jul.03.2007
The arrest of former T&T Olympian Alvin Henry in New York on allegations serious sexual assault charges has surprised T&T Olympic Committee(TTOC) Officials.
TTOC President ,Larry Romany who was the Chef de Mission at the Sydney Olympic Games and a TTOC Vice President in 2000 said that Henry at that time showed promise and expressed a desire to work hard and make the best of his talent."After his bronze medal at the CAC in 2002 I expected him to continue his progression at the Pan Am games and Athens Olympics but he seemed to have dropped off the scene"
The ex Concorde Track Club athlete was an alternate on T&T's Sydney Olympics 4 x100 metre team.In 2002 at the Central America and Caribbean Games(CAC)in El Salvador,Henry won a bronze medal as a member of the 4 x100 metre squad.
According to a Trinidad Guardian report(3 July)Alvin Henry used sport to get his life back on track after being placed at the St Michaels School for Boys at the age of 14 and was a former national Under-16 footballer, who ran both the 100 and 200 metres and also threw the javelin and shot put events.
TTOC Secretary General Brian Lewis who served as the deputy Chef de Mission at the 2002 CAC games in El Salvador described the situation as sad and unfortunate especially for the alleged victims.
"On one hand Sport made a positive difference for Alvin Henry on the other hand was enough done to identify problems and provide appropriate counseling?I don't know.But to my mind it is something that needs to be looked at.There are enormously talented at risk youths who get sent to St Michael's,YTC and St Jude's etc.Closer attention needs to be placed on the social support systems so as to avoid recidivism at some point of their life cycle".