Fifteen-year-old Marisa Dick will be T&T’s only representative at the Pan American Apparatus Championships in Colombia on June 18. Dick has been labelled as the first junior elite athlete to represent T&T at this level. The Canadian-born teenager was introduced yesterday at the launch of the 18th National Invitational Gymnastics Championships, which will take place at the Woodbrook Youth Facility, Woodbrook on Saturday and Sunday. The two-day meet is carded to start at 9.30 am and will see 243 participating athletes including a visiting Barbadian team. President of the T&T Gymnastics Federation Ricardo Lue Shue began by thanking sponsors Beacon Insurance for continued support and their investment of $40,000 towards the championships.

Lue Shue also praised the Sport Company of T&T for their assistance during the transition from the T&T Amateur Gymnastics Association (TTAGA) to the T&T Gymnastics Federation. “Our partnership will elevate gymnastics to heights never experienced before and I believe that the move will create a better functioning administrative NGB (National Governing Board) to raise the quality of gymnastics throughout T&T.” He continued: “Our mission is to educate coaches, increase our recreational programmes and showcase the talented gymnasts of this country to the world.” Executive Manager, Sport Development and Performance Anthony Creed welcomed the T&TGF to the Sport Company and hinted that efforts were being made to assist the T&T Gymnastic Federation in moving forward.

“It is a pleasure to have the T&TGF as part of the family of the Sport Company for this financial year. Every effort is being made to assist the T&T Gymnastic Federation in moving forward in helping them develop the administration to help them develop athletes. “ This weekend’s championship will feature four events for girls (balls, bars, beam and floor) while boys will feature in all six events (horse rings, balls, keys, bars and high bar). Dick, who is from Alberta, Canada, will be accompanied by her mother and coach Dvidiu Serban, a former national coach of Romania. The ninth grade middle school student said it was an honour to be representing T&T, the birth place of the mother. Dick recently participated in her Province’s trials where she place ninth over all.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt