 Yeah, back on the Sportsman's own, guess what? It's that time again, when Jomenka's sporting heroes aren't to be recognized for their achievements over the calendar year. The RGR Sports Foundation, organizers of the National Sports Awards, have announced the candidates for the two major awards, Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year. And once again, debate rages about the proliferation of track and field athletes. Of the ten nominees, eight are from track and field. On the men's side, the only non-track and field competitor is ran-across driver Fraser Mcconnell. Here's that list. Antonia Watson, the world 400 champion. Hansa Parchment, the world championship silver medalist in the sprint hurdles. Tashay Gale, world championship bronze medalist in the long jump. Jahil Hyde, the Pan-American Games 400 meter hurdles champion. Mcconnell and Wayne Pinot, the world championship long jump silver medalist. To the women's list we go now. Let of course by Sharika Jackson, the world 200 champion. Daniel Williams, the world 100 meter hurdles champion. Shelly and Fraser Price, the world 100 bronze medalist. Rochelle Clayton, the world 400 meter hurdles bronze medalist. And Janelle Fowler, can I call her the best shooter in the world of netball and the bronze medalist at the world championships with the Sunshine Girls. So let's discuss the perceived bias towards track and field athletes with many fans disappointed that the likes of Sunshine Girls, Shamira Sterling or Regga Girl, Khadija Bohnishaw or just about anyone from the Regga Girls historic round of 16 side at the World Cup did not make the short list. Sportsmax.tv editor Lytton Levy joins us via zoom as we pick up this discussion. Lytton Levy, I personally have a lot to say on this topic, but I want to hear you first because that is what a good host does. They allow the guests to go first. All right, Ricardo, okay. So there is this perception, which is passionately true. And here's why. When the awards started in 1961, right, that's 63 years ago now. The first two winners were for 20 grand, the boxer and young Yvonne Foster, I think her name was from table tennis, she was eight years old, I think at the time. Over the years, what we've seen, especially among the men, is that there have been periods where non-track and field athletes have won that award. My column, 84 to 87, I think it was Bonick Percy Hills. A couple of summers, I think Philip Alexander was one year more recently. Nicholas Walters and Courtney Walsh and Chris Gale. Among the women, however, it's been more track and field has dominated a lot more with the likes of Merley, Naughty Dominant, for a long period of time. Veronica Campbell-Brown and of course, Noah Shadyan for the price. And others, I mean, you know, like William Thompson-Hero. So there's a perception that track and field dominates, but the reality is- No, hold on, hold on, hold on, Layton, I just want to, track and field does dominate. I don't think that's a perception. There is a perception that there is an unfair bias with the dominance that track and field has. And that's the part I want you to address, whether you feel there is an unfair bias towards track and field. I'm coming to that because here's the thing. Let me coach this by saying that I do believe that there needs to be a few new categories in the awards. For example, there should be a team award for the best team. For example, when you look at the regular girls, what they did this year, historically making the quarterfiles at women's World Cup. When you look at the netball team, the bronze medal for the first time, medal for the first time in 16 years in the netball World Cup, those that should be a specific category. The lacrosse team is number, they're finished eighth in the world in lacrosse championships. So you're looking at a situation where there are more teams involved now. Is the bias unfair? Not necessarily, Ricardo, because here's the thing. Getting to a major championship is one thing, right? As the girls did, the regular girls did getting to the World Cup, qualifying for the World Cup, which in itself is significant. Getting to the quarterfiles, which in itself is also even more significant. But how do you top someone who goes to the pinnacle of the sport in their respective field and wins? Because then that's what you're up against. You're looking up against, for example, a regular girls team that finished in the top 16 in the world. You're looking against a netball team that finished top three in the world. But how do you top an individual, for example, who wins at the very top of the sport? So it's not necessarily a non-fear bias. But what it is is that the track and field athletes, especially the last 30 years or so, have taken the sport to a brand new level. The other sports are beginning to catch up. And what I agree is that there should be more inclusiveness in the award. I don't think necessarily that there's a deliberate bias towards track and field in the sense that the track and field athletes are the ones that are winning gold medals at the very highest level. So how can you say that there's an unfair bias for those who are saying so? What I think they should say or should be clamoring for is more inclusiveness in terms of how the awards are dispensed among the athletes across the board in Jamaica. Because there are many athletes who play in team sports that will never get individual recognition. But let's go back to 1997 when Deon Burton won Sportsman of the Year award for the work that he did in helping the regular boys to get to the 98 World Cup. So it's what I'm saying. So if they have if they should include team sports more and use different metrics for individual performances, for example, you mentioned Shabir Sterling, Latanya Wilson, for example, award who were outstanding in the Sun Corp Super League. That's a league competition. The criteria for the awards are global, international, regional, domestic. And what it is is that when you look at where the track and field athletes are accomplishing their their their their their meeting their accomplishments is at the global level, which then outweighs everything else beneath it. So what I think needs to happen is that they need to be more inclusive in adding perhaps team categories and within those team categories, individual performances within those team categories that will then balance the thing a little bit more and create the not create yet to remove the perception that track and field is unfairly. It's the awards unfairly biased track and field athletes. So I think you can look at it from both ways. But when you look when you when you drill down into it, I think the reality is that is the mere fact is that the track and field athletes are the best, the very best in the world, while in the rest of the other sports, they are among the best, which is a significant difference. Yeah, well, let's have a look at the criteria then. Shall we lay it in because I think once you look at this, you see that a lot of these decisions are quite easy for those on the panel of the RGR Sports Foundation and you have hit the nail perfectly on the hit. So this is level one now. Distinguished achievement or honor earned at the level of the Olympic Games or at the level of any recognized world championships, which can be a comparison to the Olympic Games or to competitors who have achieved a record world standard in their sport or event during the review period. So and there is level two now. Distinguished achievement or honor earned at the Commonwealth or Pan American level in their sport during the review period. And level three. Distinguished achievement or honor earned at the Central American and Caribbean level in their sport during the review period. And there's a level four distinguished achievement or honor earned at the local level in their sport during the review period. So when you look at the criteria latent, it becomes very clear as you have pointed out that the track and field athletes are the ones operating as the very best in the world. What I think has happened over time is because the track and field athletes have been so consistent that the fans have become a little bit bored and in some cases are judging them based on their own history as opposed to judging them against the other individuals that they're going up against. So let me get a little bit more specific than Leighton Levy. In 2023, did the RGR Sports Foundation get the nominations correct for sportsman and sportswoman of the year? For the most part, I do believe there has been an argument that Cadizia Bonichor should have been nominated among the women and I agree that she should have been. Oh dear. Why? Because she was the leading scorer going into the to help the team qualify for the World Cup. She got to the World Cup and basically did nothing. So that I think was a mark against her. But Leighton Levy, when was that World Cup qualification period? It wasn't 2023, was it? That was 2022. So those performances would not count for a 2023 nomination. Point taken as well. Despite that Leighton, I have to add this because I am very upset about Cadizia being left out as well. Leighton, we kind of disregard what she's been doing and how she's been representing the country for Manchester City. And I mean, yes, Manchester City is not a Jamaican club, but she's putting the country on an international stage. You know, she's won the Golden Boot for Manchester City. Of course, she's gone up now. She's been nominated for Ballon d'Or. When we think about men's Ballon d'Or, we think Lionel Messi. So for me, do we disregard all the things Leighton that she's been doing apart from for her country? No, which is my point. I'm saying she should have been nominated. Would she have won? I don't think so. So hold on Levy and I want to take up both of yourself and Mariah on that point and I hear you. So yes, those are great achievements to be nominated for the Ballon d'Or. She finished 28th out of 32 competitors in the Ballon d'Or. If there was an equivalent of the Ballon d'Or in track and field, how much do you think Sharika Jackson would finish? Yeah? Well, we already know that. She is top five as she is on the shortlist for the World Athlete of the Year. Do those performances on the part of Khadija Shaw outweigh the performance of an athlete who is number one, number two, or number three in the world? Khadija Shaw, as brilliant as she is as a footballer, her performances, neither from Manchester City at the domestic level in England, or for Jamaica at the international level, does not make her a top three ranked footballer in the world, no matter how you argue that point. But every single athlete, and including the netballer, Janil Fawle, who has been nominated, have distinguished themselves to be among the top three in the world. So if you ask me, there is no way Khadija Shaw could have been nominated if the list is five for the 2023 Sportswoman of the Year award. I turn it over to you. You make a good point, Ricardo, but what I'm saying is that, and as Mariah mentioned, look, she has been outstanding in her field in the sport. And of course, she represented the country in the World Cup. And a team that went to the quarterfinals. But so is everybody else on, to the round of 16, but so is everybody else on the list, Leighton? Yeah, but let me finish my point. She's the leader of that team. So the reality is, for a nomination to recognize the work that she has done, there's a difference between a nominee and a country. I'm picking her, yeah. So the nomination would recognize her work, but the reality is that all athletes that were among the five would rank higher than she has been because they have been, as you said, the best in the world. So you should give her a token nomination, is what you're saying? I don't think you should give her a token. I don't think it's a token. Yes, but Leighton, if we have agreed that the five individuals who have been nominated deserve to be there based on their performances, then anyone else would have to be a token nomination. By the way, let me help you guys out because the player I believe was closest to a nomination would be Alison Swabie, a defensive juggernaut at the World Cup for Jamaica, where she kept what? Two clean sheets scored at the World Cup as well in a tournament that defensively, the reggae girls were brilliant. Swabie is the one for me that would have been closest to a nomination, but you still have to make a determination if her performances in Australia would outweigh the performances of the ladies who have been nominated. And that would be the question to you, Ricardo. Does she rank in the top five, as you said, in your long rebuttal a short while ago? Does her performance in Australia rank in the top five in the world? I think there's a stronger case for Swabie. Alison Swabie would be for Khadija Shull. Which is why I mentioned the team award, Ricardo, earlier. Because the reality is that the metrics as it relates to team sports are significantly different from the metrics in an individual performance sport. Because the reality is that Alison Swabie scored that goal against Panama in a team construct. While, for example, and of course when you look at the netball team, Shamira Sterling was outstanding defensively. Yeah, but hold on, I want to take off that point as well. Shamira wasn't great at the World Cup and neither was Jamaica defensively. And I think that is why Shamira Sterling has not been nominated at the World Cup. The Sunshine Girls were outside the top three in every single defensive department. And so was Shamira Sterling. And although the Sunshine Girls got a bronze medal, Shamira Sterling individually in that tournament was not great. Even though we all know she has the ability to be at the World Cup, she was not great. And so I don't know if she could genuinely displace any of the women who have been nominated. No, I'm not saying that she should. What I'm saying is that within a team construct, if they had a team award, then that would give them opportunity to be recognized within the team construct. Yes. Right? Individually, you're right. They didn't cover themselves in glory in that regard. But the reality is that the team itself did well, notwithstanding. So that's why I believe that there needs to be a team category, specifically for our team. Because what we've seen in the last 15 years or so is that there's an emergence of new, what else I don't know, non-traditional in Jamaica, non-traditional sports. Yeah, like across and stuff. And the netballers have been top three in the world forever. Yeah. Top four in the world at least. And the football team, the women's football team in the last two years have risen to a level where they're among the top 16 in the world based on their position in the World Cup. So what I'm saying is that there should be a team category that recognizes those performances. But it comes onto the individual performances though. You can't deny what the track and field athletes have done. Look, back in the 1980s, for example, Michael dominated the awards for almost half of the decade because he was the world champion, defended his title so many different times. He was clearly the best at what he did in the world. There was no male track and field athletes. There was no athlete from any other sport who could have surpassed his accomplishments. Similarly, Courtney Walsh, when he set the World Record, when he took 5,500 test wickets. And Alia Atkinson, late in the season. I think is the biggest one. She's won the female award three times and the only female non-track and field athlete to win since 1976. How did she do that? She did that by being the very best in the world, by breaking world records, by winning gold medals. And that's how you win the award. That's how you beat people who are the very best in the world. You two have to be the very best in the world, not number 16 in the world, not number 28 in the world. But you have to be number one. And in some cases, breaking world records. We're out of time, but by the way, I completely agree with you, Leighton, that the awards need to be restructured. They need additional categories like team of the year, team player of the year. And MVP of those teams. There you go. And you can decide whether you have an overall thing or you have a male-female award. But you need those because there needs to be more inclusivity for the other sports other than track and field. So very much with you on that point and completely agree. And that is where the discussion should be going. And not that there is an unfair bias towards people in track and field because simply put, the track and field athletes are just the best in the world and deserve everything they get. And they're not disputing that. Cool. Yeah, break time.