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A Sports View: Haitian Teams Give Different Perspective

The performance of the Haitian athletes and their demeanor during the recent Caribbean Volleyball Championships hosted here at the Kendal Isaacs Gym surprised many Bahamians.

Not only did the members of the Haitian delegation handle themselves in a distinguished manner, but they demonstrated clearly on the court that against great odds they will demand the respect due.

Yes contrary to a common mindset about the Haitians, the volleyball players and their coaches, particularly the women team members, were cerebral and tenacious beyond expectations.

I watched a particular game played by the Haitian ladies against the Virgin Islands. It was heart-warming to see a group of young girls with little training background compared to their peers at the Isaacs Gym, take control, regain lost momentum and show poise towards the end in beating their opponents decisively.

More of this was to come from the ladies, and against the host country.

Many residents in this country have formed a negative perspective about Haitians. The general mindset is to think of them jammed into small boats, beaching somewhere in the Bahamas and coming ashore illegally. Haitians are synonymous in this country with the Detention Centre and deportation. They are thought of as labourers at best, good for domestic and physical work but little else.

The reality of the situation is that Haiti has its share of middle and upper middle class neighbourhoods and people. They have the social elites, the doctors, the lawyers and all of the other ultra professionals.

Bahamians who travel and have been exposed to much more of the Haitian way of life than the unfortunate folks who stream into this country or the violence written about and shown on television, have a balanced reading on Haiti and its people.

The arrival and participation of the Haitian volleyball teams during the recent CVC was refreshing and indeed enlightening for lots of Bahamians.

Why?

The obvious reason is that they showed our brothers and sisters from the land of Hispaniola in a different light. Head Coach Yves Larrieux and his colleagues were insightful and inspirational in guiding their teams to third (women) and seventh (men) places during the championships. They were pleasant and eloquent when interviewed.

The young ladies, most of high school age, attained a milestone never anticipated by anybody when they ended up in the medal group. Coach Larrieux acknowledged as much during an exclusive Journal interview when he frankly said the people of Haiti did not expect for the teams to be so competitive.

Well, while the men held their own and proved to be a force that will have to be reckoned with in the future by regional powers like Barbados and Trinidad, the girls have put themselves in the upper category already.

They did so at the great expense of the host country.

Down two sets to love at the hands of the Bahamian national women, the Haitian ladies showed resilience and the heart of champions by holding strong and winning the next three sets to capture the bronze medal. In truth it was one of the great accomplishments in Haiti?s sports history.

It was just a regional tournament and not one inclusive of the top volleyball nations of the world but the way Haiti rebounded from the verge of defeat was truly incredible and worthy of much praise.

Today, we salute the Haitian teams and the people of that country.

The teams showed another view, a wonderful side of Haiti.

Yes indeed, led by the ladies, Team Haiti was a class act at the Caribbean Volleyball Championship (CVC).