With the right sport policy, Tobago can consistently compete with larger countries on the world stage. That’s the view of Annette Knott, Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee. Knott was speaking during last week’s stakeholder consultation on the review of the Tobago Sport Policy, which took place from August 27-28 at the Lowlands Community Centre, Tobago.

The consultation, hosted by the Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport, featured several key interest groups, including the Ministry of Sport, sporting organisations and personnel across the island. Knott said Tobago has shown tremendous athletic potential despite having a small population of 60,000.

The event atracted over five dozen participants from a large cross-section of sporting disciplines from the sister isle which include - the Paradise hockey Club, Tobago Hotel Association, Soren Bishop of SSFL,  FCB sports Foundation—Catherine Forde, Ainsly King of the YMCA, Brandon Gray—Leeward Golf Association, Tobago Netball League—Ruthlyn Antoine and Kieron McDougal of the Tobago Basketball Association.

Technical Director of the Division’s Department of Sport Justin Latapy-George called for a collaborative approach to take Tobago forward. “The consultation speaks to where we want to go, to have critical feedback from the stakeholders and to guide the process forward inclusive of implementation and periodic evaluation,” Latapy-George stated.

Tyrone J Marcus, the attoney for the Ministry of Sport and facilitator of the event acknowledged that the Sport policy needs to deal with the Tobago-specific issues, to ensure the desired development takes place.

Assistant Secretary with direct responsibility for Sports, Assemblyman Jomo Pitt during the consultation voiced that the “ideal pathway for Tobago athletes to perform at the national and international level has to be predictable and transparent. This leads to better accountability of both the local and national governing bodies.”  

The current draft of the policy includes four areas; development, community participation, facility management and the link between the Tobago Sport Policy and the National Sport Policy. Implementation of the policy is expected to begin next year.

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Justin Gatlin’s agent has accused Britain of hypocrisy and double standards when it comes to doping.

Speaking in Brussels ahead of Gatlin’s final race of the 2015 season, Renaldo Nehemiah contrasted the BBC’s treatment of his client to other doping offenders, notably British sprinter Linford Christie, who was banned for two years in 1999 after testing positive for nandrolone.

“As much as they want to pile on Justin Gatlin, all I’ve got to do is bring up Linford Christie and they look like fools,” said Nehemiah. “They all defended him, they all thought he was innocent, that he never did anything. See what I’m saying? They come up with every kind of excuse [for Christie]. That to me is very telling.

“Paula Radcliffe’s name has come up and now she’s having to defend herself, so I’d like to see if they’re going to get on her and ask: ‘did you do this?’”

Nehemiah feels Gatlin has also been singled out by British promoters, who have made him unwelcome at their events since his doping ban in 2006, but invite other athletes who have served doping bans.

“In Britain it’s like once you do something in the sport of athletics and doping, it’s an unforgivable act,” says Nehemiah. “Human nature is that you allow someone to rehabilitate, to repent and overcome that, but they don’t let you turn away. They gloat in rubbing your nose in it. If the system can’t break you, then they want to break you.”

He revealed Gatlin has been drug-tested 62 times already this year. “It’s ridiculous,” he said, “but he’s a targeted profile and that’s fine.”

Nehemiah picked out the BBC’s coverage of the American sprinter during last month’s World Athletics Championships for particular criticism. He said the commentary on the men’s 100m final – during which Steve Cram said Usain Bolt’s victory may have saved his sport – was biased.

“He’s reckless,” said Nehemiah of Cram. “Privately you can have that opinion, but when you’re on the national airwaves, you have to be balanced. You can’t manipulate your audience and there were a lot of manipulating comments.”

In Beijing, Cram defended his commentary. “I don’t think we do have to be neutral,” he said. “I think we need to give strong opinions. That comment was not about Justin Gatlin, it was about the whole sport needing its hero to win.”

Nehemiah believes Cram crossed the line, however. “I thought: ‘man, this is really evil,’” he said. “You have every right to call him a drug cheat, but you also have to be responsible.”

Gatlin, meanwhile, will close his season after competing in both the 100m and 200m on Friday night. When asked by The Independent if those who were now giving him a second chance can be sure he was running clean, Gatlin grew indignant. “No comment,” he said. “Who’s out there to reassure? I owe nobody nothing.”

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The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) is looking forward to working with whoever is appointed the New Minister of Sport.
The Minister will have to hit the ground running as there are a number of pressing issues in the in tray.
With the Rio 2016 Olympic Games less than a year away. There is no margin for error.
The National Anti-Doping Organisation is still to be established .
The Elite Athlete Assistance Programme require attention.
Given the economic realities important but hard decisions will have to be made.
The TTOC looks forward to meeting with the Minister to discuss Rio 2016 and 10 or more Olympic Gold medals by 2024 among other aspects in respect of Olympic sports in Trinidad and Tobago.

Wednesday 9th September 2015. The final day of competition for Team TTO kicked off at the Tuana’imato Sports Facility. Last events carded were the 50m freestyle and 400m Freestyle Final.

Jeron swam the 50m freestyle preliminaries finishing 25.15. In order to move on to the finals, there was a swim off between Jamaica, Barbados, Jersey and Trinidad and Tobago. He won the swim off with a time of 24.74 which is a new personal best time and qualified him for the B Finals. In the Finals, Jeron placed 15^th overall with a time of 25.10.

Amira Pilgrim placed 2nd in the preliminary rounds of the women's 50m freestyle in 27.13, which earned her a qualifying spot in the A Finals later that evening. Swimming out of lane 8 in the Finals, Amira completed her lap in 27.11 to earn 7^th place overall of the fastest swimmers.

Trinidad and Tobago joined together with other neighbouring countries from the Caribbean to swim in an exhibition 400m Freestyle Final. Team TTO paired with Grenada, Antigua and Bermuda, Barbados and Turks & Caicos. The mixed team finished in 3^rd position in 3:30.20.

One highlight for Team TTO was the opportunity to take part in UNICEF’s Just Play Programme. The Samoa 2015 Chef Jeannette Small, Akidah and Akanni engaged in football with young kids from the small Pacific Island. The Just Play Programme promotes physical activity for children aged 6 - 12 years old through football-related activities, while also addressing endemic issues such as non-communicable diseases, poor nutrition, gender equality, stigma and discrimination towards children with disabilities.

At 10:00am (4:00pm TT time), Akidah Briggs contested for a medal in the Girls Shot Put. Being the only Caribbean national in the shot put event, Akidah placed 6th with a throw of 14.14m. Just shy of her target goal for the Games, she’s determined to use the experience to improve her throws. “It wasn't the result I expected, but I did my best. I plan to use this experience as a stepping stone to go back home and train harder for future events,” said Akidah.
 

Akidah described the Commonwealth Youth Games as a more relaxed environment in comparison to the World Junior Championships. “In World's (Junior Championships) I was tense because there were more competitors and a bigger crowd. The experience helped prepare me for this competition (Commonwealth Youth Games) because in World's I put myself under pressure by thinking about getting more distance. In this Games I focused on my technique and also thought about how I got my personal best in Carifta in April (15.09).”
 
Later on that day, Amira and Jeron took to the swimming pool once again. Both athletes competed in 50m Breaststroke event. Jeron finished 4th in the preliminaries, setting a personal best and a new national junior record with a time of 30.51. He previously held the national junior record and he went 0.59 better in this event.
 
Jeron’s time was just enough for him to qualify for the A Finals of the 50m Breaststroke. In the end, he placed 7th overall, breaking the National Junior record again in 30.45. While his teammate Amira swam another personal best time for the Games in the 50m breaststroke, also finishing 4th in her heat in 36.94. However, her time was not fast enough to secure her a spot in the Finals.
 
Away from competition, Team TTO’s Samoa 2015 Chef took the athletes to the 'Voice of the athletes’ booth which included activities on being a leader, playing fair, playing safe and protecting the environment.

Blessing Okagbare has reportedly been banned from appearing at next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro by Nigeria following a row over her appearance at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich last week.

The 26-year-old sprinter and long jumper was a late withdrawal from the 200 metres at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Beijing last month, reportedly due to a hamstring injury, and she also did not travel to Brazzaville for the All-Africa Games currently underway.

Okagbare did compete, however, in Zurich on Thursday (Septemer 3), finishing second in the 100m with a time of 10.98sec.

This decision appears to have angered Nigeria's National Sports Commission (NSC) with its Director General Al Hassan Yakmu telling the country's Guardian newspaper: "I was shocked when I saw Okagbare competing in the Diamond League in Zurich last Thursday.

"I was wondering if it was the same Okagbare who refused to compete for Nigeria in the 200m event at the IAAF World Championship in Beijing.

"She even opted out of Team Nigeria for the All-Africa Games in Congo.

"Why?"

He added: “I have said it times without number that any athlete who feels too big to compete for Nigeria in the All-Africa Games should not bother about the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

"No athlete is bigger than Nigeria.

"I played volleyball for this country, so there is nothing an athlete will tell me about sports.

“Tell me what countries like Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda and South Africa is doing for their athletes that Nigeria is not doing?

"If there is a problem, we should sit down to iron it out, instead of rubbishing our country before the international community.

"We have to take a stand to save our nation from athletes who feel they are untouchable."

Okagbare, who has yet to comment on the supposed ban, won an Olympic long jump bronze medal at Beijing 2008.

She won the 100m and 200m at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and claimed World Championship silver in the long jump and bronze in the 200m at Moscow 2013.