Batsmen in the region struggle to score because of a wrong approach to compiling large totals

The West Indies Cricket Board Regional 50-0ver Competition concluded on Sunday with an exciting tie between finalists Barbados and The Leeward Islands.
The Leewards, batting first, were only able to put 139 runs on the board from only 32 overs and five balls of their 50 allotted overs. On paper it seemed like an easy enough target for Barbados which was chasing a total that required a scoring rate of less than three runs per over. Cake walk, right? Wrong! Barbados, through inept batting and absent thinking Barbados collapsed to 139 all out. Absolutely unbelievbale!
Sure, we have seen teams successfully defend low totals many times but these finals and this competition overall has exposed what is wrong with cricket in the West Indies.
Throughout the competition, only once did a team score more than 250 runs. Jamaica managed 285 against the Combined Colleges and Campuses in what was a must-win match for them to get to the semi-finals. Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle and the inconsistent Xavier Marshall both scored seventies in that match to give Jamaica a solid foundation. But even then it  took a 23-ball 46 from Andre Russell to get them to what was the highest total in the competition. This against perhaps the poorest bowlers in world cricket today.
Another disturbing trend is that there was only one century scored in the entire competition. Darren Bravo from Trinidad scored that single century in the opening match of the competition.
What we are seeing in this region are teams that are unable to generate scores above 250 runs from 50 overs when that has become the norm in world cricket. Partially due to the advent of Twenty/20 cricket and more innovative batting, five runs an over is easy for most teams these days; most teams that are not in the West Indies.
The bowling in the region is not that good. Only a handful of bowlers have been standouts but even those bowlers have been proven wanting when compared to the best bowlers from Australia, England, New Zealand, Pakistan and India, Sri Lanka; the best teams in the world.

So against sub-standard bowling most of the teams were able to mount impressive totals on pitches that could have yielded these totals. Batsmen were getting out to reckless shots and their approach to setting and chasing totals left a lot to be desired. We often saw batmen losing their wickets to unnecessary shot making when all that was required was finding gaps in the field to take singles.

It is befuddling how batsmen in this region seem unable to grasp the simple equation that five or six singles an over interspersed with the occasional four or six from poor deliveries can easily get them centuries and their teams 300 runs in 50 overs. Take for example, what happened in the finals. Tino Best and Kemar Roach, two bowlers from Barbados who have represented the West Indies, needed one run from 73 deliveries to win the final. Instead of taking a sensible approach of waiting for the right ball or a wide or a no ball to come along, they went for a suicidal single and ended up throwing away what was a very easy win.

One run from 73 deliveries and they panicked. This is the kind of mental breakdown that has caused many West Indies teams in recent times to lose matches they should have won. What this speaks to is the absence of strategies or if there are, the inability of the players to execute those strategies.

What this boils down to is that there are very grave concerns about the state of the region’s cricket and the players who play the game. Cricket is a thinking man’s game, and if these current players are incapable of strategic thought then we are in for a very long wait before we can return to a time when smart cricket is played in the West Indies.

Sammy has the chance to put pep back into Windies play

Darren Sammy became the first St. Lucian to be named captain of the West Indies cricket team and in the worst of times. It’s been 15 years since the West Indies lost the Frank Worrell Trophy to Australia in 1995. Since that time it has been all downhill for the Caribbean team. During that time the West Indies have lost more Test matches than they had won between 1928 and 1995. That’s more than 71 Test matches lost in the last 15 years. Seventeen of those have come under the watch of outgoing captain Chris Gayle who had been captain for 20 Tests over the past three years.
Many who still remain interested in West Indies cricket find it easy to blame the board for the region’s woes, and they wouldn’t be wrong. During the West Indies’ 20-year dominance of world cricket, the board spent more time wallowing in ineptitude and insularity than they did creating a framework upon which they could make it possible for the Caribbean to continue to churn out the loads of talent that it had become accustomed to not realizing that the world was changing. Teams like Australia, India, England, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand were retooling, changing strategies as they sought to topple the West Indies from its lofty perch.

To this day, the board continues to struggle to find a path for change. In the meantime, cricket lost youngsters to emerging sports like basketball and football. Back in the 1990s when cable broke into the Caribbean market, athletes like Michael Jordan broke into the consciousness of kids in the region, who had begun to develop a strong interest in basketball. It was also about that time that Jamaica’s galvanizing World Cup 1998 campaign was gathering momentum. Jamaica was seeking to become the first English-speaking Caribbean team to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The energy surrounding the campaign was unprecedented and it infected the entire region and captivated the world.

All this while, cricket continued to struggle. The team was not so all-powerful anymore and the team had begun to lose and lose often.

Nobody likes losers so interest in regional cricket began to wane. Stands at cricket grounds across the region began to empty out. These days at a cricket match there are likely to be more players than spectators at games.
Cricket now is on life support and this is the time that Sammy has been handed the captaincy.
Otis Gibson has said Sammy’s appointment, primarily for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, came about largely because of the passion he has for the game. Sammy, while not the most talented cricketer and who has only played eight Tests to date, plays his cricket with the kind of passion rarely seen from this present set of West Indies players. Ask the average man on the street and he will tell you that even while it’s easy to blame the board for the ills affecting regional cricket, the players only seem to care about getting paid.

In these times when money is harder to come by all the players seem to be concerned about is how much more money they are entitled to despite the fact that because of them, the West Indies have now lost more Test matches than they have won. With Sammy, however, one gets the sense that he would play for free. The emotion with which he plays is palpable. One can feel his fire, his zest, his desire to give his all in pursuit of victory. The fist pumps when he gets a wicket, the unbridled joy when he hits a winning shot, the brow knitted in concentration as he gives his all as he tries to rescue the West Indies from inevitable defeat, are characteristics that have endeared him to fans right across the region.

Sammy might not be the best cricketer in the team but he doesn’t need to be. What he needs – as has been pointed out by coach Otis Gibson – is to maintain that passion with which he plays and hope that the players in the team, especially the younger ones become infected. If he can get the West Indies to play with the kind of fire that we used to see from them a generation ago, I believe we will start seeing people return to the cricket grounds. Add to that the ability to play smarter cricket, consistently good quality cricket, and I think that we will start seeing the team eke out a few more wins.

And with a new thrust coming from the board, through efforts like the Sagicor High Performance Centre, which it is hoped will start to produce quality players in the next two to three years, perhaps a little longer, as long as the passion remains the West Indies could get back into the top tier of world cricket.

Sammy, despite the challenges, could be the man to light that flame of passion that used to shine across the region. If he is, then he would not only be a hero in his homeland of St. Lucia. He would go down in history as the man who helped save West Indies cricket.

We wish him the best of luck.

Empty stands in Delhi

It is common knowledge that Indians are passionate about cricket. It is a sport that dominates the nation. Sachin Tendulkar is their hero, and MS Dhoni is rapidly becoming a national icon. The same can be said of the great Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev. Yes, India loves their cricketers, but what about other sports?
I suppose they like many international stars. We know they love Usain Bolt and that was why the Commonwealth Games organisers wanted so badly for Bolt to attend. The organisers were willing to pay the world’s fastest man millions so that he would be available for the 10-day event.
That was not to be and as such spectators have stayed away from the stadium hosting the track and field this past week. They have also stayed away from many of the other sporting events in Delhi. Empty stadia has become the norm as the Commonwealth Games enters its second week.
We were told that when the track and field started last week, there was about 10,000 in the JN Stadium. Gleaner reporter Andre Lowe said that it was a good day in terms of fan support. Oh, did I mention that the 10,000 turned out in a stadium built to accommodate 60,000? It was a virtual drop in the bucket.
It has been the same for the swimming, netball, and all the 15 other sports that are being contested.
I suppose you could argue that the absence of the major track stars may have kept the crowds away from the athletics, but how do you explain the other sports?
Mike Fennell, while justifying why India was awarded the games, suggested that the country is the largest in the Commonwealth with a population of 1.2 billion and it was inevitable that India would be awarded the games.
But what did the people of India want? Based on their response to the games so far, they are not interested in the Commonwealth Games. The organizers cant even give tickets away.
Why? No one knows for sure. What is clear is that these games are clearly not what the people want. These Commonwealth Games, for all the US2.5 billion invested in them, still doesn’t make it cricket.

lerone clarke winning gold

As was expected, Jamaica’s track and field athletes were expected to carry the burden at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. So far, with a team comprised primarily of some this island’s lesser known athletes, they have won all of Jamaica’s medals to date and there is little chance of a medal coming from any other sport. The swimmers, for all their valiant efforts are done. The boxers have been pummeled into submission and the table tennis team were never going to be in the medal hunt. That leaves the netball team, that is in the hunt for a medal. In 2006, all but one of the 22 medals Jamaica won, came from the track and field athletes.
So far, Jamaica has three medals, two gold and a silver, courtesy of Lerone Clarke, (100 metres), Trecia Smith (Triple Jump) and Dorian Scott (Shot Putt).
Clarke is not a household name in Jamaica. This despite him being a member of Jamaica’s successful sprint relay teams that features five of the fastest men in the world – Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Yohan Blake, Nesta Carter and Michael Frater. It’s easy to see why he has been overshadowed. People have come up to me here in Jamaica and asked who is this Lerone Clarke? So you can imagine what the Indians and the rest of the world are thinking. Hopefully, now that he is the Commonwealth Games champ, he will get some well-deserved recognition.
Smith, the 2005 World Triple Jump champion, is still not well known here in Jamaica. Even after her victory in Helsinki, many people weren’t even sure who she was. This, I believe has a lot to with the fact that she lives in the United Kingdom and is only seen here in Jamaica at the National Championships. That and the fact that she has spent too much time being injured and not enough in actual competition, which makes her – somewhat unfairly – forgettable.
And speaking of being injured,  Dorian Scott has spent a lot of time between major meets recovering from major injury. Still, he remains loyal to his country and continues to come through in moments like these. That for me, makes him very memorable.
I am not sure if we will be winning any more medals on the track for the remainder of these games what with the spate of injuries and near misses being experienced by our lesser known athletes but with the exception of a few, who have reportedly quit in the face of minor adversity, the athletes have done better than certainly I expected.
Sure, we didn’t send our stars but based on what I have seen so far we have done very well.
While saying that I will correct myself by saying that Nickeisha Wilson has a great shot at a medal in the 400-metre hurdles. She has come into her own late this season and we wish her well.
We can only hope people like Oshane Bailey and Ramone McKenzie can overcome their niggles and give Jamaica a shot at the men’s sprint relays. It would be just reward for them all to get a medal in the event.
Of course, I couldn’t close without mentioning the near misses by Errol Keddo in the 110 hurdles who finished fourth by .01 seconds, Zara Northover who was fourth in the shot putt, and Peaches Roach who was fourth in the heptathlon. These are stars in the making and it will only be a matter of time before their glow will be noticed by all.

Clarke seen winning gold, has been outstanding for Jamaica but gets little recognition

German-born Jamaican tennis player Dustin Brown on Sunday became the first-ever Jamaican to to with an ATP Tennis Tournament. He partnered with Dutchman Rogier Wassen to win the doubles title at the Open de Mosselle in Metz, France.

You might remember that Brown – just a few weeks ago – made his mark on the singles circuit when he became the first Jamaican to make it to the second round of the US Open before he was ousted by one of the top seeds, Britain’s Andy Murray.

Brown has been at odds with Tennis Jamaica for a while now. To make a long story short, he doesn’t like the way they do things and even suggested that he would only consider burying the hatchet if the organisation fires Tennis Director Douglas Burke.

That is not about to happen so Brown has been considering representing Great Britain and cutting all ties to Jamaica. All is not yet lost as newly elected president of Tennis Jamaica Aubyn Hill has and is reaching out to Brown and his mother/manager to explore possible ways to mend the deep divide that exists within the organisation and who is Jamaica’s most successful player to date.

But why should we care whether Brown takes his considerable, unique but still not fully developed tennis skills elsewhere?

Here’s why. Jamaicans are already blessed with athletic skill but not everyone is going to become the fastest man or woman in the world, Theodore Whitmore, John Barnes, or Allan ‘Skill’ Cole or Veronica Campbell Brown or Melaine Walker.  As it is with other sports that Jamaicans pursue, tennis needs a  hero; someone who can lead the way, opening doors for kids who believe that they could have a future in the sport.

Just like how the success of athletes like Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser and Veronica Campell Brown, has inspired many kids to embark on what they hope to be successful careers in track and field, young tennis players need someone to look to for that inspiration.

Since Bolt’s success in Beijing coaches island-wide have reported significant increases in the number of students who have turned out to represent their school teams at Champs. If Brown continues to do well, he will no doubt inspire local kids to want to go far in tennis. But as long as the relationship between Tennis Jamaica and Brown remains hostile, there is nothing to be gained.

Brown needs to be convinced that things are changing. He needs to be convinced that his story could be one that would serves as the template of sorts for others to follow. As Tennis Jamaica embarks on its programme to introduce and re-introduce tennis in schools across the island, many kids who have not been exposed to what one can achieve by pursuing a professional career in the sport, will quickly lose interest.

However, meeting someone like Brown, who alongside his athletic skills also possesses an infectious personality, could be all a child needs to find his own inner fire and chart a path to success. Of course, Tennis Jamaica would have to play some part in making that possible.

But none of this happens unless Brown is brought on board and is convinced that he can be an integral part of the change in Tennis Jamaica he so desperately craves.

Dustin Brown can make a difference but he must be first convinced to remain Jamaican

Mike Fennell's heart will flutter much over the next two weeks

Jamaica’s team  of athletes is on its way to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and its funny, but I am not thinking about how they will perform. No, at this point whether the track and field athletes will do well, whether the netballers will medal, whether the swimmers or the boxers will exceed expectations, is not at the forefront of my mind.

Over the past week or so Delhi and the Indian government have been embarrassed by a series of events that put the Games at risk. Among them were an outbreak of dengue, reports of an ‘uninhabitable’ athletes’ village, a collapsed bridge near the main venue, and a collapsed ceiling in the weightlifting facility. Not to mention the Taiwanese tourists that were killed by motorcycle riding terrorists. All of a sudden it feels as if we should be awarding our athletes with medals for just being getting back home alive and well.

These games will cost the Indian government approximately US$2.5 billion, and that tab could rise to as high as US$15 billion, but nobody will give a hoot if any of the athletes from the 71 participating countries such ever become critically ill or harmed as they represent their respective nations from October 3-14.

From Jamaica’s perspective, virtually none of our star athletes will be attending, primarily because of the timing of the Games. It’s the off-season after a very long track season and next year is a championship year so all of our biggest stars have opted to stay away. And its a good thing because the worry factor would have been so much greater. That’s not to say that we are not concerned about the athletes who will be representing us at these Games.

The beloved Sunshine Girls, our swimmers, boxers and emerging track stars will always be at the forefront of our minds while they compete just like the athletes from the other countries who many feel are putting their lives on the line just by being in Delhi.

Mike Fennell, the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, has to put on a brave face and show support for the Indians but even he was upset last week when everything seemed to be going wrong in Delhi. I suspect that his heart will flutter often over the next two weeks as the athletes arrive and try to settle in the village where last week human excrement was everywhere and stagnant water harboured dangerous disease, and as they try to stay alive and well for the duration of the Games.

We can only pray that everything goes well, for I fear it will be a very long two weeks for all the athletes from all the participating countries who are now on their way to India.

Starting this week you will begin to see blogs about other sports rather than just about track and field. I feel compelled to bring about this change because there are so many other issues in sport that I would like to wade into.
Take the issue of reports that West Indies allrounder Trinidadian Dwayne Bravo opting to turn down the central contract he was offered by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
On the face of it, it is his right to turn down the contract if he wants and – as the report suggests – attempt to become a freelance cricketer. He will now shop his skills around the world and try to earn as much money as he can. No problem with that.

Here is what I have a problem with. If you look around the world right now, at the very best cricketers, all have central contracts playing for their respective countries. Some very good ones may be freelancing only because of the depth of their countries’ cricketing talents and as such, unable to get an offer for a contract, shop their skills around.
Bravo is different. He is considered one of best cricketers in the region and as such was offered a contract. In doing refusing to sign, I believe he has spit in the face of the WICB and the people of the West Indies.
We all understand that the constant bickering between the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) that represents the player’s interests and the West Indies Cricket Board can be a turn off, but when one declines an offer to represent the West Indies, it is nothing short of a slap in the face. It further confirms my belief that players of this era of West Indies Cricket, have lost sight of why we play cricket, of why we strive to be the best in the world. It’s not just for them, but for the people of the region who have railed against the colonial masters who once ruled us. True, we may now be independent but the principle still remains central to the success of the team. And that is perhaps why we now do so poorly in that regard, because money has now replaced the long-held traditions and spirit that fueled the way we played.
This mercenary behaviour can only do harm in that it sets a bad example for upcoming cricketers who may choose to follow suit further weakening an already weakened West Indies. I am well aware that careers in sport are short and Bravo may see where it best serves his cause to gather as much money as he can now so that his life can be better after his playing days are done, but this somehow doesn’t sit well with me.

It suggests greed over ‘country’, self over all else and that is never a good sign from anyone.

Kieron Pollard, too, has declined a contract from the WICB but you know what, for all his big hitting, that’s not such a bad deal because he still cant bat. And for all his big hitting until he learns how to, has very little to offer to the great legacy that is West Indies cricket; a legacy that is clearly now under serious threat.

Mercenary Bravo: Free as a bird to shop his skills around.

Mercenary Bravo: Free as a bird to shop his skills around

Athletes like Smith will need the work after coming off injury

Jamaica will send a strong netball team, a hockey team in the process of rebuilding and some of our best swimmers to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India starting October 4.
However, as the country defending all the sprint titles from 2006, Jamaica’s track and field team will be third rate. I am saying this not to disrespect the track and field team that will represent Jamaica, but given the talent at our disposal, talent that will NOT be attending the Games, it is safe to assume that the team named last week, is by no means our best team.
And this is not to blame the athletes (those not attending) or the administration but when one considers that Jamaica will be defending all the sprint titles – Asafa Powell in the 100 metres (men), Shelly Ann Brooks, 100 metres (women); Omar Brown, 200 metres (men), Sherone Simpson, 200 metres (women); Brigette Foster 100 metre hurdles (women); plus the men and women sprint relay titles – Jamaica’s team going into Delhi is a shadow of the powerhouse team that went sent to Melbourne four years ago.
The storyline for the netballers is intriguing. Can Jamaica avenge its recent embarrassing losses to Australia and New Zealand and totally dominate England who came into Jamaica and tied their two-game series with the home girls?

Oshane Bailey will get his chance to shine in Delhi

But while netball has been Jamaica’s best team sport, track has become the pulse of the nation. Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Shelly Ann Fraser, Sherone Simpson, Veronica Campbell Brown, Jermaine Gonzales, are not only some of the best athletes in the Commonwealth, they are among the best in the world.
As such emerging athletes like Oshane Bailey, Lerone Clarke, Yanique Boothe, Shanna Thomas and others will get a chance to shine or be exposed. Is Jamaica’s talent as deep as we really believe it to be?
But why are we sending this weakened team?
From where I sit, it comes down to bad-timing and bad location. The Commonwealth Games starts the first week of October. That is when most athletes, save for the Australians, begin their preparations for the next season. And next season is a championship season. The World Championships will be on in South Korea. It is a stage where athletes create or build upon their reputations and as such it will take precedence over performing meets like the Commonwealth Games.
But before we even get there, this year’s Games come at the end of a long track season and we all know that tired or under-prepared athletes are most likely to get hurt. When they would organisers stage these Games at this time? I think too much thought went into the location and not the athletes and as India is now discovering, without the athletes the Games are nothing – at least not for the fans of track and field who want to see the best athletes take the track in meets like these.
The Indian organizers knew this and which is why they were willing to shell out millions to lure Usain Bolt to participate. The only trouble is Bolt is busy building his legacy as the greatest sprinter of all time and unfortunately, the timing of the Commonwealth Games makes it one that Bolt will have to overlook; as are our other stars.
But this situation is not unique to Jamaica. Right across the Commonwealth athletes have been and are pulling out of the Commonwealth Games and for similar reasons. Those who are not recovering from injury are trying not to become injured.
Of course, Maurice Smith, who participates in the decathlon will be there representing Jamaica as well as Dorian Scott and Trisha Smith, athletes who are returning from injury and who need the competition as they prepare for next year’s Worlds.
Others, athletes who are less likely to represent Jamaica next year, will get their chance to start building their reputations hoping that their turn to shine will come in the next two or three years.
We wish them the best as they go forth representing the deepening pool of athletes that Jamaica has been producing.

Of this record-setting four, Michael Frater (second right) could find himself outside looking in next season

Nesta Carter is now number seven all time in the men’s 100-metre dash. When he ran 9.85s in Brussels on Friday, he put himself not far away from the elite-three Bolt, Gay and Powell, but he also now finds himself .01 seconds behind Donovan Bailey, who not that long ago – set a world record of 9.84s in Olympics finals in 1996. You know you are among the big guns when you start easing past world records set in the last 20 years.
However, despite his achievements over the past few weeks – 9.86s in Lucerne on August 8 and 9.85s in Brussels, there has been little fanfare. Maybe because we have been spoiled by Powell and Bolt who together have run below 9.80 14 times between them, we have come to expect the sensational from our other sprinters.
Whatever it is though, Carter joining the ranks of the world fastest ever men augurs well for Jamaica in the 2011 season.
Only six men have run faster than 9.90 seconds so far this season and four of them are Jamaican. If everyone can stay healthy and perhaps improve upon their performances come 2011, Jamaica is going to be truly awesome by the time the world championships come around next summer.
Beginning at the National Championships next June, the finals of the men’s 100 metres is going to be stacked. Bolt (9.58); Powell (9.72); Carter (9.85); and Blake (9.89) should all be vying for a spot to represent Jamaica in the men’s 100 metres. Bolt, as defending champion, gets an automatic bye, so those other three, plus Michael Frater (9.97), Steve Mullings (10.01); Marvin Anderson, Lerone Clarke (9.99); Mario Forsythe (10.09); plus a few others will all be contending.
But going forward to the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea, defending 4×100 metre champions could be going in with perhaps one of the deepest relay quads in history and could push their own world record of 37.10s to perhaps 36.6, or 36.7, perhaps even faster depending how how fast they can get that stick around.
That, as well as possibly having four men in the finals of the men’s 100 metres. Barring injury or other unforseen circumstances, Bolt and Powell should make the finals, and based on what we have seen from the likes of Carter and Blake, they could be joining their more celebrated countrymen there as well. This leaves spots for perhaps two Americans, Tyson Gay and Walter Dix (if he can overcome his demons), perhaps Richard Thompson from Trinidad and a healthy Donovan Bailey from Antigua. The latter two have both failed to run faster than 10 seconds this season but based on their pedigree, I expect them to be back to full speed by next season.
Based on the aforementioned field, Jamaica could have four men in the top 5 spots following the completion of that final. Here are my picks based on current form Gold – Usain Bolt; Silver Tyson Gay; Bronze Asafa Powell, fourth Nesta Carter/Yohan Blake; fifth Yohan Blake/Nesta Carter.
I cant wait.

Usain Bolt just inked a deal with PUMA that the shoe and apparel company claims makes him the highest paid track and field history.
Most media reports suggest that the deal amounts to about US$10 million a year or about J$850 million – good money by any standard.
Bolt’s manager Norman Peart confirmed on my show – Sportsnation Live on Nationwide 90fm – this week that there is a licensing component to the deal, that my sources tell me could earn the fastest man in history more than US$100 million. That’s a lot of cheese.
Here is how I come to this conclusion.
Puma is about to launch another line of apparel with the Bolt logo and for this Bolt gets a percentage of the sales of those apparel. Puma is also going to launch a new line of shoes for Bolt as well. If you recall after Bolt broke the world record in the 100-metre sprint in Beijing, China at the 28th Olympiad, Puma experienced a significant spike in shoe sales. There is also a fragrance coming out with Bolt’s name attached.
According to Forbes Magazine Puma intends to grow its revenues from about US$2.5 billion to about US$4 billion. I would suspect that the sale of Bolt apparel would contribute significantly to those projected earnings.
If we assume that Bolt commands 10-15 percent of the licensing on those products that have his name attached, the athlete stands to earn quite significantly if Puma achieves its objectives.
Bolt is already one of the most popular athletes in the world. His exploits over the last two years setting five world records in the last two major meets – the Olympics and the World Championships – have made him one of the most influential athletes in the world of sport. His media market value was estimated at more than $350 million. It’s safe to say then that should Bolt surpass his own records next year in Daegu, South Korea, Bolt could easily become as big a global star as Michael Jordan or a Tiger Woods. Puma could ride his coat-tails to unprecedented levels of success and make Bolt even richer than he is now. This would be especially true if Bolt can set the world alight on the biggest of stages at the Olympics in London in 2012.
He is already extremely popular in the UK so success in London could conceivably make Bolt as rich as any sport star in any sport in history. It seems no matter where you turn Bolt’s greatness cannot be denied.