The recently concluded Carifta Games in the Bahamas was difficult to watch on television. The commentary provided by the team at ZNS TV set broadcasting in the region back 50 years over the three days, and the pictures were horrible. The only redeeming factor for us Jamaicans was that we continued to dominate our Caribbean neighbours in the sport of track and field.

Jamaica's 69 medals were more than double what any other nation won at the championships that Jamaica was winning for the 29th consecutive time. The other redeeming thing, if you can consider it that, was that we will not be seeing the limited ZNS interviewer asking any more ridiculous questions that contained the word 'strategy' and I won't have to mute the television set once many of our athletes began to respond.

There has been debate over the past few years about teaching our local Patois in schools as well as the educational standards being set for our student athletes. Both issues took centre stage for me at these just-concluded games, because something has got to be done to raise our standards here at home as it relates to the ability of our people to communicate effectively when representing our country.

Patois is fine, I suppose, if you're being interviewed on local television at a local meet like Gibson Relays, Champs or any one of the growing number of development meets that are held in the first quarter of the calendar year. However, when on the global stage, our athletes must be able to speak in a language that will allow most people listening to comprehend the messages they are trying to convey.

Of course, there were notable exceptions. Megan Simmonds, the diminutive and extremely charming sprint hurdler, formerly of St Andrew's High and now at UTech, was a clear standout. She spoke well and actually enunciated very well. Her interview, I listened to. The young man Manley was also pretty decent in his delivery and he gave me hope that all is not lost.

However, there was a young lady from Vere, Yanique McNeil, who froze the blood in my veins when, in response to questions from the interviewer, responded in a manner which I believe shocked us all. "Cho, mi cyan badda ansa yaa." was all I heard, because I went numb from the embarrassment. Shericka Jackson rescued the moment somewhat, sweetening the bitter medicine of our reality here in Jamaica, one that was unexpectedly shoved down our collective throats.

Doesn't anybody prepare these athletes to be interviewed given the likelihood that they would be medal winners at the Carifta Games? After all, Jamaica does literally win a medal for every athlete on the team; 70 athletes, 76 medals. The official number is 69 because of this ridiculous rule about recognised events, but even so, 69 medals makes it virtually one medal per athlete won.

Given this reality, a little preparatory work would have helped save us some level of head hanging and helped the athletes shine even brighter after their medal-winning efforts. I won't even mention the young man from Calabar who was interviewed after the mile relay, because, in his case, I know it's not his fault. I am, however, disappointed in the schools and the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association and the parents of these kids, all of whom don't seem to care one bit that the kids they 'care for' sound like they are living in caves and only come outside to feed on the rest of the region when it comes to sports.

The reaction locally, on Facebook and in the general public sphere, suggests that many if not most of us were ashamed to hear the native dialect being spoken in an international environment. I for one have no shame in saying that I was ashamed. But I wasn't ashamed of my native tongue; I was ashamed that many of our athletes were not able to use the required language when the time came for them to speak about their moment of glory. That is what was embarrassing to me.

Jamaica is not the world, so Patois has no place there when we are trying to speak to the rest of the planet. There is a distinct difference between how we speak at home and how we should speak while abroad. It's a pity that many of us are still to grasp that simple but very important nugget of truth.

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