Dear Editor,
In your edition of Thursday, March 16, 2006, I wrote a letter captioned ‘Linden should honour this hero.’ In that letter I spoke about race-walk champion, Rudolph Mitchell of Linden. Since that letter this race-walk king has made more progress but with no recognition.
In a recent edition of your progressive newspaper, a letter written by a fellow Lindener, Frank Fyffe, captioned ‘Sport authorities and the business community of Linden should contribute to our “King of the Walk-race.”’ I fully endorsed what he had written. However, there was one paragraph I did not agree with, when he stated that Mitchell had never received anything from any organization or individual.
I want to make it clear that when he copped his 50th local title, he was honoured by the Cavaliers Sports and Tour Club at a special ceremony, and received gifts from the last British High Commissioner, Mr Stephen Hiscock as well as Mr Raphael Trotman and others.
Please Mr President, Minister of Sport, and the Linden community, come forward now and honour this athlete.
Yours faithfully,
Elaine Ward
Is race walking a nationally promoted sporting event like cycling or fottball? Do Guyanese race walk throughout Guyana? Has Mitchell competed in Berbice, Essequibo and Demerara? Has he represented Guyana abroad?
Unless the letter writers urging government to recognize Mitchell are actually seeking to help promote race walking as a sport to be taken up by youths and the fitness zealots, I don’t know what is the fuss about? Perhaps it needs to be said that if government recognizes a sports personality for doing what s/he is excellent at then it won’t be long before we start seing letter urging government to recognize a variety of sports personalities.
What government should be urged to consider is the construction of a National Sports Hall of Fame so that today’s sports personalities and children who represent the future can apprise themselves of the rich history of our people’s contribution to sports.
Yes Andy, and pertaining to your last paragraph, this is why someone needs to recognise Mitchell so that he can be remembered in the Hall of Fame………