Jeremiah Azu has entered what appears to be a growing debate at the Commonwealth Games.
He is a sprinter and is talking about respecting the flag, respecting the Commonwealth Games, and just generally making an effort and turning up.
Hamish Kerr has been allowed an easy run this week with his maybe/maybe not decision-making process.
It's important to point out that he can do whatever he likes. It's just the lack of scrutiny around it, the lack of questions, and the complete absence of any media probing how this has unfolded and wondering on our behalf whether all this “in and out”, “up and down” is actually kosher.
It appears Kerr is not alone, as a good chunk of the English team has bailed as well.
Which is where Azu comes in, asking what the media should be asking – is this legit? Can you simply turn up if you want, or not if you don’t want to? Is the Commonwealth Games just a weekend event of no great consequence? Does representing your country not really count for much anymore?
Personally, I don’t really care. I'm not a Commonwealth Games fan. As a sports nut, the world is so full these days of the finest of the fine doing amazing things on a regular basis, so do we have time or interest to watch and follow the progress of a team made up of the potential heroes, as opposed to the current ones, because the current ones don’t see it as worth their while?
It already has survival issues, given Glasgow is being paid for by Victoria. The sports have been cut, and we are down to 3x3 backyard basketball.
Now if all of this is ringing a bell, how about a bit of truth and a bit of bluntness and a bit of reality.
If you don’t want to go, don’t get selected. Sponsors and national Governments who fund a lot of this deserve a set up where they know what they are getting, they understand the standard and the expectation.
If time has passed this event by, then that's life. If venues are hard to come by, that’s life. If it needs to be demoted to an up-and-comers outing, that’s fine.
But let's clear the air, work out what's what, who's interested, who isn't and where we go.
Because it's got bugger's muddle vibes, as they say in the military.
And it doesn’t need to.
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