Antigua & Barbuda is a small country, but we have attempted to make our presence felt in the global arena. There are very few people who have never heard of our famous combination of sand, sea and sun.

What many people have never been attuned to is our famous Barbuda beaches at Palm Beach and Two Foot Bay. In our opinion they are easily among the best beaches anywhere in the world. However there are so many places in the world that are in the process of selling sand, sea and sun, that the competition is very keen indeed.

We should not despair. Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts and Richie Richardson have left their international imprint of Antigua & Barbuda, on the world of cricket and of this, we are truly proud.

With bated breath, we await the outcome of the sprint aspect of the 2012 Olympic games, and have high hopes that either Bailey or Christian will give us our first Olympic medal.

At the same time, we have to wonder if it is impossible to rekindle the days of past boxing enthusiasts like Earl Piggott, Leo Gore and George Martin, when Ching and Match-me, Dempsey, Fitza Tunney, ‘Donis Swift and Caribbean Joe, used to make their mark on the Caribbean boxing scene. Is Boxing dead? What of our potential for Olympic medals?

We have, once again to congratulate Gordon “Banks” Derrick on his attainment of president of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU). We can remember the power that Jack Warner wielded in FIFA and in the whole region as he lauded it over the region’s soccer and exercised a very powerful influence in world football.  Could it be “small-island prejudice” is the reason why Gordon Derrick’s attainment to such high regional office (by election) in soccer has not been widely acclaimed in the newspapers of the Caribbean?

We remember when some years ago the soccer team of Trinidad & Tobago clashed with that of the United States in Port of Spain. What a national occasion and outpouring of national sentiment.

Gordon Derrick is young and university-educated at an early age. We expect great things from him, not only in regional football, but we also expect him to push our football at the local, national level.

So, we have come to the topic of our editorial. Congratulations on our victory over Haiti. Congratulations on our clash with the United States.

A nation of more than 300 million was unable to present a team that clobbered us. They barely beat us. We have to plan what our approach will be in our subsequent clashes with another team.

We are new to this arena of soccer competition. Don’t be downhearted. The whole of Antigua & Barbuda is behind you. We will take the United States on our next encounter. Football is in our bones and in our very psyche! We shall overcome!