They were Keith Rock of Barrouallie, Steve King of Bottom Town/Rose Place, Taz Burgin of Montrose and Ord Ballentyne of Frenches. These guys ensure they get the day off from work, or they made it their business to get a couple hours off to attend the Sport meet at the end. But why, you may ask.
These four men love athletic, they trained all year round. At the time they were the four fastest men in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, at the 100 meters. There were no other outlet for them to compete. So they trained all year, waited patiently, and they looked forward to Secondary School Sport Season to come around.
For these men their diamond league were: the Girl High School sport day, the Boy Grammar School sport day, Convent School Sport day, St. Martens, Timmy, Emanuel Barrouallie etc school athletics meet.
Then they all went to their Olympic meet; which was: The Inter-Secondary School Athletic meet. When ever the announcement was made, "next will be the One hundred (100) Meters men invitational race." These men were ready.
Although the field was stacked with competitors, these four men stood out. Each man had a loyal and dedicated following, which made up primarily of: athletic enthusiast from their neighborhood who followed them around.
Their fans took the race much more serious than the athletes ever did. Everyone wanted to build up as much momentum in the individual school meet, to go into the Inter-Secondary School Sport meet at the top of their game.
There was an Isolated but interesting incident, I witnessed one year. The year I don't remember. At one of the School meet at Victoria Park, the Invitational race was about to start, Taz Burgin was missing.
The spectators began to ask where was Taz. Some people began to jokingly accused Taz of Running, because he knew he cannot beat, Rock, some said Ord, some people said King. It was nice clean fun, everyone was trying to put their guy over at Taz's experience. The truth was Taz was at work and could not left on this occasion.
However, there was one in the crowd who did not think. the crowd's ragging on Taz was funny. This young man was a prolific student athlete, also from the Montrose area, who graduated a year earlier. I guess, like the big four, he was bitten by the bug for running the others were bitten by. He was now confronted, with the same obstacle that attracted Ord, Taz, Rock, King and the other to the Secondary School Athletics Meet. No other opportunity to compete was available, in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
A voice came out of nowhere and said, I will represent my brother. Out of the Crowd of onlookers; who were now gathered on the field, to get a close up and first hand view of the big race; walked Arbrey Burgin, spikes in hand as serious as a bull. Arbery still a teenager, voluntarily took on the responsibility not only to represent his community; but his family in defense of his brother's honor.
Arbrey did not win that race but, he was able to beat some of the regular, who were not mentioned in this piece. This marked Arbrey's introduction into the Secondary School Athletic Sport Invitational Circuit.
Have anything changes in SVG over the past 35 + years? Where is progress and we expect Shafiqua Maloney,Oly to win Gold.
