Roswell: JAAA apology not enough

Distraught national 100 metres hurdles champion Demisha Roswell is insisting  that the Jamaica Administrative Athletics Association's (JAAA) apology for omitting her from the Jamaica's squad to compete at the Commonwealth Games does not make up for months of hard work and sacrifice.
  Roswell, who stunned a high-class field at the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships recently  to  be crowned national 100m hurdles champion, explained in a social media post  the sacrifice and commitment she put in to becoming the national title holder for the event.   She revealed that she battled depression, suffered financially, and even thought about quitting the sport.
Nevertheless, she kept her focus and saw it through to defeat more fancied opponents for the title, only for the JAAA to shatter the 'happiest and proudest' moment of her career with the news that she will not be a part of the team to Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23-August 2.
"Didn't want to come to the media," Roswell post read.  "But I can't hold it any longer.  The work that I have put in mentally and physically to stay consistent  and committed to this sport has been anything but easy. 
"I've cried. I've battled depression.  I even thought about quitting track this season. Financially, it has been one of the hardest seasons of my life, and honestly, that alone almost made me want to walk away because I can barely make ends meet."
She added that staying disciplined was even harder, but she held firm, and did not even celebrate her own birthday. 
   "I removed myself from every social media platform so I could get my mind right and give this season everything I had. June 19th was my birthday. No celebration. No nothing. Just laser-focused.   On June 20 I competed at the National Senior Championships, and on June 21 I became a national champion.
"Winning my first senior title was one of the happiest and proudest moments of my career. Every sacrifice finally felt worth it," she expressed.
However, that euphoria was short-lived, as three days later she received a call from the JAAA that not only destroyed her psychologically, but left her with unanswered questions.
"Just three days later (after trials) I received a phone call telling me that I am not competing at a Commonwealth Games. The reason?  I was told a list had already been submitted and deadline was back in March.
"What's the point of having a national championships if performances there do not determine selection? How does that make any sense? And if the team was already selected, why were the selected athletes required to compete at the trials?"
" I asked these questions and only response I got was  'There is nothing we can do.'
  The JAAA issued a formal apology to Roswell for her omission from the Commonwealth Games list. It explained that a 'Long List' is a mandatory step in the entry process, and that was submitted to the Commonwealth Games Committee in March 2026. 
Individuals who are likely be selected, whether as athletes or team officials, are required be on that list to qualify for the final list.
However, at the time the 'Long List' was being compiled, it noted that Roswell's  performance metrics did not meet the automatic inclusion, but that her exceptional performance and victory at the National Senior Championships earned her a position on the final team.
It added that the JAAA acknowledged the oversight and made a request for an exception, but were denied. 
"We can assure her and the public that the performance metrics will be revised to capture rising athletes like Demisha," it said.
It noted also that subsequently, Roswell has been selected to represent Jamaica at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the Dominican Republic from July 24 to August 8. 
"We wish her and the entire national delegation overwhelming success at the Games," it concluded.
  However, Roswell was not satisfied with the apology or explanation given, pointing out that it does not make up for the months of hard work and sacrifice that went into her preparation for the trials.
"An apology does not make up for the months of hard work, dedication, sacrifice, devotion and commitment I have poured into this sport," she stated.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com