Jamaicans aggrieved over medal ceremony placement

WESTERN BUREAU:

In the vibrant city of Budapest, Hungary, a chorus of disappointed voices rises among Jamaican fans.

They stand united in celebration, yet an unexpected twist has left them feeling robbed of a cherished moment, the medal ceremony, which usually takes place inside the stands at each World Athletics Championships.

However, the 2023 hosts have moved from the grand tradition of athletic victory, now the medal ceremony unfolds outside the stadium on a daily basis, but very few fans are present, and the tunes of their national anthems are far from earshot.

Having gone to at least 10 World Championships and Olympics, persons in the stands have travelled a long way to come and support their athletes and we’d like to celebrate with the athletes in the stands. And what it does is diminish from the celebration, and the honour, having performed so well for themselves and their country,” Olive McNaughton, the Sports Realtor, told The Gleaner.

McNaughton, who operates Jamaica Sports 876, was livid when she spoke with the newspaper on Thursday night after Jamaica pulled down five medals – two gold, one silver and two bronze.

She has brought close to 100 people to Budapest, and said she was never aware of the change in the medal ceremony.

“Both the fans and the athletes have lost a lot by having the medal ceremony outside of the arena. The fans and friends and family that come to support the athletes deserve better.”

The fans do not get to celebrate with them live, she argued.

IMPORTANT TO ATHLETES

“This is something that I hope that the World Athletics Championships (WAC) do something about so that we can honour our athletes and celebrate with them, and hear our national anthem, because that is important to our athletes, and to the fans and to Jamaicans and other persons worldwide.”

Each Local Organising Committee is guided by the WAC, but may do their own thing, she explained.

The vibrancy in the stadium is missing on the outside and one of the disappointed voices is Marguerite Orane, who argued that the athletes put out their best in the stadium and they should be honoured fully in the stadium.

Another fan, Rena Forbes, who has been attending WAC for over 10 years, described the situation as unacceptable. “I actually saw the boxes (stage area) on the outside but could never have imagined that they would be having the medal ceremony there. It is really disappointing.”

She said thousands of are inside of the stadium and have not gone outside to see the medal ceremony. “It’s almost as if it is not a part of the event,” she stated.

“Preposterous,” was how Ivor Nugent responded to The Gleaner when approached. “It takes away from the joy that the spectators expect from their athletes. That feeling of celebration is robbed,” he added.

He is convinced that such a seminal moment is almost like a graduation and a period of sharing.

Dr Norman Smith concurred that having the ceremony on the outside takes away from the fans. In the past, the ceremony was announced ahead and persons would be able to choose whether or not they wanted to attend, but it would be on the inside of the arena.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com