Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

BOTH Trinidad and Tobago teams will be in action when the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CASOVA) Youth Championships serves off today at Eastern Regional Sports Arena, Tacarigua.
The boys will be up first when they tackle the United States at 4 p.m. and the girls will oppose Bahamas two hours later in the final game of a triple header.
The tournament will serve off at 2 p.m. with the boys teams of Barbados and Jamaica squaring off.
Players from five countries will be competing until Sunday, but Jamaica and the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) did not send female teams, leaving Bahamas, Barbados and hosts T&T to fight for the title.
The tournament for Under-18 girls has only been contested twice and T&T captured the gold medal both times--at home in 2007 and last year in St Croix.
T&T’s Under-19 boys finished fourth last year after picking up bronze medals in the previous two editions.
They will face Jamaica at 6 p.m. tomorrow and conclude their round-robin campaign at 4 p.m. on Saturday against defending champs USVI.
T&T’s girls will have the day off tomorrow and oppose Barbados in the final round-robin match on Saturday.
The boys’ final is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, two hours before the girls’.
Reann Young is at the helm of the girls’ team, while Marlon Phillip, who competed in the regional qualifying for the Youth Olympic Games and still has a chance to qualify for Nanjing, China, in August, is the boys’ captain.
National player Sean Morrison is in charge of the boys, while the girls’ coach is veteran Macsood Ali.

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There is a cadre of hardworking people who put their heart and soul into the development of young people through sport every single day of life. They do it purely for the love of sport. They are living their passion. These volunteers are not always sure the decision makers and those with access to the resources appreciate their tireless and unwavering efforts and sincerity. All these tireless soldiers want is a simple acknowledgement—a thank you but instead they feel unwanted and disrespected. National sport organisations (NSOs) cannot afford to be disconnected from the cadre of volunteers who make a positive difference on a daily basis. The sport infrastructure will collapse without volunteers. The power of sport to effect change is most evident at the grassroots level where people come together to explore the use of sport as a catalyst for social change. Over the years sport has shown that it can have a positive impact.

Encouraging those who contribute to keep doing so is not as challenging as some may make it out to be. All that is required is respect for the commitment, dedication and passion of those who give to sport out of an abundance of love. The simple belief that sport can make a positive difference and that together we can achieve remarkable things is the motivation for hundreds of volunteers. That the issues may be more complex in no way diminishes their contribution. As Mark Twain once said; “great people are those who make others feel that they too can become great. “How many lives have the tireless and unwavering foot soldiers—the volunteers changed for the better? On any given day look around the playing fields and empty spaces and you will see someone dedicated to using sport to make a positive difference. These individuals use sport to communicate simple life values and to motivate and inspire youths from different backgrounds. Some do so individually while others are very involved in sport and community clubs. As we come to the end of 2013 here in T&T, December is not usually the most active-sporting wise.

It’s an appropriate period to take a step back and reflect. Sport locally and globally is at a cross roads. A lot of change is coming. To keep pace both the TTOC and NSOs have to innovate and evolve if they want to engage young people in sport as active participants. The same can be said about the IOC. Another challenge is finding the delicate balance between working with government while maintaining a necessary level of independence and autonomy. No challenge is big enough. How do we advocate the positive values that sport can instil in young people and protect the integrity of sport?  How can NSOs and the TTOC promote positive messages about sport and its character building potential, integrity and honesty given the powerful temptations facing almost everyone involved in sport?  How can NSOs build equity and value in their brands and assets? By responding to the contemporary realities none of the challenges are insurmountable on the contrary there are opportunities aplenty for those sport organisations that can market themselves differently, more effectively and creatively.  It requires creative destruction—a reinvention and a transformation while at the same time remaining true to the core values, and acknowledging the role of the volunteers in an era of professionalisation. The potential is enormous for those NSOs who are willing to push the envelope and redefine how they act, think and behave. The future is bright indeed. Sport matters, integrity matters, people matter and the youth matter.

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December 1 - Brian Lewis, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), has issued a stark warning saying that the future of the Olympic Movement is under threat and that many young people do not know who Pierre de Coubertin - founder of the Modern Olympics - is because of a lack of youth engagement.

He claims there is "too much talk and not enough sincere and genuine action" by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote sport to young people, particularly in light of the rising popularity of "computer games and various other social and economic issues that negatively impact sport participation".

"I really hope [IOC President] Mr [Thomas] Bach and the current President of ANOC (Association of National Olympic Committees), the Sheikh [Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah], speak out and lead the charge in respect of promoting Olympic values education and Olympism," Lewis, who was elected to lead the TTOC earlier this year, told insidethegames.

"Yes there are Commissions set up to deal with Olympic Values education and Olympic Academies etc.

"But I don't think they are supported and taken as seriously as they ought to be.

"If the NOCs (National Olympic Committees) aren't behind the efforts then it's not going to happen.

"The Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement is under threat.

"The Olympic Movement can't afford to lose touch, fidelity and belief in the core values.

"More needs to be done to create awareness among the modern generation at the grassroots level about Olympism.

"Many young people and athletes don't know about Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Olympic values and history.

"If they don't know they wouldn't care."

Lewis admitted he was "very disappointed" to learn that just two cities - Brașov and Lausanne - had this week submitted bids to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games - a avenue he feels is particular important for testing "different sports and formats to better engage young people".

"I believe the Youth Olympic Games is a critical success factor if we are to build a relationship between the Olympic Movement and the modern generation and future generations, but I am not confident all the IOC members and NOCs support the YOG fully at this time," he said.

"The IOC has to work harder at building consensus that the YOG is a needed event."

Lewis is confident, however, that Bach "appreciates the challenges facing the Olympic Movement and the IOC".

"I believe by virtue of his being an Olympic level athlete he has the passion and enthusiasm for sport, the Olympics and Olympism," he added.

"At the end of the day we all were youths and young people and should have empathy and an awareness of the importance of children, youths and young people to the sustainable development of sport.

"The Olympic Movement's core purpose surrounds youth and the athletes."

The IOC responded by saying that the Youth Olympic Games have so far "been a great success", but admitted that the Movement "must continue to work to engage young people in sport, not just in 'consuming' it - but in practising it".

"The President himself has made it clear that this is one of his priorities for the future," the statement added.

"The YOG is a great step in that direction, but over the coming year we will continue to work with all our colleagues to see how it we can continue to improve its reach and attraction."

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Taken at face value, it was just a harmless - and rather imaginative - public relations stunt. But I wonder whether FIFA President Sepp Blatter's present on Friday to the head of the Roman Catholic church of a Latin edition of the FIFA Weekly, the governing body's new publishing venture, doesn't offer us a deeper glimpse into the mind of the man who has run world football these last 15 years, even though it was an idea of the FIFA communications division.

For quite a long time now, I have felt that the Swiss master sports politician has been preoccupied with convincing people of the power of the game of football, and by extension of the man who runs it, to be a social, and even political force for good.

There is plenty of circumstantial evidence that might lead you to this conclusion: FIFA's slogan, "For the game, for the world"; the attention lavished on development of the sport in Palestine; Blatter's recent visit to Iran, coinciding with a particularly significant point in the country's nuclear dealings with the west, and the emphasis he put on the importance of allowing Iranian women access to football stadiums; the Executive Committee meeting on Robben Island in 2009; the very request for an audience with Pope Francis itself.

I believe this quest is part of what motivates Blatter, a man now deep into his eighth decade, to keep going in his mentally gruelling, globe-trotting post.

Now if you set such ambitious goals for your sport, a bit of history can come in very handy; intelligently deployed, it can vest your enterprise with the same aura of respectability and permanence that a marble foyer bestows on a bank.

With its mid-nineteenth-century origins (earlier if you include the village-against-village free-for-alls to which some trace the sport's beginnings), football doesn't do badly in the history stakes.

But its longevity, of course, pales into insignificance when set against another sports movement with which Blatter is extremely familiar.

The first ancient Olympiad is generally dated at 776BC, just the 2,639 years before the foundation of the Football Association.

If truth be told, the parallels between what went on at Olympia and a Modern Olympic Games are strictly limited.

For example, the raison d'être of the Ancient Olympics was overtly militaristic, which is certainly not the case today, however frequently athletic success might be pressed into the service of nation-making.

And no attempt has been made by modern Games-makers, so far as I am aware, to recreate the goings-on at the ancient shrine of Zeus, as colourfully evoked by Classical specialist Nigel Spivey in his book, The Ancient Olympics.

"Oxen were brought in by the hundred to be sacrificed to the god," Spivey writes. "Their bellowings resounded down the valley as they were axed before a crowd and the precincts steeped black with their blood. Ash, bones, and bovine offal piled up over centuries into a huge pyramid; it must have reeked to high heaven."

You get the point.

And yet these ancient roots have been pressed most effectively into service to invest what actually is a highly successful multinational business with an aura of elemental dignity, simplicity and virtue.

This was most evident, for fairly obvious reasons, in the Athens Olympics of 2004.

But the umbilical link between ancient and modern is re-established ahead of every Games when the Olympic Flame is rekindled at Olympia from the sun's rays.

It is a stroke of luck that the cradle of Olympism also happens to be the cradle of democracy.

But, while the International Olympic Committee (IOC) of which Blatter is part, has become adept at warding off importunings to meddle in non-sporting affairs when it suits it, the Movement's ancient heritage has specifically been utilised to legitimise a biennial sortie into the minefield of international diplomacy.

This is what is known as the Olympic truce. And while it is hard to imagine a national leader confronted by a perceived casus belli taking a blind bit of notice, it is equally hard not to approve of the sentiment underpinning it: that a period of peace be observed for the Games's duration to enable participants to journey there with peace of mind.

Much as Blatter might wish it were otherwise, there seems to be zero grounds for thinking that games of "pediludum" were among the entertainments laid on for the delectation of spectators in the Roman Colosseum.

Yet I cannot help wondering whether the Olympic Movement's masterful use of its ancient heritage wasn't somewhere in the mind of the FIFA President on Friday when he handed the fruit of FIFA's playful excursion into the classics to a pontiff who, one suspects, might have preferred a Spanish version.

Blatter's subsequent comments would certainly buttress the arguments of anyone thinking that part of the reason for requesting the audience with one of the world's foremost faith leaders was to add legitimacy to his own efforts to push beyond the bounds of sport.

The Pope, he said, "asked me personally to give hope to the poor through football.

"He also requested that we use our footballing efforts to promote, intensify and continue to strive for world peace."

Or as a Latin scholar might put it, "pax vobiscum".

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November 28 - Lausanne, home to the IOC, has submitted an official bid to host the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games ©IOCThe International Olympic Committee (IOC) has confirmed that the Romanian city of Brașov and Lausanne in Switzerland have met today's deadline for submitting bids for the hosting of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG).

The IOC announced that it was inviting bids for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games in June of this year and while Lausanne had declared its intention to bid early on, Brasov's interest has come somewhat out of the blue.

Bulgarian capital Sofia and Lake Placid in New York had been mooted as potential bidders but their interest has not lead to any concrete bid.

Neither Brașov nor Lausanne have ever hosted a major Olympic event before, although the Swiss city, know as the "Olympic capital" of the world  is no stranger to the Movement as it is where the IOC headquarters are based, along with 60 international sporting federations.

Lausanne officials had intimated that they were considering a bid for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics as far back as 2010 and that interest was further cemented after the city successfully hosted the World Gymnaestrada in 2011.

Earlier this year, Brașov - which is located in the east of Romania - hosted the 11th edition of the European Youth Olympic Winter Festival.

"We are delighted that Brașov and Lausanne are in the running for 2020 and want to bring the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games to their cities," IOC President Thomas Bach said.

"Both candidates have signalled their strong interest in hosting the YOG, and we look forward to receiving each bid's vision on how these Games can best reach young people and benefit their communities in a sustainable way.

"It promises to be a close race all the way to the election in 2015."

Both cities will now go through a series of stages in the bidding process with the first being the signature of the 2020 YOG Candidature Procedure on December 12, before each city submits its Candidature File and other related documents on June 17 next year.

Following a review of the Candidature Files, the IOC Executive Board will confirm the shortlist in early December 2014.

An Evaluation Commission will then visit each bid city before releasing its report in April - May 2015.

The IOC will then announce the host city for the Games in July or August 2015.

The 2020 Games will be the third edition of the Winter Youth Olympics and will see around 1,000 athletes competing across a maximum of ten days of competition.

Last year, the Austrian city of Innsbruck - which staged the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics - hosted the inaugural Winter Youth Olympic Games while 1994 Winter Games host Lillehammer in Norway will stage the 2016 Winter Youth Olympic Games.

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Njisane Phillip was named Most Outstanding Cyclist for the 2013 season, but it was Jovian Gomez who lifted the President’s Trophy at the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation’s National Championship Awards, on Saturday night at Hasely Crawford Stadium’s VIP Lounge.
Gomez picked up the coveted award after snatching the Elite Men category following a breakthrough season in endurance events.
The highlight for the Team DPS rider was omnium gold at the National Championships, while he and teammates Quincy Alexander and Haseem McLean all competed in international events.
The Elite Women winner was Kerliann Wellington of Bike Smith.
Phillip, meanwhile, would always have been a shoo-in for the “Most Outstanding” accolade. He followed up a 2012 season as T&T’s best sprinter—where he narrowly missed sprint bronze at the London Olympics—with a number of top performances.
The best for the Siparia-born rider was Manchester World Cup sprint silver, after he spent the first half of the year in T&T for some relaxation, and also raced in a number of events locally, including the Easter Grand Prix, “Nationals”, and the inaugural Njisane Three-Day Cycling Festival.
The latter event proved very successful, with world class international male and female cyclists competing against T&T’s best riders.
Top Junior Justin Roberts—who signs on as a senior for 2014—and Juvenile Keiana Lester were also recognised on Saturday for their strong performances.
Roberts dominated all local sprint events, was runaway winner at Nationals, and also picked up Pan American dual silver en route to the World Junior Championships, before finishing ranked sixth in the world in the kilometre time trial event.
Lester was perhaps most impressive of all. Her times matched and, in some areas, surpassed the local senior women, and she broke several national records, before snaring T&T’s first women’s regional junior Caribbean road title.
The other youth category winners were Tinymites Tyler Cole (boys) and Jhordan St George (girls), and Kristoff Frontin (Juvenile Men).
Also at the function, a number of coaches were presented with Level II certificates, including top TTCF officials, president Rowena Williams and vice president Gregory D’Andrade.
For the feature address, Anthony Creed of SPORTT (Sport Company of T&T) gave a sobering delivery in telling the cyclists and coaches that their ambitions need to go beyond physical performances to the “education” aspects of the sport, which he felt will go a long way in lifting the levels of T&T cyclists.
In her greeting, Williams stated that the TTCF is aiming to “improve on our administrative skills and capabilities” to assist cyclists in meeting their “goals and objectives”. She congratulated the mountain biking branch of cycling on its first year in the National Championship set up, and promised to help that discipline develop further.
But the unexpected moment came at the end of the function when former T&T star cyclist Gene “Geronimo” Samuel—one of the country’s most successful riders—was asked to move the vote of thanks.
In a candid soliloquy, Samuel both lauded and knocked several parties in cycling in calling for unity. He described the TTCF as “not perfect”, but praised Williams for her leadership, saying she always follows the Federation’s constitution, even when things are not in her favour.
He credited her with a financial turnaround of cycling even with a dwindling budget, saying that although he was not part of the Federation, it made it easier for him to support the TTCF.
Samuel also said that certificates don’t make coaches, and told coaches that they need to seek advice from those who have top level cycling experience as well, saying he did not just become a coach by being a rider or passing a coaching course.

HONOUR ROLL

Most Outstanding
Cyclist—Njisane Phillip

President’s Trophy—Jovian Gomez

Category Winners
Elite Men—Jovian Gomez
Elite Women—Kerliann Wellington
Junior Men—Justin Roberts
Junior Women—Cheyenne Awai
Juvenile Men—Kristoff Frontin
Juvenile Women—Keiana Lester
Tinymites (boys)—Tyler Cole
Tinymites (girls)—Jhordan St George
Masters 40-44—Cecil Hackett
Masters 45-49—Roger Smart
Masters 50-54—Joel Browne
Masters 55-59—Clyde Pollonais
Masters 60-64—Peter Hernandez
Masters 65 & Over—Pat Nelson

Youth Development
Under 13 Boys—D’Angelo Harris
Under 13 Girls—Adrianna Seyjagat
Under 11 Boys—Ryan D’Abreau
Under 11 Girls—Sylese Christian
Under 9 Boys—Jesse Hender
Under 9 Girls—Alexia Wilson
Under 7 Boys—Gabriel Fortune

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Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon is the reigning world champion in the men’s 400 metres hurdles and the fastest man on the planet this year at 47.69 seconds--the clocking he produced to strike gold in August at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.

But though he remains the toast of T&T as 2013 winds down, the 21-year-old hurdler understands that he is still in learning mode.

In a recent interview in Monaco with former T&T track star Ato Boldon, during the build-up to the IAAF World Athletics Gala, Gordon spoke about the challenges of his event.

“The 400-metre hurdles is not something that you could easily understand. It’s about rhythm. Sometimes you might get faster, sometimes you might get stronger, but it still doesn’t add up at the end of the day. For me, from 2009 up until now, it is still a learning process. It’s something that is going to take a lot of maturity, and I’m just having patience.”

At the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany, Gordon forced the world to sit up and take notice. Just 17 at the time, he finished fourth in the men’s one-lap hurdles final.

“In 2009, it showed that I had the talent, it showed that I had the capabilities, the physical attributes to be a force to be reckoned with in the 400-metre hurdles.

“In 2010,” the Maraval athlete continued, “I won the World Junior Championships, which is something I always wanted to do after not being able to make the final in 2008 in Poland. I made up my mind...’you know what Jehue, you need to go to the World Junior Championship final and bring it home for Trinidad and Tobago’. So did and so done.

“I continued training hard, and kept my eyes on the prize. I limited the distractions because training at home is not easy. A lot of people come towards you to try to rape the potential. When I say rape, I don’t necessarily mean it in a bad way. In track and field, we call it wagonists, bandwagonists.”

Following his golden run at the 2010 World Juniors in Moncton, Canada, Gordon suffered a setback.

“Coming off of 2010, I had a small surgery on the sole of my foot, but it was infected during the recovery process, so that kind of set me back. I wasn’t able to execute 2011 the way I was supposed to. A lot of people were like: ‘What’s going on with Jehue? After he showed so much promise in 2009 and 2010, what happened?’ But that phase was still a learning phase for me.”

And the learning continues, as Gordon strives to add to his global successes in 2010 and 2013.

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The fundamentals are always important in sport in the absence of basic skills that can withstand close examination in the cauldron and the heat of competition. The higher the level of competition, the more rigorous the examination. Skill and technique go hand in hand. The higher the competition the higher the stakes. Mastering the basics begins at the grass roots level of sports in schools and clubs. You can’t or ought not to put the cart before the horse. There is a pyramidal structure that has served sport well and for most of the nations that excel and excel consistently at the professional and Olympic level, this pyramid ecosystem is proven. Talent identification and competition preparation comes after the foundational level. Any efforts, attempt or policy that wants to sustainably develop sport must as a perquisite embrace this as a core value and strategy. The time line between support for sport and exploiting sport is becoming blurred.
It’s subtle so subtle it’s hard to discern.

Ask a simple question: “what’s in the best interest of sport” and there will be an overflow of answers, priorities, opinions and solutions, most of them well intentioned, passionate and pregnant with enthusiasm. The follow up question would be what is the thought process or thinking that informs the course of action that is to be adopted. What is the thinking behind the decisions that are been made and  the variety of answers, views or opinions. That's why there is need for those involved intimately in the running, administration and management of local sport to take a step back and reflect and review where we are going. Take a different look at what is been done and the thought process that is driving the decisions. Are we supporting sport or are we exploiting sport. How can we be supporting sport when the sports clubs that are in membership of National Sport Organisations and National Governing bodies aren't receiving the urgent attention that is essential to their long term survival?

How are we supporting sport and not exploiting sport when high performance sport and development are spoken about as if they are one and the same? How are we supporting sport and not exploiting sport when one size fit all is considered the most convenient approach? How are we supporting sport and not exploiting sport when there is a reluctance to embrace a long term athlete and sport development methodology? How are we supporting sport and not exploiting sport when the role of national sports organisations and national governing bodies isn't respected? How are we supporting sport when volunteerism in sport is not encouraged? These are just a few of the questions that need to be debated and discussed. National Sport Organisations are responsible for governing, administrating and managing and developing their respective sports. It is the NSOs who must decide. Good, transparent and accountable and ethical governance of sport in T&T requires that support for the best interest of sport and the athletes must come
first. Sport must therefore be supported not exploited.

It’s easy to be fooled, conned or to fall prey to articulate and intelligent sounding pronouncements. But as we are learning many who claim to have the answer really don’t. There are a number of solutions on the table but not many can stand the sustainability test. By failing to ask the hard and necessary test we are setting the stage for sport to be exploited. National sport organisations have a responsibility to honor the trust placed in them by athletes, sponsors, parents and guardians. The approach and attitude to sport and sport development in T&T needs to be reviewed.
We need to pay close attention as to whether we are supporting  sport or exploiting sport.

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After 14 Test wins in 2013 the All Blacks have created history, but that is down to an unshakeable self belief, says captain Richie McCaw

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw has revealed a compelling insight into the anatomy of the All Blacks' iron will to win.

The 32-year-old never truly feared losing to Ireland in Dublin on Sunday, even after leaking three tries in the opening 17 minutes.

Openside flanker McCaw said New Zealand's unshakeable self-belief carried them to their 14th victory of 2014 – securing the perfect season.

Ryan Crotty's overtime try and Aaron Cruden's conversion stole a 24-22 win, to stamp New Zealand's place in history as the first professional-era team to record a 100 per cent campaign.

McCaw said a last-gasp Ranfurly Shield Challenge victory for Canterbury over Wellington in 2001 helped mould his champion attitude.

At 29-12 down that day 12 years ago, McCaw told skipper Todd Blackadder Canterbury could not launch a comeback. The nonplussed lock gave McCaw short shrift, and Canterbury sneaked to 31-29 victory thanks to Ben Blair's overtime try and conversion.

That lesson came to the front of McCaw's mind as New Zealand battled for their place in the record books at the Aviva Stadium.

"When I was a young player and first started in the provincial game our captain taught me something pretty important," he said.

"We were down by a similar margin, 29 to very little.

"I thought the game was over and he said 'believe', and we got home in that game.

"Since then I've never, ever given up, and always been proud of All Blacks teams, that no matter whether you're behind, seemingly out of the game, you never stop believing there's a chance.

"We had 15 guys out there believing, right to the last minute, and it's amazing what can happen.

"For me as captain, as soon as I drop my head, what are the other boys going to do? You've got to remember while there's still time, there's still a chance."

If the All Blacks' great Dublin escape was the tightest spot they squirmed through this season, their superlative 38-27 victory over South Africa in Johannesburg in the Rugby Championship in October proved another example of mind over matter.

Every time South Africa raised the stakes, New Zealand trumped their free-scoring hosts.

Bryan Habana blasted a two-minute try double, only to limp off with hamstring trouble well before half-time.

The Springboks conjured four tries in all, to register the bonus point.

So New Zealand just racked up five; their final score for Kieran Read coming with prop Ben Franks in the sin-bin.

McCaw rarely drops his steely focus, but, after carving his side's name into the sport's annals at the weekend, he was able to bask in the fully deserved afterglow.

He said: "I think with this result and the one against South Africa, we've shown again that desire and belief that we just never let drop.

"It's hard to let yourself reflect most of the time, but over the next few weeks I'm sure that's what people will do now."

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Athletics has had the number of competitors allowed to take part in the Olympics at Rio 2016 reduced by more than 200, it has been revealed.

A record 2,231 athletes competed at London 2012 but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has capped the figure for Rio 2016 at 2,000.

Athletics will be the only sport to have its numbers for Rio 2016 cut from London 2012.

"It is no problem for us and this has been done in consultation with us and with our full support," International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) deputy general secretary Nick Davies told insidethegames.

"London was an aberration as the AAF has always accepted 2,000 as our Olympic quota."

Sebastian Coe, vice-president of the IAAF and former chairman of London 2012, also claimed that he understood the IOC's decision even it means that, if they stick it to strictly, it will be the lowest number of athletes to take in an Olympics since Barcelona 1992 when there were 1,725.

"If I'm being honest, we were over-quoted in London, so it's back to what it should have been really so I think we are fairly relaxed about it," he told insidethegames.

But the cut in the number of athletes able to compete at Rio 2016 will reinforce fears that athletics' status as the Olympics number one sport is slowly being eroded.

Earlier this year the IOC's ruling Executive Board drew up a new revenue sharing scheme for the 28 sports that will make up the Olympic programme in Rio 2016 that saw aquatics and gymnastics promoted to the top tier alongside athletics.

Previously, the IAAF was ranked alone in the highest of four groups and received the biggest share of the hundreds of millions of dollars generated from television rights and other deals from each Summer Games.

Under the revised formula announced by then IOC President Jacques Rogge, swimming's world governing body FINA and the World Gymnastics Federation join the IAAF in Group A.

The IAAF received about $45 million (£28 million/€33 million) from the total of $520 million (£321 million/€384 million) in revenues shared among the Federations from London 2012 but will earn less from Rio 2016.

Coe, though, insisted that athletics remains the number one Olympic sport.

"There are some philosophical issues about sharing number one status that we need to establish," he told insidethegames.

"I'm from athletics and that is something that we hold dear."

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UK Sport today announced the signing of a new four-year partnership with sports and leisure insurance specialists Sportscover ahead of its annual World Class Performance Conference which is due to get underway in Manchester today.

Under the new deal, Sportscover will provide a range of insurance services to UK Sport including public liability, events cover and property insurance and the firm will also become the presenting partner of UK Sport's Gold Event Series Workshop and Governance events through until 2017.

"It's fantastic for us to be able to announce that Sportscover will act as a key partner to UK Sport on the road to Rio," said Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport.

"Their investment will allow us to continue to provide key learning and development opportunities to coaches, event managers and governance specialists as we look to build a stronger more sustainable high performance sports system in the UK."

Formerly known as the World Class Coaching Conference, the World Class Performance Conference taking place at the Midland Hotel from today until Wednesday (November 27) is in its 13th year.

The theme of this year's gathering is "Motion" as the UK's elite performance sports focus on maximising medal prospects at the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and continue the preparation for the Rio 2016 cycle.

More than 300 performance directors, coaches and support staff from Britain's Olympic and Paralympic sports are expected to gather in Manchester to learn, debate and share best practice over the three days.

"Sportscover are delighted to be working with such a prestigious partner as UK Sport," said Paul Thomas, business development manager at Sportscover.

"This represents a further step forward in our development and one towards our ultimate goal of becoming synonymous with sport in this country.

"We look forward to assisting UK Sport and its beneficiaries with the continued delivery of excellence across the sporting landscape."

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Trinidad and Tobago’s second Olympic title came 36 years after the first, Keshorn Walcott joining 1976 men’s 100 metres champion Hasely Crawford in the elite club with men’s javelin gold at the 2012 Games in London, England.

Similarly, the country has just two senior global athletics champions. Ato Boldon became the first with his men’s 200m triumph in 1997. And in August, this year, Jehue Gordon broke a 16-year drought, climbing the top of the rostrum at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia to receive his men’s 400m hurdles gold medal.

While Crawford and Boldon benefitted from the United States collegiate system during their careers, Walcott and Gordon are based in T&T—home grown talents who have conquered the world.

The 2013 IAAF World Athletes of the Year, Jamaican sprinters Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have also achieved globally as home-based athletes.

Bolt is part of the Racers Track Club stable, and trains alongside other top class athletes, including 2011 men’s 100m champion Yohan Blake. Fraser-Pryce, meanwhile, trains with MVP Track Club, a group that has also produced former men’s 100m world record holder Asafa Powell.

But while Gordon and Walcott can boast of global success from T&T training bases, under the coaching guidance of Dr Ian Hypolite and Cuban Ismael Lopez-Mastrapa, respectively, Gordon does not believe T&T is ready to establish professional training groups in the mould of Racers or MVP.

Speaking to the international media in Monaco, last week, during the build-up to the IAAF World Athletics Gala, Gordon said: “It’s something that we could look at but we don’t have the right support systems in place.

“Right now,” he continued, “things are a bit haywire. We’re looking at short-term development in Trinidad and Tobago, compared to long-term—actually mapping out a strategic plan or programme to foster development throughout the coming years.

“I could really see us implementing something like this, but as of right now the system is not in place to accommodate this type of thing.”

The Monaco press conference was hosted by Boldon and also featured women’s 100m hurdles world champion Brianna Rollins of the United States.

Gordon spoke about the factors that contributed to his golden run in the Russian capital, last August.

“The belief in my system, the support of the people I had around me. I stuck to the programme that they mapped out and guided me through. Since I was 12 years old I’ve been with the same coach, Dr Ian Hypolite. Also, the medical team that I’ve been working with, they were able to map out a programme to help with some of the discrepancies that were found at the Michael Johnson Performance Centre earlier this year.

“It’s things we’ve been working on ever since,” the 21-year-old Maraval athlete continued. “But you could never get everything at a hundred percent. I don’t think any athlete could ever be at a hundred percent. It’s just to continue working on these minute problems that we tend to overlook most times.

“It’s really belief in the system, having the right attitude, determination, keeping your eyes on the prize, and not letting too many people in on that close circle. A lot of people are going to say you’re doing the wrong things. They’re going to say that you should have gone to the US to train, you should have gone to school in the US, but I think once you make that decision then everything should work out.”

Gordon first made a global impact at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. Just 17 at the time, he produced a shocker, finishing fourth in the one-lap hurdles final.

“In 2009, I was running like a rabbit out of a hat. It was natural to me and I wasn’t focusing on all the technical aspects of the 400-metre hurdles. You could say I was running from police,” he quipped.

Fast forwarding to Moscow 2013, Gordon looked back at the jaw-dropping finish that earned him gold, the T&T track star diving across the line to win in a national record time of 47.69 seconds.

“The moment was kind of like a wow and an OMG moment. We dream about it, we think about it, we train hard and we make all the sacrifices, and to actually see yourself being called the world champion, for me it was a wow and an OMG moment…oh my gosh.

“I’ve never had such a dramatic finish before. I could have seen Michael Tinsley in the periphery, but for some reason my eyes just kept focus on my lane. I knew he was there, but for some reason my body wasn’t allowing me to think that he was at the side of me. In the last few steps my heart jumped across the line before my body actually crossed.”

Gordon also gave the international media some insight into the factors that have made him into a world-beater.

“Things were never easy for me from a very young age.  At 17, I went to the 2008 Beijing Olympics to watch it. After I came back my house was destroyed by a landslide. Since then things went a bit downhill for my family financially. My father is an alcoholic, my mom…things weren’t stable at home. So I had to set my eyes on something. How am I going to help my family get out of this situation?

“The friends I had,” Gordon continued, “they supported me and were genuinely there for me—since then, up until now--and I always make reference to them. From a young age I had to know what I was all about. I had to be more disciplined than a regular 17-year-old. I had to know what I wanted and where I wanted to go. Those are the key elements that helped me to separate myself from everybody else.”

Now that he’s world champion, Gordon has a target on his back, and will have to work that much harder to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

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Trinidad and Tobago’s France-based professional table tennis players, Dexter St Louis and Rheann Chung played unbeaten for their respective clubs in successful league outings, recently.

St Louis won twice for Agen in a comfortable 8-2 triumph over Fouesnant. The five-time Caribbean men’s singles champion defeated Gregory Laloue to earn Agen a 2-1 lead in the contest, and was back on the table five matches later, beating Mandimbisio Rakotozafy to send his team 6-2 ahead.

Chung won three times in singles and once in doubles to steer Poitiers to an 8-6 victory over Murs Erigne in a women’s team showdown.

In the opening contest, Chung got the better of Laurane Renard 11-9, 11-6, 9-11, 11-4. The five-time Caribbean women’s singles champion then whipped Karine Ploquin at 1, 5 and 4 to make it 4-1 in favour of Poitiers.

Murs Erigne battled back, levelling the fixture at four wins apiece. But Chung and Marion Remaud turned around a one-game deficit to beat Ploquin and Julie Clerivet in the first of two doubles clashes. Murs Erigne won the second doubles contest, and the teams were back on level terms.

Chung made it 6-5 for Poitiers with an 11-8, 11-4, 11-9 success against Lucille Carrere. Renard then won for Murs Erigne. 6-6. However, Marie Grimaud and Pauline Piesset triumphed in the last two singles duels, and Poitiers earned full points.

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The Russian embassy in Guyana was only open from 9-11am, two days a week and as my 7am flight to Guyana from Piarco was now leaving at 8:30, there was little possibility of getting to the Embassy in Georgetown in time. I seriously thought about just going home. It was out of my control, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I this was a sign of whether I was or wasn’t meant to undertake the six remaining stops of the 2013 FINA Swimming World Cup.
The whole process was running last minute because my passport had to be renewed and I desperately needed to get that Russian visa in time to travel to the first stop of the remainder of the series in Moscow. However, all kinds of coincidences lined up and I was able to make it through the double gates of the Russian Embassy in Georgetown with just 5 minutes to spare.
I had already won one gold, and two bronze medals at the first two stops back in August in Eindhoven and Berlin. Since I didn’t have another really important competition to focus on until the Commonwealth Games next summer, I felt that this five-week stint of constant racing in Moscow, Dubai, Qatar, Singapore, Tokyo and Beijing would be an excellent opportunity to experiment with some new ideas and practice racing.
After two days of travel, I arrived in Moscow with just two days to recover before competing.
At the competition, I felt terrible, I could hardly move, I was so stiff. Every cell in my body wanted to be in my hotel room asleep due to the eight-hour time change.
At night, my body thought I was taking a nap and during the day was ready to catch up on the lost zzz’s. I brought some sleep aids with me to help overcome the jetlag but they were stolen by the hotel cleaning staff the second day. With the help of a few cups of coffee, I managed to force my sleep-deprived body up and down the pool fast enough to clinch a bronze in the 100 metres IM and another bronze in the 50m freestyle.
I knew that these performances were the starting point from which I would undoubtedly improve. I had to. During the first effort, I managed to somehow strain a muscle in my neck-shoulder blade area. Since the T&T team was just a one-man show without a physio, this would prove to be a nagging hindrance for the rest of the tour that would force me to heat the area up under a scalding hot shower before getting into the pool to warm up for my races. Constant stretching was needed to keep it loose.
The day after Moscow, I caught a seven-hour flight to Dubai. I arrived feeling optimistic about my prospects and believing that the worst was behind me. I had just one day to practice and recover from the trip before the competition resumed. At this point, I started again to sleep through the night.
The setup in Dubai allowed for some enjoyable social interaction which naturally led to some friendly trash talking that made my bronze in the 100m IM and especially the silver in the 50m freestyle a little more satisfying, since I beat two of my long-time rivals, Anthony Ervin and Roland Schoeman into third and fourth.
It was becoming very obvious that the Russian Valdimir Moriziov was the man to beat as he racked up ever more points and gold medals. Getting beaten into second by him served to motivate me to find ways to keep improving. I would watch the videos of the races and sought intuitive feedback from coach Anil Roberts. To beat him was now the obvious challenge and was going to be a process.
There was just one day off with which to travel to Qatar, before resuming competition. In Qatar, the level of the competition rose even further with the presence of Olympic 50m champion Florent Manadou and Olympic and World championship medallist Fred Bousquet, my former university teammate. That would mean that mean that six of the eight World Championship finalists in the 50m freestyle from Barcelona would be present. There would be no room for error or a casual qualifying round. The physical toll I had been placing on my body finally caught up to me, and I started to fight off a cold.
I had trained through headaches, sniffles and coughs throughout my career and continued to keep up my perpetual state of motion----wake up and pack, breakfast, bus, hot shower, stretch, warm up, suit up,  race, warm down, bus, lunch, nap, bus, hot shower, stretch, warm up, suit up, race, warm down, drug test, bus, dinner, bed. Throw in some traveling, and you get a vague idea of what it was like.
In Qatar I managed a bronze in the 100m IM and a disappointing close fourth in 50m freestyle, but my fastest time in the tour for both races.
To obtain a visa for China so that I could compete in Beijing, I had to remain a few extra days in Qatar, and thankfully was hosted by some good friends who had recently moved there. I was very relieved once that visa headache was behind me and came into Singapore ready to rock. With the extra few days to recover and an awareness of what I could change and fix to go faster, I fought back and won silver in the 100m IM and another silver in the 50m freestyle.
My times were getting down into the range of some very fast swimming, but it wasn’t enough, I was still behind Morizov. There was more work to be done.
After the eight-hour flight to Tokyo, I had a day to recover and prepare to race. I remember practising turn after turn the evening before the competition, to the point where my better judgment had to step in  to prevent me tiring myself out. I had to break the streak. I carefully visualised and planned the race, had a long meditative warm-up and then unleashed it.
In the last lap of the 100m, the freestyle, I found myself in front as I powered home to the wall. I ecstatically reached out for the wall knowing I had beaten Morizov. I think it was this excitement that caused me to perhaps not finish as hard as I should have, thinking I had won and to my utter surprise and disappointment I was second by a few hundredths of a second to a Japanese swimmer on the other side that I had not seen because I was focusing on the Russian. Silver again, this time bittersweet.
The following night in the 50m sprint, I clinched bronze in a very close race despite misjudging the turn. As the tiredness accumulated and it became harder and harder to muster the energy to go fast, I found that the constant racing was making me increasingly skillful and it was this conscious effort towards nailing the details that allowed the continued improvement of my times.
One day to travel and another to recover and prepare before the final showdown in Beijing. This time I intended to use a different strategy. I feigned tiredness in the morning and purposely qualified in eighth position, so as to race in lane eight where I could make a big push on the third lap without being seen so as to catch everyone off guard. To add to the excitement, butterfly and IM specialist, Olympic gold medallist, and world record holder Chad Le Clos, was swimming the IM. Out there in lane eight, I swam my own race, everything according to plan and touched the wall only to see that I was second again to Morizov despite swimming incredibly fast. I had done everything I could. But somehow on the last stop of the tour when everyone was the most tired, he had dropped half a second to go his best time. Wow.
The following day was the 50 freestyle, another showdown with five of the fastest men in history in the field. “One more, last one, fast one” I kept telling myself.  There was to be no Hollywood ending but an anticlimactic, disappointing, close fourth place.
Part of me was relieved it was all over. I was so tired, physically, and mentally. It was a huge challenge and thrill but not easy to do alone against swimmers from fully supported teams with massage therapists, coaches and managers.
All the stress, strains, racing, traveling, and logistics had taken its toll on me. I had a lost a lot of weight.  I have since recently returned home and am back gearing up for the next challenge and proud of being ranked second, fourth and sixth fastest in the World for 2013.

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A most interesting relic has fallen into my possession.

Printed on rather garish green paper and dated 28 April 1987, it is an International Olympic Committee (IOC) circular which shows the body just starting, a quarter of a century ago, to grapple with the problem of harmonising the fight against doping across different sports and countries.

Since the World Anti-Doping Code was the eventual fruit of such efforts, the occasion of the World Conference on Doping in Sport in Johannesburg expected to bring approval of a new version of the code seems an appropriate moment to reflect on the state of thinking 26 years ago and how it compares with today.

Signed by Prince Alexandre de Mérode, the distinguished late Belgian administrator, whose family line stretches back centuries and who acted as chairman of the IOC's Medical Commission for more than three decades, the document - just two pages long, four if you include the French translation - deals with the question of harmonising sanctions for doping transgressions.

Addressed to international sports federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs), it includes a text proposing the "possible unification of sanctions for positive dope controls" and solicits responses.

This text is just 170 words long, including its title, "Recommended Sanctions for Positive Cases".

It says:

"Due to the fact that the sanctions applied by the International Federations for positive doping cases vary considerably, the IOC Medical Commission feels it's necessary to recommend a harmonisation in this field.

"The IOC Medical Commission recommends that a decision by the appropriate authority is made in order to protect the right of the athlete to a fair hearing before sanctions are taken.

"Based on the experience of more than 20 years in doping control activities, it seems to the IOC Medical Commission that a differentiation between "deliberate" and "inadvertent" use of prohibited substances should be made.

"Therefore, a certain flexibility is necessary in decisions regarding sanctions.

"Sanctions for deliberate doping:

eg Anabolic steroids, amphetamine type stimulants, caffeine, cocaine, narcotics and designer drugs:

"3 years for the first offence

"Life ban for the second offence.

"Sanctions for inadvertent use of banned drugs:

"eg ephedrine, codeine:

"3 months for the first offence

"2 years for the second offence

"Life ban for the third offence."

What I find most striking is the air of touching innocence that the statement exudes, in comparison with the corrosive cynicism that quickly surfaces in almost any discussion of the issue today.

This is clearest in the distinction between "deliberate" and "inadvertent" recourse to a prohibited substance.

To me, that distinction is eminently just: it seems self-evident that an athlete who has broken the rules by accident should be treated far more leniently than one who has set out in a calculated manner to try and give herself an illicit edge.

The trouble is, a disciplinary system based on that premise risks opening the door for any offender with a half-decent defence counsel to plead mitigating circumstances and escape with a light sanction.

This has led us down the path to the doctrine of strict liability, which holds that if it can be proven that a banned substance is present in an athlete's system (or present at a higher-than-permitted concentration), then the burden of explanation rests with the athlete, who is unlikely to get off any more lightly than an acknowledged doper without hard evidence to support his claim.

And then there is the profoundly unconvincing use of the phrase "the experience of more than 20 years in doping control activities" to try and vest the text with an air of authority.

Yes, the first Olympic testing had taken place at the Grenoble Winter Games in 1968, but the issue was only just starting to ascend the financially-challenged and boycott-plagued Movement's order of priorities.

Doping was plainly rife in a number of sports, the blood-boosting drug Erythropoietin (EPO) had only just appeared on the scene and the crisis of Ben Johnson's positive test in Seoul was still more than a year away.

That, of course, was the moment when the full extent of the problem started to be exposed and the attritional battle still being waged today truly got under way.

And that is why the Belgian Prince's letter on green paper reads as quaintly 26 years on as a cavalry charge in the age of mechanised warfare.

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Akeem Adams has improved to the point where he can now watch football on television, the media in Budapest has reported. Adams, 22, had been in a Budapest heart clinic since September, when he suffered a massive heart attack in his apartment which ended his professional career. His mother, Ancilla Adams, has vowed to remain in Hungary while he remains in hospital. “While Akeem heals here, I am not moving away. I’ll stay in Budapest. Every day I talk to him, hold his hand, to me it is the most important (thing),” mom Ancilla Adams, told the Budapest media.

Adams has had four life-saving surgeries, including the amputation of his left leg, and currently survives on a mechanical heart. He still needs a heart transplant, but is still too weak to have the procedure. Adams signed for the Hungarian club, Ferencvárosi in the summer, but has had a lot of support since his tragedy. Over 250 members of the Hungarian public have donated blood and His club Ferencvárosi recently raised some 10 million Hungarian dollars for Adams’ rehabilitation.

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One of the major reasons competent, talented and skilled people who can make a positive difference refuse to volunteer as sport leaders is their perception of unnecessary contention, confusion and unfair criticism.

Why fear criticism? Why do so many people allow themselves to be traumatised by criticism? Criticism is nothing more than a request for feedback. No meaningful objective can be attained without criticism—just as failure is necessary to achieve sustainable success so too is criticism a necessity. There is constructive criticism that is intended to foster improvement. Then there is destructive or malicious criticism that has no positive intention. Whichever way it’s intended.

Not everyone will agree with a position that a leader will take and that’s fair enough. Not every idea or method that a leader may adopt is correct or sensible.

Even if no sincere effort is made to ascertain the correct information, no criticism should be wasted as every criticism presents an opportunity. Every leader should fall in love with criticism and listen more to criticism than they listen to compliments. Criticism should be welcomed and embraced—some people don’t have the courage or they may be introverted and therefore will not pick up the phone, e-mail or call you directly to ask questions. Instead they hide their desire for feedback in the form of gossip, misinformation or hearsay.

Regardless of the form or fashion, it’s an individual’s right to their opinion or to ask a question how and in the manner they see fit. As difficult as it may be, the best course of action for any one in a leadership position is not to take criticism personal. Always remember a criticism is someone’s opinion and not necessarily a statement of fact.

It is unrealistic to expect that every single person will agree or support a point of view, decision or objective a leader may articulate.

There are many views and opinions in T&T about sports, the state of sports and how best to move sport forward. There are different perceptions, perspectives and expectations. As an individual a leader will have his/her own style and approach to addressing different issues and their own unique way of communicating.

As much as buy in from all stakeholders is an ideal, don’t expect or anticipate that everyone will be in agreement. What is important is that the grassroots structure—clubs should be at the centre of sport development. Without a strong club infrastructure it will be near impossible for the various sports to sustainably develop. It’s important therefore for national sport organisations to pay serious attention to the needs and concerns of their clubs.

Regardless of the opposing points of view the challenge for national sport organisations is to strike a balance between sustainably developing their grassroots infrastructure—their clubs, while at the same time supporting their elite level and high performance aspirations. There are no easy answers or choices and as such no decision will enjoy universal acclamation. Integrity in sport, honesty, accountability, fairness, transparency, good governance and ethical conduct should be non-negotiable. No leader should be afraid to be called to account on the non-negotiable elements even if the call is disguised as harsh, unfair or destructive criticism.

Clarity of thought, focus and purpose provide the best response to the request for feedback disguised as criticism. Fear of criticism therefore should not be an obstacle or barrier to avoid making a decision or holding oneself publicly accountable. My advice to any leader is welcome, embrace, enjoy, love and treasure criticism.

Sport is an emotional experience, sport enthusiasts, fans and participants are passionate. They have strong views and feelings and opinions. Be thankful. God bless. Let go let go Let God.

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In recent weeks a number of young adults and teenagers involved in T&T sport and a few not actively involved have spoken with me, some not for the first time, about their concerns and frustrations.

Even though this column has addressed the topic of youth and young people in T&T sport on many occasions, I am seen by the young people who spoke with me recently as having a duty, obligation and responsibility to keep talking about the issue. The youngsters seem to believe the situation isn’t getting any better and have argued it’s getting worse. Until such time as there is improvement. The discussions can’t be swept under the carpet. It has to be faced honestly and fearlessly.

The social problems facing T&T are placing the sustainable development of sport in jeopardy. There are problems in every community. Deciding which are the most critical and pressing and warranting immediate attention is proving a problem.

Addressing the relevant issues that affect young individuals in clubs and community based sport organisations must as a matter of urgency be a priority of every national sport organisation.

There are problems as varied as crime, unemployment, insufficient and in adequate infrastructure. Some sports have specific problems that are unique.

Issues surrounding the youth of the nation in general are significant.

In some communities, young people don’t see sport as important due to social realities such as crime, unemployment and teenaged pregnancy.

Positive life choices are considered few and far apart. Hopelessness and frustration are now endemic and overwhelming.

Good, decent and talented people young, old, male and female involved in sport have said they need the right leadership and guidance. They want a better future for their sport and young sportsmen and women.

They aren't suggesting that the problems can all be solved at the same time or overnight. What they are asking for is a sincere effort from those whom they have elected to lead their respective sport organisations.

Young people don't want to be a failure. No one wants to see local sport struggle or fail to fulfill the full potential that is at the very heart of sport in T&T.

Young people feel and believe that the biggest hurdle is denial. They want their elders and leaders to listen to their concerns and not deny that there are issues. Youth participation numbers appear to be in a precipitous fall. Membership in sport clubs have dropped. The retention rate in certain sports is abysmal.

This is not about the personality and ego based ‘ole’ talk and blame game or pandering to those with grudges or uninformed views or who have an axe to grind.

The priority is the youth and young people who represent the vast majority of participants. Without children, youth and young people and their retention in sports. The nursery and the life blood of sport will shrivel.

It is in this context and this context alone. I urge national sport organisations, sports leaders and sports administrators to hear the cry of young people.

If we are serious then start discussing the care and concern of the children, youth and young people who play sports or those who we would like to play sports. If we don’t reach out to the youth on issues that matter to them. We risk the collapse of sport as we know it.

Young athletes, who participate in sport, place their trust in sport leaders to look after their best interests.

We were all young once and should appreciate where the youth are coming from. They are the future of T&T sport.

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The T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) in conjunction with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, recently hosted a sports administration course in Tobago, which was well attended. The interaction between the lecturers and the course participants was excellent, constructive and forward thinking.

It has taken the TTOC longer than anyone would have liked to get the logistics and arrangements in place to host what for many was a long overdue event.

Previously, the TTOC would have conducted Olympic Day relay activities and Olympic Youth camps in Tobago so it’s not to say that Tobago has been ignored by the TTOC.

Annette Knott, the current secretary general who previously served on the TTOC executive committee as a vice president, is a resident in Tobago.

It also must be said that over the years, every course, workshop and seminar put on by the TTOC, sport stakeholders from Tobago have always participated.

It is very evident that the sport fraternity in Tobago are deeply committed to sport and the sustainable development of sport in T&T. No one should question their dedication and sincere desire to pursue whatever is in the best interest of sport in T&T.

The THA Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport has always been more than willing to collaborate with the TTOC, once it’s in the best interest of sport and the athletes, that support is forthcoming. There is a shared vision of striving for excellence.

One of the huge benefits of the recent sports administration course was the opportunity it presented for open and honest sharing of information, concerns and feedback.

Coming out of this sharing between the TTOC and Tobago sport leaders, coaches and decision makers was a better understanding and appreciation of the perspectives and realities that are common as well as those that are different.

An area that really got my attention was the discussion on sport sponsorship. There are common issues and challenges but if one has to be honest there are dimensions of the local sport sponsorship landscape that must be considered unique to Tobago.

What I did assure the course participants and I want to make it public, is the assurance that the TTOC will host a sport marketing sponsorship workshop in Tobago. It is an initiative that all the participants agreed was important and necessary.

The TTOC will hold discussions with the Division not only to progress the sport marketing and sponsorship workshop but to ensure that the sport administration course held in Tobago recently is not a one and done TTOC effort.

Another issue that came up was the need for national sporting organistaions (NSO) to address the development of the respective sports in Tobago.

Many of the Tobago stakeholders had justifiable cause for feeling a bit ignored. It is possible in some instances that this may be a perception but it is clear that the development of sport in Tobago ought to be a priority on the agenda of national sport organisations.

Whatever the challenges, obstacles and issues may be, dialogue and goodwill will make sure the best interest of sport in T&T remains the focus.

The TTOC remains committed to the development of sport and the Olympic movement in this twin-island republic.

There are a lot of discussions that will be necessary if the objective of ten Olympic gold medals by the year 2024 is to be made real.

Every community and Olympic NSO must be part of the drive. It will take a team effort, unity and harmony.

One nation, one people, one T&T.

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Peter Stanley, the man behind the incredible success of triple jumper Jonathan Edwards, and Alexei Evangulov, one of the world's best-known diving coaches, are among the 18 Team Leaders appointed by Commonwealth Games England (CGE) for Glasgow 2014, insidethegames can reveal.

Each Team Leader, whose position will be officially confirmed later today, will hold responsibility for their sport's performance at the Games whilst acting as the link between CGE and their respective National Governing Body(NGB).

England are hoping to send a team of more than 400 athletes to compete in 18 different disciplines in Scotland where they will be hoping to improve on their performance in New Delhi in 2010 where they slipped to third on the medals table behind Australia and India.

The appointments include six former England competitors plus Stanley for athletics, Evangulov for diving, and Dawn Peart, Team GB's swimming manager at London 2012.

Stanley worked with Edwards' throughout his career, including when he set the world record of 18.29 metres in 1995 and won the Olympic triple jump title at Sydney 2000 and the Commonwealth Games gold medal at Manchester 2002.

Evangulov, meanwhile, helped guide Tom Daley to the bronze medal in the 10 metre platform at London 2012.

All 18 Team Leaders have already engaged in the development programme, designed to brief, develop, educate and update key personnel and support staff in order to ensure that they are prepared and equipped for Glasgow 2014.

As part of the programme, Team Leaders have already attended workshops St. George's Park, the Football Association's new state-of-the-art training facility, and Glasgow 2014, where each Team Leader was able to meet competition managers and visit venues.

"I am delighted to welcome such a high quality group of Team Leaders to Team England and look forward to working with each of them in the coming months," said Jan Paterson, England's Chef de Mission.

"I must thank our NGBs for their assistance in the recruitment process, all of whom have been hugely helpful.

"We have a very strong team made up of both familiar and new faces; a team that will work hard to help us achieve our ambitions."

Other notable appointments include Jens Grill, the Dane who is performance director at Badminton England; Keith Reynolds, who won a gold medal in the time trial the last occasion the Commonwealth Games were held in Edinburgh, in 1986, and who now works for British Cycling; and Karen Roberts, winner of the gold medal in the under-63 kilogram event at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, who is now performance operations manager at British Judo.

Several Team Leaders have attended multiple Commonwealth Games, including Mike Weinstock in gymnastics.

Glasgow 2014 will be his sixth Games having served as a coach at Auckland 1990 and Victoria 1994, team manager in Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006, and then Team Leader at Delhi 2010.

John Bell, who will be Team Leader for bowls, participated as a player at Victoria 1994 and Kuala Lumpur 1998, was team manager at Manchester 2002 and Melbourne 2006 and performance director for Delhi 2010, where 11 of the team of 12 won medals.

Martyn White, England Shooting's performance director, has been member of the team's support staff at the past four Commonwealth Games.

It continues a tradition as his father John was England team manager at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 Commonwealth Games.

"I am very pleased to say that once again we have a very strong group of Team Leaders, and each one brings great knowledge and experience in their sport to the role," said Don Parker, England's Deputy Chef de Mission for sport.

"With a team of world-class athletes, we need to provide world-class leadership.

"It is vital that each of our sports has a well-prepared Team Leader that can deal with all the challenges that the Commonwealth Games can pose.

"Our Team Leaders will go to Glasgow with the knowledge that they have had the best possible preparation for the Games."

The full list of Team Leaders is:

Athletics - Peter Stanley; Badminton - Jens Grill; Boxing - John Hallam; Cycling - Keith Reynolds; Diving - Alexei Evangulov; Gymnastics - Mike Weinstock; Hockey - Danny Kerry; Judo - Karen Roberts; Lawn bowls - John Bell; Netball - Sarah Gandon; Rugby sevens - Nadine Cooke; Shooting - Martyn White; Squash - Louise Pickford; Swimming - Dawn Peart; Table Tennis - Jon Pett; Triathlon - James Taylor; Weightlifting - Maggie Lynes; Wrestling - Shaun Morley.

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