Nkrumie serious about KC captaincy

BOUWAHJGIE NKRUMIE, the World Under-20 100-metre runner-up, takes his duties as captain of Kingston College seriously. Talk to him and it appears that leading his troops is as important to him as his own progress on the track.

The St Elizabeth native turned serious in an otherwise cheerful conversation when asked about the duties of a captain.

“A lot of captains, especially high school captains, they don’t have the characteristics like I do,” he said.

It’s a conclusion built on experience.

“I’ve been the captain for three years straight and you have to build a bond with the younger athletes. You have to understand each individual and you have to be there. You have to be in their presence,” said Nkrumie, the man known as the Doctor of Speed.

LEADS BY ACTION

Nkrumie leads by action. Last year, for example, at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs), he slipped early in the class one 100-metre final. Somehow, he stayed upright and clawed his way back to fifth.

His season got better and better, with a Carifta 100 silver medal earned in April and the World Under-20 silver coming with a national under-20 record of 10.02 seconds. “To get a silver medal at that stage, it’s a wonderful feeling for me,” he recounted.

He was the poster boy for yesterday’s Youngster Goldsmith Classic, a meet staged in honour of the renowned Kingston College fitness trainer, but Nkrumie is focused on the entire season.

“The feeling is pressure, but no pressure, if you know what I mean,” he said.

“On the pressure point, maybe a lot would expect many things or great things from me, high expectations, but the no pressure point is me having a lot of experience and knowing what I can do,” said the lad who turns 19 in another week.

Sprint coach Andre Wellington plays a key role.

“The guidance I have from coach Wellington, knowing he was an athlete, so he knows the steps, so the chemistry is there and we’re hoping for big things together this season,” said Nkrumie of a campaign that peaks for juniors in August at the Pan-American Under-20 Championships in Puerto Rico.

Wellington won sprint doubles for Kingston College in class two and three at Champs. In 2008, he was a member of Jamaica’s Olympic team.

The 5’7” Nkrumie won a Champs gold in the 2018 class three 100 and wants to stick with sprinting when his high school days are over.

“Not asking for a world record but I’m just asking for the best for my version, and I’ll take it by stages. So, this year, I’ll take the best version of me,” he said.

Asked about career choices, the engaging youngster replied, “I’ll definitely want to be a coach.”

For now, his focus is on 2023, with his personal goals on par with the success of the team. Speaking as KC captain, he said, “For the younger kids coming up, it’s all about knowing what you want and having the right headspace.”