Dear editor, I write with a deep sense of disappointment and concern regarding what appears to be the treatment being meted out to our first Olympic gold medallist and national sporting icon, Hasely Crawford.
According to a recent public post attributed to Mr. Crawford, he has expressed his frustration over the difficulties and indignities he has allegedly experienced in simply receiving tickets allocated to him and five accompanying guests for events at the stadium that proudly bears his name. He has also expressed concern that two seats specifically reserved for him were not kept available.
If these accounts are accurate, then I believe we, as a nation, need to pause and ask ourselves a very simple question: How did we get to the point where the man whose name is displayed on the stadium has to endure a run-around just to receive a few tickets to gain entry.
It is clear that Hasely Crawford is not asking for special treatment because of status or privilege. He earned a place in our nation’s history through extraordinary sacrifice, discipline and achievement. On August 23, 1976, in Montreal, he became the first athlete from Trinidad and Tobago to win an Olympic gold medal, triumphing in the men’s 100 metres. That achievement belongs not only to Hasely Crawford, but to the people of Trinidad and Tobago. The stadium bearing his name stands as a permanent national tribute to that historic
accomplishment. SporTT itself describes the venue as a living testament to his legacy.
It therefore troubles me greatly that a man who brought such honour to this country could feel so disrespected that he is now contemplating asking for his name to be removed from the very stadium that stands as a symbol of his monumental achievement.
That should concern every patriotic citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.
We should not wait until a national hero becomes completely disillusioned before we demonstrate the respect that his contribution deserves.
I therefore wish to make a practical proposal: provide Hasely Crawford with a lifetime pass; rather than requiring this national hero to go through the process of collecting physical tickets for every event. I respectfully propose that the relevant authority issue Hasely Crawford with a permanent lifetime access pass, together with provision for five accompanying guests.
Such a pass could be properly registered and authenticated, allowing him and his five guests to gain admission without the repeated inconvenience of collecting tickets.
This would eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy while providing a dignified and practical solution.
And if, for administrative or security reasons, the existing physical-ticket arrangement must remain in place, then surely the minimum courtesy that can be extended to our first Olympic gold medallist is to have his allocated tickets delivered to his residence, at the minimum 72 hours before the commencement of any event, staged at that facility.
He should not have to make a special trip to the stadium simply to collect tickets that have already been allocated to him in his honor.
This is not about putting Hasely Crawford above anyone else;
it is about recognizing that some contributions to a nation are so significant that the nation should never lose sight of the person who made them.
Hasely Crawford carried the red, white and black onto the world’s biggest sporting stage and made Trinidad and Tobago’s name resonate across the globe. His victory became part of our national identity. The stadium was subsequently renamed in his honour in 1996, and today it remains one of the country’s most popular sporting facility.
Let us therefore honour the man behind the name. Let us remove the unnecessary bureaucracy. Let us remove the inconvenience.
Let us remove the possibility of him ever again having to feel that he is being treated worse than an ordinary ticket holder at the very stadium that carries his name.
A lifetime pass for Hasely Crawford with provision for five accompanying guests would be a simple, inexpensive and dignified solution. And if physical tickets remain the policy, deliver them to his home.
We owe him at least that much.
This is not merely about tickets.
It is about respect. It is about gratitude. It is about how a nation treats the people who have brought honour to its name. And above all, it is about ensuring that when we proudly say “Hasely Crawford Stadium,” we remember that behind those words stands a living national hero who deserves to feel respected and honored in his own country.
It is imperative that we do the right thing, and let us do it now.
Lyndon De Gannes,
Arima.
