There is nothing like the World Cup finals when it comes to capturing the imagination of John Public. Whether you’re in Brazil, where football is a veritable religion, or right here in Trinidad and Tobago, where qualification for the global...
There is nothing like the World Cup finals when it comes to capturing the imagination of John Public. Whether you’re in Brazil, where football is a veritable religion, or right here in Trinidad and Tobago, where qualification for the global sporting celebration is an extremely rare occurrence, there is always great anticipation ahead of World Cup football. Well, it’s that time again! Four years have passed, and here we are, three days into the finals. There is nothing like the World Cup finals when it comes to capturing the imagination of John Public. Whether you’re in Brazil, where football is a veritable religion, or right here in Trinidad and Tobago, where qualification for the global sporting celebration is an extremely rare occurrence, there is always great anticipation ahead of World Cup football. Well, it’s that time again! Four years have passed, and here we are, three days into the finals. It’s no secret that T&T did not qualify for the 48-team competition being jointly hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico. Yes, with the three Concacaf nations having automatic berths as hosts, the Soca Warriors had a golden opportunity to qualify. But that’s old news, and at the end of the day, it can’t change, so no point rehashing that topic. In any case, we’re a nation that quickly forgets, moves on, and, sadly, seldom learns from our mistakes. So, we’ll switch focus to the countries that did actually qualify, and start over from scratch when the 2030 World Cup qualifiers start. That’s how we do it in sweet T&T. For the next month or so, we’ll hear comments like, “I’m a Brazilian since I born: dey cyah beat we at all”; “We Germans bound to win this World Cup”; “Messi giving us another title.” Most of these “Brazilians” can’t speak a word of Portuguese; a lot of the “Germans” have never been on a transatlantic flight; and the Messi-lovers among us well, I doubt Lionel The Great would acknowledge them as fellow Argentinians. Do not misunderstand. There is absolutely nothing wrong with supporting a team with heart and soul. The problem, though, is the absence of similar passion when it comes to our own. Yes, we can fill the Hasely Crawford Stadium when our footballers are one point away from World Cup qualification. We can also turn up in our thousands at Piarco International Airport to celebrate Olympic gold. But what about supporting those footballers when they’re not winning games? Do we pack the Stadium when our global champions compete at home? The answer is a resounding “NO”. We challenge T&T to prove us wrong. Next weekend, at the Stadium, reigning men’s javelin world champion Keshorn Walcott is expected to be on show at the National Championships. We would be pleasantly surprised if even the covered stands are full. But if the truth be told, there is no reason for empty seats anywhere in the stadium when a global champion we can actually identify with is putting down a world-class performance here at home. Sadly, we are not optimistic there will be a large turnout to see Walcott and company do their thing at the National Championships. Even in the years when there was nothing for the important track and field meet to compete with, there was only a small gathering of spectators. With “our” Brazilians, Germans and Argentinians battling for World Cup glory, there is little hope for a crowd of note next weekend. For what it’s worth, the Express will be there. Another FIFA World Cup competition is here. This is usually highly anticipated worldwide, and there is friendly rivalry among countries. Believe it that international meetings can be interrupted to announce results. It is reported that a priest was once sanctioned for wearing his team colours while presiding at Mass.
