Tony Becca
THE PLANNED practice match between Jamaica and Bahrain is off, so too is the proposed camp, and that is good news - not because there was anything wrong with it, but based on all that has been said, because of the negative effect it could have had on Caribbean unity.
The question, however, is this: what was all the fuss about - what would have been wrong with Jamaica hosting Bahrain in their preparation for a World Cup qualifying match?
The fuss, it appears, is that Bahrain will be up against Trinidad and Tobago in a match that will decide which of the two teams qualify for the World Cup Finals.
T&T, like Jamaica, are from the Caribbean, and according to Jack Warner, president of CONCACAF and vice-president of FIFA, and Horace Burrell, former president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and now senior vice-president of the Caribbean Football Union, Jamaica should support Trinidad and Tobago, they should do nothing to assist Bahrain in their efforts to defeat one of their own, and by deciding to host them in a match, by agreeing to a 10-day camp in Jamaica, they were doing just that.
According to Crenston Boxhill, however, that was not true.
FIVE-DAY CAMP
According to the president of the JFF, Bahrain asked Jamaica if on their way to Trinidad and Tobago, they (Jamaica) could host them in a match at the National Stadium, if they (Bahrain) could stay on and have a five-day camp in Jamaica, in the interest of Caribbean unity he telephoned Warner, he told him about the request, he said he did not want it to appear that Jamaica were helping Bahrain, he asked Warner what to do, Warner said that he could go ahead - that it would be no problem, and it was after that he said yes to Bahrain.
According to Boxhill, the decision had nothing to do with money and there was no truth that the JFF had been offered one million US dollars by Bahrain and that the JFF had accepted the offer.
"As far as the camp was concerned, we told them that all we could do is make the arrangements on their behalf, and because Bahrain is not a big team, because it would not attract a huge crowd, because it would cost us to put it on, as far as the match is concerned, we asked for US$150,000."
Was anything wrong with Jamaica playing a match against Bahrain and with Jamaica allowing them to have a camp in Jamaica?
The answer must be no - and certainly not in this day and age.
Apart from the fact we are talking about sport and not war, those who were against Jamaica playing a match against Bahrain and against Jamaica allowing Bahrain to have a camp in Jamaica should ask themselves a few questions.
Remembering that there are contests between the West Indies and England, Australia and the West Indies, the USA and the islands of the Caribbean and particularly Jamaica, should England tell the counties and the clubs not to employ West Indies cricketers, should Australia have refused to allow young West Indies cricketers to play cricket in Australia, is Australian Bennett King a traitor because he is coaching the West Indies team, should England and Australia, South Africa, India and Pakistan prevent their county and state teams from playing against the West Indies while the West Indies is on tour, and should American Universities and Colleges stop recruiting West Indian athletes?
WARM-UP MATCHES
Apart from the fact that teams like Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica have been allowed to play warm-up matches in the USA while there to play against the USA, should England, for example, tell their clubs to stop employing Caribbean footballers, was Rene Simoes a traitor when he coached Jamaica, and is Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker a traitor because is coaching Trinidad and Tobago?
The answer must be no.
Back in the 1990s when Jamaica were out of it and Trinidad and Tobago were up against the USA in the decider, Jamaica were fully behind Trinidad and Tobago, later when Trinidad and Tobago were out and Jamaica were attempting to qualify, Trinidad and Tobago were right behind Jamaica, and when Jamaica qualified, Trinidad and Tobago, like the rest of the Caribbean, were right behind Jamaica.
That is it how should be, and it does not mean that it is not so this time because Jamaica were prepared to play a football match.
On top of all that, Trinidad and Tobago could have benefited from the match, from the camp, and had they really thought about it they should have been happy that Jamaica had said yes to Bahrain.
In order to be fully prepared to take on an opponent, a team needs to know about the opponent, not much is known about Bahrain this side of the world, and had the match and the camp come off, Trinidad and Tobago, thanks to Jamaica, would have had a good opportunity to really prepare for them.
All Trinidad and Tobago had to do was send some of their technical people to Jamaica to have a good look at the team they must defeat in order to make it to the World Cup Finals.
