Chapter 9. Conclusion

• Pages: 359-362

CHAPTER 9

CONCLUSION

This book reminds us that sport remains one of the few institutions today that seamlessly per-

meates the ethos of every society. Sport, in its various forms, has a transformative potential,

which is manifested in its unrivalled ability to break down long-established barriers, whilst fos-

tering a culture of tolerance, respect, diversity, fairness and a holistic approach to physical and

mental health. From time immemorial, sport has played, and continues to play, an unparalleled

role in the development of the human spirit, and, indeed, in the maturation of societies.

In the Caribbean, as illustrated throughout this book, the impact of sport has been noth-

ing short of extraordinary. At an elementary level, sport in the Caribbean remains one of only

a few regional institutions that invites social cohesion and is a driver of our unique cultural

identity, often expressed as our ‘West Indian-ness’. Track and field and West Indies cricket,

in particular, have had the uncanny ability to bring Caribbean peoples together in support

of their favourite regional superstars. In this context, our athletes have not disappointed; they

have proven to be powerful drivers in this process of regional cohesion and societal maturation,

and are, indeed, an expression of our unique cultural identity as a Caribbean people– people

who, despite having citizenship or residence in disparate islands– nonetheless identify with the

successes of all Caribbean athletes.

As this book repeatedly illustrated, despite the current turmoil and travail, West Indies

cricket is a fine example of the distinct manner in which sport has served to not only foster

social cohesion, but also drive our cultural identity as a ‘West Indian’ people in our collective

fight against hegemony, racism and oppression. Indeed, it should come as no surprise that West

Indies cricket, and, in particular, the successes of the team of the 1970s and 1980s, has been a

strong political and ideological tool against the now axiomatic ills of colonialism, authoritari-

anism and fascism. Notwithstanding the fact that cricket was thrust upon the Caribbean people

shortly after the emancipation period by the colonial elite as a subtle instrument aimed at reaf-

firming colonial influence and domination, Caribbean people have used this very instrument

to demonstrate not only their physical prowess, but also their unscathed spirit of excellence as

a people even in the face of hostility and humiliation. Through iconic sporting figures and per-

formances, as well as sheer stoicism in the face of adversity, Caribbean people have managed,

through sport, to create a Caribbean identity that is blemished, but exceptional in its contribu-

tion to various fields of human endeavour, including world peace and security, justice and equal

opportunity for all. Through sport, Caribbean peoples have sought to negative the racist tenor

of the twentieth century, and its attendant negative corollaries. Our ability to withstand these

externalities was most evident in the period of the 1970s when our cricketers demonstrated

exceptional sportsmanship by not only participating in dicult tours abroad but also winning

in emphatic fashion, even amidst the glorious uncertainties of the day.

This book has demonstrated that, today, sport in the Caribbean, and, indeed, further afield,

plays a slightly dierent, though no less important role of driving social mobility. For many

Caribbean, and, indeed, international sportsmen and women, sport oers the most attractive

opportunity to escape the cruelty of poverty and social and economic disenfranchisement.

Because sport has become increasingly commercialized and players have become increasingly

commodified, sport remains one of the few ways in which talented individuals from all across

the world could achieve recognizable dominance and, in so doing, achieve upward social mobil-

ity. The stories demonstrative of this fact are all too numerous to mention. Importantly, when