Hosting Pelė In Jamaica

CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY

Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil
President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada
Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum
chandij@sympatico.ca

Greatest Of All Time (GOAT)

Today, instead of chronologically narrating another episode of my career, I decided to write about the number one game in the world – football and the greatest football player of all time – Pelé. He was the only player in history to have played in three World Cup winning teams.

The term ‘football’ is the original and globally accepted, popular term, as identified by the country which invented the modern game of football in 1863, England. Over 200 countries call the game ‘football’ while just nine countries, including USA, Canada, South Africa, and Australia call it ‘soccer’.

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) was established in Paris in 1904. The inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men’s national football teams, took place in Uruguay. There has been a total of 22 World Cups since then: the first was in 1930 and the most recent in 2022. FIFA World Cup is the most watched sporting event in the world, ahead of Tour de France, Cricket World Cup, Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games. FIFA Women’s World Cup, which commenced in 1991. now ranks the number six sporting event in the world.

I hosted Pelé for two days as a VIP guest at one of the hotels I managed over the years. In my career as an international hotelier, I have hosted 35 heads of state and government, as well as hundreds of celebrities. Pelé was the friendliest celebrity I ever met. Therefore, I fondly remember those two memorable days in May, 1998 very clearly. Twenty-five years have passed, but the lasting memory Pelé left in my mind has stayed fresh.

I am deeply saddened about Pelé passing away just a few days after the FIFA World Cup 2022. Three days of mourning were declared by the Brazilian government after Pele’s death was announced on December 29, 2022. The world united in mourning for Pelé.

In the history of World Cup Football, he played an important role from 1959 to 2022. In spite of a few scandals, Pelé performed most brilliantly on and off the field while creating unprecedented and unmatched excitement, setting records – some yet to be broken – spreading the love for the beautiful game like no other professional football player has ever done.

Football Fever in Jamaica

From 1995 to 1998 I was the General Manager of the largest hotel in Kingston, the capital city of Jamaica. Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel (Pegasus) was operated by Forte PLC, the largest British hotel company at that time, and I represented that company in Jamaica. Most heads of state and government, showbiz personalities and national cricket and football teams visiting Jamaica stayed at the Pegasus.

In 1997, a year before I met Pelé, I became more interested in football. By the mid-1990s, in one of my adopted countries, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) had invested heavily in developing football to an international competitive level in that country. Three years prior to that, JFF had recruited a top-ranking Brazilian football coach/technical director – René Rodrigues Simões, to train the national football team of Jamaica. His mission was to have Jamaica qualify for the FIFA World Cup held in France in 1998.

The government and private sector were brought fully on board. The national stadium near Pegasus, dubbed ‘The Office’ became a fortress. Support for local football reached unprecedented levels. In 1996 Jamaica won FIFA’s Best Mover Award after a big improvement in the country’s football rankings.

As the main business hotel in Jamaica, Pegasus fully supported the JFF campaign themed ‘Road to France.’ None of the 18 English-speaking nations in the Caribbean had ever qualified for a World Cup before. With the ‘can do’ attitude of the Jamaican team and the world-class training they received from their Brazilian head coach, Jamaicans were ready for the challenge.

René Rodrigues Simões, his wife and daughters were regular visitors to restaurants at Pegasus. They soon became friends of mine and my elder son Marlon, who lived at the Pegasus with me. René invited us to all World Cup qualifying matches played in Jamaica. He ensured that Marlon and I were given VIP seats just behind the seats allocated to the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. The Jamaican team was fondly called ‘The Reggae Boyz’ by all their fans.

On November 16, 1997, Jamaica’s football team made history by becoming the first English speaking Caribbean Island to ever qualify for the World Cup. Marlon and I joined our many Jamaican friends to celebrate when Jamaica qualified to go to France as one of the top 32 countries to compete for the prize. There was so much joy, excitement and celebration on this little island that the Prime Minister, P.J. Patterson, had to declare the next day a public holiday.A commemorative ball that cost US$9 million was built in honour of the Reggae Boyz soon after they had qualified to go to France. With that initiative, Jamaica entered into the Guinness Book of world records for the largest football in the world. On the request of the Jamaica Tourist Board, I offered the front lawn of Pegasus free of charge, as the first location and the ceremonial launch of that massive ball.

The Governor General and the Prime Minister of Jamaica, three former Miss World winners from Jamaica and many Jamaican celebrities were invited to sign the ball after climbing a ladder which was three floors tall. I felt honoured when I was also asked to sign the massive ball in public, by the Jamaica Tourist Board. By then I was treated by most Jamaicans as one of them, rather than a Sri Lankan (the very next year I married a Jamaican). That evening, the news of the record-breaking ball with Pegasus in the background appeared on the 9:00 pm prime time TV news in over 25 countries.

The very next day, René came to see me at the hotel and gave me some great news: “To motivate the Reggae Boyz, we have arranged for the King to come to Jamaica for two days!” “Which king?” I ignorantly asked René. He jovially screamed”: “Chandi, it is the Football King of the world – my countryman, Pelé! He will stay at the Pegasus. My friend, look after the greatest legend of football”

The Legend

Pelé was born Edson Arantes do Nascimento on October 23, 1940 in Brazil. He received the nickname ‘Pelé’ during his school days, but the word has no known meaning in Portuguese. Pelé grew up in poverty in the state of São Paulo. He was taught to play football by his father. The family could not afford a proper football and Pelé usually played with either an old sock stuffed with newspaper and tied with string or a grapefruit.

After playing for several amateur teams in his youth, at the age of 15, Pelé signed a professional contract with the famous club – Santos FC in Brazil in 1956. Ten months after signing professionally, the teenager was called up to the Brazil national team. In 1958, he became the youngest player (and the only teenager until Kylian Mbappé scored for France in 2018) to score a goal in the finals. After the 1958 and the 1962 World Cup wins for Brazil, some wealthy European clubs were eager to sign Pelé, but he loyally stayed on with Santos FC. With Pelé, Brazil achieved their third World Cup win in 1970.

During his time at Santos FC, Pelé played alongside many gifted players. Pelé’s 643 goals for Santos FC were the most goals scored for a single club until it was surpassed by Lionel Messi of Barcelona in 2020. Following a long and successful tenure with Santos FC (1956-1974) in which he won 10 club titles, the legend went on to finish his career playing three seasons for the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (1974-1977). Pelé’s presence greatly enhanced the interest for soccer in the USA. The 23rd FIFA world Cup tournament will be jointly hosted by 16 cities in three North American countries: Canada, Mexico, and USA.

In 1977, prior to taking on new roles in sports, Pelé closed out his football playing career in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and Santos. The match was played in front of a sold-out crowd at Giants Stadium and was televised throughout the world. In later years, Pelé was labelled “the greatest” by FIFA. He was among the most successful and popular sports figures of the 20th century. Perhaps, Pelé was comparable to just one other sportsman – Muhammad Ali – who was there to watch Pelé playing his last football game in 1977.

In his final game, Pelé played the first half with the Cosmos, the second with Santos FC. The game ended with the Cosmos winning 2–1, with Pelé scoring with a 30-yard free-kick for the Cosmos in what was the final goal of his career. During the second half, it started to rain, prompting a Brazilian newspaper to come out with the headline the following day: “Even the Sky Was Crying.”

Alongside incredible success with Brazil and Santos FC, Pele was given FIFA’s Player of the Century Award in 2000, alongside seven retrospective Ballon d’Or wins.

Friendliest Celebrity

On May 8, 1998, I was waiting by the front entrance of Pegasus to welcome Pelé. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I knew that he was very busy at that time working as a football pundit on TV and serving as the Minister for Sports in Brazil. My approach was to be very formal, respectful and professional. On their arrival at the hotel, Captain Horace Burrell, President JFF, introduced me to Pelé.

“Welcome to Le Meridien Jamaica Pegasus Hotel. It is an honour for our team to provide hospitality to you for two days, Sir,” I said. Pelé was a humble man and had a pleasing manner with which to place others at ease. “Call me Pelé,” he said while shaking my right hand and patting my right shoulder with his left palm at the same time. He was charming, pleasant and always had a nice smile.

I ushered Pelé to his suite on the 16th floor and introduced Cecile Hyatt-Reynolds, Guest Relations Manager who was there to handle his registration. Pelé responded to Cecile in the same polite, friendly and informal manner. He joked with the newspaper reporters and cameraman who were there to take some photographs.

The next day, I had an opportunity to have a brief discussion with Pelé and Captain Burrell. Having seen the launch of the ‘record-breaking’ massive football in the front of the hotel, on TV, Pelé wondered where the ball was now. I explained to him that the Jamaica Tourist Board was planning to set up the ball in New York for some weeks. It would then ship to London, before displaying it in Paris during the FIFA World Cup 1998. Pelé said, “Jamaica knows how to create extra publicity for tourism through football” and smiled. He was correct.

Before his departure from the hotel, I told Pelé about an idea I had. I planned to make a deal with the main broadcasting company in Jamaica. I would convert a large section of the hotel lobby to become the main station for TV and radio, during the 32 days of the World Cup 1998. Pegasus lobby was the most fashionable meeting place in New Kingston. Part of my planning was to get some top, theatre set designers to make it look like a Jamaican dancehall, popular with less affluent Jamaicans. I told Pelé all pre-game and post-game interviews as well as commentary during all the games would be broadcast to the whole country from the hotel lobby.

Pelé was pleased and impressed. “Great idea! You are also like the Jamaica Tourist Board! You know how to keep your hotel always in the limelight!” Pelé encouraged me. I went ahead with the ‘dancehall in the lobby’ plan, in spite of objections by a few members of the hotel’s board of directors. It certainly became the ‘talk of the town’ for over a month in the summer of 1998. At the end of the day, sports, broadcasting, hoteliering – all are similar to showbiz. At least that’s what I always believed in. I was happy when the King agreed with me.

Although Pelé stayed with us only for two days, I felt that I had known him closely for a long time. At the time of his departure, he gave me a big hug in the middle of the hotel lobby. “All the best with your ‘dancehall in the lobby’ during the World Cup!” he whispered into my ear.

Rest in Peace, King Pelé!

Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena

has been an Executive Chef, Food & Beverage Director, Hotel GM, Professor, Dean, VP, President and Consultant. He has published 21 textbooks. This weekly column narrates ‘fun’ stories from his 50-year career in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe, South America, the Caribbean and North America, and his travels to 98 countries and assignments in 44 countries.