent players. Mediocre domestic competitions cannot produce good players. Not when they have to face other players at the international level who live on a diet of serious professional domestic cricket all year round.

The management, coach and players of the West Indies team must ensure that discipline and professionalism are the hallmarks of the team. Training and development in the areas of technical and managerial competencies must be an ongoing process for all players. These strategies will ultimately make better players and better captains.

No longer can we expect one or two batsmen or bowlers to save the day. The team must function comprehensively as a unit, learn to win and win matches. I wish the WI Board and the team every success as they embark on yet another cricketing journey. I also hope that while the WI cricketing institution provides training and development for players that players themselves assess their strengths and weaknesses and engage in various forms of personal development.

If a player is dropped, then that player must be briefed clearly and comprehensively about why he has been dropped. He must be shown the steps that must be taken to ensure performance improvement leading to selection at a later time. The West Indies Cricket Board must continue to move cricket from being an amateur pastime to a professional sport.

GAPF powerlifters continue to lift Guyana proudly!

I would like to congratulate the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) and their outstanding athletes who performed excellently at the 5th IPF/NAPF CPC, maintaining Guyana’s dominance in regional Powerlifting.

Once again Randolph Morgan, John Edwards, Kenneth Melville, Karel Mars,  Colin ‘Mr. Clean’ Chesney along with our lone female Dawn Barker who comprised Team Guyana, made light work of the weights offered them in their categories to bring home six gold medals and one bronze.

Even though unfortunately Chesney was not lucky to gain any medals, we are all proud of the team effort our powerlifting athletes executed to once again keep the golden arrowhead very visible among the other Caribbean countries, letting them know that Team Guyana remains a powerful team with which to contend.

What I find most powerful and astounding is the tremendous adversity under which our Powerlifters continue to operate and still continue to make us proud in regional competitions. Once again the GAPF is faced with the dilemma of severely inadequate sponsorship; this time forcing the Guyana team to be reduced to six persons. The shameful way corporate Guyana treats Powerlifting needs to be significantly addressed by the Federation and its stakeholders.

Banks DIH the ‘saviour’ of all things sport and Buddies Gym along with the other businesses establishments and persons who might have contributed financial assistance, time and energy in fielding this successful Guyana powerlifting team must be congratulated.

GAPF athletes have continued to set a standard of excellence in the sport of powerlifting both nationally and regionally. I sincerely wish that corporate Guyana begin to recognize that the sport of powerlifting is a deserving discipline that is worthy of their financial support.

Once again to the GAPF President Mr. Peter Green and the executives and athletes of GAPF, I salute you for another display of excellence and discipline in the ugly face of adversity. Continue to do well and make us proud. One day I sincerely believe that corporate Guyana will finally recognize that the sport of powerlifting has the potential to lift brand awareness and create better brand positioning at home and abroad should they care to expand their target markets sensibly.

CARICOM needs to place severe sanctions on Barbados for their continued Immigration violations

I read in the Jamaica Observer Edition on Thursday March 24^th an article entitled Finger-raped in Barbados - J'can woman deported after shameful cavity search by immigration officer (http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/Finger-raped-in-Barbados_8573453) and could not help but shudder at the way some of our CARICOM neighbors treat each other. Barbados within the last 15 years have allowed many of their immigration officers to treat travellers from certain Caribbean countries in the most disgraceful, disrespectful, unprofessional and inhumane manners all in the name of national security.

The recent violation of the young Jamaican woman who was allegedly forced to undergo repeated virginal cavity searches while being verbally abused in the process reflects horribly on the professionalism and integrity of the Barbados immigration system. What makes matters like these more ugly is the fact that the offending party or parties continue to operate with little or no reprimand from their superiors or those responsible for governing the professional and ethical standards of the Barbados immigration office.

As Jamaicans suffer, so do many Guyanese. Many are the tales of unprovoked, demeaning treatment and most time inevitable deportation of many Guyanese who find themselves on the wrong side of the Barbados immigration system. While it is true that some persons do present themselves in many countries including Barbados with the intent of engaging in nefarious activities, all persons from certain Caribbean countries should not be classified as lawbreakers.

CARICOM for the last decade have been trying to create a Single Market and Economy for the Caribbean where one of its tenets is the free movement of Caribbean people. Yet CARICOM seems helpless in bringing one of its wayward members (Barbados) in line with regard to its human violation and discrimination that passes for immigration service at its airport.

I would suggest at the next heads of government meeting CARICOM leader seriously address the situation existing at Barbados Immigration! It is high time some form of sanction be placed on the Barbados government for these repeated immigration transgressions that it seems incapable of handling.

Barbados is not Australia. And Australia has one of the most rigorous immigration systems in the world. However as rigorous as the Australian immigration system is, its officers are highly trained, professional, courteous, respectful and sensible.

Maybe some professional training needs to be conducted for Barbados Immigration Officers. The region needs to denounce this kind of atrocious unprofessional conduct of this female Bajan immigration officer. I expect all the women's rights groups to rise up and denounce this dastardly act carried out by one woman to another.

Congratulations to Parkside Steel

Parkside Steel Orchestra arguably remains the modern Guyanese steel pan music standard bearers who continue to redefine musical excellence with their every performance. From its humble beginnings downstairs of the Department of Culture building which was located at the back of the National Park, Parkside has become the top steel band in the country.

I would like to congratulate the men and women of Parkside Steel for winning the recently held Republic Bank’s 2011 Mashramani Steel Band Competition. Parkside showed its dominating excellence by convincingly winning the competition by an astounding 36 points, beating their opponents by a wide margin.

As they enjoy their success, I would like to encourage the performers of Parkside to continue raising the bar for steel pan music in Guyana. I believe I can speak on behalf of all former members of the band who at some point would have contributed to the sweetness of the Parkside sound when I say we are exceedingly proud of your achievements thus far.

Republic Bank must be congratulated on their continued corporate sponsorship of this genre that so fittingly reflects the rich musical culture of the Guyanese people. It is hoped that other corporate sponsors could be so moved to support and develop this aspect of our national heritage.

Keep the notes sweet and the chords harmoniously rich with the musical genius and complexity that can only be produced by Parkside Steel.

Dictatorship is finally broken in Egypt

There is a saying that goes like this: ‘Unity is strength and strength is power’. On Friday afternoon the world witnessed the powerful effect of Egyptian unity when their dictator Mr. Hosni Mubarak stepped down. It is important to note that at the best of times, Egyptians are a divided people. This division is either by religion, tribe, or just geographical location. Egyptians from Cairo often snob their Alexandrian bothers, Muslims and Christians are often at odds with each other. But over the last 18 days, all these differences were put aside as together Egyptians stood shoulder to shoulder in Tahrir square and demanded that there be an end to their three decade dictatorship. Over the last three weeks, Egyptians had one enemy and that was Hosni Mubarak the Dictator!

One of the many moving scenes from the Egyptian protests was the number of young people present. All these Egyptian youth know is dictatorial rule. The older protester can probably relate to the 60s and 70s when Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar el-Sadat ruled respectively. But the concentration of the crowds was young people who could not be dissuaded by Mubarak’s excuses for wanting to hold on to power. They had enough of him and wanted him gone. 

As the cries of Egypt is free, Egypt is free rose from Tahrir square and other parts of the country, great expectation grows in the hearts and minds of all . What will be the future of Egypt now that dictatorship has fallen and fled? Egyptians have demanded democracy, they have fought for change.

The events from the last few weeks carry lessons that can be learnt by other nation-states around the world. There are serious implications for some political leaders who believe the tyranny of their rule will continue forever. Oppressed masses need to be inspired by the events in Egypt and recognize that together much can be achieved.

Political change cannot come from the feeble voice(s) of one, two or five lone individuals. There needs to be an awakening where hundreds and thousands of people can unite around a common issue like elected dictatorship for example and work together to bring about change. Those who suffer under regimes that exercise blatant, brutal power to intimidate, silence and punish citizens who dare to criticize the corrupt and incompetence governance under which they struggle must be inspired by the events of Egypt.

After winter must come spring. The wintry days of dictatorship are over for Egyptians. As the spring of democracy blossoms, Egyptians will be living the change they fought desperately for with a unity never seen before.

Egyptian dictatorship is quickly expiring

The people of Egypt are demonstrating that dictatorship has an expiry date. Their refusal to let up in their protests against the three decade dictatorial rule of President Hosni Mubarak is a sign that Egyptian society has had enough of his repressive rule. While the world watches the growing power of the Egyptian people that has taken to the streets of this past week, the sobering actions of the Egyptian Army is what is most stunning.

The huge demonstration which took place on Tuesday that saw several hundred thousand people taking to the street came on the heels of a crucial statement released by the army in which it vowed not to use force against the protesters. "The presence of the army in the streets is for your sake and to ensure your safety and wellbeing. The armed forces will not resort to use of force against our great people," read the statement. It even went further by calling the protesters’ demands legitimate.  "Your armed forces, which are aware of the legitimacy of your demands, are keen to assume their responsibility in protecting the nation and the citizens, affirm that freedom of expression through peaceful means is guaranteed to everybody."

The army statement also warned people not to resort to acts of sabotage that violate security and destroy public and private property. The statement seemed to suggest it would be playing a role akin to the police. It said that it would not allow outlaws to loot, attack and "terrorize citizens".

It is heartening to see that the Egyptian army taking a firm stance against any form of political interference in the execution of its duties. Too many times in situations like these the coercive arm of the state is used by governments to stifle freedom of expression.

No one is being arrested on trumped up charges and being harassed unnecessarily because they choose to protest for political change. Very strong language is being used and yet no one is being arrested and thrown in jail for treason.

The Egyptian people are demanding change! And the delicate international political/diplomatic position in which Egypt finds itself with the West has most Western leaders hoping for a peaceful end to the Mubarak era. The US is threading very carefully on the matter.

Guyanese need to take note of how people in repressive societies collectively rise in unity for change. Muslims and Christians are side by side shouting for political change in Egypt. Tribes are uniting and calling for change. As one Egyptian analyst said on Sky News, “not even football has brought this kind of unity among Egyptians”.

The world is watching closely to see how this all ends. But one thing is sure: the Egyptian people are resolute in their demands for Mr. Mubarak to demit office immediately.

Democracy is in demand. According to the great Mahatma Ghandi, “people must be the change they wish to see in their world”.