IT WAS Carnival in Woodford Square, Port of Spain yesterday, as the Trinidad and Tobago athletes, enroute to the Olympic Games in London England next month, were recognised.

The event was put on by bpTT and featured live entertainment from Kees the Band and Jason Williams and Blaze who performed their Road March-winning song ‘Palance.’

Supporters left their jobs and schools yesterday to join the crowd where fans wore painted faces and waved flags hysterically in support of the athletes.

Only a day after they competed at the Sagicor, NGC Open National Track and Field Championship at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the athletes were featured in a parade down Frederick Street, Port-of-Spain and into the square where hundreds of well-wishers, friends and relatives converged to bid them good luck.

The athletes- sprint queen Kelly Ann Baptiste, National 100 metre champion Keston Bledman, Renny Quow, Semoy Hackett, Kai Selvon, Michelle Lee Ayhe, Jineille Billille, Reyare Thomas, Ayanna Hutchinson, Ayanna Alexander, Jomol James, Machel Cedenio, Jamal James, Mikel Thomas, Cleopatra Borel and boxer Carlos Suarez will attempt to add to the lone gold medal which TT have won at the Olympics.

That medal was won by Hasely Crawford, who sprinted across the finish line first at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. Yesterday the athletes were urged to put their best foot forward and return home with medals which include golds.

The event was a move by bpTT to garner support for the athletes on their way to the July 27-August 12 event. The oil giants (bpTT) also announced a new initiative to help upcoming athletes in the future. Through the online-network ‘Twitter’ the company has called on the public to tweet the words ‘I For TT’ as many times as possible to help raise funds for the many budding athletes. The company is hoping to get 100,000 tweets by August 31. Shut putter Cleopatra Borel thanked bpTT and the people of Trinidad and Tobago for the support shown and promised that the athletes will do their best at the Olympics.

Meanwhile entertainer Kees told the athletes that the large turn out at the square was evident that the entire country was behind them at the games.

But though the athletes were feted yesterday, Newsday was told that confirmation on the list of athletes to represent TT at the games will be known today, following a meeting of the executives of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt