THE EDITOR, Madam:

This past weekend, Grenada’s most decorated athlete, Kirani James, had conferred on him an Honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree in recognition of his excellence in athletics.

It is significant that the recognition comes from a note-worthy and well-established West Indian educational institute, as the debate about a possible hero status for Kirani in Grenada continues.

In a classic case of the horse coming before the carriage, Grenadians have now celebrated a ‘Heroes Day’ twice, without an actual national hero being named.

For more than a decade Dr Kirani James has been the face of Grenada. Known internationally, mostly for the 1979 and 1983 political upheavals and later for the ravages of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the image of Grenada and its place internationally has been redefined by the exploits of Kirani. From the continent of Africa (where he has competed more than once) to Asia, Europe, the Americas and, indeed, globally through the facilities of broadcast television and the Internet, our biggest advertisement, with all due respect to the Grenada Tourism Authority, has been Kirani James.

Of course, there are others who might feel otherwise, but it is hard to argue against 12 years of consistency as a global phenomenon, who caused our flag to be hoisted and our anthem played in front of 80,000 track and field fans at the Olympic Stadium in London in 2012, while millions around the world bore witness to the 400m teenage sensation from Grenada.

What makes Dr James even more deserving of national hero status has been his exemplary sportsmanship, a continuous class act even in defeat and a role model any parent can be proud of, and of whom Grenada could never be able to sufficiently honour.

The University of the West Indies must be congratulated for recognising Kirani. It is felt in some circles that such honours should be bestowed on individuals of a more established vintage, or even when they are no longer with us. So it is indeed a huge step by The UWI to not only honour Kirani, but to provide motivation for the next wave of talented West Indians as their endeavour to make their mark globally.

DEXTER MITCHELL