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

Local track and field head Ephraim Serrette is hoping the changing of the age groupings at the Carifta Games will result in an improved performance at next year’s junior event set for Martinique.

The local contingent won 20 medals (eight gold, two silver and ten bronze) at last weekend’s Games in Nassau Bahamas, the lowest in some ten years.

At the Carifta congress during the Games, a decision was made to change the age categories to Under-18 and Under-20 in keeping to IAAF age groupings.

“That may make a little difference especially for the field athletes who would have been moving from the Under-17 to Under-20 and would have the change in weight in the shot put, discus and javelin and even the hurdles with the heights.

“I think when the change is made, we may see a little difference in the performance of our athletes. Even athletes who move from the Under-15 to Under-17 take at least a year (to adjust) to the new age group, unless you have an exceptional performer.”

The NAAA president said with the new rules organisers will have to adjust their competition programmes.

“The first thing I would want to do is to meet with promoters to discuss the change. It may not happen this year. Our junior championships already reflect the new age groups. If we can sit and come together quickly with the national programme we may be able to keep some of the core athletes and see if we could source competitions in the region for them.”

Serrette pointed out the 20 medal maul was good given that the size of the team was reduced to 44.

“When we look at the spread of the medals across the various categories of events: five medals in the sprints (three in the relays and two individual), four in the throws, four hurdles medals, four in the middle and long distance and three in the jumps to give up a total of 20. There was an even spread.”

The former national sprinter added that more needs to done in the track events to get better performances.

“We need to do more work nationally especially in the track area. We are seeing the benefits of the field and jumps programme. I think we need to convince more coaches to bring more of the track athletes into a national track programme.”

“We have quite a few level five coaches and chief coaches who we can get to sit down and work out a national programme for our national athletes.”

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THE night after leading Trinidad and Tobago to the silver medal in the Under-18 team competition, Arun Roopnarine combined with Catherine Spicer to strike gold for the hosts in mixed doubles when the Caribbean Junior Table Tennis Championships continued yesterday at Jean Pierre Complex, Wrightson Road, Mucurapo.
After crushing a Guyanese pair 11-3, 11-5, 11-1 in their opening match, Spicer and Roopnarine really had to work to capture the title as they were extended to five game in their other three encounters.
After winning two “deuce” games to begin the title match, it seemed like the duo would have rolled over their devastated opponents in the third, but Luis Eschevarria and Ashley Diaz stormed back to take the next two games and force a tense decider.
However, Spicer and Roopnarine saved their best for last and went on to prevail 13-11, 12-10, 6-11, 7-11, 11-6 over the Puerto Ricans.
Roopnarine and Spicer later went on to secure bronze medals in the Under-18 doubles events with Aaron Wilson and Brittany Joseph, respectively. And this country also picked up both bronze medals in the girls' Under-15 draw as well as in mixed doubles in the division.
However, the first medal for T&T had come on Thursday night when the hosts lost the Under-18 team final to overwhelming title favourites Dominican Republic.
The 15-year-old Roopnarine drew first blood for the underdogs when the No. 1 player turned back Jose Luis Toribio 11-8, 14-12, 7-11, 12-10 in a very entertaining contest. But then the defending champs came to life and lost just two games from the next three matches to prevail.
Their top player Issac Vila beat both Aaron Wilson and Roopnarine in four games and Jefferson Almonzar cruised past Andreas Pantin in three straight.
The 14-year-old Wilson and Classified champion Roopnarine were favoured to advance to yesterday's Under-18 doubles final, but they squandered a 9-5 lead to lose the opening game of the semis against the Serrano brothers, Luis Enrique and Luis Eduardo, and a 6-0 and 9-6 lead when they had the opportunity to force a decider. The Puerto Ricans eventually prevailed 12-10, 11-8, 7-11, 12-10. Wilson and Joseph were forced to settle for bronze as the Under-15 favourites when they were beaten 11-9, 11-9, 11-8 by eventual champs Andreas Betances and Cinthya Sanchez of the Dominican Republic.
Meanwhile, Spicer and Joseph never had a chance in the girls' Under-18 semis and were beaten 11-7, 11-4, 11-7 by Puerto Ricans Diaz and Caroline Resto.
Two T&T pairs reached the Under-15 semis, but they came up against the regional powerhouses. Jasher De Gannes and Monique Cooper lost 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9 to Puerto Ricans Lineris Rivera and Jamie Jaime, while Gyshan Latchman and Nalini Boodoo were trounced 11-4, 11-6, 11-3 by Kirtia Diaz and Cinthya Sanchez of Dominican Republic.
The singles events will be contested over the final two days of the tournament and first serve today is 9.30 a.m.

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“Generally, it was a good performance, not just in terms of the medals but we had quite a lot of the athletes doing personal bests. That in itself would have added to the medal tally.”

Team manager Dexter Voisin was a satisfied man at the end of the 2013 Carifta Games, here in Nassau, Bahamas.

T&T captured eight gold medals, two silver and ten bronze at the three-day meet to finish third. As expected, Jamaica emerged victorious, the perennial champions earning 29 gold medals, 25 silver and 15 bronze. Bahamas (eight gold medals, 10 silver, 13 bronze) copped second spot, edging T&T into third.

For a while, T&T were celebrating the runners-up slot on the medal table.

The disqualification of Jamaica in Monday night’s boys’ under-20 4x400 metres relay for a zone violation on the final exchange meant that the T&T combination of Asa Guevara, Jereem Richards, Theon Lewis and Machel Cedenio had earned promotion to gold. The ninth gold medal put T&T ahead of the hosts on the final medal table.

Jamaica, however, protested the disqualification, and after press time on Monday, were reinstated as boys’ under-20 4x400m champions.

With Cedenio and company relegated to silver in the event, the golden haul was reduced to eight, and T&T slipped one place down the medal table, to third.

Anchorman Cedenio was third when he received the baton from Lewis. It was not long before the 400m champion secured the lead for T&T. But it was Jamaican anchor Jovan Francis who was in front when it mattered most, at the finish line, the northern Caribbean team winning in three minutes, 05.68 seconds—a new Games record.

Second-placed T&T clocked 3:06.23, while Bahamas finished third in 3:07.44.

“When the athletes crossed the line,” Voisin told the Express, “we all were satisfied that we came second. And in terms of the placing with the medals we were satisfied with that (third). It’s track and field--positions could change and it could reverse in terms of countries protesting, so at the end of the day we wouldn’t dwell on that.”

T&T’s overall haul of 20 medals was two short of the 22 earned at the 2012 Games in Bermuda. However, Voisin, who was also the manager last year, had the satisfaction of winning more gold medals in 2013. The 2012 team earned six.

“I’m satisfied. I would want to say it’s an improved performance, but we have to sit down and really analyse the entire performance of the team, in comparison to last year and the years before.”

Cedenio’s impressive come-from-behind victory in the boys’ under-20 400m final was one of the highlights of Carifta 2013. Voisin listed the Cedenio triumph among T&T’s finest moments at the Games.

“Definitely, Machel Cedenio would be one. Mark London doubling up with the (boys’ under-20) 800 and 1500--that is not an easy feat, and it’s always a good feeling tosee an athlete double up in these meets. On both occasions the field was tough and he came out and dominated.

“Also, Chelsea James in the (girls’ under-17) shot. Akeem Marshall--although it wasn’t a fast (boys’ under-20) 5,000 by any means, it was a tactical race. And at the end of the day he came out victorious, so hats off to him.”

Voisin also praised the efforts of Jeminise Parris. The 15-year-old athlete earned gold in the girls’ under-17 300m hurdles and bronze in the 100m hurdles.

Bahamian Shaunae Miller received the Austin Sealy Award for being the most outstanding athlete at Carifta 2013. Miller captured the girls’ under-20 400/200 double. Her winning time in the half-lap final, 22.77 seconds, is a new Games record.Miller was also part of the Bahamas team that struck gold in the sprint relay.

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Trinidad and Tobago finished second on the points table after the final day of the 2013 CARIFTA Championships at Jamaica’s National Stadium pool in Kingston on Tuesday.
T&T’s final tally of 698 points was enough for them to comfortably take second place behind leaders Guadeloupe who had 742 points.
Hosts Jamaica had to settle for fourth place with 584 points behind third place Aruba who ended the competition with 659 points.
On the final day of the pool events on Tuesday, T&T’s Dylan Carter had to settle for silver in the 50 metre freestyle, coming in behind 17-year old Suriname swimmer Renzo Tjon a Joe.
Tjon a Joe touched the wall in 23.44 while Carter, who won the 200 freestyle in a new CARIFTA age group record of 1:50.35 and added gold in the 100 fly in a new meet record of 55.00, was close behind in a time of 23.51.
Carter’s T&T teammate Joshua Romany was third in 24.27, followed by St Lucia’s Joshua Daniel and Suriname’s Zuhayr Pigot tied in 24.33.
Although T&T had to settle for silver and bronze in the 50-free, there was still a lot to celebrate as Alexandria Donahue secured gold in the girls’ 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:12.33
T&T’s Tyla Martin added a win in the 200 backstroke to earlier victories in the 100 and 200 butterflies with a 2:26.63 swim – three seconds better than anyone else was in this race.
T&T also won gold in the Boys 13-14 200m free relay in 1:42.77 and Martin was second in the Girls 15-17 400m free in 4:32.15.
T&T also won medals in the Girls 13-14 50m through Amira Pilgrim (silver in 27.78); Boys 13-14 50m free through Adrian Goin (silver in 25.29); Boys 11-12 100m breaststroke via Jeron Thompson (silver in 1:17.71 ); Boys 15-17 100m breaststroke through Jonathan Ramkissoon (bronze in 1:07.42); Girls 13-14 200m backstroke via Ariel Cape (bronze in 2:33.16); and Boys 15-17 200m backstroke through Jabari Baptiste (bronze in 2:16.04).

Final CARIFTA points rankings:

1. Guadeloupe – 742
2. Trinidad and Tobago – 698
3. Aruba – 659
4. Jamaica – 584
5. Bahamas – 507
6. Barbados – 485
7. Martinique – 353
8. Suriname – 350.50
9. Netherlands Antilles – 151
10. Cayman Islands – 107

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Ato Boldon, the former Trinidad and Tobago international sprinter, is one of five persons nominated in the category of “Outstanding Sports Personality, Sports Event Analyst” at the 34th Sports Emmy Awards which take place on Tuesday, May 7 at the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P Rose Hall in New York City.
The Sports Emmy Awards recognise outstanding achievement in sports programming by conferring annual awards of merit in various categories.
Boldon’s nomination comes for his work at the 2012 London Olympics with the NBC Sports Group where he worked as an analyst. NBC’s London Olympics coverage received a total 19 nominations, including outstanding live event turnaround.
“I am not sure I was the best broadcaster in the USA this year. If I win it will be an upset,” the very outspoken Boldon told the Express by telephone on Sunday. “I was very thrilled to be nominated. But being a sprinter, I am accustomed to things happening faster. I believe I should have gotten a nomination in 2008 because I think I did a far better job back then. The competition might also have been tougher.”
Now 39, Boldon is Trinidad and Tobago’s most decorated athlete, apart from 1976 Montreal Olympic 100m gold medal Hasely Crawford.
During his athletics career, Boldon won four Olympic medals, including 100m silver in Sydney 2000 and four World Championship medals which included 200m gold in Athens in 1997. Only three other men in history — Usain Bolt, Frankie Fredericks and Carl Lewis — have won as many Olympic individual event sprint medals.
But after five years of broadcasting, Boldon now understands why it took so long to receive recognition in the career field he took up following his track days.
“You have to pay your dues. I was told five years ago that you have to have a body of work. There is no room in this business for a Keshorn Walcott who no one knows and comes from nowhere to take the ultimate prize. I am by far the youngest in this category, since I am 40 this year, and the other nominees are all at least over 50. “
Boldon said that in his younger days he never contemplated a broadcasting career, but still had an interest in the field.
“Being young and naive back then, you always feel that track is going to last forever. I never contemplated a broadcast career,” Boldon said. “But I had good management, and even while I was running I took some time to familarise myself with broadcasting. I would actually find myself in the production truck familiarising myself with how a programme was put together.”
Boldon’s first taste of broadcasting came at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain when injury prevented him from competing. He was hired by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to do commentary and analysis and proved so popular that he was invited back as a track-side analyst for the BBC’s coverage of the US Olympic Track and Field Trials in 2000, from Sacramento, California.
Since then he has worked with US Television network CBS in 2005 as part of their commentary team for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships and NBC Sports as an analyst for the 2007 US National Championships.
Boldon also worked with ESPN in 2010, before returning to NBC in 2012 as sprint analyst for the 2012 Summer Olympics. However, on Sunday Boldon announced that his broadcasting ambitions range beyond sports analysis.
“I am a broadcaster first and a sport broadcaster second. I am not going to stay in the track and field box much longer,” Boldon said, while revealing plans to expand his career horizon. “I have already made some big moves. I have made some good contacts in CNN, MSNBC and so on and very soon I will be announcing some new things.”

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Top Trinidad and Tobago junior Dylan Carter produced the swim of the meet, smashing a Carifta and national age group record in the Boys 15-17 200m freestyle on day two of the 28th Carifta Swimming and Water Polo Championships Sunday.
At the National Stadium Pool in Kingston, Jamaica, his teammate Joshua Romany also set a Carifta record in the Boys 15-17 50m butterfly and the two combined with Jabari Baptiste and Jonathan Ramkissoon to establish a new Carifta Boys 15-17 4 x 100m medley relay mark.
But despite another strong night for T&T in which they won 12 more medals including nine gold, two silver and one bronze, they conceded the overall points lead to Guadeloupe.
The Guadeloupeans, with strength in depth, now lead the points standings 368 to T&T’s 359, with hosts Jamaica (328), Aruba (323) and Bahamas (265) rounding out the top five.
T&T lead the overall medal count (24—13 gold, five silver, six bronze) followed by Aruba (24—10 gold, nine silver, five bronze) and Jamaica (23—nine gold, five silver, nine bronze).
But the highlight swim of the meet to date is Carter’s 200m free effort for its sheer speed, dominance and the margin by which he broke the record.
Romany, who previously held both the Carifta and national 200 free mark at 1:52.46 from last year’s meet in the Bahamas, could only watch on in the stands after his miscalculated prelim swim left him ninth, one spot short of the final.
Sunday night, after four speedy laps, Carter registered a 1:50.35 effort in what turned out to be a time trial a la cycling. The second placed Jordy Groters of Aruba was a distant second in 1:59.14, with Cayman Islands’ Geoffrey Butler securing the bronze in 1:59.47.
Carter meant business from the start, opening up a three body-length lead at the half-way mark, clocking 53.65 seconds at the foot touch. Trying to keep pace but floundering in his slipstream was Jamaica’s Sidrell Williams, who finished fourth in 1:59.85. He was more than four seconds adrift at 100m. Carter then increased his stroke rate, surging even further on the third lap before the Davie Nadadores swimmer upped the tempo with his arms and legs even more for a 56.70-second final 100m and an overall record-breaking 1:50.35.
Carter celebrated by repeatedly splashing the water before holding both his arms overhead in a Y position.
Speaking to TVJ Sports following the race, Carter said: “I knew what I had to do and I was very happy to go out and execute it on every lap.”
Carter started a string of seven consecutive gold medals for T&T.
Seemingly inspired by the great swim, six of his teammates followed with winning performances, all in the 50m butterfly events.
Jada Chai splashed to 31.13 seconds or the win in the Girls 11-12 category, while Kael Yorke won a nail-biter, stopping the clock in 28.64 for the win the Boys 11-12 ahead of Martinique’s Yannis Lerider (28.70). Amira Pilgrim (29.96) led from start to finish in the Girls 13-14 edition, while Adrian Goin sped to a 26.35 victory in the Boys 13-14.
USA-based Tyla Martin swam out of her skin to post a 29.05 winning time in the Girls 15-17 before Romany’s 25.06 record swim in the Boys 15-17. Romany bettered Vereance Burrows’ 25.16, 2007 mark.
Ariel Cape earned T&T’s eighth gold medal on the night in the Girls 13-14 100m backstroke when she turned back the challenge of home favourite Angara Sinclair (1:10.44 to1:10.81).
And Carter led off the Boys 15-17 record breaking 4 x 100m medley relay swim as they posted a 3:56.33 time, bettering last year’s 3:57.83 standard. Carter and Romany combined with Emiro Goossen and Ross Phillips. Carter’s 58.40 opening leg was faster than the winning time for the individual event won by Jamaica’s Timothy Wynter (58.70). T&T’s Jabari Baptiste grabbed silver in 1:00.19 in that event in which Carter was disqualified after the prelims for a turning infraction.
This country’s second silver came thanks to the Girls 15-17 4 x 100m medley relay team of Martin, Alexandra Donahue, Syriah David and Rebecca Marshall who were narrowly edged out by Jamaica (4:30.65 to 4:30.84).
And the Girls 11-12 4 x 100m medley squad of Hannah Chatfield, Vrisnelit Faure, Jada Chai and Marissa Dickson grabbed this country’s only bronze on the night in a time of 5:04.02.

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Machel Cedenio and his Trinidad and Tobago teammates, Mark London and Chelsea James were on fire on the opening day of Carifta 2013, here in Nassau, Bahamas, yesterday.

Cedenio scorched the track in a personal best 45.93 seconds to claim the boys’ under-20 400 metres title.

The runner-up in 2012, Cedenio turned silver into gold with a sizzling finish. Coming off the final turn, the T&T quartermiler trailed Jamaican Jovan Francis and Bahamian Stephen Newbold. Cedenio had a lot of ground to make up and seemed destined for bronze. But he never gave up, powering his way home and leaning desperately at the line to shock the screaming home fans. Francis picked up silver in 46.00, while Newbold was forced to settle for bronze in 46.01.

T&T’s Asa Guevara was fifth in 47.93 seconds.

London, the 2012 boys’ under-20 800m gold medallist, captured the boys’ under-20 1500m title, while James repeated as girls’ under-17 shot put champion.

London ran a strategic race, staying close to the front until the time was right to make his move. With 200 metres to go, the Tobago runner kicked for home, leaving the field for dead.

London got home in four minutes, 01.07 seconds. St Lucia’s Marbeq Edgar picked up silver in 4:01.75, while bronze went to Jamaica’s Chadoye Dawson (4:04.14). The other T&T runner in the field, Akeem Marshall was seventh in 4:12.65.

“Going into the race,” said London, “I knew that my competitors had the same times, close together, so I just went out there, focused, remained positive and on the last lap just gave it my all.

“I feel very proud of myself right now. Seeing that this is my last year I went out there all out. This was the icing on the cake for me at Carifta Games.”

It was déjà vu at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium during the opening session of Carifta 2013, James capturing T&T’s first title at the Games with a golden throw in the shot put.

At Carifta 2012 in Bermuda, James secured the shot put crown with a record throw.

The 15-year-old Tobago thrower repeated the feat yesterday, throwing 14.48 metres to strike gold, the brilliant final round effort bettering the 14.02m Carifta standard she had established last year.

“It’s really exciting,” said an elated James, following the successful defence of her title. “I didn’t believe I could come this year and get the first gold medal again. It feels really good to come back to Carifta, and be the winner and record holder.”

Going into the event as defending champion was tough for James.

“The pressure was really hard because the competition was very tough. It was really stressful because everybody was expecting me to go out and get the gold, and I delivered again.

“I would like to thank God,” the back-to-back champion continued, “for giving me the ability to come here another year. I would love to thank my coach, Mr Wayne Stewart, back in Tobago, for working endless hours with me in my preparation. I would also like to thank my mother, my grandmother, my aunts for supporting me in everything I want to do.”

Ahead of her final round throw, James was not satisfied with her performance.

“I was telling myself I could do better.”

And she did, the powerful field athlete establishing a new record with her final throw of the competition.

Jamaican Janell Fullerton was second with a 13.75m effort, while third spot went to Bahamian Brashae Wood, who threw 12.60m.

Akidah Briggs was just two centimetres short of bronze, the T&T thrower landing the shot 12.58m to cop fourth spot.

James will be back in action today in the girls’ under-17 discus. The shot put gold medallist told the Express that while she does not expect to win the event, she is anticipating a strong showing.

“I think I would be able to produce a personal best because winning today would help motivate me to throw the discus.”

In other results for the T&T team yesterday, Ian West finished fourth in the boys’ under-17 javelin. He produced a 55.40 metres effort; Ayanna Glasgow and Khemani Roberts finished sixth and eighth, respectively in the girls’ under-17 high jump, clearing 1.60m and 1.55m; and in the boys’ under-20 discus, Micah McNish threw 47.11m to finish seventh, while his T&T teammate, Kenejah Williams copped eighth spot with a 46.90m effort.

Other results:
Boys’ under-17 1500m: 4th Atiba Samuel 4:29.10; 6th Hakeem Alexander 4:36.71
Girls’ under-20 400m: 5th Domonique Williams 55.45 seconds
Boys’ under-17 triple jump: 5th Che Richards 14.21m
Girls’ under-20 shot put: 10th Cherisse Murray 11.63m; 11th Latoya Gilding 10.59m

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Sport has been one of my most loyal friends from the age of seven years growing up in Belmont, playing in the narrow lanes, Belmont Boy’s RC school yard, the Queen’s Park Savannah, through my move from competitive sport to sport administration and leadership. We have been inseparable.

Ours was a single parent home (mother). Sport and the values of sport played an important role in my childhood—sport was a surrogate father, a much needed source of fun, a teacher of values such as perseverance, determination, discipline, integrity, fairplay, passion, striving for excellence. Sport kept me out of trouble. I experienced first hand the essential role sport can play in the life of a child or teenager. I owe sport and its core values a debt of gratitude.

Over the Easter holidays I was able to reflect and do some reading. I re-read Henry David Thoreau’s essay ”The Necessity of Civil Disobedience” and Ralph Waldo Emerson‘s Self Reliance. Church service reminded me about the life of Jesus Christ, I browsed books about Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King junior, Mother Teresa and not for the first time, I have lost count how many pondered on ‘IF’, the poem by Rudyard Kipling.

Within each of us there is a voice that whispers, ‘take the risks, stand up for what you believe and stay faithful to your convictions. Do what you believe is right.”

Then, outside us are the voices that scream. ”Don’t be a fool, you’re going to fail, be like everyone else, if you do what you want you will be selfish and hurting others.” these voices urge us to conform.

But throughout the history of mankind, those who have made a difference have listened to the voices and music they hear in their soul and proceeded independent of the opinion of others. For doing so, they are labelled troublemakers even misfits.

Henry David Thoreau was vilified and thrown in jail.

The drum beat you hear within yourself is your connection to your soul’s purpose. It will continue to nag you when you ignore it in an attempt to conform.

Many of us ignore our drum beat and choose to suffer in comfort.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. He championed ethics over conformity simply to appease society. He made the point that those who don’t give priority to the integrity of their own mind will often give good reasons why they do what they do.

My inner voice whispers honour and live by the core values of sport and the principles of good governance and do the right thing not some of the time but every time.

If I took the advice of the great souls such as Jesus, Mandela, King, Mother Teresa, Thoreau and Emerson, I would be reminded that the choice to listen to your inner voice means that you will incur the misunderstanding of those around you. But it is the integrity of your own mind that you must first consult. In other words you must seek your sense of what is right to formulate your opinion.

If as an example you are treated unjustly or unethically, that is not an excuse to ignore your inner truth. If you meet with anger and resentment, that is not a reason to react with anger if you’re inner truth is peace. You will have to seek solace in the comfort of your inner strength.

To walk the talk there must be harmony between the integrity of your own mind and your daily conduct. When words are no longer making impact, behaviour is the most effective way to communicate.

I end with a reference to a line in Rudyard Kipling’s poem: “If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run…….You’ll be a Man my son!”

Brian Lewis is the Honorary Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org. The views expressed are not those of the TTOC.

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The Trinidad and Tobago's 15-and-under male water polo team trounced the Bahamas 26-8 Sunday to secure their spot in the final of the Carifta Swimming and Water Polo Championships against Jamaica. That gold medal match was scheduled to splash off last night at the National Stadium Pool in Kingston from 9 p.m T&T time.
T&T were always ahead but a plucky Bahamas outfit kept it close up to half-time (9-6) after the red white and black sped to a 5-1 first quarter lead.
But some smart play in the second half was what brought the game home. That and some timely Bahamas exclusions gave T&T the leverage needed to increase their lead significantly. In the last four minutes of the third quarter, coach Alan Too A Foo rang in the changes, switching to his eager rookies to great effect. The bench wanted to show what they could do and Massimiliano Di Cola and Ethan Elliott put in one a piece while Luke Gillette netted two. The same pattern was followed in the last quarter with similar results.

T&T scorers: Daniel West: 7, Kryztien Sharpe: 5, Adam Alexis: 3, Massimiliano Di Cola: 3, Joseph Herrera: 2, Liam Smith: 2, Luke Gillette: 2, Ethan Elliott: 2.

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Permanent secretary of the Ministry of Sport Ashwin Creed has received notice from the Office of the Integrity Commission that he was not referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for investigation.

This was relayed to the media via a press conference by Creed’s lawyer, former People’s National Movement government minister Peter Taylor, yesterday, at his Borde Street, Port-of-Spain, office. Responding to an article written in the Trinidad Guardian on March 20, 2013, Taylor said his client, Creed, a public servant for over 30 years and an athletics coach, was cleared by the commission.

“The Integrity Commission has exonerated Mr Creed in so far of the allegation that he was being investigated by the Director of Public Prosecutions,” Taylor said.

Taylor said Creed was cleared by the Integrity Commission in a letter dated March 25, and that his client was reserving all his options to take legal action.

Taylor also produced a letter from the Integrity Commission dated March 25 which said: “Pleased be advised that your client Mr Ashwin Creed, permanent secretary, Ministry of Sport, has not been referred to the DPP by the Office of the Integrity Commission.”

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

The Ministry of Tourism yesterday paid tribute to this country’s Olympic medallists with a mural at the Port-of-Spain waterfront dubbed “The Olympian Wall”.

On the wall lists every Olympic medallist this country has ever produced starting with weightlifter Rodney Wilkes in 1948 to reigning javelin champ Keshorn Walcott.

Speaking at the event yesterday, Stephen Cadiz, Minister of Tourism, explained that the venture is designed to generate pride in citizens and a sense of patriotism.

“The Olympian Wall celebrates the colossal sacrifices and dedication of all our sportsmen and women while at the same time celebrating sporting excellence. It is our hope at the Ministry of Tourism that the Olympian Wall will remind all of us of what is possible as a small nation with such huge potential,” Cadiz declared.

The Minister noted that TT’s athletes such as Hasley Crawford, Ato Boldon, George Bovell and Richard Thompson have brought recognition to the country through their sporting achievements.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

The ITF has announced the following nominations for the ITF Board of Directors for the period 2013-
2015. Elections for the 13 board members will take place on 12 July 2013 at the ITF's Annual General
Meeting in Paris, France.
Tarak Cherif (TUN)
Sergio Elias (CHI)
Ismail El Shafei (EGY) *
Jean Gachassin (FRA) *
Jack Graham (CAN) *
David Haggerty (USA)
Steven Healy (AUS)
Nao Kawatei (JPN)
Anil Khanna (IND)
Chris Kypriotis (BRA) *
Ronald Leitgeb (AUT)
Suwat Liptapanlop (THA) *
Ingrid Lofdahl-Bentzer (SWE)
Juan Margets (ESP) *
Antonio Martinez Cascales (ESP)
Roman Murashkovsky (RUS) *
Stuart Smith (GBR) *
Rene Stammbach (SUI) *
Stefan Tzvetkov (BUL)
Karin van Bijsterveld (NED)
Jon Vegosen (USA) *
Georg von Waldenfels (GER) *
* incumbent board member
The President of the ITF is elected for a four-year term, with the current term ending at the 2015 ITF
AGM. Therefore there will not be a presidential election this year.
About the ITF
The ITF is the world governing body of tennis and beach tennis, responsible for the rules of both
sports and maintaining the integrity of tennis. In addition to its administrative role, the ITF is the owner
and international rightsholder of the two largest annual international team competitions in sport, Davis
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BRIDGETOWN— Jamaican businessman Dave Cameron was yesterday elected president of the West Indies Cricket Board, beating incumbent Dr Julian Hunte in a close vote at the Annual General Meeting in Barbados.

Cameron, who previously served as vice president to Hunte, won 7-5 to ensure the change of guard in one of the Caribbean’s most prestigious bodies.

His running mate Emmanuel Nanthan, the Windward Islands Cricket Board chief, also took the post of vice president after beating Barbados Cricket Association president Joel Garner 8-4.

“I am happy and feel extremely blessed to be leading this august body this afternoon,” Cameron told a media conference afterward.

“As you know, the election process has been a long one…I travelled from Kingston to Georgetown to ensure that I was able to address the concerns of our stakeholders.

Cameron, who comes to the post with ten years plus WICB experience, campaigned on promises to improve the board’s financial viability and increase the involvement of the region’s corporate sector.

He said he was now prepared for this challenge as well as that of uniting West Indies cricket and charting a path for the success of the regional team.

“In my manifesto I talked about improving and building on our immense talent, increasing the revenues in the sport…participation and about uniting the region through cricket,” he said.

“And I certainly believe this thing called cricket, and West Indies cricket in particular, is very passionate to all of us and I would like to say from the sweeper on the street to the prime ministers of the region, this is very passionate to all of us and with that we take on this very huge task of building the West Indies team and taking it back to the top where we are accustomed to.”

The election of Cameron ended Hunte’s bid for a fourth successive two-year term and marks the second major administrative change in West Indies cricket within the last seven months.

Last September, St Lucian Ernest Hilaire stepped down from the post of chief executive officer to take up a diplomatic posting on behalf of his country’s government in London.

He was subsequently replaced by Jamaican Michael Muirhead. (CMC)

Source

Olympians Wayne Davis II and Sparkle McKnight are at the top of the 2013 US Collegiate rankings after two weeks of action. Davis, a semifinalist in the men’s 110m hurdles at the London Olympics last year, is ahead in the NCAA Division Outdoor sprint hurdles standings, following his 13.54 clocking in winning at the Baldy Castillo Invitational in Arizona on March 15.

The Texas A&M student ended his 2013 indoor season with silver in the men’s 50m hurdles at the NCAA Championships with a national record time of 7.59, improving on the 7.65 he clocked earlier in the season. McKnight (Arkansas) continued her record-breaking form from the indoor season, improving her personal best in the women’s 400m hurdles to 56.62 in winning at the Texas State Elite on March 22. She lowered her previous best of 57.42 established in 2012. McKnight set two national indoor records of 52.77 and 52.52 in the women’s 400m earlier this year.

Shermund Allsop (Louisiana State University) lies at 20th on the men’s 100m list after his wind-assisted 10.48 (+2.6) third place finish at the Louisiana Classics on March 16. 
Spann leads the field in the women’s 400m hurdles in Junior College division. The Western Texas athlete sped to 1:00.75 to capture the event at the UTEP Springtime Meet in El Paso, Texas, on March 23. The victory is his third for the season. Chelsea Charles (Chatoohoochee Tech) is 12th in the Junior College women's 100m standing with her 12.15 second place finish at the Emory Invitational in Atlanta, Georgia, last weekend.

Kashief Daniel (Arkansas), Deandra Daniel (Coppin State) Gavyn Nero (Baylor), Durell Busby (Wisconsin Milwaukee), Deborah John (North Dakota State) are all ranked in the top 100m in their events. Kashief is at 33rd in the men’s high jump with a 2.08m runner-up placing at his first outdoor meet for the year, the LSU Relays in Louisiana, on the weekend. He is also at 167th in the long jump (6.74m). Daniel sits at 36th in the women’s high jump, following her victory (1.70) at the Weem Baski Invitational in South Carolina on March 22.

In the men’s 800m, Nero is at 50th with his 1:52.68 win at the Baylor Quad Invitational in Texas, also on the weekend. Busby is listed at 55th in the men’s 110m hurdles after winning the sprint hurdles in his first competition for 2013 (Billiken Kickoff in Missouri). The 2008 World Junior campaigner skipped this year's indoor season. In the women’s 100m, hurdler John is rated 62nd after her 14.08 third place run at the SDSU Aztec Invite in California two weeks ago.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Last week, I was in Doha, Qatar at a Securing Sport Conference where the focus was discussing ways to advance security and integrity in order to safeguard the future of sport.

The conference provided a new perspective on sport integrity and the danger that world sport is facing from corruption, match fixing, money laundering, illegal betting and doping to name a few.

World Sport has finally discovered all is not what it seems.

Globally, the values of sport are been subverted by economic and politically well-connected individuals with a value system that has a belief that money can buy anything.

Corruption is thriving in global sport by destroying the core values of sport of which integrity is fundamental.

Based on what I heard in Qatar, the greatest danger to the autonomy and independence of sport is not politicians and government but money. Not the lack of money but the use and power of money.

So while sport leaders were focused in recent years on protecting sport from politics and politicians, economic influence had a free run.

To protect sport in general and safeguard its autonomy sport must resist all pressures whether of a political or economic nature. A for sale sign can’t be put on the integrity of sport nor can it be put on the integrity and core values of a nation. The sport fraternity here in T&T must not believe for one minute that what was spoken about in Qatar will not happen here. Corruption thrives where fear is prevalent.

Law abiding citizens are afraid to speak up. Why? They fear retribution and disapproval. To simply be offended by wrongdoing is not enough. We must summon the courage to confront our fears and take action. If we just let things slide, we are complicit.

Courage is the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear. When you see something happening that just doesn’t seem right do you have the courage to stand-up and do something?

Even though I was not in T&T to watch the inauguration of His Excellency President Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona, I have since read his speech and noted the acclamation with which his speech was received. His words lifted the nation’s spirit. They were encouraging and inspiring.

Who in T&T is not tired, frustrated and fed up of the corruption and double standards? We all need to feel that there is hope.

Unethical behaviour must disturb something deep within our soul when we see it.

We must shine the light on the dark corners and right now the darkest is corruption. Shine the light. Question every detail. Ask about procurement, ask about nepotism. Creative accounting is a euphemism for hiding corruption, fraud, bribery, and abuse and misuse of funds.

I believe real change will only occur when more citizens are willing to be bold and brave and follow President Carmona’s example and display the courage to stand up and speak out for moral and ethical values and social justice.

By Brian Lewis

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

NATIONAL 400m Hurdles champion and Olympian Jehue Gordon and his coach Dr Ian Hypolite left the shores for the Michael Johnson Performance Centre in Dallas, Texas, on Monday. This is as a result of a partnership between BP Trinidad and Tobago and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) with the four-time Olympic gold Legend.

He is the first local athlete to head off to the centre and the funding will come from the NOC, who will also be selecting the other athletes to attend the facility. Olympian (cyclist) Njisane Phillip and Paralympian Shantol Ince, the other two athletes identified, are expected to head off at a later date.

Gordon who is fresh from winning the Falcon Games 400m hurdles at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Saturday, said he does not know what to expect but he is going with an open mind. “It will be an honour for me to work along side somebody like Michael Johnson is a pleasure to get insight into what he would expect from somebody with my physical capabilities. What I should be doing, my strengths, my weaknesses and how I should be able to work on it,” said Gordon.

The 2012 Olympian who placed sixth said they intend to share all the knowledge they acquire with the other athletes and coaches when they return.

“We are not greedy people, we want to see Trinidad and Tobago develop as a nation and we want to be world beaters. We don’t just want our athletes to run fast one year and then the next they are struggling. We want there to be consistency and to be able to compete against the best in the world on a regular basis,” said the national champion.

The Centre which was formed in 2007 after Johnson’s retirement in 2001, provides training and analysis designed to improve speed, agility, strength and stamina. The four-time Olympic gold medallist said his aim is to help train other athletes reach their full potential using the same training philosophy and training techniques he used to achieve unprecedented success.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt