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

The Caribbean side has always attracted plenty of attention in the Champions League and populated several IPL franchises. But perhaps that's where its problems lay

Probably no team wanted to win the Champions League more than Trinidad & Tobago. It was the last time the players from the twin-island republic would get the opportunity to play as a national team in this competition, so they will have wanted to sign off winning the title. So a campaign that ended in a semi-final defeat would have been a disappointment. But it ought not to be a huge one.

Since their initial venture to India in 2009, T&T's brand of T20 cricket has been a big seller. That first adventure, which saw Daren Ganga's team reach the final, brought Kieron Pollard into world focus and to the attention of Mumbai Indians. In 2011, T&T's failure to get out of the group stage did not prevent Sunil Narine's talents from being recognised by Kolkata Knight Riders. So it must have been with a certain sense of expectation that IPL owners and their men of business watched the Red Force's games this year. And they have another name to consider now: Evin Lewis.

Hidden from view through his mystifying non-selection in the Caribbean Premier League draft, the fearless young opener spoke up for himself with a team-leading 211 runs in five games at a healthy average of 42.20 and a strike rate that crossed 141.

His left-handed play was forceful and confident, he let his inexperience at this level be no hindrance, and he consistently got the T&T innings flowing in the Powerplay overs. Here was another interesting product from the islands, another plank upon which the Tourism Development Company, with sports ambassador Brian Lara as its front man, could sell the T&T brand.

The problem in this competition, however, was that there was not enough depth of quality batting to make Lewis' contribution the real bonus it could have been. The irony of Pollard being the man to stop the Lewis train in the semi-final will not have been lost on T&T coach David Williams. If IPL money were not such an influential thing, Lewis and Pollard would have been on the same side on Saturday night and maybe even playing in the final against Rajasthan Royals. But the holes Pollard and Chennai Super Kings' Dwayne Bravo have left in the T&T middle order have never been filled, not at Champions League level. And that lack of heavy artillery in this series was not compensated for by the top order.

With just one half-century in the final group-match demolition of Super Kings, and having failed to score in three of his five innings, Lendl Simmons was well below par. His lack of runs added to the pressure on Darren Bravo (154 runs) to bat deep into the innings. It was a pity that Yannick Ottley did not get more than two games to show his all-round usefulness, especially with the bat; for in their two defeats in the series, it was those missing extra 15 runs or so that made the difference.

The bowling was not to blame. T&T's varied attack is their strength. If Knight Riders had had better results in this year's IPL, Narine would not have been wearing the T&T red. But his presence in the side gave his captain, Denesh Ramdin, an ace he could play at any time. His mystery spinner allowed him to take calculated risks, allowing him to keep hope alive when it began to fail, like against Titans when Narine was bowled out with four overs still remaining in the innings, his two wickets in the 16th over turning the match in favour of the Caribbean side.

Narine's 11 wickets in the series made him the tournament leader up to the semi-final stage. But new-ball bowler Ravi Rampaul and fellow seamer Rayad Emrit also had their moments. Emrit, who took some beatings, repaid his captain's faith with his three wickets against Super Kings that helped limit the match favourites to 118. Even Simmons chipped in with useful wickets at times. Indeed T&T were a team of varied talents banded together by a spirit built up over years of playing and growing up in the game together. Their expertise at T20 has continued to encourage more talent in that arena.

In future, however, it will be up to the Trinidad-based CPL franchise, the Red Steel, to bring that talent through. Selectoral miscalculations left Lewis and Ottley on the sidelines in the CPL's inaugural season. That is unlikely to happen next year.

Nicholas Pooran did not do much in the Champions League, but seems to have the self-belief that will make failure temporary. Given time to develop without the burden of unreasonable expectations, he may yet become a star attraction in a T20 league near you.

Yes, the Force has faded from the T20 scene, but the T&T flavour in the Champions League should remain strong for years to come.

Garth Wattley is a writer with the Trinidad Express

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T&T has a new chess queen, 16-year-old Javanna Smith who won the Open National female championship tournament in fine style, dropping only half a point in seven rounds.

In the process, Smith, form five student of Holy Name Convent, ended the reign of Aditi Soondarsingh who has held the title for seven years. From the start, the tournament resolved itself into a keen race between the two. Smith held Soondarsingh to a draw and won the rest of her games, finishing with a total of 6.5 points. Soondarsingh, although she also played unbeaten, conceded a draw to Gabriella Johnson in the sixth round, finishing half a point behind Smith. Gabriella, younger sister to Under 20 champion, Joshua Johnson, took third place on five points. Tieing for fourth place were Najarah Rahaman and Della-Marie Walcott who both scored four points. These first five players will represent T&T at the 2014 Olympiad in Tromso, Norway, next August.

This year’s national female championship tournament is the first Open, ending the qualifying rounds of previous contests. According to T&TCA president Anderson Gordon, the change was made in order to attract as many as possible of the country’s female chess players to this premier event by which the Olympiad team is selected. It attracted a total of 13 players.

At 16, CM Javanna Smith almost qualifies as a “veteran” whose notable career at home and abroad shows a collection of honours and consistent progress to the top. At the age of ten Smith earned a bronze medal at the Pan Am championships, adding to the bronze he had already gained at the CAC Games in El Salvador. She represented T&T at three consecutive Olympiads in Germany, Russia and Turkey, consistently scoring the highest points on the team.

Last year, Smith secured T&T’s only women’s gold medal at the first Carifta Chess Championships held in Trinidad.

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The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) will have a new home in a few weeks time when it takes up base at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee made the disclosure on Tuesday, expressing his gratitude to the Ministry of Sport and the Sports Company (SPORTT) for presenting the opportunity for football’s local governing body to occupy the office space at the south eastern end of the Stadium.
The new location will accommodate the TTFA’s office staff, as well as technical personnel, including senior team head coach Stephen Hart, referees and the marketing department. There will also be a board room and a merchandise centre, which will sell licensed TTFA products.
“We are quite thrilled about this move,” said Tim Kee. “This will be the new home of Trinidad and Tobago football, which entered a new era in recent months and continues to make positive strides.”
Tim Kee said the change in location will enable the TTFA to save a significant amount in rent, allowing funds to be redirected to development programmes.
TTFA general secretary Sheldon Phillips, who negotiated the move, said: “The move to HCS is yet another example of the developing partnership between our organisation and the Ministry of Sport. The TTFA would like to specifically thank Minister Anil Roberts for his leadership in making the stadium space available and recognition of the immediate and sustained benefits this move would yield for football. We look forward to continued collaborative efforts with the Ministry and SPORTT.”

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BEN Ryan can breathe a sigh of relief. The Fiji Rugby Union deputy chairman Daniel Whippy yesterday said they would not expect Ryan to immediately start winning with the Digicel Fiji 7s team, admitting the former England 7s mentor needed time to settle down.

He said while they wanted to see improvements in the national team's performance in the HSBC Sevens World Series, their main goal was winning the gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ryan was last month appointed the new Fiji 7s coach for the next three years.

"The response on Ben's appointment has been phenomenon. There is a lot of excitement and of course the expectations are high," Whippy said.

"We have had our successes in Fiji 7s rugby and the task is not the little battles, it's the war and the war is to win the first Olympic gold medal, that's our task.

"The board acknowledges that it's going to be tough and it will require patience in trying to achieve that one goal but we will support you (Ryan), back you, whether you win, you lose, we are looking at this long term."

Ryan, who arrived into the country on Tuesday, yesterday met players who he will lead to the Gold Coast 7s in Australia next week.

Five players will be making their debut in the IRB 7s series and they include Jiuta Takubu, Sakuisa Nadruku, Kelepi Namoua, Vucago Bainitabua and Sunia Kubu.

Manueli Laqai will skipper the team which has some experienced hands in Ulaiasi Lawavou, Samisoni Viriviri, Benito Masilevu and Ilai Tinai.

Coach Ryan is asking for patience and assured results will follow in due time.

"If the team wins the third title in a row in Gold Coast, don't start cheering for Ben Ryan. I will have nothing to do in that win, it will be the boys, it will be Alivereti Dere who has prepared the team," he said.

"I'm just going to give them as much confidence, make sure that they don't start to overly impress me, they play the relaxed Fijian rugby that can be pretty ruthless.

"I haven't coached them yet but I'm excited and looking forward to the Gold Coast 7s.

"I don't want to put too much pressure on the boys and keep talking about winning this and winning that, just want them to play to the best of their ability and everything else will work itself out."

Ryan will have a chance to gauge the weaknesses of the players in the Fiji Water Centennial International 7s tournament which will run concurrently with the Oceania 7s starting tomorrow at the ANZ Stadium in Suva.

Ryan admits that it will also be a first for him to coach a team he has not selected himself.

The Digicel Fiji 7s team was announced yesterday and there will definitely be changes coming in once Ryan has made his round of the local tournaments.

Ryan will get a chance to see the team train today under former coach, Alivereti Dere, who will guide the team to the Oceania Sevens, before handing over the team to Ryan for the IRB World Sevens Series.

Ryan hopes the Fiji fans will support him as he aims to improve sevens rugby across the board

Fiji 7s:

Ulaiasi Lawavou, Jiuta Takubu, Manueli Laqai (captain), Samuela Saqiwa, Sakuisa Nadruku, Kelepi Namoua, Vucago Bainitabua, Ilai Tinai, Sunia Kubu, Donasio Ratubuli, Samisoni Viriviri, Benito Masilevu.New Fiji 7s rugby coach

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September 30 - Great Britain's Tom Daley was one of more than 3000 athletes sponsored by Adidas at the London 2012 Olympic GamesThe UK arm of sportswear brand Adidas has reported a more than 10 per cent increase in sales revenue up until the end of 2012, boosted by its sponsorship of the London Olympic Games last year.

Adidas (UK) Limited, which has its headquarters in Hazel Grove near Stockport, revealed that its revenues had increased from £487.9 million ($791.8 million/€584.7 million) in 2011 to £540.7 million ($877.4 million/€648 million) up until December 31 2012.

But, although sales are up, the company reported that pre-tax profits have fallen from £23.4 million ($37.9 million/€28 million) in 2011 to £19.6 million ($31.8 million/€23.4 million).

In 2007, Adidas - which has a long association with the Olympic Games going back to the 1928 Amsterdam Games when founder Adolf Dassler designed his first track spiked running shoes for athletes - signed a deal to become the official sportswear provider of London 2012, which was worth an estimated £80 million ($130 million/€96 million).

That agreement saw the company, which employs 1,100 people in the UK, provide more than 80,000 Games Makers, Olympic Torch bearers and officials with about two million pieces of apparel.

In addition, more than 3,000 athletes from 11 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) including Great Britain, France, Germany, Cuba, Belgium, Australia, Ethiopia, Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary, Greece, and the Bahamas, were supplied with Adidas kit and equipment.

In its directors' report, Adidas said: "The growth has been aided by the company's sponsorship of the Olympic Games in London despite the difficult economic climate that has been facing all businesses in the UK and globally.

"We have maintained good relationships with our customers and continued to develop the business with them.

"We continue to place new product and marketing initiatives into the UK and follow their success."

Earlier this year, parent company Adidas AG, which is based in the Bavarian region of Germany and is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, estimated that its 2013 turnover would be between £742 million (£1.2 billion/€890 million) to £767 million ($1.25 billion/€920 million).

However, due to what it describes as "negative market developments" and the weakening of certain currencies against the Euro, these figures were revised down earlier this month to between £684 million ($1.11 billion/€820 million) to £709 million ($1.15 billion/€850 million).

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Picture it if you will. A ceremony in the oldest of settings but with all of the action caught on a flickering sea of cameras and smart phones. Winter torchbearers clad in hats, thick trousers and fleeces despite the searing humidity and cloudless sky. The new Olympic boss Thomas Bach using the occasion to preach about "peaceful coexistence and mutual respect..."

Such is the incongruity of the Olympic circus as it returned to its oldest home of Ancient Olympia.

This is without even mentioning the Ceremony itself and features therein: ranging from a Flame lit by the rays of the sun to honour long extinct Gods, to the release of a white pigeon and to robe wearing dancers on the hillside.

Yet as the Olympic Torch embarked on its four month journey to Sochi on Sunday (September 29) we were reminded that this hotchpotch of different styles and traditions - as well as technologies and climates - is what the Olympics are all about.

The blending of the old and new, natural and human and physical and mental, and its permutations well beyond the world of sport.

This was the crux of a strong speech by Bach on his first official overseas trip since taking over the Presidency of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) earlier this month. He spoke about "being aware of our own Olympic limits" but also the ability to use the "strength of our values and symbols for the positive development of global human society."

The example of Greece, and Ancient Olympia itself, is as good a way as any to illustrate Bach's point.

In recent years this once great nation has lurched through an unseemly cycle of recession, debt, bailout and woe with a succession of leaders arriving almost as often as predictions of further misery.

Even this week the news carries tales of anguish. The rise of the ultra right-wing Golden Dawn movement, the return to "drachma-era wages as strike waves gather pace," and disillusionment with evermore influential European Union powerbrokers. With Champions League defeats and EuroBasket exit even sport appears to bring only more failure.

The streets of Ancient Olympia revealed signs of these times. The empty shops for example, the mass of residents sitting in cafes all day apparently doing nothing, and the plying of restaurant customers with free courses in return for favourable online reviews (gladly accepted of course).

In this context the significance with which Hellenic Olympic Committee President Spyros Capralos' hailed Bach's promise to "stand by and assist Greece in every way possible in tough economic times" is unsurprising as the Olympics offers a beacon of hope.

Come Saturday the Flame Lighting Ceremony weekend indeed brought an all too visible transformation. Colour, crowds and vibrancy returned to the streets. The shops were full, bands played and tourists and locals gathered together to sample the festivities. All was well.

But this beacon proved an illusion and by late afternoon on Sunday sleepy normality had been restored with alarming speed.

This shows both sides of Bach's words. The Ceremony had helped by bringing a weekend of celebration and revenue but it was short term and certainly did not permanently solve problems. It showed both the "strength of our values" and "our Olympic limits" and it seemed almost cruel to bring a glimpse of relief then to snatch it away again so quickly.

Yet there are benefits to this backwardness. It was remarkable how utterly untouched by commercialism the whole event was. No sponsors, no litter, no cheap Olympic Torch replicas. No big screen relaying the action at the Temple of Hera. In fact the aforementioned cameras appeared the only exception to an otherwise tranquil preservation of ancient norms.

This was another theme highlighted by Bach. He described how, when converting the Olympic Games from Ancient to Modern Times in 1896, Baron Pierre de Coubertin "took the idea, breathed new life into it, developed it and, together with Greece, presented it to the entire world".

A trip around the Olympic Games History Museum brought this fact home by revealing just how much these Ancient Greek values still live on today.

Alongside almost constant provincial warfare for example, after officers travelled the land to announce an Olympic Truce, the quadrennial Games were held peacefully and without a break for almost four centuries.

Despite the boycotts at Montreal 1976, Moscow 1980 and Los Angeles 1984 the Modern Games have survived through a similar maelstrom of political trauma. Today this sense is stronger than ever and, in spite of the furore over Russian anti-gay rights law and Bach's insistence that the Games "accuses no-one and excludes no-one", nobody is seriously or even halfheartedly considering boycotting Sochi. The Olympics are too strong for that.

There was also a strong Ancient focus on eradicating cheating. From an ingenious rope and barriers system to outlaw false starts to the fines and disqualifications handed out to any athlete who subjected to bribery.

With the allegations surrounding last week's International Cycling Union Presidential Election and the 25th anniversary of Ben Johnson's 100 metre "triumph" in Seoul in 1988, this might not seem an appropriate time to talk about cheating. Yet as in Ancient times huge effort has been made and progress has resulted.

The benefits of becoming a revered Olympic champion were also striking. They were welcomed home on a par with returning Gods: returning on a horse driven chariot through a specially broken segment of city wall before receiving exemption from taxes among other such bonuses.

This is more apt today than ever, and the evolution from chariots smashing through city walls to open top bus parades and the customary "freedom of the city" for returning heroes bears a strong correlation.

You could go on. The boys events held alongside the Ancient Games preceded the Youth Olympics revived in Singapore in 2010, and the presence of professionally motivated poets, philosophers and politicians rather mirrors the mass of statesmen, royalty and celebrity who took advantage of London last year.

There are of course many differences between old and new - with the absence of women and the tameness of today in comparison with the unmitigated violence of Ancient events two such examples.

Yet the point is that the integral values of the Olympic Movement remain as relevant today as ever before.

These values may not be strong enough to rid Greece of its economic problems but they can help and are a key way to evoke peace, unity and humanity today as in ancient times. This should always be remembered.

So as we enjoy the absurdity of robe wearing dancers and released white pigeons we should celebrate the perseverance of these traditions in the modern world.

But most of all we should remember the messages within this madness and, as Bach said, work to convey these Olympian values in sport and elsewhere, to Sochi and beyond.

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September 27 - Britain's Brian Cookson was today elected as new President of the International Cycling Union (UCI), beating Ireland's Pat McQuaid by 24 votes to 18 here.

It brings to an end to the controversial eight-year reign of 64-year-old McQuaid, which has been overshadowed by drugs scandals, highlighted by Lance Armstrong, and allegations of corruption and means that he must step down as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

He owes his position within the IOC to the fact that he is head of an International Federation and in his presentation here he had tried to claim that cycling's position within the Olympic Movement would suffer if he was not re-elected for a third term.

"It is a huge honour to have been elected President of the UCI by my peers and I would like to thank them for the trust they have placed in me today," the 61-year-old Cookson, President of British Cycling, told the delegates afterwards in the magnificent Palazzo Vecchio.

"The campaign to get to this point has been intense but I am under no illusion that the real work starts now.

"So I call on the global cycling community to unite and come together to help ensure that our great sport realises its enormous potential.

"This is the vision that will drive and focus my activities over the next four years.

"I have said throughout my campaign that we must embrace a new style of governance and a collegiate way of working so that a new era of growth and commercial success for the UCI and our sport can begin.

"My first priorities as President will be to make anti-doping procedures in cycling fully independent, sit together with key stakeholders in the sport and work with WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) to ensure a swift investigation into cycling's doping culture.

"It is by doing these things that we will build a firm platform to restore the reputation of our International Federation with sponsors, broadcasters, funding partners, host cities and the International Olympic Committee.

"Ultimately this is how we grow our sport worldwide and get more riders and fans drawn into cycling.

"Finally, while there have been some difficult moments between myself and my opponent Pat McQuaid during this election contest, I would like to thank Pat for the contribution he has made to cycling during his long career.

"I wish him well in whatever he goes on to do."

The decision followed a Congress that at times descended into a farce, particularly during the long debate over whether McQuaid was eligible even to stand.

It led to the delegate from Algeria to describe it as a "show and masquerade".

Having been proposed by both Cycling Ireland and the Swiss Cycling Federation, where he is from and now lives respectively, only to have them both revoked after they came under pressure, there was doubts over whether McQuaid had a valid nomination.

But it was revealed by Portugal's Artur Lopes, the senior vice-president of the UCI who stood in for McQuaid to run the election, that the decision by the Swiss Cycling Federation to withdraw the nomination came only after the time-frame for such changes had closed, which is illegal under the country's law according to a legal expert to addressed the Congress.

McQuaid also argued that, as he was a member of both associations, his nominations from Morocco and Thailand should stand, a position backed by another expert in Swiss sports law who spoke to the Congress.

It was only after a long period of arguing about whether McQuaid's nomination was valid or not that Cookson decisively put an end to the impasse by taking the microphone and declaring, "We've had enough of this. I'm going to propose we go straight to the vote between the two candidates."

It was a command very much welcomed by delegates who had sat in the Congress on uncomfortable chairs for more than five hours without a break, including a long debate over whether they should even be able to vote on the controversial proposed amendment to Rule 51 in the UCI Constitution, changing who could nominate a candidate to stand for President.

New Zealand delegate Richard Leggat claimed that any such decision on that issue should not take place until next year and when a vote was held on whether to vote it ended 21-21 which meant, that under the UCI Constitution, there would be no vote on Rule 51.

So by the time it came to actually vote for the top job the tension was intense and Cookson's bold decision to waiver any opposition to McQuaid's eligibility paid off.

As soon as Lopes read out the result and got to "Cookson 24....." the Salone del Cinquecento, the room where the Congress was taking place, erupted into cheers led by Britain and the other countries who had supported him, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States, as they knew that "22" was the magic number needed to beat McQuaid.

It was perhaps fitting that Machiavelli's office was located in this building when he was Secretary of the Republic in the 16th century such has been the negative tone of this campaign.

Earlier, the UCI Ethics Commission revealed that they had received a complaint yesterday from the Hellenic Cycling Federation that they had been offered €25,000 (£21,000/$34,000) to support the Tour of Hellas in return for backing Cookson's campaign.

But they claimed that they could not investigate the allegation properly at such short notice.

Peter Zevenbergen, the Dutch head of the Commission, had also heavily criticised Russian oligarch Igor Makarov and American Mike Plant, both prominent members of the UCI Management Committee and declared supporters of Cookson, who were behind a dossier on McQuaid which made a series of serious allegations linked to failed drugs tests involving top riders.

But, despite several requests, neither had been prepared to hand over the dossier so it could be investigated properly.

Makarov responded by claiming that he did not trust the Commission because they were too closely linked to McQuaid.

It summed up how the four-month campaign has been marked by bitterness and bad blood between the two candidates, even if it did end with McQuaid shaking Cookson's hand after declaring that "Congress has spoken".

But such was the interest in the election that by the time of the vote Brian Cookson, Pat McQuaid and UCI were all trending on Twitter, the microblogging site.

Among those to welcome the defeat of McQuaid was Armstrong, who Tweeted simply: "Hallelujah".

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September 25 - Britain's Brian Cookson was today accused of using "subversive legal tactics and intimidation" in his campaign to replace Pat McQuaid as President of the International Cycling Union (UCI).

The explosive allegation came from Cyril Mangal, President of the St Lucia Cycling Association, who has circulated a letter to all 178 countries who are members of the UCI on the eve of the world governing body's Congress here on Friday (September 27).

Mangal is upset that he was contacted by Pascale Schyns via WhatsApp, a cross-platform instant messaging subscription service, who urged him to back Cookson over McQuaid and promised St Lucia help if he publicly declared his support.

"St Lucia is very concerned that when we were contacted by someone supporting Cookson, the person indicated 'I would like you to be on the right side after the election, so you are on the priority list of the Federations which would be helped'," Mangal wrote in his six-page open letter, which insidethegames has a copy of.

"We sincerely hope that this would not be the way Mr Cookson would operate should he win the Presidency of the UCI."

Cookson denied that any member of his team had contacted St Lucia on his behalf even though Schyns was at the press conference he held here today.

The Belgian, a former journalist, is the official translator for the Tour de France and was a UCI commissaire for 15 years until she resigned at the end of 2011 in protest at McQuaid's leadership.

In his letter, Mangal also criticises the role Russian oligarch Igor Makarov has played in Cookson's campaign.

Makarov, a member of the UCI's ruling Management Committee, has publicly backed Cookson and is behind the notorious dossier which accuses McQuaid of corruption and being involved in covering up positive drugs tests.

McQuaid, who has denied the allegations contained in the dossier, has asked for it to be investigated by the UCI Ethics Commission but they still have to receive a copy of the document.

"Makarov...has gone on a frolic of his own in his deceptive campaign against President Pat McQuaid," writes Mangal.

"Now tell me, what gives Mr Makarov the right to independently hire private investigators and unilaterally decide that the UCI Ethics Commission is not independent?

"Who gave Mr Makarov the authority to completely ignore the disciplinary mechanisms of the UCI...So are we supposed to believe that Mr Makarov is independent and that he alone can decide who is independent?

"If there is genuine doubt why can't Mr. Makarov and company take their complaint to the highest authority which is the UCI congress?"

But Cookson remains confident that he has enough support to unseat McQuaid, who has been head of the UCI since 2005 but has been under increasing pressure following the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) decision to ban Lance Armstrong for life and strip him of his seven Tour de France titles.

"I'm feeling confident heading into the last 48 hours of the campaign and looking forward to meeting and talking with colleagues from around the world," he said.

"I have been humbled by the well wishes I have received from the cycling community across the globe, including many ordinary cycling fans, who have told me how much they want to see change in the leadership of the UCI.

"On Friday we have the opportunity to begin to respond to those hopes and aspirations and embrace a new style of governance, a new way of working and enter an exciting new era for the UCI and our sport.

"We have to begin a process which will restore trust and credibility in all that we do.

"I do not say this just because it is the right thing to do.

"I say it because at the heart of my vision for the UCI is a passionate yet simple belief.

"It is this - by restoring the reputation of our International Federation our sport, cycling, will start to benefit from new investment, greater broadcast coverage, more cities wanting to host events and ultimately more riders and fans being drawn into cycling.

"Friday is a crossroads moment.

"When delegates cast their vote I ask that they think of those millions of people who love our sport, who want to encourage their children to be a part of it as cyclists and as fans.

"I want to make our sport one where people can admire their heroes without doubt, aspire to compete, be a professional, even win a Tour or an Olympic medal and know that their friends will respect and not question them.

"Ultimately, it is about a return to our core values and if we are prepared to take that step then we begin to tap into the amazing potential that we all know exists.

"That is what motivates me, what has driven me as President of British Cycling and why I believe I would be a UCI President that the cycling family can be proud of."

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How do we encourage operational discipline within the national sport organisations and other sport stakeholders given that sport in Trinidad and Tobago is and will remain volunteer based and amateur?

It’s one thing to say you want to do something; it’s another thing to get it done. The fact of the matter is setting goals and having plans are just one aspect. After the goal setting and planning phase, you have to put structure in place to make it happen. That means having the resources, organisation, and processes you need to execute your strategy.

What are we doing to encourage operational discipline? The question is asked against the background that being a volunteer or an amateur is not an excuse for shoddy or inept work.

How do we put the right team in place, one with the skills, knowledge, and capabilities to accomplish the goals or objectives that are set?

Have we critically analysed our strengths and weaknesses? What are our blind spots? There are a number of things be they attitudes, mind-sets, habits, and norms that inform how we think and behave. Some of these are part of our culture but if we are to be honest, they may not necessarily be in our best interest. How do we attract the very best people and expect greatness from them?

How we develop and retain people is fundamental to sustainable success in sport. When you get your team right, you’re going to get results.

What’s working? What’s not? Is our approach the right one?

Are we building a firm platform?

There is no room for complacency.

If we want to create a culture of sustainable success we first have to appreciate that a great culture doesn’t just happen. It must be built deliberately and it’s the job of every single person within T&T sport to create a culture that says excellence.

What do we really stand for?

When people in T&T look at their sport leaders what do they see? Do our actions match our stated intentions?

Things change. Priorities change. The economy changes. The business and social climate changes. It’s important to let an organisation’s culture change too so that it doesn’t start to feel static and irrelevant to people.

It’s not easy but when something is not right we have to grapple and come to terms with it. There are changes taking place and to remain relevant national sport organisations must embrace the changes and be proactive and integrative in their thinking.

It will take a collective approach even though some of us would wish that things remain the way they were when our society was simple in the way it was structured.

The hard harsh reality is that we must adapt the timeless values and principles of sport and Olympism and make it relevant to modern society if sport is to have a bright future.

It’s not a question of selling out or adopting an approach that suggests that the end justifies the means or by all or any means necessary.

It’s about getting the right people in the right place working as a team.

It’s not only about winning medals but about helping people live better.

Sports people have the energy, ideas, creativity and above all the dreams. What we offer to T&T is an experience to be lived. We want to inspire people to improve their lifestyle and to strive for excellence in all areas of their lives. But for some reason the message is getting lost or not getting through to people.

It isn’t enough to throw up our hands in frustration and say that’s the way it is. There are no easy answers but we must certainly have the will and determination to keep searching.

I wish to extend sincere condolences to the family, friends and associates of Bertrand Doyle for his unwavering service, dedication and commitment to national life in the spheres of insurance, religion, education and sport. He made a positive difference and contributed to the development of T&T. RIP Mr Doyle.

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Humphreys still #1 on men’s list

Aleena Edwards is number one on the Trinidad and Tobago Table Tennis Association (T&TTTA) women’s ranking list.

Edwards moved to the top thanks to the 750 points she earned for winning the Tobago Open title, on Sunday. In the final, the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) player beat her mother, Verna Edwards 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-6.

Aleena now has 2,850 points, 125 more than second-ranked Linda Partap-Boodhan (2,725). Verna earned 550 points for her runner-up finish, and jumped from sixth to fourth with a total of 2,200 points.

Partap-Boodhan, who was number one ahead of the Tobago Open, lost to Verna in the semifinal round. The other losing semifinalist, Brittany Joseph remained at three on the ranking list with 2,300 points.

Twelve-year-old Bishop’s High School, Tobago student, Jasher De Gannes reached the quarters in Tobago, and is now sixth in the rankings with 1,350 points.

Veteran chopper Merle Baggoo also reached the quarterfinal round. The 1963 national champion earned 350 points for her last eight finish, and is now joint-14th with Shanekah Johnson, on 850 points.

The top of the men’s ranking list is unchanged after the Tobago Open.

UTT’s Curtis Humphreys remained at the top despite his semifinal loss to Arun Roopnarine. In the championship match, Aaron Wilson defeated Roopnarine 11-8, 6-11, 11-4, 11-8 to hold on to his title and second spot in the rankings.

Humphreys has 3,100 points, for a 400-point cushion on Wilson. Roopnarine (2,530), Everton Sorzano (2,100) and two-time Caribbean champion Lionel Darceuil (1,850) are still third, fourth and fifth, respectively. Anson Wellington is joined at sixth on the ranking list by Kenwin Small. Both players have 1,800 points. Reeza Burke and Kyle Borneo are joint-eighth with 1,550. And Alaric Humphreys rounds out the top 10, on 1,400 points.


Men’s Top 30

1. Curtis Humphreys (UTT) 3100 points

2. Aaron Wilson (Carenage Blasters) 2700

3. Arun Roopnarine (Arima Hawks) 2530

4. Everton Sorzano (D’Abadie Youths) 2100

5. Lionel Darceuil (Hawks) 1850

6. Anson Wellington (Hawks) 1800

6. Kenwin Small (UTT) 1800

8. Reeza Burke (Hawks) 1550

8. Kyle Borneo (UTT) 1550

10. Alaric Humphreys (UTT) 1400

11. Kirk Mohammed (Oxford) 1200

12. Terry Corbin (Solo Crusaders) 1150

12. Sarvesh Mungal (PowerGen) 1150

12. Michael Nanton (D’Abadie) 1150

15. Mark Modeste (Hawks) 1050

15. Anthony Brown (Crusaders) 1050

15. Michael Noel (Blasters) 1050

18. Kwame Laurence (Crusaders) 960

19. Faiz Mohammed (PowerGen) 950

19. David Mahabir (Independent) 950

19. Terell Abbott (Independent) 950

22. Hazare Gopaul (Petrotrin) 900

23. Anthony Laquis (Oxford) 850

24. Lawrence Ince (UTT) 830

25. Laureston Special (Oxford) 825

26. Isa Mohammed (Montrose) 800

26. Davone Joseph (UTT) 800

28. Andrew Edwards (Gladiators) 750

28. Declan John (D’Abadie) 750

28. Sharaz Ali (Montrose) 750


Women’s Top 15

1. Aleena Edwards (UTT) 2850

2. Linda Partap-Boodhan (Hawks) 2725

3. Brittany Joseph (Hawks) 2300

4. Verna Edwards (Gladiators) 2200

5. Natalie Montes (Hawks) 1650

6. Jasher De Gannes (Bishop’s High) 1350

7. Catherine Spicer (PowerGen) 1300

8. Renuka Sitram (Cunupia Crew) 1200

9. Nalini Boodoo (Blasters) 1150

10. Shannon Watson (Cunupia) 1100

10. Artienea Gregoire (Blasters) 1100

12. Gyshan Latchman (Cunupia) 1050

13. Anjana Valsalan (Cunupia) 880

14. Merle Baggoo (Harvard) 850

14. Shanekah Johnson (Bishop’s) 850

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September 24 - Much acrobatics, colour and stagecraft can be expected from the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games Opening Ceremony after Cirque du Soleil was today revealed as the firm tasked with the job of creating the spectacle.

The Canadian entertainment company, which has drawn more than 100 million people around the world to its shows in its nearly 30-year history, will produce the one night only performance on July 10, 2015, that will be broadcast to hundreds of millions of people across the Americas and Caribbean.

"Cirque du Soleil is proud and deeply honoured to join TO2015 as a sponsor and Official Creative Partner for the Opening Ceremony of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games," said Yasmine Khalil, Cirque du Soleil's director of events and special projects division.

"We are excited to create an original production for this special occasion."

Cirque du Soleil, which Toronto 2015 says "personifies many of the values of the Games, such as collaboration, joy and inclusiveness", will work with the organising committee to design the Ceremony, which is expected to feature Ontario artists and volunteers, who will be recruited from local schools and community organisations, alongside the iconic troupe's performers.

"Cirque du Soleil has an unmatched international reputation for staging some of the most imaginative and mesmerising shows ever performed," Toronto 2015 chief executive Ian Troop said.

"That magic, along with their world-class performers - many former athletes themselves - promises a thrilling Opening Ceremony for the Games that celebrates the wonderful diversity of the Toronto region and all of Canada, as well as the vibrant cultures of the Americas and Caribbean."

Cirque du Soleil now joins the likes of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Chevrolet Canada and CISCO as official partners of Toronto 2015.

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September 18 - Carlos Nuzman has been President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee since 1995A bill limiting the length of time an individual can hold the Presidency of a publicly funded sporting organisation to a maximum of two terms has been passed by the Chamber of Representatives in the Brazilian Senate.

The new legislation, which is expected to be ratified and signed into law by Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff in the coming days, follows ongoing allegations that many of those at the top of national sporting organisations in the country use financial muscle and influence to remain in power.

As well as restricting the Presidency of these federations to a maximum of two four-year terms, the bill has also called for greater transparency in terms of publishing financial accounts and wants athletes to be consulted in developing policies and in the decision-making process.

One of the main federations that will be affected by the new legislation will be the Brazilian Olympic Committee (COB) headed by Carlos Nuzman, who is also in charge of Rio 2016.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and former professional volleyball player Nuzman, who was the head of the successful Rio 2016 bid when the city was awarded the Games in 2009, has been President of the COB since 1995 but his re-elections to the post have been the subject of criticism and suspicion.

Preparations for Rio 2016 have been dogged by fears over time delays and infrastructure problems, with IOC Coordination Commission chair Nawal El Moutawakel warning in February this year that the Games' Organising Committee needs to "stay vigilant" and speed up work on the Olympic Parks in Deodoro and Barra da Tijuca, as well meeting its target of providing 27,800 hotel rooms.

Around the same time, construction workers, working at the iconic Maracanã Stadium which is due to host a number of games at the 2014 FIFA World Cup - including the final - as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic and Paralympic Games two years later, downed their tools and threatened to go on strike over demands for wage increases and health insurance for their families.

While the new laws only apply to federations that receive public funding, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) - which is privately funded in the main - will still be subject to the rules regarding greater transparency as it receives tax exemptions from the Government.

In March last year, Ricardo Teixeira left his role as President of the CBF after more than 23 years in charge, claiming it was for health reasons but his tenure had been scarred by allegations of corruption including money laundering, tax evasion and taking bribes.

The introduction of the new law has been welcomed by some of Brazil's sporting stars, including former international football player Raí, who said: "Sport should be an example of modernity, transparency and professionalism.

"The approval of this law is vital if we are to come up with public policies for sport."

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September 19 - The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has insisted that it does not recognise National Olympic Committees for Abkhazia or South Ossetia after the Russian Olympic Committee listed the two Georgian rebel regions as separate entities on its database for the Sochi 2014 Olympics and Paralympics.

"The IOC currently recognises 204 National Olympic Committees," an IOC official told insidethegames.

"As stated in the Olympic Charter, 'they have the exclusive authority for the representation of their respective countries at the Olympic Games and at the regional, continental or world multi-sports competitions patronised by the IOC'.

"To be eligible for participation in the Olympic Games a competitor must be entered by his NOC as recognised by the IOC.

"The IOC does recognise an NOC for Georgia (which has jurisdiction over the whole territory of Georgia) but does not recognise an NOC for Abkhazia or South Ossetia."

Georgia's Foreign Ministry is also said to be preparing a protest against the move by Russia, with which the nation has maintained no diplomatic relations since a brief war in 2008 when Moscow crushed a Georgian assault to reassert control over the two rebel regions and later recognised them.

Georgia announced the two unrecognised republics as occupied territories in September 2008.

"It's a pretty bad precedent," Georgian Olympic Committee first vice-president Elgudja Berishvili said.

"It will be followed by due reaction from our side.

"Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not recognised by the United Nations and 99 per cent of the world and, of course, by the International Olympic Committee, therefore, their participation in any programme of the Olympic Games as independent states is not possible."

Last month Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov slammed the West for still applying "double standards" in its position on the international status of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

"Our Western partners - along with some other countries - are still strongly biased in regard to the republics of Abkhazia and South Ossetia," he said.

For an NOC to be recognised by the IOC it must be established as a "country", which, in the Olympic Charter Rule 30.1, means an "independent state recognised by the international community".

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September 17 - Mario Vázquez Raña will announce the host city for the 2019 Pan American and Parapan American Games in TorontoToronto, host of the 2015 Pan and Parapan American Games, has been named as the venue for next month's Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) General Assembly, at which the host city for the 2019 Games will be revealed.

More than 350 officials and delegates from the 41 National Olympic Committees (NOC) of PASO, including international sports federations and members of Rio 2016 will attend the event on October 8-11 at the Westin Harbour Castle hotel located next to Lake Ontario.

The undoubted highlight of the General Assembly will be the announcement of the host city of the 2019 Games by PASO President Mario Vázquez Raña on the Friday afternoon (October 11) following the presentations from the four bid cities in the morning.

The cities that will be hoping to persuade PASO members of their readiness to stage the event are La Punta in Argentina, Chile's capital Santiago, Ciudad Bolívar in Venezuela and Lima, the capital city of Peru.

La Punta will be looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow Argentine cities, such as Buenos Aires which hosted the very first Pan American Games in 1951, Mar del Plata which staged the event in 1995 and Las Leñas in 1990, where the sole Winter Games were held.

Venezuelan capital Caracas staged the 1983 Games, while the event has never been held in Chile or Peru.

Toronto 2015 will also provide a progress update to delegates before presentations from the organising committees of future Games will take place.

It is less than two years to go until Toronto 2015 gets underway on July 10, and will see around 6,000 athletes from 41 countries competing in 36 sports, across both the Pan American and Parapan American Games.

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NEW England Sevens coach Simon Amor believes his newly inherited squad has the potential to claim success on the world stage.

Amor, a former England Sevens captain, left his position as London Scottish director of rugby to replace Ben Ryan who stepped down earlier this summer.

He starts with the first round of the HSBC Sevens World Series in Australia on October 12, and the 34-year-old believes his side has the ability to challenge for honours.

“My focus short, medium and long term is to drive this programme forward and look at ways we can make it better and improve the players we have currently got, who are extremely talented,” said Amor, who was speaking as the Heathrow Express rail link was announced as the lead sponsor of the national sevens teams for the next four years.

England start their season this weekend in Buchaest, Romania at the final leg of the European Grand Prix Sevens Series whilst a number of the squad are also in Kenya with the Royals competing in the Safari Sevens

“The challenge with Gold Coast just round the corner is we probably can’t make as many changes as I would have liked.

“We’ll make some mistakes in this short term but long term there is huge potential for this team to be successful on this World Series stage.”

One player keen to impress will be forward Chris Cracknell, who has been sidelined since injuring his knee in last year’s first round.

“It’s been a long 12 months with a few dark moments but I’m back fit and hopefully I can come back stronger than ever," he said.

“I’ve got a lot of things I want to do and achieve. Going to a Commonwealth Games and winning gold is massively up there. And winning a World Series is obviously another one.

“I’ve been in this game long enough now and I’m sick and tired of not winning one.”

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To mark the impending 25th anniversary of the 1988 Seoul Olympic 100 metre final - where as you may recall the winner, Ben Johnson, ran into a spot of bother with the dope testers - a documentary about that fateful race is being released later this week entitled "9.79", which was the world record set by the Canadian who has since become a byword for cheating in sport.

The film-maker, Daniel Gordon, has managed to speak to all eight competitors and, apparently, each has maintained that he, and he alone, was running drug-free on that occasion. A fascinating, if depressing puzzle...

Reflecting on what might be learned from his latest work, Gordon commented: "We love the Olympics, we love the World Cup, we love these huge events. We always want more. But the idea of purity is absolute nonsense. We're projecting something onto our heroes when, since the beginning of sport in ancient Greece, it has always been unfair and competitors have always taken whatever advantage they can. So the idea of purity is nonsense. We have to look at sport with our eyes open."

Which raises two fundamental questions. First - does this mean there is no such thing as purity anywhere within sport? And secondly - why do we expect or wish for that to be the case?

To address the second question first: one of the conundrums of cheating is that its discovery causes such dismay, given that it is as old as time, or at least as old as humans. As Gordon correctly maintains, cheating in sport has its own long history.

Doping and money are the two most influential elements of cheating in sport, the prime movers in foul play. Both were potent forces in the ancient Olympics, although in fairness the doping which steeped much of the activity could not be described at the time as cheating as there was no equivalent of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in existence. Had there been, such a body would doubtless have been involved in lengthy cases involving items such as sheep's testicles - heavy on the testosterone - which were the supplement of choice for those wishing to improve their strength and endurance back in the day.

Galen, a physician who described the customs of the day in the third century AD, reported that certain Olympic competitors had sought to enhance their performance by drinking "the rear hooves of an Abyssinian ass, ground up, boiled in oil and flavoured with rosehips and petals".

Whether this concoction would find its way into the WADA code nowadays is a moot point. But the anti-doping code would surely have little to say about another of the reputed performance enhancers of ancient sporting times - the practice of drinking a combination of sweat, oil and dust scraped from the skin of Olympic champions immediately after their moment of glory.

Eupolos of Thessaly was the first recorded wrongdoer in the history of the ancient Games - he was found guilty of bribing boxers in the 98th Olympiad.

Fourteen Olympiads later, Callippus Of Athens attempted to buy off his competitors in the pentathlon. And at the 226th Olympics two Egyptian boxers, Didas andSarapammons, were fined for fixing the outcome of their match.

So much for the purity of the ancient Games. But hang on. How do we know about these transgressions? Because they were exposed, and the perpetrators punished. These wrongdoings, and subsequent efforts, were recorded on bronze statues of Zeus erected over the years on the road which athletes took into the stadium at Olympia, where the Games had taken place since 776 BC. These statues were financed through fines levied on Olympic competitors found to have cheated, and were inscribed with the names of the guilty
parties along with the details of their misdeeds.

This information was accompanied by messages warning others not to cheat and insisting that victory was to be earned through skill and effort rather than by money or other underhand means. Here, then, was early graphic evidence of cheating in sport - and also of the desire to eradicate it.

Let's shift our gaze from BC to AD, onto the sporting events of this very week. Croatian tennis player Marin Čilić is facing a nine-month ban from the sport having been found to have taken a banned stimulant. Meanwhile, there is controversy over the decision to reduce the standard two-year ban on Serbian player Viktor Troicki to 18 months after he refused to take a blood test.

And in snooker, former Tour event winner Stephen Lee has been found guilty of match-fixing charges involving seven games in 2008 and 2009 and faces punishment from the sport's world governing body.

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose...

But what has also remained constant along with sporting misdemeanours is the desire to eradicate them. Take the Lee case. Once the verdict was confirmed, former world champion Neil Robertson insisted: "There is no other option than a life ban," adding: "We have to show zero tolerance on match and frame fixing...There may have been players offered things in smaller events, and this should cut all of that out."

Robertson went on to differentiate fixing in his sport to cheating which has famously occurred in other sports such as cycling and athletics. "It is greed or financial difficulty that makes people fix matches, not gaining an edge over rivals, so it is different from say Lance Armstrong or Ben Johnson."

There Ben is again, Mr Byword. But Robertson's reaction also stands as an archetype of those within sport who do believe in purity, and in maintaining purity. Let's not be cynical here. Both motivations will always exist within the human frame.

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National sporting organisations need to put greater emphasis on fund-raising for their respective sports.

That is the sentiment expressed by Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT) executive manager of sport development and performance Anthony Creed.

There have been a number of issues surrounding the funding of sporting bodies by the Ministry, the latest being the national women’s hockey team that left T&T yesterday for the Pan American Cup in Mendoza, Argentina. The competition flicks off on Saturday.

The Express reported yesterday that the team had failed to make the $500,000 budget for the trip. They are still $200,000 short.

Yesterday the Express spoke to Creed—brother of Ministry of Sport permanent secretary Ashwin Creed—about the TTHB budget. He gave a breakdown of the funds already provided to the Hockey Board.

“The company had $1.8 million allocated to hockey,” he said. “They have spent $1,962,076. They have exhausted their allocation. The Sports Company can’t take stone and make bread. Plus they got $200,000 from the Ministry of Sports for one of their programmes, which means they got almost $2.2 million.”

The TTHB, he stated, exhausted its allocation by March this year, adding: “Having more money for the allocation, it would have been hard for them to ask for more money.”

Creed told the Express that while 30 per cent of the budget was allocated to player development and a further ten per cent to capacity building, most of the money was actually spent on high performance (international/elite competition).

And Creed, who is also Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) president, said the Sports Company was allotted $25.8 million to split among the local sporting bodies.

In its budget submitted to SPORTT, hockey requested $10.8 million, while other requests were as follows: cycling ($5 million), track and field ($8.7 million), volleyball ($6.2 million) and cricket ($12 million).

The sums they actually got were $1.8 million (hockey), $1.3 million (cycling), $2.8 million (track and field) and $3.1 million (cricket).

Creed compared T&T’s government funding to Jamaica’s, stating that the latter was given the equivalent of TT$12 million to divvy up between 42 national sporting organisations. That figure is actually $12.58 million, and was earmarked for supporting development programmes, administrative expenses, training of athletes and administrators, and for participation in national and international competitions.

“The NAAA (National Association of Athletics Administrations) (and) cricket (are) making efforts to get their (corporate) support, but I have no idea what other sponsorships the hockey board (is getting).”

The Hockey Board, however, is not disputing the funds received. Its bone of contention is the money spent on the World Hockey League hosted in T&T last November, an issue raised publicly during the Men’s Pan American Cup last month in Canada, where the T&T stickmen won bronze.

Camacho repeated the claim that the Hockey Board had agreed with the Ministry of Sport to host the World League first round on the basis that the event—a new format of qualifiers introduced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH)—which had not initially been budgeted for would not come out of hockey’s allocation.

The event came off, but the hockey board, Camacho said, was never reimbursed.

“They keep saying hockey has utilised their allocation...but they keep counting the funds from the League,” the former T&T Olympic Committee (T&TOC) president stressed. “If they don’t count that, we wouldn’t be over budget.

“We weren’t prepared to participate and host the competition unless the support was separate and apart from the initial allocation,” he said, adding that the TTHB had agreed to host the event as it falls in line with government’s sports tourism policy.

That, Camacho said, is the reason for the “disconnect” between the Ministry and the Board.

The T&T stickwomen (world ranked 26th) face World No. 2 Argentina, Canada (ranked 23rd) and Guyana (56th) in Pool A for a place in the Pan Am Cup semifinals. The winners of the tournament will compete at the FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands next year.

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Hockey women leave for Pan Am Cup short of funds

As the Trinidad and Tobago women’s national hockey team is scheduled to fly to Mendoza, Argentina today  for the Fourth Women’s Pan American Cup from September 21-28, the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB)  is still short of funds for the trip.

But Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board (TTHB)  president Douglas Camacho said  the team will still make the trip, estimated to cost around $500,000.

While Camacho did not specify the amount of the shortfall, he said he hoped to keep dialogue open with the Ministry of Sport and the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT). Up to yesterday, Camacho was seeking sponsorship for the team.

“We have written the Ministry many times but they have not acknowledged the letters,” Camacho said, adding that the trip was part of their original budget.

However, asked about the matter, Director of Sport at the Ministry, Dave Bobb said, “I am not at liberty to disclose that information since what I may give you could be inaccurate. As far as I know the funding for the TTHB falls under the purview of SPORTT .”

A source, who wished to remain anonymous,  also said the $243,000 cheque for expenses for the national men’s hockey team for their bronze-medal Pan Am campaign last month was still outstanding although officials at the Ministry of Sport had said it was ready.

To this, Bobb responded:  “I am also not at liberty to disclose that information.”

“We will do our best to secure the funding through other avenues to meet the difference,” Camacho said, and we are hopeful that we will continue to have dialogue with the Ministry of Sport  and SPORTT to the extent that they want to talk to us.”

The T&T team is being led by captain Alanna Lewis and coached by former national goalkeeper Glen “Fido” Francis. It includes  10 other players who were part of the T&T squad which ended fifth out of six teams in the FIH World League Round Two qualifiers held in Rio de Janeiro in March.

Those players are  Blaire Wynne, Avion Ashton, Teresa Lezama and Zene Henry. The list also features Brianna Govia, Elise Olton, Kayla Brathwaite and goalkeeper Jeneille Carrington, while Kwylan Jaggassar and Brittney Hingh round out the team.

In Argentina, the 26th world ranked T&T will first do battle with the host country, ranked second,  Guyana (56th) and Canada (23rd) in Pool A round-robin play. The top-ranked Pool B includes USA (10th), Chile (18th), Mexico (31st) and Uruguay (36th).

The winners of this tournament will qualify for next year’s FIH Hockey World Cup to be held in The Hague, Netherlands while the top six teams will qualify for the 2017 Women’s Pan American Cup. Teams placing seventh to eighth will be demoted to the 2015 Women’s Pan American Challenge.

This will mark the third appearance for T&T at the competition after they missed out on the 2001 edition held in Kingston, Jamaica. They have a best-ever finish of fourth, in 2009 in Hamilton, Bermuda after a 2-1 loss to Chile in the bronze medal contest.


T&T SQUAD

Alanna Lewis (captain), Anastasia Netto (GK), Jenielle Carrington (GK), Blair Wynne (vice-captain), Avion Ashton, Kwylan Jaggassar, Kristin Thompson, Teresa Lezama, Elise Olton, Amie Olton, Zene Henry, Brianna Govia, Tamia Roach, Kayla Brathwaite, Dana-Lee De Gannes, Amanda George, Brittney Hingh, Tamara De Nobriga.

Technical staff: Glenn Francis (coach), Nicholas Wren (assistant coach), Sharon De Freitas (manager), Nicholas Baldeosingh (IT Specialist), Karielle De Bique (physiotherapist), Kevin Macintyre (massage therapist), Dr. Zynul Khan (doctor), Amanda Johnson (sport psychologist)

Tournament fixtures



September 21:

USA vs Mexico, 1.30 p.m.

Chile vs Uruguay, 4 p.m.

Canada vs Guyana, 6.30 p.m.

Argentina vs T&T, 9 p.m.



September 22:

Chile vs USA,1 30 p.m.

Mexico vs Uruguay, 4 p.m.

T&T vs Guyana, 6.30 p.m.

Canada vs Argentina, 9 p.m.



September 24:

Mexico vs Chile, 1.30 p.m.

USA vs Uruguay, 4 p.m.

T&T vs Canada, 6.30 p.m.

Argentina vs Guyana, 9 p.m.



September 26:

Third Pool B vs Fourth Pool A, 11.30 a.m.

Third Pool A vs Fourth Pool B, 2 p.m.

Semifinals:

First Pool B vs Second Pool A,  6.30 p.m.

First Pool A vs Second Pool B, 9 p.m.



September 28:

Seventh - Eighth, 11.30 a.m.

Fifth - Sixth, 2 p.m.

Bronze medal match, 6.30 p.m.



Final, 9 p.m.

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