Trinidad and Tobago wins a World Cup of respect
Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors did a great job for their first World Cup. Though they return home disappointed at not having won the match and making it to the second round, they have succeeded at changing public opinion on an international scale. Going into this tournament we were dubbed ‘walkovers’, sure to lose and be beaten soundly in each match.
Not so!
We showed we had great players like Carlos Edwards, Dwight Yorke, Cornell Glen, Dennis Lawrence, Chris Burchell and Shaka Hislop (not forgetting Russell Latapy who played in the last match). We held Sweden to a draw. We gave England pressure, holding them to a draw until the 83rd minute, when a foul by Crouch broke the deadlock and a biased referee ensured that his decision-making always worked against the Warriors. Unfortunately, the Paraguay did not turn out as we wanted.
Now, instead of reading headlines that down us, one can pick up the Metro and read about ‘Brave T&T’. International, media columnists root for us, match panelists describe our efforts as brilliant, and keep saying that we have shown we deserved to be in the World Cup. Football fans in Germany and the world over have embraced us. Of course, the many fetes (parties) we hosted in Germany also helped the process.
The Soca Warriors changed public opinion through action, hard work, determination and a lot of passion. Within two weeks, Trinidad and Tobago was seen as a country filled with joyous, fun-loving yet determined, brave and passionate people. We are a people who celebrate each achievement no matter how small.
I’m sure that any public relations practitioner can appreciate the Soca Warriors’ successful campaign. After all, aren’t we taught that successful PR depends on substance and credibility supporting visibility?
This post is my dedication to the Warriors. I am so proud to be a Trini, so proud to be a Soca Warrior, so happy that God chose for me to be born in the beautiful Caribbean. See you in South Africa for World Cup 2010.
Thanks for blogging in.
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T & T brought great joy and huge determination to their matches. Don’t forget that cricketer Brian Lara added to your nation’s reputation too, speaking up for his friends in the football team.