Guadeloupe 1st of more internationals for sister isle.

TOBAGO would not mind a bit of independence from Trinidad and Tobago on the football field, and hope to play several more international matches solely as a Tobago team in the coming months.


It is one of the reasons the island insisted that the home team must play one of the matches during Guadeloupe’s two-match tour of the island. The second encounter was initially dedicated to the Trinidad and Tobago senior national team, but an adjustment was made to give the national Under-20 players some match practice before they host the final round of Caribbean qualifiers for the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in T&T from September 12.

Tomorrow, Guadelouple will play a second match against a Trinidad and Tobago X1, containing several members of the national U-20 squad in addition to senior internationals, such as 29-year-old goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams and W Connection’s former Poland and Finland-based defender Meikel Williams.

Yesterday’s game against Guadeloupe was just the first for Tobago, according to Tobago Football Association (TFA) general secretary Everton Alfred.

Alfred said Tobago fielding a national team from time to time gives footballers from the sister isle more exposure, and a platform on which to catch the eye of international teams, and also Stephen Hart, the T&T senior team head coach.

“When teams come for the Caribbean Cup in October, we are trying to get the ones that come early, to come across to Tobago for a game,” Alfred said.

Alfred was speaking of the Caribbean Cup semi-final group which T&T hosts from October 6-13. The Soca Warriors will play Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica and a best third-placed finisher. The top two teams qualify for the 2014 Caribbean Cup finals which take place from November 9-18 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“At some point we (Tobago) also hope to take a team out somewhere, to created opportunities,” he added.

Alfred said Tobago have enough talent to compete at some level on their own merit. The Tobago team which played Guadeloupe yesterday had available several players who have experience with teams in the professional league in Trinidad, but are now back home.

These included Kerlon Ferguson, the bustling former T&TEC striker, who is a handful for many defenders. Defender Omar Charles played for both Pro League second-placed finishers Central FC and Point Fortin Civic last season, but is now with Stokely Vale, and young striker Gem Gordon, a triallist with England club Walsall in 2013, had a couple of runs last season in W Connection’s 2013-2014 championship winning squad.

“What a game like that against Guadeloupe gives Tobago is exposure,” Alfred said.

“We have the talent. Whenever our players go to Trinidad to play, they do well,” Alfred added. “We have a team that contains players who have played in the Pro League and Super League, and also some good youngsters.”

Trinidad and Tobago medals at World Jump Rope Championships in Orlando, Florida, USA.

 

Trinidad and Tobago created history when it became the first and only Caricom member state to win medals in the new and burgeoning sport of jump rope or skipping.

Trinidad and Tobago participated in the recently held 2014 World Jump Rope Championship, which was held from 30th June -10th July, at the University Of Central Florida, Florida, USA. The Trinidad and Tobago team came away from the competition with three well deserved medals; winning two (2) silver medals and one (1) bronze medal.

The fleet footed exponents doing Trinidad and Tobago proud were Jair Cadogan, a form one (1) student of Fatima College and Akkasia Charles a form (3) student of the Woodbrook Secondary School. Jair won a silver medal in the age category 13-14 Boys Freestyle; while Akkasia Charles captured two medals, silver and bronze respectively, in the Girls 13-14 Freestyle and 30 seconds Speed event. Jair also had a fourth (4th) place finish in his category in the speed event.  Other members of the contingent though not medaling also achieved top ten (10) finishes in their respective age categories/events.

Trinidad and Tobago participated in its first championship in 2008, in Cape Town South Africa and subsequent championships, 2010 Loughborough, England, Tampa Florida 2012 and Orland Florida, 2013. While still a fledgling nation, in the sport, which boast of powerhouses like America, Canada, France, China, Hong Kong and Belgium, Trinidad and Tobago can boast of presently being the first nation in the jump rope world to have jump rope recognized as an official sport, and to receive support from its government towards it development.

The National Governing Body for the sport is the Trinidad and Tobago Jump Rope Federation. It’s President, Clint Charles, states that the  fundamental goal of the organization is not to create podium athletes, but to develop a Physically Active Lifestyle Model that create physically literate human beings with a positive association for physical activity which will redound to the health and happiness of Trinidad and Tobago, and by extension the world

The next world championship will be July, 2015, Paris, France and members are already optimistic of not just more medals but Gold medals for Trinidad and Tobago.

 

 

Contact: Mahalia Regis

313 0082

The Trinidad and Tobago Youth Olympic Games team returned home from the 13-day Nanjing Games Sunday.

Chef de mission Kwanieze John leads the 10-member team back to T&T after their best ever haul at the quadrennial Games, winning one gold, one silver and one bronze.

Top T&T junior swimmer Dylan Carter gained silver and bronze in the Men's 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle respectively while T&T shot putter Chelsea James won gold in the inaugural 8 x 100m relay race, in which athletes were mixed by country and gender.

Carter, the flagbearer at the opening ceremony,  left the team on August 23 to resume classes at the University of Southern California.

T&T's previous best haul was one gold by Christian Homer at the inaugural  2010  Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Also giving noteworthy performances were Akanni Hislop, the flagbearer at the closing ceremony, who placed 4th in the Men' s 200m and Jeminise Parris , 5th in the Women's 100m hurdles.

The T&T team including officials like Youth Ambassador Jeannette Small arrived at Piarco on British Airways flight BA 2159 Sunday  at 3:50 p.m.

 

Full Team

 

Athletes-Dylan Carter, David Mc Leod, Johnnya Ferdinand (swimming); Chelsea James, Akanni Hislop, Jeminise Parris, Anduwelle Wright, Kashief King (athletics); Chelsi Ward, Malika Davidson (beach volleyball), Abigail Affoo (sailing)

 

Officials-Nadine Hamid (head-coach -athletics), Mark Pouchet ( head coach -swimming), Sean Morrison (head coach-beach volleyball), Joseph Affoo (manager-sailing) Israel Dowlat ( Team Doctor) June Durham - (massage therapist).

Respectfully,

Kwanieze John

YOG - Chef de Mission

As the country celebrates 52 years of Independence, it is timely to remind ourselves of some of the outstanding contributions of our sportswomen and sportsmen in their respective sporting disciplines locally, regionally and internationally.

In athletics, Hasley Crawford won the 100 metres gold medal at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, 36 years after, Keshorn Walcott became the country’s second Olympic gold medallist when he won the javelin event at the London Olympics in 2012. Jehue Gordon won gold in the men’s 400 metres hurdle at the IAAF World Championship in Moscow, Russia in 2014. Other notable track and field athletes are Cleopatra Borrel, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Wendell Mottley, Ato Boldon, Richard Thompson, Lalonde Gordon, and Richard Thompson.

This country has produced four boxing world champions. Claude Noel became this country’s first world champion in 1981, when he defeated Mexican Rodolfo Gonzalez to win the WBA World Lightweight title. Leslie Stewart won the WBA World Light Heavyweight title in 1987 defeating Marvin ‘Pops’ Johnson at the Jean Pierre Complex. Ria Ramnarine became the country’s first female world champion when she defeated Ana Fernandez in 2005 at the Jean Pierre Complex to win the WIBA Mini Flyweight World title. At the time of her shocking, untimely death in 2009, Giselle Salandy was a multiple World champion holding the WBA, WBC and WIBA middle weight titles.

Debra O’Connor could be considered as one of the best badminton players of all time in T&T and the Caribbean. The four-time sportswoman of the year won the Caribbean Regional Badminton Confederation singles title on five occasions (1984, 1985, 1990, 1993 and 1995). She was also single and doubles champion in 1984, 1985 and 1995. In 1990 and 1993 she was a Triple Crown winner, being crowned singles, doubles and mixed doubles champion.

Cycling has produced outstanding riders such as Roger Gibbon, Gene Samuel, Maxwell Cheeseman, Michael Phillips, Hylton “Barracuda” Mitchell, Roger Smart, Njisane Phillip and Emile Abraham.

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Brian Lara, is by far the greatest cricketer this country has produced. The world record holder for the highest first class score (501 not out) and highest test score (400 not out) conquered all bowlers and thrilled the cricketing world with superb timing and stroke play. Other noteworthy cricketers are Sir Learie Constantine, Jeffery Stollmeyer, Sonny Ramadhin, Gerry Gomez, Deryck Murray, Rangy Nanan, Inshan Ali, Ian Bishop, Ann Browne-John and Anisa Mohammed.

Dwight Yorke is the most celebrated footballer, having won several championships in England and Europe with Manchester United. Other outstanding footballers from T&T are Alvin Corneal, Bobby Sookram, Sedley Joseph, Lincoln Phillips, Everald “Gally” Cummings, Richard Chinapoo, David Nahkid, Russell Latapy, and Shaka Hislop. The “Strike Squad”, 1989, “Soca Warriors”. 2006, and “Soca Princess”, 2014, have all given the population a lot be proud Trinbagonians.

Stephen Ames, Carlos “Sexy” Baynes and Maria Nunes have all represented the golf with greater distinction.

Hockey has provided players such as Stacey-Ann Sui Butts, Kwandwane Browne and Dwain Quan Chan.

T&T was crowned joint World Netball Champions with Australia and New Zealand in 1979. During the 1980s the “Calypso Queens” dominated the Caribbean championship and were among the top five countries in the world. Some of the outstanding netballers of the past are Jean Pierre, Janet Bailey, Sherill Peters and Sharon Castanada.

Road running has become a very popular sport in recent years. Some of the outstanding road runners have been Moses Ranghell, Bernard Mungroo, Michael Alexander, Curtis Cox, Richard Jones, Lynette “Granny” Luces, Richard Jones and Tonya Nero.

George Bovell III is the country’s most celebrated swimmer. His greatest accomplishment has been winning the bronze medal in the 200IM at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Other notable swimmers over the years are Paul Newallo, Sebastian Paddington, Sioban Cropper and Shantol Ince.

Some of the outstanding table tennis players are Mansingh Amarsingh, Derek DeSilva, Steve Ragbir, Seamus Clarke, Dexter St Louis and Rheann Chung. Tennis has provided players in the calibre of Lystra Lewis, Allan and Lindsay Price, Beverly Corbie and Shane Stone.

Bert Manhin and Roger Daniel have dominated the sport of shooting, while Jason Gooding and Ancil Greene have been outstanding triathletes. Cheryl Sankar stood tall in Taekwondo.

Weightlifter Rodney Wilkes was the country’s first medallist at the Olympics winning the silver medal in the featherweight category at the 1948 London Games. At the 1952 Helsinki Games, he won bronze at the same event.

It is evident that the country’s Independence can also be measured by the contribution that sportswomen and sportsmen have made not only to their respective sports but also in ensuring that the rest of the world know that T&T is a force to be reckoned with.

As we continue to grow as a society, every effort must be made to support our sportswomen and sportsmen.

On August 12, 2014, after 16 months off the track, it seemed as though Trinidad and Tobago sprinter Kelly Ann Baptiste would finally be allowed to compete again after the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) disciplinary panel lifted her ban for an anti-doping rule violation during the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last year.


However, last week, the NAAA received notification that the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) intended to appeal the decision of the disciplinary panel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, and in so doing, reinstated Baptiste’s ban.

Baptiste had reportedly tested positive for a banned substance and voluntarily withdrew from the competition in Moscow. The NAAA disciplinary panel, comprising Attorney-at-Law, J Tyrone Marcus as chairman, Brigadier General Anthony Phillips-Spencer of the Defence Force, sports medicine specialist Dr Anyl Gopeesingh, NAAA public relations officer, Peter Samuel, and NAAA general secretary Allan Baboolal, reconvened earlier this month to issue its final ruling on Baptiste’s case having first met on June 6.

According to the NAAA release, the second meeting was necessary due to the prevailing anti-doping rules of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which stipulated that in cases like that of Baptiste, where Substantial Assistance was provided, the matter needed to be referred to the Doping Review Board of the IAAF before being remitted to the Disciplinary Panel.

According to the NAAA press release, “The substantial assistance provisions of the World Anti-Doping Code and related rules globally are aimed at encouraging openness and full disclosure but have rarely been invoked.

“The most recent substantial assistance case involved US sprinter Tyson Gay, who served a one-year suspension having cooperated with the United States Anti-Doping Agency USADA) and the IAAF. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) acknowledged Gay’s help and did not appeal his one-year suspension.”

Normally, athletes receive a two-year suspension for their first major doping offense but under anti-doping rules the ban can be reduced for substantial co-operation.

The NAAA explained that due to the sensitivity of the information provided by Baptiste, who was co-operating with various anti-doping regulators, her hearing was conducted in strict confidence because of the potential impact her disclosures could have on revealing past or current doping offenses by third parties.

In justifying their decision to lift the ban, the NAAA stated: “The Disciplinary Panel decided on August 12, 2014, that in view of the applicable regulations regarding substantial assistance, Baptiste’s general conduct and co-operation, the decisions in previous anti-doping case law and the fact that she had served a 16-month period of ineligibility (already four months longer than Gay) since the collection of her urine sample, her ban would be lifted with immediate effect, with the panel having the power to reinstate the ban subsequently, if the circumstances so required.”

France-based Rheann Chung led Trinidad and Tobago’s-women’s table-tennis team to a semi-final spot at the Qualifying Event for the 22nd Central American and Caribbean Games which ends tomorrow in El Salvador. However, T&T’s men were knocked out at the quarter-final stage by the home team El Salvador.
Nevertheless, both teams have qualified for the CAC Games to be held in Veracruz, Mexico from November 14-30.
The T&T women’s team consisting of Chung, Catherine Spicer and Ashley Quashie, are due to meet Venezuela in one semi-final today, while Cuba take on Guatemala in the other.
T&T fended off strong challenges from Jamaica (3-2) and Guatemala (3-1), before sweeping past Guyana (3-0). Caribbean rivals Jamaica provided the toughest opposition, taking T&T to a five-match marathon in the opening tie. Chung gave T&T a 1-0 lead, with a straight sets 11-5, 11-7, 11-5 victory over Jamaican Dardrian Lewis, before Yvonne Foster beat Trinidad and Tobago’s Spicer 3-2 to level the tie at 1-1.
The Jamaicans took a 2-1 lead after winning the doubles, before Chung beat Foster to level the series 2-2. It was then left to Spicer to beat Lewis to give T&T the match by a 3-2 margin. Spicer won the first two sets 11-9, 12-10 and Lewis won the third 13-11, before the T&T woman won the third at 11-7.
Meanwhile, France-based Dexter St Louis, Curtis Humphreys and Aaron Wilson formed the T&T men’s team, which also won three preliminary round matches against St Kitts-Nevis (3-0), Guyana (3-0) and St Vincent & the Grenadines (3-0). But hosts El Salvador were more difficult opponents at the quarter-final stage. The home team won 3-1 to eliminate T&T.
El Salvador’s Jose Donedo beat both St Louis and Humphreys. First, Donedo took a three-set victory over St Louis 11-9, 11-4, 11-9, but had a tougher fight against Humphreys, who took two sets off the El Salvador number one, before losing by a 3-2 margin. Humphreys went down 3-2 to Eric Alves, while Wilson won the only match for T&T, when defeating Davi Diaz 11-3, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8.

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  7. Gold for Bovell at Doha World Cup
  8. TT sprinter Ahye on the mend
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