strategies for a developing world…

What if Haitian Athletes Defected in China?

Ten Haitians or persons competing under the Haitian flag are competing in the Beijing Olympics which started on Friday August 8. However one would be hard pressed to find them on the official Olympics Committee site. The site is poorly structured and it does not seem to allow a search for individual athletes by just using the country for which they are competing as the keyword search term. Using bits of information culled from the official site and other sites, I have done the homework for you. At the end of the article, you will see the official information.

If there are indeed Haitian athletes in Beijing who decide to defect, I could not blame them. In the last 60 years, China has gone from a hardly developing country to a superpower which holds the fate of the United States in its hands. Modern cities, endowed with spectacular architectural and engineering achievements have sprung all over China while the country has spread its influence over the developed and developing world.

Meanwhile, Haiti remains saddled with a political economy and mindset that have barely moved past its forebearers’ brilliant exploits over French colonial slavery 200 years ago.

Fact: Since Haiti joined the Olympic Committee, it earned only 2 medals, a bronze and a silver, the last in 1928: 80 years ago! (Haitians, take note: the winner of the silver medal in the Men’s Long Jump is listed as Sylvia Cator, not Sylvio, on the official web site of the Beijing games).

Fact: Several years ago, the number of Haitian children said to be in restavek servitude was estimated at 300,000, or one out overy 10 children living in Haiti. This number has hardly declined.

Fact: Haitian child trafficking is no longer limited to Haiti. Haitian children are increasingly traded as slaves across borders to the Dominican Republic, and some end up in developed countries like the USA and Canada. ‘

I firmly believe that Haiti could be a radically different country in 40 years or so, if its leaders and its people were opened to new ideas, and strategies, and its allies resolved to step out of and away from standard bureaucratic practices.

Do you think a new Haiti is possible and are you prepared to do what it takes to see it through, i.e. get it to a point where it produces 300,000 potential Olympians a year, rather than 300,000 child slaves?

dorival

Dudley Dorival

Date of Birth: Sep 1 1975
Height(cm/ft in): 182cm / 6’0″
Gender: Male
Weight(kg/lbs): 83 kg / 183 lbs
Place of Birth: Elizabeth, NJ (United States)
Sport: Athletics
Event(s): Men’s 110m Hurdles

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Nadine Faustin

Date of Birth: Apr 14 1976
Height(cm/ft in): 163cm / 5’4″
Gender: Female
Weight(kg/lbs): 59 kg / 130 lbs
Place of Birth: Brussels (Belgium)
Sport: Athletics
Event(s): Women’s 100m Hurdles

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Moise Joseph

Date of Birth: Dec 27 1981
Height(cm/ft in): 180cm / 5’11”

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Barbara Pierre

Date of Birth: Apr 28 1986
Height(cm/ft in):
Gender: Female
Weight(kg/lbs):
Sport:
Event(s):

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Ginou Etienne

Date of Birth: Jan 12 1985
Height(cm/ft in): 173cm / 5’8″
Gender: Female
Weight(kg/lbs): 58 kg / 128 lbs
Sport: Athletics
Event(s): Women’s 400m

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Dayana Octavien

Date of Birth: Jun 10 1982
Height(cm/ft in): 175cm / 5’9″
Gender: Female
Weight(kg/lbs): 81 kg / 178 lbs
Sport:
Event(s):

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Marvin Bien-Aime

Date of Birth: Oct 20 1983
Height(cm/ft in): 175cm / 5’9″
Gender: Male
Weight(kg/lbs): 74 kg / 163 lbs
Sport:
Event(s):

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Joël Brutus

Date of Birth: Aug 12 1974
Height(cm/ft in): 183cm / 6’0″
Gender: Male
Weight(kg/lbs): 132 kg / 291 lbs
Place of Birth: (Haiti)
Sport: Judo
Event(s): Men +100 kg

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Ange Mercie Jean-Baptiste

Date of Birth: Sep 24 1984
Height(cm/ft in): 160cm / 5’3″
Gender: Female
Weight(kg/lbs): 57 kg / 126 lbs
Sport: Judo
Event(s): Women -57 kg

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Azea Augustama

Date of Birth: Aug 2 1983
Height(cm/ft in): 180cm / 5’11”
Gender: Male
Weight(kg/lbs): 81 kg / 178 lbs
Sport: Boxing
Event(s): Men’s Light Heavy (81kg)

Pease note that of the 10 athletes listed above, there is little information associated with four of them. If you have any such information, please share it so that we may respectfully honor these athletes and press the Olympics Committee to update its database.

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10 Responses

  1. Even though they didn’t make any comments on the Haitians olympians at the opening ceremony. As a native of Haiti I am proud that we were part of the olympics. We did not get any medals but we represent Haiti proudly as if we did win medals. Don’t give up one day we will be on the medal podium again. In our hearts Haiti is victorious. May the heavenly father bless you all.

  2. I wanted to say this is what I believe haiti is made of and all it’s offsprings to hold on to a dream of hope and expectancy to the very end. I truly believe that one day we will rise above all the mountains and valleys that has stood before us in honor. Let’s continue to unite not only in our voice but in our actions. Great going to all our haitian athletes. May God bless and empower you as well as our beautiful country.

  3. Haiti got so many kids that can run mostly in the Andeyo area these kids got speeds, but we have no sport leaders. we have no programs for these kids. I want everybody to pray for me(Nehemy) my dream is to go back to Haiti to start sport programs so maybe one day we can be somebody so that the whole world could see that we have talents…..just pray for me………….

  4. I felt the same way watching the opening day ceremony on Channel 4. It seemed that when the Haitian team walked into the stadium the commentator did not even acknowledge the country like [it was done for] the other ones. Other countries with only one athlete were mentioned but the moment Haiti appeared nothing was said. I could not even tell how many people were represented on the team because the camera shots went by so quickly, like in the blink of an eye.

  5. I am very proud of all of these athletes and although Haiti has not won a medal in 80 years it is still represented and well represented. Political instability, lack of security, poverty and restavek can in no way hinder Haiti from being represented. The other countries that have the facilities and funds can not compare in anyway to Haiti that has none and so, Congrats to all the athletes for they are the Greatest in the WORLD.

  6. Haitians leave Haiti for economic and destabilization reasons. The economic reasons are a bi-product of destabilization, privatization, foreign interference and the participation of “rebel army” factions — some trained at “western” schools by the American plutocracy.

  7. Thanks so much for putting up the photos of these athletes.
    One is really hard pressed to find info regarding the representation in Haiti at the Olympics.

    And, not to be too much of a complainer…

    Did you see the opening day ceremony on Channel 4? Anxiously awaiting the Haitian delegation…when they did appear, and their name was on the “crawl” on the TV, the commentator took an extraordinarily long time to introduce them, without comment, unlike the others.

    Perhaps all he could have said is, wow, here is a struggling country and good for them, they have representation here, too.

    Channel 4 needs a good writer for their commentary!

  8. This is a crying shame. I am very impressed with their hard work but they are not being recognized and that hurts. Let us pray for these young people and may GOD protect them and keep them safe in Jesus name.

    Amen.

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