One daring javelin throw has landed Keshorn Walcott among Trinidad and Tobago's "50 Greatest Legends in Sport 1962-2012".
On August 11, Walcott hurled the javelin 84.58 metres on his second attempt to secure gold at the 2012 London Olympics, earning him not only T&T's second Olympic gold medal—and first in a field event—but a spot among the top 50 athletes of the last 50 years as well.
He and Lalonde Gordon, T&T's double bronze medallist in the 400m and 4x400m relay events, grabbed the final two spots on the list for the celebration, set for tomorrow at the Hilton Trinidad, St Ann's, from 7.30 p.m.
That list—detailed by event organisers All Sport Promotions managing director Anthony Harford at yesterday's launch at Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain—has some of the biggest names in T&T's sporting history.
Hasely Crawford, Trinidad and Tobago's first Olympic champion with 100m gold at the Montreal 1976 Games, former West Indies batting great Brian Lara, cycling duo Roger Gibbon and Gene "Geronimo" Samuel, and T&T's 1979 joint world netball champions, the "Calypso Girls", all adorn that line-up.
Footballers Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy—also nominated as part of the 2006 World Cup "Soca Warriors"— and ex-T&T goalkeeper Lincoln "Tiger" Phillips, 2004 Olympic swimming bronze medallist George Bovell, Richard "Torpedo" Thompson, golfer Stephen Ames and veteran jockey Emile Ramsammy are also nominated.
Several others have been chosen as administrators, including former T&T/West Indies woman cricketer/coach Ann Browne-John and former T&T Cricket Board president Alloy Lequay, while a number of nominees have also been named posthumously. These include boxer Giselle Salandy, netball administrator Lystra Lewis and cyclist Leslie King.
Minister of Planning and Sustainable Development Dr Bhoendradatt "Bhoe" Tewarie, who has worked closely with the committee in support of the venture, said yesterday he was "happy" to have the event as part of T&T's golden jubilee Independence celebrations.
"The reason we do this is because sports has a tremendous importance in the society, first of all in terms of the recognition and nurturing of individual talent," Tewarie explained. "Secondly, because it has the capacity when you develop sports leaders and sports icons and celebrities to have a tremendous impact on youth in the society."
Tewarie hailed sport as a "great unifier" in society and deems the celebration "very valuable" in recognising those who have contributed to T&T sport.
The Sport Legends Committee that selected the nominees comprises broadcaster/commentator Dave Lamy , former T&T football captain Sedley Joseph, hockey great Sandra Charles-Montano, former water polo player Lloyd "Reds" Agard, longstanding administrator Alexander B Chapman and T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) general secretary Brian Lewis.
Chapman, Charles-Montano and Joseph are also on the list.
Lamy told the media at the launch that it was "very difficult" to come up with 50 names and to leave out some athletes that had come very close. It created "much debate", the former sportsman said.
"We came up, I think, with the best 50 as far as representing T&T and achieving some really important achievements in their career."
He added: "On the fringe you can call quite a few people. That's why we had so much debate, and we have people like Mr Chapman... he has a lot of knowledge..."
He also explained the process by which the athletes were nominated.
"We rate the Olympic Games, of course, then the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Am Games and the CAC Games, in that order, then local championships. That's where we come up with the final count."
Athletes should have represented T&T and have been outstanding in their discipline and must not have had a criminal record or brought T&T into disrepute.
The two other criteria included having an impact on national life and showing "the true spirit of sport at all times".
50th Anniversary Sport Legends Committee:
Dave Lamy, Sedley Joseph, Sandra Charles-Montano, Lloyd Agard, Alexander Chapman, Brian Lewis.
Nominees
Athletics – Hasely Crawford, Ato Boldon, Richard Thompson, T&T 4x440 yards relay teams 1964 &1966 (Wendell Mottley; Kent Bernard; Edwin Roberts; Edwin Skinner; Lennox Yearwood), Lalonde Gordon, Keshorn Walcott
Badminton – Debra O'Connor
Netball – 1979 T&T netball team
Cricket – Brian Lara, Deryck Murray, Larry Gomes, Ian Bishop, Charlie Davis, T&T Champions League team 2009, Willie Rodriguez [also football], Joey Carew, Alvin Corneal, Russell Latapy, Tyrone De La Bastide
Cycling – Roger Gibbon, Gene Samuel, Leslie King [deceased]
Football – Dwight Yorke, Sedley Joseph, Everald "Gally" Cummings, 2006 Soca Warriors, Lincoln Phillips
Hockey – Kwandwane Browne, Stacey Siu Butt, Sandra Charles-Montano
Shooting – Bert Manhin, Roger Daniel
Tennis – Alan Price, Peter Valdez
Weightlifting – Brandon Bailey, Hugo Gittens
Sailing – Cordell Barrow [deceased] and Rawle Barrow
Basketball – Merrick "Jim" Anatol
Bodybuilding – Mike Hercules (deceased)
Golf – Stephen Ames, Maria Nunes
Horse Racing – Emile Ramsammy
Administration – Ann Browne-John, Alloy Lequay (cricket); Lystra Lewis (netball); Alexander B Chapman (Olympics); Eric James (football)
Boxing – Giselle Salandy
By Kern De Freitas
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com