South Africa family flies Windies flag

JOHANNESBURG - What an amazing difference a day can make.

All his life South African Tommy Padotan had supported the West Indies cricket team, but he never dreamt of ever seeing them.

Then, the World Cup came to South Africa. The West Indies were due to play at the Willowmore Stadium in Benoni, a mile from his home.

Better yet, the West Indies were due to do a coaching clinic for young children at the Actonville Cricket Club, a few feet from Tommy's house - you could see the white roof from the ground.

It was a dream come true last Sunday when he finally got to meet the men from the Caribbean - the team that represented Padotan and many other black and coloured South Africans during the apartheid era.

"I know I'm South African, but I can't pit my country against my heart," said Tommy. "I protested against the rebel tours in the 1980s and I was very disappointed by the performances on the 1998-99 tour. But I never stopped liking the West Indies. I was involved in the [apartheid] struggle and the West Indies showed a black team could take on the world.

"The West Indies are the best in the world and I love them," said Padotan. "Since I was a little boy I supported the West Indies. I never supported South Africa. I love the West Indies and what they have done for the people over the years."

It's not just Tommy who back the Windies.

His entire family - wife Sharon, daughters Marilyn, Sade, Amanda and Jessamine; and son Elvin are all on the Windies bandwagon. They were delighted and brought to tears by the opportunity to get autographs and take pictures with Carl Hooper's side.