Calypso Soccer
Football's 'Reggae Boyz' eclipse Jamaica's cricket legacy
The rise of the Jamaican Football team caught the world's imagination with the self styled 'Reggae Boyz', who came from no-where to make it to the 1998 finals in France. But this success has come at a cost for Jamaica's more traditional sport: cricket.
The main reason for cricket's demise is that soccer has supplanted the sport as the national obsession. The youth in the ghettos of Trenchtown now mess about with a bigger ball, dreaming about scoring goals rather than taking wickets. Nothing beats success for inspiration, and since their recent triumph it's the football stars who are the toast of the ghettos. The Jamaican football stadium is packed with colour and noise, whilst the cricket grounds lie virtually empty. The world’s leading football clubs might do well to study the skill and dedication Jamaican youngsters bring to their sports.
Produced by ABC Australia
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