THE EDITOR: First off the bat, let me wish all the best to those 17 athletes who are representing us at the Paris Olympics.

At the time of writing some of them would have already performed and, sadly, did not make it further than the preliminary rounds. But this is just what I am writing about.

For far too long the Trini mentality has been to celebrate winners and winning performances.

To make the qualifying mark for a global sporting event including the Olympics is in itself an achievement, let alone to medal in the finals.

We need to celebrate all of our athletes when they represent us at the national, regional and international levels.

And I go one step further: We need to celebrate and applaud all of our citizens who represent TT in local, regional and international events, be they sport, academics, cultural or entertainment.

We have been inundated with all things negative regarding TT – crime, murder, incompetence, corruption, thievery, etc – for so long that for many it's not even news anymore. But we can certainly do with good news, any good news, at the moment.

So, let's celebrate and applaud our athletes who are representing the country at these Olympics. Even if they don't medal, the fact is history will record them as representing the red, white and black.

When they return home, we should not forget them until the next international tournament. We should encourage them via social media or, if possible, via their bank accounts – athletics is by no means a cheap endeavour, especially for unsponsored athletes.

Let's use our social media spaces to "light up" our athletes, our academics, our young people and those in society who are making or seeking to make a positive difference, who are doing good.

I may be going against the tide here, but win, lose or draw, I say congratulations to our Olympians. Give 'em hell in Paris!

LEE MERRICK

San Fernando

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