First of all, the “track” was pavement with three lanes, though they weren’t clearly delineated the whole length of the course. The only events were the 100 meter dash, the 4x100 relay and the long jump. There was no starter pistol, so while each heat of runners had to be timed to determine the overall winner, the timing wouldn’t have been very accurate. There were no exchange zones for the relay and, in fact, I don’t believe students were required to stay in their lane. How could they when there weren’t lanes painted on three quarters of the track? Kids crowded onto the track while others were running and there was general mayhem. They didn’t run the running events and long jump simultaneously. That combined with having only three competitors in each heat meant that a competition that would have lasted forty minutes at an American meet, lasted about two hours here.
More upsetting was how ill-attired the students were. Unless students wore their school gym uniform, the clothes they wore were not proper workout attire. T-shirts with glitter and rhinestones, Capri pants, regular bras, and street shoes. This isn’t really their fault, though. I’ve never seen real workout gear in this country. No sports bras, and especially no running shoes of any quality from any recognizable brand.
And all the coaches were male, which sends a certain message to the students, I think. Still, I was glad one of my girls was participating in a sporting event. I’ve just started a girls’ dance and fitness club and I’m hoping that I’ll have a group of regulars who will not just get in good physical shape but will start to view themselves as strong, capable women.