Cayman Compass reporter gives account of his time as the pool reporter for the Commonwealth Games
The story of the Cayman Islands at the XX Commonwealth Games would seem to be complete.
Cayman sent its largest ever contingent – 26 athletes taking part in seven sports – to Glasgow this summer with lofty expectations as the squad included former Olympians, world-class athletes and young people making sensational debuts on a large international stage. Unfortunately, Scotland would be a barren trip for the national trophy case with no medals to add to Kareem Streete-Thompson’s bronze and Cydonie Mothersill-Stephens’s gold medals from years ago.
Throughout the 11-day quest for glory, I was there to chronicle the ups and downs of Cayman’s top sports people. I was the pool reporter for the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee, responsible for documenting all of the results for Cayman’s various media outlets.
Accomplishing that was a feat in itself. Writing stories and capturing photographs for the Compass, which I was still working for during the Games, was one thing. Getting sound bites for TV and radio was another. There were also some hiccups with my media accreditation so I nearly missed the opening ceremony. Thankfully, that sorted itself out in the end.
One of the most interesting and frustrating parts of the Scotland mission was travel. While the Lord blessed my steps and ensured my safe journey to, from and within Glasgow, it was another lesson in the virtue that is patience. Traversing the city, navigating between the various venues and utilizing trains and automobiles was an eye-opener. For example, getting by train from Glasgow to where Andrew Schirn and the rest of Cayman’s shooting team were in Carnoustie and then finding a ride by car to make it to Scotstoun in time to catch Julian Jervis and the other squash players was a challenge.
Another aspect worthy of note was the weather. Now, prior to this trip, I had been advised to prepare for cold, gloomy and rainy days. For the first week of the Games, I was pleasantly surprised by warm and sunny conditions and the sort of temperatures that reminded me of home. Scotland’s national joke is you can expect four seasons in a day but with all of the natives saying I brought the sunshine with me, my only regret was not bringing shorts and T-shirts to look the part. Ultimately, having all of my warm gear proved to be wise as the final week was a chilly and wet affair.
The business end of the trip, while unsuccessful in living up to medal expectations, proved intriguing on many levels. On the track, sprinter Kemar Hyman showed promise that warrants the media hype. Swimming may not have claimed any medals but locals can be proud of yet another sterling performance by Brett Fraser.
Gymnastics can be proud of its introduction to the Games courtesy of Bethany Dikau. Boxing should be equally pleased that Tafari Ebanks is living up to the promise as Cayman’s next star pugilist. Cycling may have offered a lingering controversy with a Did Not Finish result but Michele Smith will forever be remembered as Cayman’s flag bearer.
Ultimately, like our local athletes, there were some missed opportunities on my part. Usain Bolt, while within view, was out of arm’s length for an interview. The historic capital city of Edinburgh was reachable in terms of distance but just out of my grip in terms of time. Scottish cuisine, like deep-fried pizza and Mars bars, wafted through the air, yet passed me by. At the end of the day, I may not have hit every personal and professional marker but I comfort myself knowing my second-ever trip to Europe provided memories for years to come.
Related Videos
