KINGSTON, Jamaica – IT would be foolhardy to think that Jamaica's image would not be harmed by the doping scandal involving several of our athletes, including the much loved Mr Asafa Powell, and just before that, the iconic Mrs Veronica Campbell Brown. Yet, we must admit to being greatly surprised by the immediate conclusion in so many quarters about how badly the Jamaican name (brand) has been hurt — irrevocably, according to some — without any recourse to objective surveys. Of course, the main reason for the global admiration of Jamaica has been our emergence as a sprint powerhouse, far beyond the minuscule size of our country and population. But perhaps even more significantly, that we achieved all that without the assistance of performance-enhancing drugs banned by the 14-year-old World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
