Venus (left) and Serena Williams at Norman Manley International Airport. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

WILLIAMS SISTERS Serena and Venus will depart the island this evening having completed a tightly-packed schedule since landing here on Monday shortly after noon.

As expected, they created quite a stir because they are well loved, admired and respected for what they have achieved on the tennis courts and off it as well by enhancing their skills in other areas since coming to prominence.

The timing was also great, given Serena's marvellous triumph in the season-opening Australian Open grand slam barely a week ago - a most sensational victory as the American had been sidelined from tournaments for four months and had overcome that handicap to silence her many critics.

The reception she and her sister Venus got from the moment they emerged from the plane showed how much people here really appreciate that success.

They had been warming for that from the moment bits and pieces of information began to emerge that the Williams sisters were coming to Jamaica.

As a matter of fact, things were so hush-hush that not even the media were privy to concrete details.

When word finally broke, at pretty much the 11th hour, the media went at what appeared a grand opportunity to hear from the Williams themselves shortly after their arrival in the airport lobby, only to realise otherwise in a rather frustrating way, as neither of the sisters spoke. It was clear none of this was planned either as the organisers seemed surprised at the presence of the media.

Surprising

What is surprising though, is the mere thought that such public and well-loved players as the Williamses could have been sneaked into Jamaica unnoticed.

Someone, or some others, but certainly not Venus and Serena who are hugely popular for the dominance they as black players have imposed on white-dominated tennis.

Probably, because of their popularity, they might have, like many other popular professional stars, wanted to shy away from public and media attention.

Neither, though, could have happened as the Williams sisters were slated to host clinics for young tennis players.

What would have been nice and proper, was if the media was properly informed to facilitate that wonderful gesture from the well-admired Williamses who are top of the women's game when they are at their best.

They really do not appear to be snobs and are quite eloquent, so that whole airport scenario was really surprising, to say the least.

Just as unexpected was the lack of involvement of Tennis Jamaica in the whole affair.

Questions not answered

Two of the biggest tennis names came to Jamaica and the local governing body of the sport never played a real role.

Word is they were contacted initially, asked some questions of the organisers but never got a response.

Whatever the situation, the end result was quite strange and served up a wasted opportunity because if a tennis clinic is going to be held, then Tennis Jamaica seems to be the best local organisation to assist in organising that clinic.

They are involved with the game at every level in this country, schools upward, and have also done clinics to raise the level of interest among inner-city youth, which was a target of the ones conducted by the Williamses.

One hopes that there will be other visits from the Williamses and that there will be better cooperation so that even in such a tighly packed schedule there will be greater benefits from these great sisters.