Kirsty Coventry not the only white person in Zimbabwe sport

It is astounding when some people choose to wear their ignorance on the sleeve like a badge of honour.

Yesterday some obscure never-heard-off journalist named Mark O'Toole penned an article in which he claimed our beloved Kirsty Coventry was the only unifying force in Zimbabwe. He of the Toole never bothers to make it clear why he considers Kirsty a unifying force.

I could only imagine that somewhere in the recesses of his mind, Mark had this racist idea that there was some huge divide between blacks and whites of which Kirsty was the last tendon holding things together.

That is the point where Mr O'Toole's parade of ignorance begins. He obviously has little or no knowledge of Zimbabwe's recent sporting landscape. Otherwise he would have known that Zimbabwe's current national cricket team is captained by a well loved white lad name Brendan Taylor.He might also have known that the same team has long list of white players Charles Coventry, Malcolm Waller, Craig Ervine, Sean Williams, Greg Lamb, Keegan Meth, Kyle Jarvis, Ed Rainsford, Ray Price and Graeme Cremer.

I wonder what these lads will think upon learning that they are busy tearing Zimbabwe apart and Kirsty Coventry is the only one holding things together.

Mark also mentions some of Zimbabwe's recent cricketers who fell out with the authorities after bringing political activism to the sport. I would suggest that he go and ask Peter Norman, Tommie Smith and John Carlos what happens when you make a political statement, at a sporting event, that the authorities of the day don't agree with.

Note that I am not passing judgement on Henry Olonga and Andy Flower. All I am saying is that it happens, and only time will tell on which side of history a particular act will fall. I am sure Mark O'Toole knows what judgement the passage of time has bestowed on the three participants from the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. I not saying time will pass the same judgement on the two Zimbambwe cricketers. Sometimes time does not even bother to pass a judgement, only letting things pass into the realm of the forgotten.

I am also not sure why he of the Toole, does not mention other white sports persons who were fetted by the Zimbabwe in recent years. The tennis playing Black siblings - Byron, Wayne and Cara - come to mind.

Yes I will agree that Kirsty brings some very positive news for herself and for her country, Zimbabwe. It seems Mark made a very concious effort to be negative about Zimbabwe even when the situation that presented itself was positive.

Such an overly negative drive by some journalists, is part of the problem in Zimbabwe.