‘Extraordinary resilience’

Geoff Thompson salutes the remarkable achievements of the post-war Windrush generation. By Rodney Hinds

THE WINDRUSH generation provided an extraordinary resilience in the world of sport, according to one of the community’s leading sports administrators.

Geoff Thompson, five times world karate champion and deputy chair of the 2022 Commonwealth Games board, told the Voice of Sport: “The achievements of the post-war Windrush generation came down to extraordinary resilience, but it was an interdependent resilience, we had each other’s backs.

“We knew when you get to a final, it’s your moment of destiny, that represented so many. Whether it was in the qualifications, whether it was the competition, the Commonwealth, European, world, or even the British selections were full of racial intolerance and racial agendas.

“That’s why when we represented Britain, we knew we’d achieved. It was just a case of stepping up with the mental, physical, and emotional behavioural characteristics of what I believed was a golden generation, because things did not faze us.

“I remember competing at Crystal Palace. We all convened in the changing room, and everybody wants to know how you were getting on and what you’re going to be doing.

“There was that knowing look. People look now to social media as validation, we looked to our community, whether it was the churches, and of course, I was there, within the birth of The Voice. My first interview as a world champion was with The Voice

“I don’t think we should underestimate the role that sport played in providing societal relevance, importance, value, and impact.

“Just look at the journey of that post-colonial Britain that saw the Empire Games become the Commonwealth Games. In terms of Birmingham 2022, we also need to review and reflect on who will have benefited from that migrating generation, that I am certainly the product of and so many of us were.”

But there was one sport in particular that gave the Black community so much more than on-field results.

Thompson adds: “You have to look at cricket predominantly, because that was as football was to this country, cricket was to the Caribbean. When people talk about cricket, all those other nations just had to manage a squad from one nation.

“That’s why I pay huge tribute to Sir Clive Lloyd as the captain of those young, raw talents from the various Caribbean islands.

“He had to bring all of that diversity, divergence of the Caribbean into one cohesive unit of motivation, and excellence, and they will still go down as the most successful sporting team of any era. It is also interesting to note that their influence when they were dominating world cricket at every level, from one day games to Test matches. Their success on the pitch gave immense pride to those of us off the pitch and in society at a time where there was still a great deal of racial intolerance.

“I know this, because representing Britain as I was in the early 80s, the likes of myself, Judy Simpson, Bob Hazell, Cyrille Regis, Garth Crooks, Tessa Sanderson, Vic Charles, Maurice Hope et al, whatever the West Indies cricket team was achieving, gave us an added momentum, of importance, relevance and significance.

“The Black sporting fraternity back then meant that we were each other’s therapists, we compared stories, compared experiences.

“The visionary Al Hamilton founded the Commonwealth Sports Awards, our annual gathering. That is where we said, here is another year of achievement, it was our community, our diaspora.

“That’s why the achievements cannot be understated and not celebrated.

“I felt that the gatherings and receptions, where we were brought together were key. We knew that we were achieving as individuals, but ultimately the collective impact in wider society was powerful. So that is why when we went back to the barber shops or local markets, or in our communities, or the local track or local martial arts club, we knew what we representing, and that is why the Windrush generation’s sporting achievements for this country, endeared us to society as

MOMENTUM: Judy Simpson competed at three Olympic Games; far right,Geoff Thompson ahead of last year’s Commonwealth Games; left, Al Hamilton founded the Commonwealth Sports Awards a whole, which in turn, hopefully endeared the diaspora we represent.

“Whenever I got to the semifinals, I knew that I was competing for something more than myself and that is why I believe so much of what was achieved at the Commonwealth Games last year was significant.”

And what of the next 75 years? What does the Black sports fraternity need to do?

Thompson concludes: “I’m seeing lots of talent and potential and all I’d like to have them realise is that they should never be complacent, always be mindful of what it’s taken to get us thus far, never be afraid to constructively challenge.” to celebrate The Voice Newspaper team