Some people does just call it de Olympic games.

Good fuh dem.

Tuh me, de Olympic Games is really war in bard disguise. It is de ultimate ah competition fuh athletes buh fuh dey home countries, tuh win dat medal, especially gold, mean braggin rights fuh four years. Dat mean one country could look at anudder one an feel good about itself since it athletes better dan de udder country athletes. Is ah next way tuh justify dislike or hate eef dat is how yuh does tink. I done know how I tinkin.

Fuh who want more proof de Olympics is not just ah two-week sportin event, when was de larse time dey see any country media focus dey primary Olympic coverage orn any udder country competitors? Unless dat udder country is dey main competition. I check de US papers an is all about US athletes. I check de BBC, same ting. Even de Trini press, as best as it could report, doin de same ting. Ah sorry fuh people not seein dis since dey oblivious tuh de ways ah de real world.

Leh mih add dis one larse ting:

Dis is not about dem rowers, boxers, gymnasts, judo people, swimmers, runners, sailors, cyclists or anybody else who sport I eh mention but who representin T&T in whatever yuh want tuh call what goin orn in Rio. All ah dem want tuh prove dey not just big fishes in de own small pond buh capable ah swimmin wid udder fishes in de ultimate ah big ponds. De medals dey win is proof enough.

Dis is about de process dat does decide who makin de T&T team.

Right now dat process eh wukkin an despite medals in de most recent set ah Olympics, de process hasn’t been wukkin. What it doin is promotin de acceptance ah mediocrity as dem athletes doin de best buh outclassed.

Is time tuh review de approach an begin ah major retoolin so competitors doh just make de games, buh have ah reasonable chance ah gettin ah medal.

Tuh do dat mean startin wid how tuh decide who get pick. Unless ah rong, it have two ways fuh ah competitor tuh make de Olympic grade: Meet de qualification requirement durin de qualification period is de first option. De next one is where de IAAF does take pity orn who eh make it durin de qualifyin period an eef dey is de best ah de rest, basically dey in. As long as dese games is just about athletes I eh have ah problem wid dat buh ah done prove dey is more dan sportin events. So number one: No back door entry.

However, just because de front door is de goal doh mean just squeezin parse mean yuh in.

How many times we have tuh see what does happen when countries send competitors who just barely make de minimum qualifications? Is de only braggin rights T&T want is tuh say it have ah gymnast in de Olympics fuh de first time? Jamaica, yes dem pesky Jamaicans again, could boast ah dey own debut. Orn top ah dat dey could boast dat while dey eh come close tuh winnin dey come closer since dey competitor beat T&T competitor.

Dat right dey is where games could turn tuh war. Unfortunately it would lead tuh ah bigger international incident since neidder country competitor born in de country dey compete for.

Ah leavin dis business ah competitor shoppin fuh ah next time so not tuh lose focus wid confusin or conflictin issues. However, dat same competitor shoppin scenario help make mih point dat athletes excel at challenges. Dat is dey nature. In fact, ah countin orn dat spirit since I want de various local sportin bodies tuh hold dey athletes tuh ah higher standard den what de Olympic say dey need tuh qualify.

T&T have tuh give it athletes ah chance tuh move parse dey first heat. I not one ah dem, yet it still frustatin tuh keep readin dat same script an hearin ah next athlete sayin dey go do dey best. It does come across like ah plea fuh Divine Intervention.

Ah go say it again: De Olympic Games really about war widout guns, bullets an bombs:

W-A-R.

National braggin rights.

Jamaica, de US, Canada . . . nah fuhget dem, dey too cyatchin dey tail winnin dey own medals. So China an all countries dat in ah event wid T&T competitors should be wonderin about dey chances against dat Caribbean powerhouse. Right now all dey worryin about is which side tuh parse de T&T representative orn, de left or right.

Steups.

Arong now in London, Jamaica was sayin de Olympics now start. Dat mean is dem de US, Great Britain an whoever else have runners in races wid, go be worryin about.

So exactly what sport Trinidad an Tobago have realistic expectations ah winnin ah medal in dis Olympics? Any remainin competitor is ah sleeper, ah next Keshorn? Somebody who go overcome what I feel is ah unfair position dey startin orf wid? After all, dis is not about dem, buh de process.

Tuh be vex wid what I sayin mean yuh have tuh be vex wid ah newspaper article dat announce, “FINALLY!” in big white letters against ah red backgrong wid ah picture ah de shot-putter. Dat picture would ah cause yuh heart tuh skip ah beat fuh no reason cause it eh torkin about ah medal buh dat ah Trini athlete makin it tuh ah final.

Be vex too tuh see ah picture showin we boxin hopeful, like he asleep in de middle ah de ring durin de first rong ah he match against some Nigerian.

Ah wall fall dong orn Andrew Lewis in Rio back in December causin injuries dat everybody was sure would keep he out ah de competition. He prove all ah dem rong. But he cyar fight de odds when was time tuh race. Wid dat kind ah dedication is no way anybody in dey right mind could look at dem athletes wid ah questionin eye.

Just change de process.

While it allowin competitors tuh reach de pinnacle ah dey sport, it also settin dem up tuh not go ah inch parse dat. Like it doin Andrew, de gymnast, de shot-putter an de fella orn de canvas.

Only time go tell eef T&T go do better dan larse Olympics when it finish 47^th overall wid dem four medals. Dat was in London. Will time bring betterment? What rong wid 40^th dis rongs? Why not 35^th den? I say it possible widout havin tuh bodder de Lord wid frivolous requests when He done give we free will. I say use it tuh improve de odds.

Is not dat I hard up fuh ah country tuh root for. Buh somehow ah expect de US tuh walk away wid ah big bag ah medals like it does always do. De bag T&T have tuh fill tuh make its presence felt doh have tuh be as big. All it need is ah better process. Dem athletes go do de rest.

Doh trust me, trust dem