Western Bureau:

Journalism in western Jamaica loaned one of its stalwart to politics recently, when journalist/publisher Lloyd B. Smith, the founding editor of the Western Mirror, won the Central St James seat in the 2012 general election and is now the deputy speaker in the Jamaica parliament.

While Smith was not a sports journalist, there is no question that he was a friend of sports. In addition to sponsoring the Lloyd B. Smith community football league in the Irwin area of the St James, he has given service to several clubs, including Seba United, now Montego Bay United.

With the scheduled 2012 local government elections now looming, the media fraternity is poised to have yet another of its practitioners heading into politics. This time around it is sports enthusiast Craig Oates, a top sports writer/columnist here in western Jamaica.

Oates, a former policeman turned security consultant, has indicated that he will be seeking to represent the ruling People's National Party (PNP) in one of the parish council divisions in Eastern Hanover, where he resides. According to him, his decision is in response to the call of the people.

As one who is quite familiar with Oates' long-standing connection with sports, which includes being a former vice-president of the Hanover FA and former vice-chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation Western Confederation (JFFWC), I have no doubt that Oates has the capacity to offer proper representation.

As a sports journalist, Oates has been a fearless warrior for accountability, and some of his recent writing has played a pivotal role in the major crackdown that took place within the ranks of the St James FA and resulted in the firing of several individuals, who were deemed to be operating at variance with the mandate given to them by the FA's affiliates.

During his stint as vice-chairman of the JFFWC, he almost single-handed got the organisation to reform its operations for greater accountability, in the face of bitter criticism about financial improprieties, among other vices, which was having a negative impact on the image of the organisation.

While Oates has been very strong in the area of soliciting sponsorship for various community leagues in Hanover, perhaps his great accomplishment is the Hanover Youth Football Academy, which he established in three years, creating one branch in eastern Hanover and another in western Hanover.

In addition to grooming the young footballers in the rudiments of the game, Oates got rave reviews for adding an educational component to the academy. He made attending school, having a good attendance record and maintaining a respectable average academics as a prerequisite to attend the academy.

Based on Oates' record of promoting and protecting sports in western Jamaica, I believe if he is successful in his bid to gain a foothold in representational politics he would be able to expand his range to other areas, such as infrastructural development, which is an area of great need all over western Jamaica.

It is no secret that unlike in Kingston and Clarendon, where current and former political representatives such as the honourable Edwards Seaga, Omar Davies and Mike Henry have proven themselves to be great friends of sports, the politicians here in western Jamaica have done precious little to advance the cause of sports.

As one who has seen Oates' passion to serve, I am not only wishing him well but I would like to urge the residents in eastern Hanover to support him. If given a chance to serve, I strongly believe Oates would make a big difference in the lives of those who elect him.

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