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Athletes competing at Glasgow 2014 have been warned they could be thrown out of the event if they do not adhere to strict social media guidelines released by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).

The CGF has produced a list of rules and guidelines for competitors and team officials at this year's Games, which is due to take place from July 23 to August 3, warning them any flouting of the rules on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter will not be tolerated and could result in them being kicked-out of the event.

The policy, which also applies to Games volunteers, warns against the posting of inappropriate sexist or racist remarks on social media sites and orders athletes not to write anything about their fellow competitors unless it is positive.

The document states: "If you use social media at the Games, do be kind to others.

"Do not insult anyone or say anything that could be construed as offensive."

The move has no doubt been influenced by a number of high-profile cases involving athletes at previous events, including Greek athlete Voula Papachristou and Swiss footballer Michel Morganella at London 2012.

Triple jumper Papachristou was thrown out of the Olympic Games after tweeting a racist remark about Africans in Greece causing an outbreak of the West Nile virus which claimed the life of one person.

Morganella was stripped of his accreditation at London 2012 after he tweeted "I want to beat up all South Koreans! Bunch of mentally handicapped retards!" ("Je les tous Defonce Coréens, allez vous tous Bruler, bande de trisos!") after his side lost 2-1 to the Asian country.

During Sochi 2014, Australian athletes were angered after the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) placed restrictions on their use of social media.

The AOC denied it was a "blanket ban" but instead urged its athletes to use social media "responsibly".

The Glasgow 2014 guidelines also warn athletes not to post exclusive material which infringes copyright agreements and upsets media partners or "share information that might compromise the security, staging and organisation of the Games, such as details of Ceremonies".

They also urge participants to be careful when posing for photographs with children under 16-years-old and ask their permission before they post the photographs on social media sites.

It adds: "Tweeting a picture of your friends in the crowd is fine (with their permission); uploading the 100m men's final is not," although athletes and volunteers are allowed to post fun pictures of themselves from the Opening and Closing Ceremonies."

"The CGF wants everyone to have a happy and enjoyable time at the Commonwealth Games," head of communications at the CGF Peter Murphy, told insidethegames.

"Our policy on social media only covers those who have accreditations to the Games, but it contains advice that's useful to everyone.

"For instance we really encourage spectators, the public and athletes to share their experiences via Twitter or Facebook, but we'd remind everyone to ask permission before sharing someone else's photo online.

"Ultimately though, it's all common-sense, we simply ask people to be mindful and considerate of others."

To view the complete set of social media guidelines for Glasgow 2014, click here.

Source

A miserable month for Rio 2016 has continued with a stinging letter calling for the resignation of President Carlos Nuzman, claiming he is personally responsible for all the problems affecting the future host.

The letter, entitled: "On Rio, or more accurately, blame it on Nuzman" is written by Eric Walther Maleson, a Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Olympic bobsledder who was founding President of the Brazilian Ice Sports Federation from 1996 to 2012 and a Brazilian Olympic Committee (BOC) Board member between 1999 and 2012.

After admitting his personal animosity to Nuzman which led to him being the only National Federation President to oppose the 72-year-old's re-election as BOC President in 2012 - after which he lost much of his personal power - Maleson insists Nuzman is fully culpable.

Maleson continues by insisting that: "If the International Olympic Committee [IOC] wants to save the Games in Rio, the IOC image and the high financial investment made by their sponsors, they better act now and demand the resignation of Carlos Nuzman."

He adds: "The constant delays in the preparation for the Games in Rio are very simple to understand: the Government of Brazil does not want to work with Nuzman and his group."


In the open letter Maleson outlines how "the latest news about the successive delays that resulted on the present 'chaos' regarding the preparations are no surprise to me and should not be a surprise to the IOC".

"The IOC was informed well in advance by me and other Brazilian sports authorities about the lack of integrity, skills and know-how of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the Organising Committee of Rio 2016, with both entities presided over by Nuzman," he adds.

"We provided the IOC in 2012, hard evidence of corruption, numerous breaches of the IOC bylaws, election fraud, but unfortunately the IOC did not act in any capacity to investigate these serious issues.

"Why is there a different treatment to Brazil, considering that the IOC acted quickly to punish the Olympic Committee of India among allegations of corruption and election fraud?

"Because of his actions and proven inability to command Rio 2016, Nuzman should resign immediately, but unfortunately he doesn't walk his talk...his long speeches about 'meritocracy' only apply to others."

These words are another blow to the Organising Committee after an embarrassing week at the SportAccord International Convention in Belek, during which the Brazilian Government was blasted by the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations (ASOIF) for further delays in preparations for the Games.

This was followed by 18 of the ASOIF member federations raising "serious concerns" to the IOC in relation to venue construction, transport planning, accommodation, financial backing and other support from the three levels of Government.

Strikes have also been going on at Olympic sites, delaying already behind schedule construction plans, while the belated holding of a twice delayed meeting between Brazilian Government officials has so far failed to bring about any concrete changes.

Amid all of this, Rio 2016 have announced the full schedule of test events due to be held over the next two years.

But with the first to take place in August on a sailing course at Guanabara Bay strongly criticised for high pollution levels, this seems hardly likely to enable an upturn in fortunes.

Although they continued a trend in place since Athens 2004 by resisting any public criticism of Rio in Turkey, the IOC have introduced various measures to combat the fears, including the introduction of three task forces, a special advisor and more regular inspections by IOC executive director Gilbert Felli.

In a statement released today, ASOIF President Francesco Ricci Bitti welcomed these changes as a sign of strong "immediate action" by the IOC.

He added that "the International Federations are determined to provide full support, cooperation and flexibility to the IOC and the Organising Committee in Rio to deliver excellent Games".  

"Time is in very short supply now and any delay will put elements of the Games at risk," he added.

"This means that we will have to start considering options, sport-by-sport and venue-by-venue."

Source

We all make mistakes in life some of us learn from our mistakes while others don’t. Ethics in sport—Is it possible to achieve the full potential of sport without protecting the integrity of sport? Ethics and ethical leadership is a front burner issue here in Trinidad and Tobago. There are justifiable reasons why the topic is front of mind.

Well-managed national sport organisations and governing bodies and sport clubs are an essential element to providing values-based and principle-driven sport in T&T.

National sport organisations must serve as a strong voice in the dialogue regarding ethics in T&T sport and to protect the integrity of sport.

Recently, I have been researching the topic of ethical leadership.

Ethical theories on leadership talk about two main things: (a) The actions and behaviour of leaders; and (b) the personality and character of leaders. Some academics claim that “ethics are an essential to leadership”.

According to the Web site http://managementstudyguide.com/leadership-ethics.htm an effective and ethical leader has the following traits/characteristics:

Dignity and respectfulness: He or she respects others. An ethical leader should not use their followers as a medium to achieve personal goals. Respecting the followers implies listening effectively to them, being compassionate to them, as well as being liberal in hearing opposing viewpoints. In short, it implies treating the followers in a manner that authenticate their values and beliefs.

Serving others: He or she serves others. An ethical leader should place their follower’s interests ahead of their own interests.

Justice: Fair and just. An ethical leader must treat all followers equally. There should be no personal bias. Wherever some followers are treated differently, the ground for differential treatment should be fair, clear, and built on morality.

Community building: Develops community. An ethical leader considers their own purpose as well as their followers’ purpose, while making efforts to achieve the goals suitable to both of them.

He or she is considerate to the community interests, does not overlook the followers’ intentions and works harder for the community goals.

Honesty: Loyal and honest. Honesty is essential to be an ethical and effective leader. Honest leaders can be always relied upon and depended upon.

They always earn respect of their followers. An honest leader presents the fact and circumstances truly and completely, no matter how critical and harmful the fact may be. He or she does not misrepresent any fact.

Some may say the above represents an unattainable shopping list of ideals that are unrealistic in the cold light of daily existence and human frailties. Why is it unattainable? Shouldn’t we be striving for the ideal? There are confusing signals reflecting within our society .

It was Emmeline Pankhurst who said I’d rather be a rebel than a slave. The choice may very well be a rebel or be a slave.

Can we move forward without a commitment to integrity, ethics and ethical leadership?

In reaching out and spreading the message of sport we must have ethics and integrity as our breastplate.

Follow the examples of the quiet few who refuse by their dignity and integrity to bow to the subtle and not so subtle demands of those individuals who are thriving for the moment in the avalanche of corruption.

The quiet courage of the incorruptible will prove sufficient in the passage of time. Those who believe that they can draft their own rules will be found out.

Integrity and honesty are imperishable and will never go out of fashion.

Is it better to be a rebel for integrity and ethics than a slave to corruption?

Each of us will have to find the answer within. These days the answer seems to be selective and situational.

Source

They are the Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes that are the focus of training and commitment for 4,500 athletes across the Commonwealth and to mark 100 Days to Go to the Opening Ceremony, the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Medals were revealed to the public for the first time.

The medals were unveiled tonight (Monday 14 April) in spectacular style at Glasgow’s iconic Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum which provided a stunning backdrop to the reveal.

The unique awards are silver gilt (for the gold) silver and bronze – the traditional make-up of medals at Commonwealth and Olympic events, and weigh in at 100g each.

They have been designed by internationally renowned jeweller and maker Jonathan Boyd who worked with a team of eleven specialist jeweller-makers at the prestigious Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to hand make the Gold, Silver and Bronze medals through a series of complex and skilled processes meaning each one is truly unique.

They were revealed at a special event which also recreated the medal procession ceremony showing the ceremonial outfits to be worn by the male and female medal bearers, the trays the medals will be placed in and specially created gifts which will be given to the winning athletes.

The creative team behind the medal ceremonies also includes Paul Hodgkiss, designer of the wooden podiums, trays and gifts and fashion designer Kerry Nixon, who designed the dresses worn by the female medal bearers and styled the male medal bearers with the support of Harris Tweed who made the specially-commissioned fabric.

The design team has drawn inspiration from many elements of Scotland including the Isle of Harris itself to the parks of Glasgow. Incorporating the unique and iconic Harris Tweed fabric into the Medal Ceremony demonstrated the age-old tradition and artisan skills of the weavers in a modern and contemporary setting.

The event gave a glimpse of the moments of a lifetime for winning athletes which will be broadcast around the globe and highlighted the talents of three designers who have come together to create a beautiful and unique Glasgow 2014 Medal Ceremony which will be seen by a global audience of 1.5 billion.

GSA has been involved with developing both the medals and the dress fabrics with the school’s Centre for Advanced Textiles printing the distinctive Glasgow 2014 Official Tartan material onto the silk fabric.

Former Commonwealth Gold Medallist and TV presenter Iwan Thomas hosted the event which also featured Scotland’s most decorated athlete, Allan Wells, MBE and aspiring future athletics star Joseph Amouzou, 18, who attends The Glasgow School of Sport. Joseph is the reigning Under 20 Indoor Triple Jump champion and hopes to compete in future Commonwealth Games.

The event was also attended by Glasgow 2014 Games Partners and representatives of business and civic Scotland.

Chairman of Glasgow 2014, Lord Smith of Kelvin, KT, who spoke at the ceremony said:

“These medals are the coveted prize that all the athletes coming to compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games have in their sights – the ultimate reward for all those years of toil, training and dedication.  Our medals are unlike any I have seen before and are a unique representation of the stunning, contemporary vision of Scotland that will be beamed around the world.  With just 100 days to go until the Opening Ceremony, the stage is now well and truly set for an outstanding XX Commonwealth Games.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said:

“To win a Commonwealth Games medal is one of the highlights of any athlete’s career, but to win a medal on home soil would be something else and mean so much more. Since Scotland was awarded the Games in 2007, athletes across the country have aspired to be a part of Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014 and I am sure we will see some truly awe inspiring performances, as they aim to realise their dreams in just over 100 days and make Scotland very proud.”

Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said:

""It is fantastic to see the medals for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games revealed.  They look absolutely stunning and I'm sure that all the athletes, who have worked so hard to get here and compete, will be honoured to receive one of these medals.  The Games are proving a great showcase for Scottish designers from these fantastic medals designed by Jonathan Boyd, to the wooden quaichs by Paul Hodgkiss and the dresses for the female medal bearers by Kerry Nixon.

"We are celebrating 100 days to go today before we are host to the largest sporting and cultural event ever seen in Scotland.  The final pieces are all coming together as we get ready to deliver the best Games ever and to showcase Scotland on a global stage. "

Councilor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

“100 Days to Go is the last lap on our preparations for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the biggest event in the city’s history.  It is very fitting that we celebrate this landmark by unveiling these fantastic medals, which will reflect modern Glasgow when we host the Games this summer, and I would like to offer my congratulations to the designer, Jonathan Boyd.”

Jonathan Boyd said:

"It’s a real honour to have been invited to design the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games medals. As someone who is extremely proud to live in the city of Glasgow and an avid sports fan, I am thrilled to be given this opportunity. I hope I have designed something that stands proud as an interesting and unique object but, more importantly, something that celebrates each athlete's individual achievement.

“Each of the medals was handmade in Glasgow by a group of internationally recognised jewellers. This could only have been achieved at The Glasgow School of Art. It has been a wonderful commission both for me and my colleagues in the Silversmithing and Jewellery department.”

Kerry Nixon said:

"I’m delighted to be a part of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.  It’s a huge honour for me to design and now showcase the Medal Bearer’s dress and represent my hometown of Glasgow at such an exciting time for the City.”

Paul Hodgkiss said:

"It is a real honour being asked to design and create the athletes gifts, medal trays and podiums.

I am so very proud that the winning athletes will experience an atmosphere we have helped to create in my home city and that they will take home with them not only good memories but, literally, a little piece of Glasgow.”

The countdown is on. 100 days to go the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee(TTOC) which also acts as the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association(TTCGA) is in full preparation mode. With a delegation expected to number 200 plus Chef de Mission Dr Ian Hypolite and the TTOC are hard at work to ensure that the smallest detail is covered.

The TTOC is planning a pre Games training camp in Scotland. At this time all efforts are focused on the logistics, making sure all athletes , coaches , managers and medical staff are accredited.

In addition the TTOC is overseeing its fitness criteria with the help of the Sport Company High Performance Unit.

The final fitness test is scheduled for 17th May .

Team sports have a compulsory  fitness standard to meet. The team sports qualified for Glasgow are Netball, Hockey men and women and rugby 7s.

The 23rd July- 3rd August Glasgow Commonwealth Games is attracting a lot of attention as a number of the world's best athletes will be in attendance.

Trinidad and Tobago's best ever Commonwealth Games medal haul is 9 medals at the 1966 Commonwealth Games held in Kingston, Jamaica.

Legendary West Indies and international cricketer Courtney Walsh says youths must play a leading role in reversing the vicious tide of bullying now plaguing schools across this country. The retired Jamaican sports star expressed concerns about pushing adults to the forefront in this seemingly-contagious teen specific conflict. He was responding to concerns raised by Toni Sirju Ramnarine, vice-president of corporate operations at energy company Atlantic who raised concerns about the resurgence of bullying in T&T.

Speaking at last Monday’s 15th Annual Sport Desk Symposium with the theme It Always Seems Impossible Until It’s Done and held at the Cascadia Hotel in St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain, Ramnarine said bullying in the local school system was a serious threat to the development of the nation’s youth. She referred to horrendous incidents of bullying captured on smartphones which were then uploaded to social media that went viral.

Drawing on similar challenges he witnessed in the Jamaican school system, Walsh said taking the issue of bullying away from children who were most affected and placing it in the hands of adults would only stall efforts to end this scourge. Walsh said the youths had intimate knowledge of the dynamics that had infiltrated their world and they needed to be consulted and included in discussions aimed at arriving at practical solutions.

He told the teenagers present that they held the power to reclaim a serene space in which they could live and grow free from fear. “The fighting in schools…I am aware of it because we have had those problems in Jamaica. All I want to say is that the campaign has to start now by all those in the audience. You are our future leaders and if you put a stop to it, it will stop,” Walsh added.

Ramnarine, during her contribution, said students attending the Sport Desk mentorship symposium no longer had the luxury of side stepping the issues raised because they had not been victims.
“As leaders, we have to put down our complaints and take up ownership. We have to realise that part of the solution to any problem can start with us,” she said.

Source

Mere millimetres separated Olympic riders Gregory Bauge (France) and Njisane Phillip (TT) in the Men’s Keirin final on Friday night, as the former barely outlasted the latter in a hotly contested encounter when day-one of the second annual “Njisane Three-Day Cycling Festival” rode off at a packed Arima Velodrome.

Dubbed one of the fastest events on the night, the bumper crowd was treated to a nail-biting finish which saw the London Olympic Men’s Sprint silver medallist Bauge, snatch gold ahead of TT’s Olympic fourth place finisher, Phillip. Settling for a credible third was Czech Republic cyclist, Tomas Babek.

As the top three finishers began to pump their legs for a speedy sprint finish in the final lap of the Keirin, Bauge and Phillip pulled away from Babek and lit the concrete track afire with their Olympic talent. However, it would be Bauge of Team White who emerged the victor, pipping Phillip (Team Red) at the line for the coveted Keirin crown.

In the women’s equivalent, French rider Laurie Berton also stamped her authority with a golden finish ahead of Scottish athlete Jennifer Davis and Mexic3an Daniela Gaxiola respectively.

Phillip however, pulled one back for the Red team as he went on to take top honours in the Men’s International 9-Lap event. Also bagging points for Phillip’s team was Keron Bramble, who finished in runner-up position ahead of Argentina’s Sebastien Donadio (Team White).

Additionally, in the Elite 1,2,3 & Juniors Open ten Laps, Bajan rider Jamol Eastmond of Heatwave rode to gold ahead of eventual silver medallist Dario Pagliaricci (The Braves) and bronze receiver Edwin Sutherland (Barbados).

Babek also showed good form in the International Men 25 Laps as he powered to victory for his Team Black outfit. He finished ahead of Team Green’s Adam Alexander (TT) and Team White’s Joshua Alexander (TT) respectively.

France’s dominant female, Berton, continued her strong run when she was victorious once more in the International & Senior Women event. Berton got past runner-up Jenifer Davis (Scotland) and third placed Malgorzata Wojtyra (Poland).

TT athlete, Varun Maharajh was also among the winners for Team Red as he outrode Bajan and 2012 Tobago Classic winner Darren Matthews (Green) and Jamaican Marloe Rodman (Black) respectively.

Tonight, the three-day event climaxes at Skinner Park, San Fernando, from 5pm. At the end of tonight’s programme, team points will be tallied after the three days of racing and a champion team will be crowned.

International N3DCF II Teams

Team Red - Njisane Phillip TT (Captain); Gevan Samuel TT; Gene Samuel TT; Akil Campbell TT; Keron Bramble TT; Varun Maharajh TT; Azikiwe Kellar TT.

Team Green - Adam Alexander TT (Captain); Hugo Barette Canada; Darren Matthews Barbados; Patrick Constable Australia; Thireef Smart TT.

Team White - Gregory Bauge France (Captain); Joshua Alexander TT; Jai Angusthasawit Australia; Sebastian Donadio Argentina; Jymes Bridges Antigua & Barbuda.

Team Black - Tomas Babek Czech Republic (Captain); Barry Luces TT; Guy East USA; Diego Pena Colombia; Jessie Kelly Barbados.

Team Blue - Damien Zielinski Poland (Captain); Marloe Rodman Jamaica; Marc Codrington TT; Jovian Gomez TT; Manuel Tunjano Colombia; Rudy Ashton TT.



Other Results:

International & Senior Women 6 Laps: 1. Laurie Berton (France); 2. Daniela Gaxiola (Mexico); 3. Jennifer Davis (Scotland).

International Men 6 Laps: 1. Njisane Phillip (TT); 2. Thomas Babek (Czech Republic); 3. Adam Alexander (TT).

Elite 1 & 2 4 Lap Pointer: 1. Jamol Eastmond (Heatwave); 2. Dario Pagliarici (The Braves); 3. Oneil Samuels (The Braves).

Elite 3: 1. Oludare Marcelle (Madonna); 2. Robin Balgobin (Hummingbird); 3. Murvin Arumjo (Team Foundation).

Elite 4 2 Laps: 1. A Puckerin (Barbados); 2. Brent Mitchell (Petrotrin); 3. Desmond Nedd (Bike Smith).

Juniors 2 Laps: 1. Sei Daniel (AWCC); 2. Liam Lovell (Barbados); 3. Josh Kelly (Sonics & Barbados).

Tinymites 5 Laps: 1. Jabari Whiteman (Southclaine); 2. Dean Woodsley (Petrotrin); 3. Justin Baptiste (Slipstream).

Juveniles Elimination: 1. Tyler Cole (Sonics); 2. Jacobs Kelly (Sonics & Barbados); 3. Brandon Gittens (Sonics).

Masters 40-49 3 Laps: 1. Roger Smart (Madonna); 2. Rocky Hosein (Hummingbird); 3. Christopher Gill (Heatwave).

Master 50-59 4 Laps: 1. Joel Browne (AWCC); 2. Wayne Samuel (Southclaine); 3. Cyril Fook (Parkside).

Masters 60-69 2 Laps: 1. Haridiva La Fond (Unattached); 2. Clyde Pollonais (Southclaine); 3. Godfrey Clyne (Southclaine).

Masters 70+ 2 Laps: 1. Earl Henry (Unattached); 2. Barry Edghill (Madonna); 3. Joey Nunes (Hummingbird).

Tinymite Women 3 Laps: 1. Chenelle Walcott (Bike Smith); 2. Ashley Whiteman (Sonics); 3. Adrianna Seyjagat (AWCC).

Juvenile Women: 1. Jhordan St George (Slipstream); 2. Dominique Lovell (AWCC).

Junior Women 2 Laps: 1. Joy Abigail John (AWCC); 2. Keiana Lester (Bike Smith); 3. Tenille Campbell (Sonics).

Source

National cyclist Njisane Phillip seems to be back to full fitness, winning two international men’s events and finishing second in the international men’s keirin event on Friday night at the Arima Velodrome on the opening day of the Njisane (Phillip) cycling three-day festival. Njisane, who endured kidney problems earlier this year, stood out among some of the top cyclists in the world. In the international men’s keirin event, Njisane had to settle for silver as Gregory Benott Bauge of France edged Njisane on the line in a photo finish. Tomas Babek of Czech Republic grabbed the bronze.
Njisane showed his prowess in the international men’s nine-lap and six-lap events, winning both events. In the nine-lap race, T&T rider Keron Bramble, who has been in top form this year, finished second, while Argentine Sebastian Donadio came third. It was more success for T&T in the six-lap international men’s event, as Njisane came first and Adam Alexanader (T&T) took home the bronze. Babek’s Czech Republic teammate Thomas Babel won silver.
Babek returned later in the night to cop the feature international 25-lap race ahead of T&T brothers Adam (second) and Joshua Alexander (third).Action continued last night at Skinner Park, San Fernando.



RESULTS

International Men 25 Laps
Tomas Babek – Czech Republic – Team Black
Adam Alexander – T&T – Team Green
Joshua Alexander – T&T – Team White

International Men 9 Laps
1. Njisane Phillip – T&T – Team Red
2. Keron Bramble – T&T – Team Red
3. Sebastian Donadio – Argentina – Team White

International & Senior Women
1. Laurie Berton - France
2. Jenifer Davis - Scotland
3. Malgorzata Wojtyra - Poland

Youth Developers
Boys Under 9

Elijah Moses- Bike Smith
Kaylon Tuckett- AWCC
Amari Donaway- AWCC

Boys Under 11
Jesse Hender- Slipstream
Matthew Hinds- Bike Smith
Stephen Nakhid-

Girls Under 11
Alexia Wilson- AWCC
Tehya Sealey- AWCC

Girls Under 13
Selyse Christian- Sonics
Rynelle D’abreau- AWCC
Dahlia Mc Kenzie- Sonics

Masters 40-49   2 Lap win & out
Rocky Hosein - Hummingbird
Roger Smart- Madonna
Christopher Gill- Heatwave

Masters 50-59 2 Lap win&out
Cyril Fook - Parkside
Wayne Samuel- Southclaine
Earl Gonzales- Madonna

Masters 60-
69 3 Laps
Harideva La Fond- Unattached
Clyde Pollonais- Southcaline
Pat Nelson- The Braves

Masters 70+  3 Laps
Earl Henry- Unattached
Barry Edghill- Madonna
Joey Nunes- Hummingbird

Elite 1& 2  Elimination
Jamol Eastmond - Heatwave
Dario Pagliarici – The Braves
Oneil Samuels- The Braves

Elite 4  4 Laps
Kamau Reece- Petrotrin
A. Puckerin- Barbados
Desmond Nedd- Bike Smith

Elite  3  5 Laps
Marvin Arumjo- Team Foundation
Nicholas Lopez- Madonna
Urba Bourne- Southampton

Tinymite Women  2 Laps
Chenelle Walcott- Bike Smith
Adriana Seyjagat - AWCC
Ashley Whiteman - Sonics

Juvenile Women 2 Laps
Jhordan St George - Slipstream
Dominique Lovell - AWCC

Junior Women 5 Laps
Keiana Lester – Bike Smith
Kollyn St George - Slipstream
Joy Abigail John - AWCC

Tinymites  2 Laps
Jabari Whiteman - Southclaine
Luke Staffner - Barbados
Dean Woodsley - Petrotrin

Juveniles 3 Laps
Tyler Cole - Sonics
Tremaine Forde Catwell - Barbados
Chayne Goodman - Barbados

Juniors 4 Laps
Liam Lovell - Barbados
Edwin Sutherland - Barbados
Josh Kelly – Sonics (Barbados)

Youth
Developers
Boys Under 7
J Jacobs-
Boys Under 9
Elijah Moses – Bike Smith
Kaylon Tuckett – AWCC
Amari Dollaway - AWCC

Boys Under 11
Jesse Hender - Slipstream
Matthew Hinds- Bike Smith
Ryan Maharaj- Slipstream

Girls Under 11
Alexia Wilson- AWCC
Tehya Sealey- AWCC

Boys Under 13
D ‘ Angelo Harris- Sonics
Jeremiah Charles- Slipstream
Ryan D’ Abreau- AWCC

Girls Under 13

Rynelle D’ Abreau- AWCC
Selyse Christian- Sonics
Dahlia Mc Kenzie- Sonics

International & Senior Women 6 Laps
Laurie Berton - France
Daniela Gaxiola - Mexico
Jennifer Davis - Scotland

International Men  6 Laps
Njisane Phillip- T&T – Team Red
Thomas Babel- Czech Republic
Adam Alexander- T&T – Team Green

Elite 1 & 2  4 Lap pointer
Jamol Eastmond- Heatwave
Dario Pagliarici- The Braves
Oneil Samuels- The Braves

Elite 3
Oludare Marcelle - Madonna
Robin Balgobin- Hummingbird
Murvin Arumjo- Team Foundation

Elite 4  2 Laps
A Puckerin- Barbados
Brent Mitchell- Petrotrin
Desmond Nedd- Bike Smith

Juniors 2 Laps
Sei Daniel - AWCC
Liam Lovell- Barbados
Josh Kelly- Sonics (Barbados)

Tinymites 5 Laps
Jabari Whiteman - Southclaine
Dean Woodsley- Petrotrin
Justin Baptiste- Slipstream

Juveniles Elimination
Tyler Cole - Sonics
Jacobs Kelly- Sonics (Barbados)
Brandon Gittens- Sonics

International Men Keirin
Gregory Benott Bauge- France – Team White
Njisane Phillip- T&T – Team Red
Tomas Babek- Czech Republic

International & Senior Women Keirin
Laurie Berton- France
Jeniffer Davis- Scotland
Daniela Gaxiola- Mexico

Masters 40 - 49  3 Laps
Roger Smart- Madonna
Rocky Hosein- Hummingbird
Christopher Gill- Heatwave

Master 50 - 59  4 Laps
Joel Browne- AWCC
Wayne Samuel- Southclaine
Cyril Fook- Parkside

Masters 60 - 69  2 Laps
Haridiva La Fond- Unattached
Clyde Pollonais- Southclaine
Godfrey Clyne- Southclaine

Masters 70 +  2 Laps
Earl Henry- Unattached
Barry Edghill- Madonna
Joey Nunes- Hummingbird

Tinymite Women  3 Laps
Chenelle Walcott- Bike Smith
Ashley Whiteman- Sonics
Adrianna Seyjagat- AWCC

Juvenile Women
Jhordan St George- Slipstream
Dominique Lovell- AWCC

Junior Women 2 Laps
Joy Abigail John- AWCC
Keiana Lester- Bike Smith
Tenille Campbell- Sonics

International Men Elimination
Varun Maharaj- T&T – Team Red
Darrren Matthews- Barbados – Team Green
Marloe Rodman- Jamaica – Team Black

Elite 1,2,3 & Juniors
Open 10 Laps
Jamol Eastmond - Heatwave
Dario Pagliaricci – The Braves
Edwin Sutherland - Barbados

Source

With 100 days to go tomorrow until the start of Glasgow 2014, Adam Paker, chief executive of Commonwealth Games England, has described the impending Games in Scotland as the "acid test" for his organisation's wide-ranging regeneration in the wake of Delhi 2010.

And one of the key elements for Paker will be to ensure that new sponsors attracted via the joint marketing initiative between Commonwealth Games England and Glasgow 2014 will have a sufficiently positive experience at the Games to want to extend their contracts with the body.

Commonwealth Games England's Stepping Up strategy has sought to upgrade the organisation in four key areas - developing improved relations with other sports governing bodies, renewing the management structure, building their brand with new sponsors, and, critically, making a success of Glasgow 2014.

"We have made great strides within the last couple of years, but essentially the proof will be in the pudding, and the pudding will be the 2014 Games," Paker told insidethegames.

"Glasgow will be the acid test for us. It's got to be alright on the night. We have to deliver. We have to make it the best possible experience both for our athletes and for our sponsors.

"With 100 days to go, everything feels like it's on track. It has been a four-year plan, and we will be able to evaluate its success once the Games are over."

Speaking to insidethegames in December 2012 at Commonwealth Games England's newly established office in London's High Holborn, Paker - formerly in the marketing area with FIFA, where he created the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup, and then 888.com, where he was instrumental in setting up a major sponsorship of the Snooker World Championship - was happy to contemplate the positive benefits the hugely successful London 2012 Games would have upon another "home" multisport Games two years later.

"As Harold Macmillan once said, 'We've never had it so good'," Paker commented, referencing the speech made in 1957 by the Conservative Prime Minister.

Almost two years on, Paker is happy to confirm that such optimism has been well placed.

"We have definitely benefited from the wave of interest created by the London 2012 Games," he said. "Tickets for Glasgow 2014 have gone like hot cakes.

"The cycling, diving, swimming and athletics events for all sold out very, very quickly. But the demand has not been restricted to marquee sports - we have also sold out the shooting, which will take place near Carnoustie.

"There is definitely some resonance of London 2012. People have experienced once again how hard it has been to get tickets. Some events have had 20-25 applications for every ticket available."

Paker added that another "big plus factor" for the Glasgow 2014 Games was the involvement of the BBC, who will also be providing extensive coverage of the Queen's Baton Relay during the fortnight it will be in England from May 31 to June 13.

"The BBC are keen supporters of the Queen's Baton Relay in England, and the coverage of our team at the Games is going to be first class. They are definitely sending their A team there - Clare Balding, Gary Lineker and many others who were involved in London 2012.

"But looking beyond the London 2012 effect, we are also confident that Glasgow will create its own folklore, and that people will be talking about events and athletes there for many years to come."

Paker said he was "very pleased" with the sponsorship generated in the lead-up to the 2014 Games. "Glasgow 2014 have sold our rights as well as their own as part of a pool offer, and our roster of support now includes names such as BP, Ford, Cisco and Virgin Media.

"We have never before had a roster of sponsors of such quantity and quality.

"We have also accrued some key sponsorships for ourselves. We signed a deal with Kukri on St George's Day last year to supply all our kit for competition, delegations and parades. That is something we have never done in the past. When the public sees Team England on television, or live in the city, they will be seeing a branded look for the whole team. And we have also done a deal with Arena to provide all our swimwear."

In terms of England's aspiration to finishing top of the Commonwealth medals table - something they last managed at the 1986 Games in Edinburgh - Paker remains optimistic, although cautiously so.

"I counsel caution about reading too much into the London 2012 medals table as we look ahead to Glasgow 2014," he said. "Two years have passed, and many of the athletes are different, as are the sports themselves. Some Olympic sports are not in the Commonwealths, and vice versa.

"In terms of overall competitiveness, Australia are going to be bringing a very, very strong team. There has never been such a thing as a weak Australian team at the Commonwealths. But we feel we will be bringing a very strong team as well. We have some big names, and some other names who can be household names of the future.

"We were third at the 2010 Delhi Games behind Australia and the hosts, and we are really looking to do even better than that in Glasgow.

"Given that the official selection process has not yet taken place - the process is due to start on April 23 - and given the normal caveat about fitness, it is looking very good for Team England.

"Although Jessica Ennis-Hill has had a little distraction [she is pregnant], most of the names we were hoping for have signalled their decision to compete in Glasgow. We've already had positive indications from, among others, Sir Bradley Wiggins, Tom Daley, Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, Max Whitlock and Nicola Adams.

"As far as Mo Farah is concerned, he's obviously got his first marathon in London this weekend so we will have to see how that goes, and he will be making a late decision on how the event fits into his season."

As England prepare to enter a Games set, for the third time in the last 44 years, in Scotland, Paker believes the referendum on Scottish Independence due to be held on September 18 this year has had a profound effect south of the border.

"There is no doubt that the impending referendum has focused our attention on what it means to be English," he said. "I think in international terms there has always been a clear idea of what Scottishness, or Welshness means.

"But I believe there is a very strong sense of identity among English people, and so much of it is rooted in modern ideas of inclusivity, diversity and multi-ethnicity. This is England in 2014. It is very different from England in the last century, and even from England ten years ago.

"I have lived abroad for a lot of my life, and I have experienced perceptions about English people and talk of their 'English reserve'. But there are lots of English people I have met who aren't very reserved at all.

"I think sport helps form our sense of English identity - it brings people together in their support of a team, whether it is the England rugby team, or football team, or Commonwealth Games team. I think if there's one thing that gels our ideas about what it means to be English, from Cornwall to Sunderland, it's sport. It's more about having a sense of collective consciousness."

Recent debate over the severity of UK Sport's "no compromise" funding policy for elite competitors has also, Paker believes, highlighted a benevolent feature of the Commonwealth's quadrennial sporting event.

"I think one of the things which distinguishes the Commonwealth Games from the Olympic Games is the fact that there is a unique blend in the Commonwealths," he said. "Of course there is world class sport - you have Jamaican sprinters, Canadian and Australian swimmers, African middle and long distance runners, and of course you will have a very strong team from England in Glasgow - but there is another side to it.

"The Olympics is all about fastest, highest, strongest, but at the Commonwealths there's a sense that for many of the athletes attending from all around the Commonwealth it's the pinnacle of their career to be at the Games and that it is fantastic that they are going to be there competing.

"Although I am not a big fan of the Friendly Games tag, there is a vital element of that within the Games which you don't find at the Olympics.

"I think from the UK Sport point of view they want to raise competitive standards as much as they possibly can, but there are multiple objectives at a major Games such as we are about to have in Glasgow.

"Clearly we are striving to excel and to enable our elite athletes to be as strong as they can be to do well in the medal table. But we are also being aware of what we can do to inspire people to take up sport themselves.

"That is a large part of what the Queen's Baton Relay is all about. We want people involved to have a go at different sports that will be put on in association with the Relay."

While the Relay route around England has already been released, Paker added that the list of those who would carry the Baton will be announced on April 16.

In the meantime, Paker is adopting a broadly positive attitude to the announcement by the Glasgow 2014 organisers that they will blow up five of the six remaining Red Road high-rise tower blocks in the city as part of the Opening Ceremony on July 23.

The decision has provoked widespread complaint, with more than 17,000 people signing an online protest petition which maintains: "If the flats are not fit for 'human' habitation, the message to the residents (asylum seeking families) in the remaining block is that they are not human enough to deserve decent housing."

Paker commented: "This idea has aroused some quite strong subjective reactions from people. But the 2014 Glasgow Games have been a highly important agent in changing the city and the theme of regeneration has been very strong there.

"The Games are being used to regenerate the city, and I think the idea of getting rid of these tower blocks as part of the Opening Ceremony is a very strong statement of the city's intentions.

"It will impact some people, but in terms of its overall message I can certainly see what is happening there. Hopefully in 10, 20, 30 years' time we will still see the regenerative benefits of these Games."

The same time scale offers the opportunity for England to bid for the Games once again following their triumphant staging at Manchester in 2002. For the Commonwealth Games Federation, which has endured considerable concern about getting anyone to bid for the next Games on offer - the 2022 version - the prospect of a return to the safe hands of England must be tempting indeed.

Paker underlined that England would not seek to become hosts in 2022, but made it clear that the Games were very likely to make a return soon afterwards.

"We are delighted to see that two very strong bidders in the form of Edmonton and Durban have made known their interest in hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games," he said.

"There has been a question of interest, so it is good to see two very strong, very different kinds of potential bids for those Games.

"Canada has hosted the Games before, and is a known quantity. South Africa has never held a Commonwealth Games - in fact Africa hasn't. So the prospect of the Games going there following the World Cup finals in 2010 is an exciting one.

"We still have very fond memories of Manchester 2002. We would love at some stage to throw our hat into the ring to host another Games.

"At the moment I can't tell you when that will be - we will need to hold consultations with particular interested cities. But the enthusiasm to host another Commonwealth Games is there. We are not going to be involved in bidding for the 2022 Games, but it would be wonderful to hold the Commonwealths again in England.

"I don't think the fact that the Games were in Glasgow in 2014 will be a big influence in any decision about England getting a Games after 2022. Really the reference point for England should be the 2002 Manchester Games rather than the 2014 Glasgow Games.

"And by the time the 2026 or the 2030 Games come along, Glasgow will be in the distant past.

"I think there are other more important issues concerned in England getting to host another Games. The two key ones are to have a suitable city which is really up for hosting the event, and to be assured of Government support for the project. Those are the fundamental issues."

But Paker downplayed the likelihood that England would soon be hosting a Commonwealth Youth Games, which were last held at the Isle of Man in 2011 and will next be hosted by Samoa in 2015.

"I would never rule it out for England," he said, "but there is a feeling that the Commonwealth Youth Games are particularly well suited to smaller members of the Commonwealth who may perhaps not have hosted larger multisport events.

"I think the Commonwealth Youth Games worked very well in the Isle of Man in 2011 and have given the island a very valuable sporting legacy. And Samoa has a great opportunity for showcasing itself in 2015.

"We are convinced of the continuing value of the Commonwealth Youth Games as a vital step up for athletes. The competition has enabled English competitors of the calibre of Jessica Ennis, Louis Smith and Beth Tweddle to establish themselves on the international scene."

One issue high in priority for Commonwealth Games England at Glasgow 2014 will be to ensure social media is used responsibly by England athletes - and to help mitigate any ill effects their athletes might suffer from trolling incidents such as the one which afflicted short track speed skater Elise Christie at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

Christie admitted her training between events had been adversely affected by receiving threatening messages - which she believes originated from Korea - following her disqualification in the 500 metres final following a collision with South Korea's Park Seung-Hi.

Her Twitter account has since been deleted.

Paker said that the use of social media during the Games was an area of concern.

"We want our athletes to be tweeting sensibly," he said. "We don't want there to be anything offensive or inappropriate. We have collaborated closely on this issue with the British Olympic Association, and adapted their guidelines in this area. There were some bad experiences for athletes at the Sochi Games with cases of trolling, and we want to avoid this wherever possible. We want to keep a close watch on the social media side of things."

As the 2014 Games emerge with ever-increasing clarity on the horizon, Commonwealth Games England is hoping such attention to detail will pay off for them in all areas of their enterprise.

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April 10 - Integrity in sport was roundly criticised this afternoon during the final panel discussion of the SportAccord Convention here as the sports world was accused of "over promising and under delivering" by former NBA player John Amaechi.

A panel which also included World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) President Sir Craig Reedie, International Centre for Security Studies director of sports integrity Chris Easton and President of the European Lotteries Friedrich Stickler, discussed issues spanning doping, match fixing and wider sporting values.

Progress that has been made to combat several of these issues was initially highlighted.

Sir Craig claimed the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had put its "money where its mouth is" by setting up WADA in the aftermath of the Festina doping scandal which rocked cycling in 1998, while more recent changes to tackle corruption and match-fixing were also hailed.

But as the discussion moved on to areas where improvements still need to be made the criticism got more venomous.

Most vocal was Ameachi, who since retiring from basketball in 2007 is now managing director of his own firm Ameachi Performance Systems, when he described how "the biggest threat is that people now look at sport and it doesn't stand for what it should."

"It over promises and under delivers," he added.

The 43-year-old United States-born Briton also rubbished the view sympathy should be felt for people who cheat and take drugs.

"You get people from tough backgrounds who do the right thing, and at a time when so many young people experience difficulty finding jobs, I feel no sympathy for someone travelling around the world playing tennis who decides to cheat," he said.

Ameachi also claimed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the "world's last remaining plantation" before lambasting sports organisations forcreating "another bloody committee with the title of 'ethics'" instead of introducing real change.

This criticism was supported by the other members of the panel who claimed there is widespread match-fixing across multiple sports, with an allegation some heads of major sports organisations are complicit in the process.

Sir Craig joked he was "beginning to think he was glad to have to deal with anti-doping."

He claimed he was not aware of the head of any international sport who would be implicated in match-fixing.

"I don't know know any President who would do that, you must introduce me to him," he said.

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The smash-hit London Olympics were nearing a close in August 2012, and I found myself in an elevator at the main news media center with a small delegation of observers from the next Summer Games, in Rio de Janeiro.

They looked and sounded worried. One of them said, “I really hope that everyone does not expect Rio to be better than this.”

In truth, almost everyone does not. Neither Brazil nor any of its neighbors have staged an Olympics, and it was clear that Rio, despite its high profile and abundant charms, was going to face organizational challenges of a higher magnitude. The trade-off, however, seemed worth it to bring the Games to new territory.

Yet even with lowered expectations, the preparation for South America’s first Olympics is clearly not up to snuff. And this week Olympic and international sports officials, concerned over the lack of construction and commitment in Rio, sounded the alarm in public at the SportAccord Convention in Turkey.

“Perhaps we are perceived as bad boys at this moment, but I think we are the most important ally of the Brazilian organizers because without this alarm we really could be in trouble if we miss some more time,” Francesco Ricci Bitti, the president of the Association of Summer Olympic International Federations, said in a telephone interview on Friday after returning to London.

Ricci Bitti is also the president of the International Tennis Federation and a member of the International Olympic Committee’s coordinating commission for the 2016 Games. He is well acquainted with Rio’s fault lines and visited last month. Two major concerns: the Deodoro complex, essentially Rio’s secondary Olympic Park, where major construction work has yet to begin, and the first Olympic golf course, which does not look remotely ready for golf.

“The organizing committee for the Games is made now of professional, good people, but they have no leverage,” Ricci Bitti said. “So they were always talking about the salad but never about the beef. The timeline for construction is very, very late, and very few federations are confident to have what the bid said. Very few.”

The economic and political context has changed dramatically since Rio’s bid prevailed in 2009. Brazil’s economy is now suffering, and Ricci Bitti said the “great cohesion” between the federal and local levels of government toward the Olympic effort was no longer apparent. The politics have become much more complicated because of public protest and looming elections. Brazil’s leaders — the ones with the real and requisite clout — appear distracted, and not just by the upcoming World Cup.

“Obviously it was not a pleasure to send this strong message, but we are scared that the trend on their side was to postpone everything again for six or eight months because of the two big events: the FIFA World Cup and elections,” Ricci Bitti said. “The government has to move. This was the message that has to be sent. The organizing committee has a cash flow very much lower than they need.”

The reflex is to consider this business as usual, to recall the tumultuous rush before the 2004 Games in Athens with all the delays and doomsayers, who eventually had to concede that the Games turned out swimmingly.

After all, the drumbeat leading into an Olympics is routinely, perhaps systemically, negative.

Michael Pirrie, a key adviser at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and to the 2012 London Games chief, Sebastian Coe, often makes reference — tongue slightly in cheek — to the six stages of Olympic organization.

“There’s the euphoria of winning the bid, then the shock of understanding the fully massive scale of what’s required,” Pirrie said in an interview. “Then there’s the rise of the instant experts, the people who said you’d never win the bid or that your city or country didn’t need the bid but now are telling you how to deliver the Games.

“Then you have the persecution of the innocent, whereby anybody connected to the organization of the Games is somehow responsible for any major or minor detail of the planning going slightly awry. Then you have the successful delivery of the Games, with the help of the volunteers and everyone involved. And then, finally, you have the glorification of the uninvolved, all the people who sat on the sidelines and watched it all evolve and then suddenly were the ones who helped deliver it.”

Rio still has a chance for a happy ending. As Pirrie points out, “it’s not like they are building a space station.” Although the knowledge transfer between Games has improved, time is dwindling, and what is remarkable and troubling is the number of officials sharing their fears, when they are typically the ones reassuring the public and the news media that all will be sorted out. “I think the situation in Rio is far more serious than anything the I.O.C. faced in Athens,” Michael Payne, a former I.O.C. marketing director who was a consultant to Rio’s successful bid, said. “I don’t think it’s a case of someone shouting wolf or whatever.”

Payne added: “I don’t think the I.O.C. has faced such a serious crisis relative to the delivery of the Summer Games ever. The last time you would have had a crisis of this level impacting on the Games would have been the Moscow-L.A. boycotts in 1980 and 1984.”

Bach has not ruled out moving the Olympics from Rio. But it still seems nearly certain that it will be Rio, two years after Brazil stages this summer’s soccer World Cup, which has plenty of its own concerns.

“I would not recommend to have in the same place and in the same country two events of this kind in the same cycle,” Ricci Bitti said. “But now it’s happening.”

Indeed it is, and the next two years and four months seem guaranteed to be a much wilder ride than they should have been.

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Sports Minister Anil Roberts is telling the nation’s youth not to allow the legacies of the late sprinter Emanuel Mc Donald Bailey and weight-lifter Rodney Wilkes to fade into the abyss.

Speaking at yesterday’s close of the 15th annual Sport Desk Leadership Symposium held at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre in St Ann’s Port-of-Spain, Roberts said both Olympic medallists epitomised why giving up was never an option.

Bailey passed away last December. The sports fraternity bid Wilkes farewell back in March.

Roberts said during their lifetime both men had the honour to represent T&T, but it was not under the best circumstances. Yet, they persevered!

From that, the minister said, were lessons the nation could learn.

“Rodney Wilkes won the first ever Olympic medal for T&T in 1948; a silver medal to the Egyptians. Now if Rodney Wilkes was to tell me, ‘boy, that seems impossible,’ I could believe Rodney Wilkes, because Rodney Wilkes had to go on a boat to the Olympics. It took about 13 days. Right now our athletes go by the minister for first class and business class tickets, jump on a plane, stretch out, lie down (and) sleep, wake-up, show their passport and they reach in the (Olympic) village. Rodney Wilkes had to go on a boat with no real coach. Alex Chapman (Alexander B Chapman) who was now learning a little bit about weight lifting, he is the coach. He (Wilkes) had to go and find things on the boat to lift to keep his anaerobic capacity up. When he reached there he didn’t have a psychologist, doctor, massage therapist, psychio-therapist, no yoga instructor, but he had to compete against the world,” Roberts said.

He added, “Mc Donald Bailey wanted to run for T&T, but the T&T Olympic Committee back then was not as efficient as it is now under the leadership of Brian Lewis. Mc Donald Bailey was waiting in England. He didn’t even know if T&T was sending a team. He didn’t pick up his cell phone and call the TTOC president. He had to wait for a big boy to make a call to find out if we were sending a team; all of this on his mind while he’s training. Right now athletes don’t have to worry about that. They know if they are going,” he said.

“At the last minute when he (Bailey) realised T&T not going and he had to make a choice to run for Great Britain. Now he had to run for the empire which was not treating him like an emperor because back in those days everybody was not considered equal. Some people were considered less than others, so they weren’t given the same opportunities.

“Yet Mc Donald Bailey went into that system and won a medal (Helsinki Olympics 1952) and still feels proud that he is from T&T and basically gave us that title.” Roberts told an estimated 400 teenagers that in T&T today, nothing was impossible. And that the word had no meaning citing the enormous opportunities to do anything they wanted.

Roberts applauded the genuine interest of the children and educators in the Sport Desk four-day mentorship programme which this year featured presentations from former West Indies and international cricket ambassador Courtney Walsh, Olympic medallist George Bovell III and Ato Boldon, Miss Universe 1998 Wendy Fitzwilliam, UCI World Cup medallist Njisane Phillip, former T&T cricket captain ambassador Daren Ganga, World Youth swimming champion Shanntol Ince.

Athletes have no reasons to fail citing that they not only have the support of the Ministry of Sport and the Sport Company, but energy company Atlantic too, facilitating the growth and talent of the nation’s sporting fraternity,” Robert said.

He continued, “Last year, we educated 300 coaches in different sports. We have Chinese coaches coming here for synchronised swimming and diving, with badminton, with gymnastics. We have coaches for hurdles, for boxing and track and field (and) for weight lifting. So you’ll have no excuse. Anything and everything is there. I got an opportunity to interview Rodney Wilkes for two hours. He used to train in the cane field. He used to lift up sacks of rice, sacks of wheat.

“He didn’t really have different gyms. George Bovell III needs about five different gyms. Now he (Bovell III) is doing gymnastics. Rodney Wilkes didn’t have all that. If he told me it was impossible, I would have said yes Rodney,” he said.

“If you tell me the same thing, I’ll tell you no way. The only thing blocking us here now, with the opportunities that we have right here is our mind.”

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ST JOHN’S, ANTIGUA: Trinidad and Tobago have remained the number one team in the Caribbean Football Union, in the latest rankings released yesterday.

The Soca Warriors have also maintained their FIFA World ranking of 76, and are still ahead of Haiti who are second in the CFU rankings and Jamaica, who lie third.

While Haiti have also managed to remain 79th in the World rankings, Jamaica have fallen two spots to 82nd.

Cuba have held onto fourth place in CFU but have jumped three places in the FIFA rankings to 90th. They are the only other CFU nation inside the FIFA top 100 which continues to be headed by World champions Spain, with Germany second.

The Dominican Republic, meanwhile, continue to cling to fifth spot in CFU despite plummeting 15 places in the World rankings to 126th. Suriname are sixth, Grenada lie seventh, St Vincent and the Grenadines hold eighth spot, while Antigua and Barbuda and St Lucia, round out the top ten. Aruba were the biggest movers internationally, jumping seven places to 155th which resulted in them rising two spots to 14th in the CFU. Both Antigua and St Lucia moved five places in the FIFA rankings to be 139th and 141th respectively.



(World rankings in brackets)

1. Trinidad and Tobago (76)

2. Haiti (79)

3 Jamaica (82)

4. Cuba (90)

5. Dominican Republic (126)

6. Suriname (129)

7. Grenada (134)

8. St. Vincent & the Grenadines (135)

9. Antigua and Barbuda (139)

10. St. Lucia (141)

11. Puerto Rico (147)

12. Guyana (150)

13. St. Kitts and Nevis (153)

14. Aruba (155)

15. Cayman Islands (156)

16. Dominica (160)

17. Barbados (162)

18. Bermuda (168)

19. Netherlands Antilles (178)

20. The Bahamas (186)

21. Montserrat (188)

22. United States Virgin Islands (194)

23. British Virgin Islands (197)

24. Anguilla (206)

25. Turks and Caicos Islands (207)

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THE ARIMA Velodrome will come alive from 7pm tonight as over 20 world renowned cyclists and a packed cast of Trinidad and Tobago’s top riders converge at the venue for the highly anticipated “Njisane Three-Day Cycling Festival” second edition.

Phillip, the brainchild of this unique developmental operation, revealed yesterday that all is set for three exciting days of cycling which pedals off at the Velodrome today, and continues at Skinner Park, San Fernando, tomorrow and Sunday. Thus far, the majority of international athletes have arrived in TT and are fully prepared for a different style of racing along this nation’s concrete cycling tracks.

Speaking to TT’s Olympian, he admitted that the visiting athletes have already settled in and are climatising to the tropical climate nicely.

“Those who have arrived already in Trinidad are enjoying themselves a lot so far. This morning (yesterday) we took them on a road ride from Port-of-Spain to Macqueripe Beach for them to see some of the sights and check out the beach a little. They are very excited to race here since some of them have never been to the Caribbean much less Trinidad and Tobago. It’s definitely going to be a great event,” said a busy Phillip. The 22-year-old Siparia-bred cyclist expressed pleasure with the second hosting since the event is particularly geared towards giving young nationals a chance to race, train and work alongside some of the iconic riders around the world. Additionally, the N3DCF II intends to elevate this nation as a prime sport tourism destination. With the National Cycling Centre, National Swimming Facility and Tennis Complex still under construction, Phillip has already begun to set a stern foundation for sport tourism with events such as this three-day tourney. Added to the cast are soca artistes and other cultural flavours which will surely set a welcoming tone and for the already in TT for today’s racing is London Olympic Men’s Sprint silver medallist, Gregory Bauge, Tomas Babek (Czech Republic), Hugo Barrette (Canada), Robert Groger (Germany), Patrick Constable and Jai Angsuthasawit (Australia); Damian Zielinski (Poland) and female Malgorzata Wojtyra (Poland), among others. The visitors will be mixed with local riders and placed into groups where they will compete for points over the three-day period. Speaking to a handful of local riders yesterday, they revealed that the atmosphere for the N3DCF II is exciting but strongly motivational as well.

However, German phenom Robert Forstemann, Venezuelan Hersony Canelon and Colombian Fabian Puerta would not be able to make it to this year’s edition due to circumstances beyond their control. The trio have expressed deep disappointment with their unexpected omission but wished Phillip and all enthusiasts of sport and event, a resounding success.

Phillip also heaped praises on the Ministry of Sport, Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago and all other sponsors of the N3DCF II for giving their support in whatever way to the further development of national and Caribbean cycling as a whole.



International Athletes For N3DCF II

Males - Tomas Babek (Czech Republic), Hugo Barrette (Canada), Robert Groger (Germany), Patrick Constable and Jai Angsuthasawit (Australia), Damian Zielinski (Poland), Gregory Bauge, Julien Norberto, Benjamin Fabien Edelin (all of France), Louis Killworth and James Garratt (England), Akeem Williams (Jamaica)



Females - Malgorzata Wojtyra (Poland), Laurie Berthon (France), Hayley Edwards and Jennifer Davis (England), Juliana Rendon (Colombia), Ana Teresa Bonilla and Daniela Gaxola (Mexico).

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Singapore's Ser Miang Ng has been appointed to head the powerful International Olympic Committee (IOC) Finance Commission by Thomas Bach, the man who beat him to the Presidency of the organisation last year.

The 65-year-old businessman and politician replaces Richard Carrión, chairman and chief executive of the Popular, Inc., parent company of Banco Popular de Puerto Rico.

Carrión had announced he would step down last year after he was also beaten by Bach in the IOC elections at the Session in Buenos Aires.

As chairman of the IOC's Finance Commission and a prominent member of its Marketing Commission, Carrión, 60, was a key figure in the building up of the IOC's financial reserves over recent years, and in driving up income received from broadcasting rights, the Movement's most lucrative revenue stream.

Ng's team also includes Dutchman Camiel Eurlings, the President and chief executive of the airline KLM who was elected as a new member only last September.

There is also a significant change at the head of the Marketing Commission where Japan's Tsunekazu Takeda has been appointed to replace Norway's Gerhard Heiberg, who is also taking a back seat in the IOC following Bach's election.

Takeda, the great grandson of Emperor Meiji, is a former show jumper who represented Japan at the Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976.

He is President of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) and played a crucial part in Tokyo's successful bid for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.

In his new role he will oversee the IOC's multi-million dollar sponsorship programme and also monitor the domestic sponsorship programme of the host cities.

Takeda will have a tough act to follow in Heiberg, who headed the Commission for 13 years and is credited with helping push the IOC's total sponsorship revenue to a record $1 billion (£636 million/€755 million)-plus in the 2013-2016 quadrennium.

There are also positions on the Commission for Turkish businessman Hasan Arat, who led Istanbul's unsuccessful bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, and Scott Blackmun, chief executive of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

The fresh compositions of all the various Commissions, announced this evening, were the first under Bach since his election.

Among other changes is the appointment of USOC President Larry Probst to head the Press Commission in place of long-time Australian member Kevan Gosper, who has reached the mandatory retirement age of 80.

That is an increase in female members - 23 per cent - and a much broader geographical representation, the IOC claimed following the announcement of the Commissions.

There will now be two more Commissions chaired by women and 22 more positions held by women in 2014 than in 2013.

They include Britain's Princess Royal, who has been an IOC member since 1988 but has been appointed to only her second Commission.

She has been chosen to head the Nominations Commission that puts forward candidates for membership to the IOC.

Her Commission includes former Swedish high jumper Stefan Holm and FINA Pesident Julio Maglione of Uruguay.

There is also a promotion for Burundi's Lydia Nsekera, who has been chosen to replace American Anita DeFrantz as the new chair of the Women and Sport Commission.

Bach has kept the Television and New Media Rights commission under his auspices and he himself will head the eight-member group, which also includes Jordan's Prince Faisal, Australian Olympic Committee President John Coates and Ottavio Cinquanta, head of the International Skating Union.

Bach was a senior negotiator for television rights contracts under his predecessor Jacques Rogge.

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Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has claimed promising athletes in need will be supported all over the world.

He made the pledge in the immediate aftermath of the ANOC Executive Council meeting here today, which followed the first time in more than 30 years that specialised and strategic ANOC Commissions and working groups have convened.

Sheikh Ahmad, also the President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), spoke specifically in relation to athletes in Syria.

"Our scholarships and support are available to everyone, even in Syria where people are suffering," he said.

"We have had good communication with the Syrian Olympic Committee.

"They are welcome to solidarity funding and they have also had support from other NOCs, with Japan having offered six scholarships at an Academy in Tokyo.

"Every time we find good and promising athletes in Syria we will fund them in some way, either through solidarity funding or through the OCA or other countries."

But, with figures descending here over the last three days representing NOCs spanning all sizes and locations, Sheikh Ahmad also described how this sort of support is universal to all.

To make this point, he cited the example of last month's Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, where more than 75 per cent of ANOC member nations benefited.

This included countries such as his own, Kuwait, where there is not a proud winter sport heritage, but there are now opportunities for various sports including ice hockey and figure skating.

"The scholarships in Sochi have passed successfully, with many big and small members reaping events," he explained.

"Another thing we are doing is making videos about athletes in special situations to raise their profile.

"This includes athletes in Japan who were impacted by the tsunami as well as Olympic bronze medal-winning women's ice hockey team from Switzerland."

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International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has spoken strongly about the vital importance of National Olympic Committee autonomy in order to ensure a level playing field in international sport.

Speaking here during the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) Executive Council meeting, Bach claimed the IOC are always watching the global situation in order to ensure absolute independence everywhere in the world.

"In international sport and in particular the Olympic Movement you need autonomy because if you cannot apply the same rules for everyone worldwide there is no international sport anymore," he said.

"That is why we are establishing rules which every NOC which wants to be part of the Olympic Movement has to agree to.

"We are always respecting national laws but what has to be ensured is the functioning of sport, and for this to happen we have established the rules."

Bach strongly denied suggestions there is inequality with how much leeway the IOC give larger and smaller NOC's as he insisted that exactly "the same standards apply to everyone".

He explained this by citing the example of Kuwait and India, two countries which have each fallen foul of rules regarding autonomy in recent years.

Kuwait was suspended from the IOC in January 2010 because of alleged political interference by the Government, and athletes competed at the inaugural Summer Youth Olympics that year independently under the Olympic Flag before the situation was resolved ahead of London 2012.

India, meanwhile, were suspended last year for similar Government interference, as well as corruption allegations within the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The Indian team initially competed at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi as independent athletes before a special Ceremony was held in the Olympic Village midway through the Games to mark their return following the election of World Squash Federation (WSF) President N Ramachandran as IOA head in an IOC-approved election.

"With regards to Kuwait, they were in a good position so we could lift the suspension of the KOC because the problems were resolved.," said Bach.

"But we had felt we needed to take action in Kuwait and in India we felt we had to take action due to the interference by law into the composition of the NOC as well as issues with the governance.

"There is no difference in our approach between considering these NOCs and others."

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Minister of Sport Anil Roberts was among those yesterday “saddened” by the death of the country’s first Olympic medallist, Rodney Wilkes who died yesterday at the San Fernando General Hospital, aged 89.

“I have always admired Rodney Wilkes for believing in himself while pursuing what was not a popular sport in the 1940s, largely training himself, receiving little reward for his efforts but quite humbly beating the best in the world to become this country’s first Olympic medallist,” the Minister said by press release yesterday.

He added: “Wilkes’ historic feats at the Olympic Games as well as his other achievements at international level, are not forgotten by those of us in the sport industry who believe that his efforts are an inspiration to those who dreamed of success in their chosen sport. We are extremely grateful for the time he spent with us and wish to honour his life in a suitable manner. The Ministry stands ready to offer whatever support is required for his final farewell.”

Wilkes won silver in the featherweight class of weightlifting at the 1948 Olympic Games in London and followed it up with bronze in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland.

Wilkes was honoured by the Ministry at the inaugural Spirit of Sport Awards (SOSA) in 2011 with a Lifetime Achievement Award which was accompanied by a monthly stipend to cover his living and medical expenses.

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T&T’s greatest weightlifter and first Olympic medallist, Rodney Wilkes, has died.

Wilkes, who lived in poverty, after putting T&T in the international sporting hall of fame, passed away at the San Fernando General Hospital around 11.30 am on Monday from prostate cancer.

He was 89. At age 23, Wilkes lifted a combined 700 pounds and won a silver medal at the 1948 London Games and the bronze four years later at Helsinki, in 1952.

His grandson, Mario Wilkes, was at his side when he died. He leaves to mourn his children, Grace, Rodney Jr, Dave and Marlene and step-son Patrick Laurence.

His eldest daughter Grace, said her father, who is still considered this country’s greatest weightlifter was rushed to the hospital on Sunday night by ambulance after complaining that he could not breathe.

She said Wilkes, who turned 89 on March 11, wanted to die at his Bertrand Street, San Fernando home, but when he had problems breathing, she had no choice but to take him to the hospital.

Grace spent the night with him, as doctors successfully resusciated him. She praised the medical team at the Accident and Emergency department, saying they did everything to save him.

“I want to thank Dr Edward Hai Ting, Dr Boodram, Dr Cummings and all the other doctors who made sure daddy was well taken care of. They fought with him and brought him back, when he got there last night. Because of their excellent care, I am not crying today,” she said.

While thankful for the care afforded him, Grace said she was saddened that over the years, they were not able to give him the kind of care he deserved.

She said she always had to hold back, because the money was never enough, especially in the past eight months when his wife died and he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

“We wanted to take him abroad for further treatment, but we did not have the money to do so. I always felt I was short changing him and it hurt.’

“People knew my dad was ailing, but no one came to visit him. All of the upper echelons stayed away.”

Grace said some help came from the Sportt Company, First Citizens and Mark Mungal, an individual who provided a bed and washing machine for Wilkes.

“We are very grateful for all of these people who reached out,” Grace said.

She recalled that as a child, she always wanted to be famous like her dad.

“He was my hero. As a girl, growing up, every morning when he would leave to go to work in the oilfields in Point Fortin, I would stand by the door and say, ‘bye-bye daddy,’ and he would say, ‘good-bye.’ And he would rub my back and my chest when I had the cold, until I got better”

When he got ill, she was the one, at his bedside, trying to nurse him back to health.

“In the final analysis, I was a little estranged from him, because I was a little own way and he tried to keep me in line. But in the end, his illness brought us closer together and I was able to say a final good-bye to him”

Wilkes’ stepson Patrick Laurence, credited the former Olympian for the man he had become. He said the job he held as an electrical foreman at the San Fernando City Corporation was due to Wilkes, who also held the same position after the Olympics.

“After my father died, my mother met him, and then I went to live with them. My mother had two other children with him. He was not my biological father, but he was my father in every other way.”

Laurence said he believed a man of Wilkes’ stature, who put this country on the world map, deserved better.

About Wilkes

Wilkes nicknamed the “Mighty Midget” or “Midget Atom” for his strength feats in the featherweight division, first came to international notice when he won gold at the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games.

He followed that with his silver medal at the London Olympics, and then defended his title at the 1950 CAC Games. In 1951 Wilkes added another gold, winning at the Pan American Games, before adding an Olympic bronze medal in 1952 at Helsinki.

In 1954,­ he won the featherweight title at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and would win bronze at that tournament in 1958 in Cardiff, Wales. Wilkes was injured in 1955 and unable to defend his title at the Pan Americans and he just missed the podium at his third Olympics in Melbourne, placing fourth. He continued competing through 1960 but was not chosen for the West Indies Federation team for the Rome Olympics and then retired.

Wilkes was named to the National Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and was also awarded the Hummingbird Medal.


About Wilkes

Wilkes nicknamed the “Mighty Midget” or “Midget Atom” for his strength feats in the featherweight division, first came to international notice when he won gold at the 1946 Central American and Caribbean Games.

He followed that with his silver medal at the London Olympics, and then defended his title at the 1950 CAC Games. In 1951 Wilkes added another gold, winning at the Pan American Games, before adding an Olympic bronze medal in 1952 at Helsinki.

In 1954,­ he won the featherweight title at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games, and would win bronze at that tournament in 1958 in Cardiff, Wales. He was injured in 1955 and unable to defend his title at the Pan Americans and he just missed the podium at his third Olympics in Melbourne, placing fourth. He continued competing through 1960 but was not chosen for the West Indies Federation team for the Rome Olympics and then retired.

Wilkes was named to the National Sports Hall of Fame in 1984 and was also awarded the Hummingbird Medal.

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It will be a busy four days when the Queen’s Baton makes its visit to Trinidad and Tobago from March 11-14, en route to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, which will be held from July 23 to August 3.
The Queen’s Baton Relay is a tradition of the Commonwealth Games and symbolises the coming together of all Commonwealth nations and territories.
The customary relay is a celebration of the Commonwealth family, and offers an opportunity to showcase each nation and territory in the Commonwealth.
The Baton touches down in Trinidad on March 11, and the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association will be working in collaboration with the British Council, the British High Commission and the Tobago House of Assembly to celebrate its brief stay.
Local coordinators of the Queen’s Baton Relay, Kwanieze John and Jeannette Small outlined a list of events for the Baton which will culminate in a relay from St Joseph Secondary to the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on March 13.
During a press conference at Olympic House in Port of Spain yesterday, Small said that on the first day, they will greet the Queen’s Baton and its delegation at Piarco International Airport and will also have a reception at the British High Commission following its arrival.
On the following day, the Baton will visit Tobago for the day, returning to Trinidad in the afternoon.
“On the third day, we plan to hold a Baton Relay which will start at St Joseph Secondary School and end at Hasely Crawford Stadium. The T&T Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships is taking place on March 13, and we intend to complete the relay at that event.”
On the trip to the Crawford Stadium, the Baton will be accompanied by the British High Commissioner, representatives from the T&T Commonwealth Games Association, and representatives from both the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and the T&T Paralympic Committee, as well as past Commonwealth Games athletes and athletes competing at this year’s games.
The Baton departs T&T on March 14, heading to St Vincent and the Grenadines for the next leg.
The Baton began its journey in October last year, leaving England with a message inside for the Commonwealth. It will return to the Queen for the opening ceremony of the Glasgow Games on July 23 when she will read her message aloud and officially declare the Games open.

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