‘Sunsational’ Faith Captures Sports Championships...Sunshine Crew Shines Again

‘Sunsational’ Faith Captures Sports Championships...

Sunshine Crew Shines Again

July 28, 2010, Kingston, Jamaica

Team Faith defied all the odds and dethroned defending champions Team Love to capture the Grace Tropical Rhythms Trophy at the 10th Annual Sports Championships. Team Faith hard work and persistence paid off. Faith captured the championships by amassing 2380 points. Faith delivered and boasted 14 track gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze medals. Faith’s performance was also golden off the track and won another 8 gold medals in the quality awards, a total of 23 gold medals.

The Victory was nine years in the making. Team Faith was the proverbial bride’s maid, placing second for a record five times and perpetual pre-season favourites for a record eight times. However, Team Faith just could not find the winning formula to secure another victory as they did in 2001. In 2009 Faith recorded their closest bid on the title when they placed second behind five times champions Team Hope. They scored 3285 points, the highest points earned by the team in ten years.

Faith entered Sports Champs 2010 as pre-seasoned favourites and again the predication was for a sure victory. Faith’s impressive and historic capture of the championship was reminiscent of the victory of Wolmer’s Boys at the centennial ISSA-GRACE Boys and Girls Champs. Both Team Faith and Wolmer’s Boys wore maroon and gold. Both won the first title of the inaugural game. And both were returning as champions at a significant anniversary meet. Wolmer’s the 100th game and Team Faith the 10th game.

Faith walked in the valley from 2005-2007. Each year Team Faith could only managed to place a distant second, well behind in points of five times champions Team Hope. Team Hope won the title a record five times consecutively from 2004-2008. Faith suffered the worst defeat of the championships in 2008 when they placed second with 1850 points losing by a huge deficit of 1000 points behind Team Hope who won the championships by 2850.

But the valley experience restored their faith. The championship fortunes of Team Faith were to start changing in 2009. Team Faith’s athletes from Central Branch All Age had firmly set their sights and were determined in their hearts that Team Faith could once again be the title holders and the champion team. During Sports Champs 2009, the Faith eagles from Central Branch All Age came and registered outstanding performances that fueled the dream of taking the title. They entered champs 2009 as the favourites and the experts predicted a Faith victory.

They proved to be a powerful fire storm and lead in the points standing all day. However, Faith’s fire faded in the last stages of the championship. Team Love dominated the relays and won the championships, upstaging Team Faith and dethroning Team Hope.

The 2009 team included Rohan Walker (captain), Cannigga Williams, Oshane Shaw, Saralee Roberts, Sheneil McNeil and Kay-Ann Ralston. After placing second in a closely contested meet, the Central Branch athletes predicted that Team Faith would once again be title holders and champions in 2010. All season they were competing in several meets on the local track and field circuit. During this time Rohan Walker was burning up the tracks and setting records at various meets. The big question emerged, “who would beat Rohan Walker at Sports Champs 2010”. That question was never answered until months later. Team Faith was now fully prepared, motivated, and quite hungry for another championship victory. Then the announcement came for the theme for Sports Champs 2010. It was “Believe... Reach…Achieve”. The first part of the theme, believe refers to faith and the members of Team faith started to believe in things impossible.

Faith suffered several setbacks even before taking the tracks, Firstly, Sports Champs was rescheduled due to the state of emergency. The much publicized date of May 29, 2010 had to be changed. The new date was set for June 26, 2010. Then the challenges came again. The state of emergency was extended beyond the new date. Added to the dilemma was a pending tropical storm. Would there be a Sports champs 2010, was the big question. However, there was light at the end of the tunnel. The determination and resilience of the organizers ensured that Sports Champs was still on. Despite, the heavy rains days before champs, the organizers was still busy preparing for the event. The date came and on Saturday June 26, 2010 champs was good to go.

Team faith members journeyed from several parishes and communities to St. Andrew High School, St. Andrew. The athletes of Team faith not only burned the tracks with electrifying performances but also were on their best behavior. Thus ensuring Team Faith would be in the hunt for wining the quality awards. Their outstanding display of team spirit and cooperation, and the vibrancy of their cheers help Faith to capture eight of nine quality awards. Team Hope captured the coveted Fair Play award. Team captain Rohan Walker was sensational. No one could match his athletic brilliance. No one offered any competition. The golden quartet of Shennare Williams, Keelia Parkinson, Saralee Roberts and Chevel Walker were impressive.

The questions were finally answered. Firstly, there was no one to beat Rohan Walker who was again crowned champion boy and athlete of the champs. Secondly and most importantly would there be a Sports Champs given the state of emergency, pending tropical storm and lack of adequate funding. Yes, indeed. With great faith in the mighty God, there was nothing stopping Sports Champs 2010.

Sports Champs 2010 championship title was now firmly in the possession of a team that believed they could be champions. Team Faith athletes believed that all things are possible and that faith can fuel the passion for producing great champions. Faith was once again on the mountain top celebrating athletic excellence.