Twenty-six years after this country’s senior men’s football team, then known as the Strike Squad, lost a crucial Fifa World Cup qualifying game to the United States (1-0), on home soil, former captain Clayton Morris admits he has only now found ways to deal with the psychological horror of that result.

In a T&T Guardian interview at Friday’s First Citizens Sports Foundation Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Dock Road, Port-of-Spain, where Morris was recognised as a national sporting hero, he said, for an entire decade he went about his daily life blanketed by the shame of the defeat handed down to him and his teammates by the visitors on November 19, 1989.

So great was that loss, said the former defender, it left the nation scared and he accepted full responsibility for inflicting such hurt and the associated torment onto his countrymen.

Commenting on how he has since grown and declaring that being inducted into the Hall of Fame meant to him, he said: “This honour means a whole lot to me. It made me feel what I did in the past was something great and the organisers of the event saw it fit that it should be recorded in history. 

But for me, it is an incentive for me to continue doing the work that I am doing, because a lot of people don’t know, but we make fun of it when November 19, comes around. For everyday I live, I live November 19, 1989. People remind me about that day, but I live that day…every day. For ten years after that day, it has really been a disappointing feeling.”

He continued, “I remember the whistle blew to end the game. I felt like the earth could have opened and taken me. I was laying flat on the ground. 

I felt we disappointed the nation. 

But ten years after that I have come to realise that something good has come out of it, so I live and pass on what I know. I have made a commitment to go to the unprivileged institutions and pass on the positive experiences from that defeat. 

I have to thank God for the opportunity to be able to visit the Prison and share my life experience, not just football and work the inmates who have gave up hope in life. 

Thank God for the University of T&T (UTT) where I am the football coach, I use this as part of an outreach programme. I visit the Prison on Thursday and mentor inmates through small goal football. 

I also do a similar project in the Beetham Gardens, every other Saturday. As I see it, it’s giving back.” 

As painful as the events of 26 years ago are, the ex-skipper was thankful he never had the urge to drown his pains at a rum shop, or turn to marijuana use or engage in any type of substance abuse as a form of comfort. His heeling had been through the outreach programmes which allowed he said allowed him to contribute to the handling of new talent for the sport. 

Many years later, Morris believed he found what he was born to do and found himself in places doing what he enjoys and that coaching football and mentoring youths. He was the football coach at the University of T&T (UTT) and prided himself as being a life coach, too.

Following the 1989 result, the former defender never had a desire to take the field under the national colours and endure the stress associated with this level of national representation.

“But, here it is! Its football I am using to show people life. This award really re-energizes everything that I have been doing and now I want to do more. I have found my purpose, the Lord has kept me back so that I can share my experience of football which I was bless with and life in general.

He praised the late Richard Braithwaite for guiding him through that difficult chapter of his sporting career and dedicated the award and induction honour to him. 

Receiving a photo from one of his UTT students last Thursday, dressed in graduated kit and brandishing his certificate of academic accomplishment moments after the ceremony brightened Morris’ day. As fate would have it, that day was also the anniversary of the Strike Squad’s defeat (November 19, 1989).

He recalled the student in his message wrote, “Coach! Look! A smiling Morris said, he replied, “I said I am very proud of you. So even if these guys don’t come out top footballers, but educational wise they make themselves better than when I meet them, I am very, very pleased. I coach in these hot spots in Chaguanas and I see some of thos same individuals in the Police service. 

That really gives me that incentive and I really feel proud about their achievements. They may not come out a better footballer or make it to the national team, but once they are better citizens of T&T, I’m very happy with that”, he ended.

Jeremiah Fowler and Kyron Nicholas were named the Junior and Senior Players of the Year respectively at the Milo Harvard Club Football Clinic Graduation Ceremony yesterday.

Havana Ramdeen was voted top among the girls participating in the programme.

Venue was the legendary Harvard Sports Club on Serpentine Road in St Clair, where proud parents and guardians looked on and cheered lustily as the nation’s budding football stars filled the spotlight to be honoured.

It was a big day for the coaches, too. The emerging athletes in their care, who heeded their instructions best, demonstrating discipline, while working hard to improve their techniques on the field, ultimately ended the clinic with distinctions and were rewarded.

Twenty-two awards were presented during the ceremony where officials again underscored the power of sports to positively shape young minds and ultimately mould better citizens.

Harvard Club stalwart, Dwight Day, who was among the first group of coaches, is still actively honing young football talent. He said the clinic was formed in 1976 and was spawned from the well established cricket clinic which began in 1965. 

“The clinic was expressly formed to teach the basics in terms of techniques, the rules and laws of the game to the kids and more importantly, to teach them fair play and how to interact with each other…try and make better citizens generally. It was probably the biggest clinic in T&T. I think it set the pattern for many other clinics to be formed,” he said.

Day added, “In fact, our numbers have waned because there are so many other clinics, so many other alternatives, I suspect that the total output of all these clinics has fuelled the national team. 

“The one (national player) who is most noteworthy (from this club) was Shaka Hislop. As long as Harvard continues, the clinic would be part of the club. The Club had been around since 1943–72 years. I don’t think there are many clubs in T&T that are still active and can say that they are as long lived as Harvard Club.”

HONOUR ROLL 

Group 1

Kaitlyn Jackman–Most Disciplined 

Tarique Williams–Most Outstanding 

Group 2

Dhaquan Jackman–Most Disciplined

Jeremiah Fowler–Most Outstanding

Jeremiah Fowler–Junior Player of the Year

Group 3 and 4

Scott Hoyte–Most Disciplined

Kai Willians–Most Improved

Osei Thompson–Most Outstanding

Group 5 and 6

Raphael Harricoo–Most Disciplined

Nicholas Andre Thompson–Most Improved

Daniel Marshall–Most Outstanding

Khaliq Grant–Special Award

Goalkeepers:

Justin King–Most Improved

Kurlan Henry–Most Outstanding

Girls Special Award-Havana Ramdeen

Group 7:

Kadir Sinnette–Most Improved

Competitive Under-14

Jaheem Moreno–Most Improved

Jonty Ramdeen–Most Disciplined

Keshorn Jacob–Most Outstanding

Under 16:

Savion Sinnette–Most Improved

Byron Thompson Jr –Most Disciplined

Kyron Nicholas–Most Outstanding

Kyron Nicholas–Senior Players of the Year

Special Award to Young Coach Neil Phillip

The International School of Port-of-Spain pulled off a major upset at Saturday’s final of the Girls’ Under-17 division of the Digicel Secondary School Rugby League, beating Bishops Anstey High School 12-0.

ISPS was a team of debutants, but fans could not tell based on the thrashing the rugger-girls placed on Bishops, making easy work of their defence at the game played at St Mary’s College Ground, Serpentine Road, St Clair.

The ISPS girls’ victory was being viewed by many in that camp as retribution for the boys’ team, in a similar age group, which entered this year’s competition as the defending champion, but was, knocked out during the semifinal round.

But the ISPS girls were not the only school with changing fortunes on the day. Competition in the Boys U-17 saw Belmont Boys Secondary School end its reported 20-year dry-spell to clinch victory 12-5 against Fatima College.

Judging from the results at the end of the U-14 game this was not Fatima College’s season. They were beaten by St Mary’s College 26-7. Fatima got the better of CIC during the last three seasons.

Interviewed, Junior Arismandez, head coach at (ISPS) said the results did not come as a surprise to the technical team, even though this was the girls’ maiden outing in the tournament.

“We worked hard. The girls are very green. They don’t know anything about rugby. So, we had to be drilling them like three times a week and expose them to the boys. I also coach the boy’s team. They played against the boys which would have made their competitive spirit a lot better. They came in for the fun of it. I took them away from volleyball. They didn’t sign up for rugby. They signed up for volleyball. I asked them if they were interested because I gave the association the assurance that I was going to field a team,” he said.

Arismandez explained, “Most of these girls are into basketball, too. It was a lot easier for me to deal with the girls because they have good co-ordination, their enthusiasm is very high and their discipline is excellent. I am using this as a stepping stone for the boys so that they could raise their level of the game. They are just as new. The boys that graduated were the core, so now I have new boys, but the girls were a lot easier to train. The adapted quicker and their response was 75 per cent better than the boys.” 

Justin Charlerie, head coach at St Mary’s College said it was not just that the U-14 team, won, but more importantly how, it won. In recapping the performance he made it clear the athletes delivered as expected and even though the score line at the end was 27-7 his defence did not falter.

“It was hard work by the boys. It could be attested throughout the year, as we didn’t lose a game, as they boys came out every Tuesday and Thursday to training and they put in the work. It was difficult to keep up the momentum. We had two coaches and 30 plus boys, because we had U-14 and U-17 training sessions. But it was the hard work of the boys and the persistence in the training sessions and the willingness to learn,” he said.

Majority state-owned Telecommunications Services of T&T (TSTT) has invested more than $2 billion in capital expenditure over the last five years to ensure this country’s digital communication platform is world class. 

Rakesh Goswami, executive vice-president of strategic alliance, enterprise and Tobago operations at TSTT, revealed the level of the investment the board and executive management at the company approved and effected, in delivering remarks at the T&T Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI) 8th Annual Excellence in Services Awards Ceremony on Monday held at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre on Lady Young Road in St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain. 

The allocation is believed to be critical in the upgrades of the ever evolving world of technology and to keep this country competitive in the information and communication technology sector.

Goswami said it was no secret this country needed the services industry for continued growth toward achieving a more resilient economy. 

And, citing the ever-changing dynamics as it relates to how consumers interacted with businesses, TSTT’s effective roll-out of services presented tremendous revenue benefits for consumer-to-business interactions.

Goswami made it clear that TSTT’s range of business solutions is tailored to share the goals for growth by its existing and potential clients by increasing the penetration of technology nationwide. The company, he said, recognised that individuals, communities and business must have a symbiotic relationship which could not be achieved if TSTT followed other providers in the market and abandoned its commitment to making technology all-inclusive and available in every corner of the country.

“What technology has done is give you an opportunity to serve your customers in unprecedented ways. A report published by the European Commission identified that service companies that make use of technology in their business are four to five times more productive than service sectors that does not use it. From accounting to marketing, to logistics and inventory to electronic sales, I can assure you that technology is versatile enough to have a scale that suits any size service company,” he said.

Goswami continued: “There is also immense potential for the use of technology in services to help local service providers innovate. The triumvirate of the internet, smart devices and apps or software, has given business owners, in this sector, the potential to create magic. By magic I mean innovate. Services may be as old as time, but you will be fooling yourself if you think that your customers want to be served in the same old way. 

“For savvy business owners, augmented reality technology now allows customers to see themselves in their new spectacles, hairstyle, apparel renovated home, landscaped property and the like, all before they have paid a cent.”

TSTT’s landline business remained strong, despite the recent surge in smart devices and for that reason the company still published the traditional telephone directory called the Yellow Pages, which consumers still fancied. 

In keeping with the times, the company now had a Yellow Pages App which not only gave the names and addresses of business, but a map on how to find the desired service provider with greater ease.

Goswami cited a World Trade Organisation (WTO) Report which stated that the services industry covered a wide range of endeavours with some of the more exotic one being architecture and even space transport and that services were the largest and most dynamic component of both developed and developing country economies, providing crucial inputs into the production of most goods.

“The fall in oil prices and other changes to the global economy have brought us to a critical juncture in our country’s economic development where highlighting the value of the services sector has never been more important. There is hardly a day that can go by without the public in some way making use of the services industry. The services sector has a profile that blends the passion of entrepreneurship with the flair of a craft and the conviction of a patriot,” he said.

The TSTT official added: “For the services sector, new innovations are constantly being developed in this area and it’s all with the customer in mind. Some estimates have it that by 2020 there will be 75 billion connected devices all over the world. We know of smart homes, driverless cars, smart appliances, smart watches, but there are countless more innovations for the services sector to explore and implement if you don’t want to be left behind.”

Amalgamated Security Services Ltd was named Service Provider of the Year (Large) at the 8th Annual Excellence in Services Awards Ceremony hosted by the T&T Coalition of Services Industries (TTCSI) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre. The awards ceremony was one of the highlights of the group’s National Services Week.

Amalgamated also won the award for Best Use of Innovation In Services, which was among eight top honours presented on the night, while Caribbean Ideas was Service Provider of the Year (Small).

Musician Yohan Chuckaree and his team at Indigisounds won the Young Service Provider Award for their work on a pan and percussion sample library and the T&T Association of Midwives was named the Service Association of the Year–Community Service.

In the feature address at the ceremony, Trade and Industry Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon praised TTCSI for its work on behalf of a wide cross-section of services organisations and associations. She said in light of falling energy revenues, the group must redouble its efforts, particularly in maritime and aviation services, creative industries, financial services and ICT. 

“To achieve the success we desire, there are a host of challenges that will need to be surmounted. Some of these include market access restrictions, capacity constraints, unreliable and unavailable data, and balancing domestic, regional and international requirements and realities. In spite of these challenges, a mature and organised services sector offers a myriad of opportunities in the way of diversification, enhanced manufacturing capacity, sustained economic growth, and increased investment and trade opportunities,” she said. 

Gopee-Scoon said there is need for an appraisal system, as well as improvements in standards used by local bodies and services. She added that Government, as a major provider and consumer of services, needs to partner with a vibrant, competitive and innovative private sector to meet the needs of the national and international community. 

“In addition to work to develop policies and strategic plans for film, fashion and music industries, the Ministry of Trade and Industry is looking to the ship building, ship repair, dry-docking and yachting services to provide growth, employment and invaluable foreign exchange. 

“The ministry is also developing the services components of our trade agreements with Costa Rica and Cuba, whilst also maximising the benefits of our Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union. The value proposition of services is that it can be traded regardless of geography.

Therefore, I urge the businessmen and women here today to find those opportunities and exploit them at every turn,” said Gopee-Scoon. 

The minister said the growth of TTCSI’s Services Week over the last eight years is indicative of the growth and interest in the services sector. 

“The Ministry of Trade and Industry has been a part of that growth and remains committed to the expansion and development of the sector. We are ready to chart the way forward, but we need you—the service providers—to inform policy formation and the national services agenda. The acknowledgement of excellence in services speaks to the recognition that innovation is imperative to creating and maintaining local and international competitiveness,” she said. 

Awards

Best Recent Service Award—Design Works Ltd
Young Service Provider—
Yohan Chuckaree
Best Use of Innovation in Services—Amalgamated Security Services Ltd
Service Exporter of the Year–Ken Valley Award—Kee Chanona Ltd
Service Association of the Year–Business Category—Association of Real Estate Agents
Service Association of the Year –Community Category—T&T Association of Midwives
Service Provider of the Year (Small) –Lawrence Placide Award—Caribbean Ideas
Service Provider of the Year (Large)—Amalgamated Security Services Ltd

A People’s Choice Award will be added to the list of honours at this year’s T&T Olympic Committee 18th Annual Olympic Committee Gala at the Port-of-Spain Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Trinidad on Dock Road, Port-of-Spain, on December 29.

Five awards were usually presented during the ceremony, the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year and Sports Personality of the Year, which are determined by the TTOC executive based on a criteria which the emphasis surrounding performances delivered by athletes during the calendar year.

Brian Lewis, president of the TTOC made the announcement at Olympic House on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, on Wednesday. The move by the national sporting organisation aimed to widen public participation in its activities.

To faciliate the awarding of the People’s Choice award the TTOC contracted Tribal Worldwide (Caribbean), a full service digital agency which is responsible for developing an on-line campaign for the award. The move is seen by the TTOC as a strategic move to explore every positive aspect of the digital experience.

But unlike existing People’s Choice Awards schemes, which shortlist athletes and categories, the TTOC was allowing voters the true power of choice. Dale Lutchman, general manager at Tribal Worldwide (Caribbean) said the People’s Choice Award was already launched on-line and promised to be different.

It was now up to the public, he said, to log onto www.ttoc.org and vote or access the link on the TTOC’s Facebook page and Twitter feeds. Any member of the public, any part of the world could vote once a day until midnight on December 20.    

Lutchman said, “We have the mandate of ten-golds-24. That is not necessarily just a TTOC mandate, but it’s part of the culture; it’s part of the DNA and its somewhat of a challenge to the national athletes that we have a goal. We want to get ten gold by 2024. The public is aware of this goal and we need to make them even more aware and more involved in that process that support and fuels the athletes, so we just don’t see when the athletes come back with a gold medal or two at the airport. They need it on the road to Rio, on the build up to Rio. So there, we devised a strategy with the (TTOC) marketing team, because we know the old adage perception is reality.”

He added: “So we need to create that reality, on social media, as well as off-line media that the people are aware that this tiny Caribbean island with just over 1.6 million, are a force to be reckoned with. We have produced the world greatest batsman. We have produced gold medals at past Olympic Games. We have one of the best mid-fielders in the world, two Miss Universe and plenty achievements that we can boast about. And, in the same way there is a unified front with Team USA, Team Jamaica, there is now Team TTO. This is the starting point. As we prepare for the annual awards on the 29th of December, we have done the first part of the strategy where we get the public involved.”

Abdul-Raheem Toppin, ten, was voted the Most Skilful Player at the Mohammed Electrical Coach Academy (MECA) 2015 Football Graduation Ceremony held at the Aranguez Sports Club, Club House, Aranguez on Saturday.

The emerging athlete and Standard Four student at the Aranguez Islamia Government School was presented with the Roy Joseph Memorial Trophy. He was said to be active in cricket at school, too, and was enrolled in the T&T Cricket Board’s (TTCB) Grassroot Development Programme in that community.

In football, Toppin was reputed to be the most attractive player of the field, possessing the requisite knowledge to apply good technique and strategy when necessary, which ensured he almost always had good control of the ball, allowing him the opportunity to deliver the game with style.

Meanwhile, Rajeev Gopeesingh took home the Randolph Bally Memorial Trophy, being adjudged the player with an Outstanding Personality, while Jaiden Beharry, 17, was bestowed with the MECA Spirit Awards for long and dedicated participation. Beharry joined the academy back in 2003 at age five. Twelve years on, the sixth form student prepares to take his knowledge and skill to the next level.

It was another signature occasion in the life of the Academy, which had its first in-take of potential athletes back in 1993. Like most organisations of this type, cricket was the mainstay, but eventually football secured its place.

President of the T&T Football Association (TTFA) David John Williams, who attended the ceremony and delivered the feature address, lauded the efficiency of the academy, but lamented that the success had by MECA may not be the same for other sports development outfits of its kind across the country.

It was for that reason he moved to clarify his mandatory policy decision that would bring all football academies under the ambit of the TTFA.

John-Williams said, “We are just making it better. We have a handle on all youth activity that is going on in football and ensuring that all academies are properly. Part of my road map is that all academies and coaching schools must be registered.”  

Honour roll

Outstanding Players:
Malachi Andrews (Team A)
Aamir Dattoo (Team B)
Maleek Lewis (Team C)
Felix Samuel (Team D)

MECA Ideals Awards:
Arjuna Seedial (Malick All Stars Tassa Drummers Trophy)
Avi Ramberath (Christophe Persad Award)
Roy Joseph Memorial Trophy (Most Skilful Player)
Abdul-Raheem Toppin
Randolph Bally Memorial (Outstanding Personality)
Rajeev Gopeesingh

MECA Spirit Award 
(Long and Dedicated Service)
Jaiden Beharry

Most Valuable Players:
J’lani Cornwall
Rizwaan Mohammed
Josiah Wells
Sanjeev Rampersad

Most Dependable Players:
Avi Ramberath
Zakiyah Harrilal
Trivek Rambally
Aamir Ali

Most Promising Player
Khaleem Shamshudeen
Malachi Andrews
Mikaeel Ali
Maleek Lewis
Aaron Weekes

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs Joan Mendez believes there is an ambassadorial role for this country’s netballers and she plans to make a case for them with Sports Minister Darryl Smith.

Speaking at a dinner and awards ceremony in honour of the senior netball team at the Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre in St Ann’s, Port-of-Spain, and hosted by the T&T Netball Association (TTNA) last weekend, the senior public official, citing the inspiration this group of athletes brought to T&T, said she was almost certain that the idea of assigning them roles as ambassadors for sport could not be discounted.

The T&T senior netball team prevailed in their group final against Scotland at this year’s Netball World Cup held in Sydney, Australia. As a consequence, team T&T emerged in the top ten at the end of the tournament.

Mendez said she felt real pride in the success of the team so far, but lamented that she was not permanent secretary in the ministry at that time.

“I have heard so much about your accomplishments not only on the field, but also in your education pursuits and your careers. I want to make you all some sport ambassadors. We need to have women like you all going around to our youths, because we know what is happening. I was a past teacher and I still have that passion for youth. When I see things that happen in the schools, people are just down on the youth. But that’s our future,” she said.

Mendez turned her attention back to the senior athletes and continued, “You all are our future. You’ll are going to be the future leaders of our country: the next prime minister, the next minister of sport. 

“I think I will really like to engage you and partner with you, not only with the finance, because you know what is happening (with the economy), but I must say that one of the best presentations we got from the NGB (national governing bodies) was from the TTNA. Only for that, you’ll should get your allocation. 

“It was very strategic, a well-laid-out plan. It said what was the vision and mission in coming here and feeling the energy,” he said.

Goalkeeper Andrey Rocke of Courts Malvern was named Senior men’s Player of the Year 2015, while Alanna Lewis of Paragon retained the title of Senior women’s Player of the Year honours, at the T&T Hockey Board’s annual awards ceremony held at the Atrium, Guardian Life, Westmoorings, on Sunday.

Having attained this honour, both athletes also received the executive’s vote to serve as the discipline’s nominees for the upcoming First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards. Meanwhile, forward/midfielder Kristien Emmanuel, also of Malvern, and Samantha Olton of Shandy Carib Magnolia, who played similar positions were voted the respective Youth Players of the Year. 

While Rocke was no stranger to the Goalkeeper of the Year Award, citing his territorial nature at the net, it was his first time the Player of the Year honour came his way. Mickell Pierre of T&T Defence Force, Jordan Reynos (QPCC) Akim Toussaint (Paragon) Shaquille Daniel (Notre Dame) were contenders for the coveted award which Rocke eventually took home.

The performances of Rocke and Emmanuel ensured that Malvern ended the season and could enter the new one with much deserved bragging rights. But Notre Dame would not be left out, thanks to the ability of centre-midfielder Shaquille Daniel to recognise, convert and seize goal scoring opportunities. He won the men’s Championship Division award for Most Goals–18.  

Judging from the quality performances witnessed during the season under review Patricia Wright-Alexis (Harvard Checkers), Kayla Brathwaite (Notre Dame), Petal Derry (Harvard Checkers) and Bittney Hingh (Shandy Carib Magnolia) were no doubt seeking to ensure Paragon’s Lewis could not defend her Senior Female Player of the Year title. 

They were wrong. As fate would have it, Lewis, who enjoyed being a defender and mid-fielder, was not to be dethroned. She went on to win her fifth title in the past seven years. Moments before Lewis took the spotlight to accept her honour, however, her club Paragon emerged as the women’s Team of the Year, while Petrotrin copped the men’s award for Team of the Year.

Rocke described the senior men’s accolade as an honour. He seemed visibly overwhelmed by the fact that the title carried with it the right to be the Hockey Board’s nominees for Sportsman of the Year, too.

Rocke said his days as a goalkeeper in football prepared him for hockey. Football was his main sport. He played hockey in off season. In the absence of the (hockey) goalkeeper, he would usually be called to fill the position. Before long he was a permanent fixture.

“I didn’t make it in football, so I pursued hockey later in my life. I was about 26 years old. I made my first national team at 26 and never turned back. It’s a difficult game. The average guy just can’t run on the field to play it. It’s a game you have to train very hard for. You need to train for all sports, but hockey requires a certain amount of skill. That challenges me. I enjoy a challenge. I enjoy playing the game,” he said.  

Lewis, meanwhile, was so focused on being a standout athlete that she could not remember the year’s the senior woman Player of the Year Award had her name etched on it. She expressed surprise at being able to retain the award citing that 2015 did not bring with it much international exposure for her, but she  delivered for her club.

“I didn’t think that I had good games throughout the season, but I guess to them (officials) I did,” she said.

Lewis admitted that her innate desire to maintain her level of athleticism was no easy feat, but declared that her willingness to rededicate herself to the sports continued to nourish her.

Looking ahead, she was focused on the national team turning on the charm and scoring the required goals to go past the Word League Round One in 2016. Once that was achieved, she said, the team would be guaranteed of a place in the second round of the contest in 2017.

2015 honour roll:

Senior Player of the Year: Male
Andrey Rocke
Senior Player of the Year: Female
Alanna Lewis
Youth Player of the Year: Male
Kristien Emmanuel (Malvern)
Youth Player of the Year: Female
Samantha Olton (Shandy Carib Magnolia)
Top Five Players 2015: Female
Patricia Wright-Alexis (Harvard Checkers)
Alanna Lewis (Paragon)
Kayla Brathwaite (Notre Dame)
Petal Derry (Harvard Checkers)
Brittney Hingh (Shandy Carib Magnolia)
Top Five Players 2015: Male
Mickell Pierre (T&T Defence Force)
Andrey Rocke (Malvern)
Jordan Reynos (QPCC)
Akim Toussaint (Paragon)
Shaquille Daniel (Notre Dame)
Goalkeepers of the Year:
Female: Petal Derry (Harvard Checkers)
Male: Andrey Rocke (Malvern) 
Under 19 Division: Girls
Shandy Carib Magnolia
Paragon
Malvern
Most Goals: 21
Gabrielle Thompson (Paragon)
Boys:
Malvern
QPCC
SHAPE
Most Goals: 17
Jarryon Paul (QPCC)
Trinity Division: Women
Shandy Carib Magnolia
Harvard Checkers
Paragon
Most Goals: 9
Stacey Siu Butt (Shandy Carib Magnolia)
Men:
QPCC
Paradise
Malvern
Most Goals: 5
Nicholas Camacho (QPCC)
Ishmael Campbell (Notre Dame)
Mixed Veterans:
QPCC
T&T Defence Force
Notre Dame
Most Goals: 7
Ryan Mouttet (QPCC)
Nicholas Wren (T&T Defence Force)
Opening Day Winners
Women: Harvard Checkers
Men: QPCC
Outdoor League: Championship Division Women
Paragon
Harvard
Shandy Carib Magnolia
Most Goals: 9
Stacey Siu Butt (Shandy Carib Magnolia)
Championship Division: Men
Petrotrin
Notre Dame
QPCC
Most Goals: 18
Shaquille Daniel (Notre Dame)

Captain of the Harvard Club’s Under-19 rugby team Odell Bacchus has again been named as the junior member who best epitomises the Spirit of Harvard Awards (SOHA).

The announcement was made at the legendary outfit’s Annual Dinner and Awards held at its club house on Serpentine Road, St Clair, on December 12.

He was bestowed with the honour alongside senior member Isaac Cannon. Jerry Legal was the senior member in receipt of the award last year.

It was another great year for young Bacchus who was voted the Most Disciplined athlete in his sport for the second consecutive year and Player of the Year.

Following in the winning ways of their U-19 captain, Enrique Garcia was named the Most Improved, while Isaac Small was voted Rookie of the Year.

Honours to the ruggermen began with Mark Griffith copping the Most Improved award; Brandon Greenidge, the Most Disciplined trophy, while Keston Earle won the coveted Player of the Year prize.

But according to the honour roll published, Bacchus was not the only junior athlete under the Harvard Club banner who had been consistently outstanding in a sport. 

Hockey player Nia Cumberbatch was the other athlete delivering all-round exceptional performances and conduct.

In 2014, she was declared the Most Outstanding U-19 Player and went on to cop the Junior Player of the Year prize. This year, however, she started her climb on awards night by first capturing the Most Valuable Player prize, before proudly accepting the Junior Player of the Year 2015 accolade.

Of the three awards presented to the Cricket Reserve Team Randy Harvey captured two. They were: Best Batsman and Cricketer of the Year. His team-mate Jerome Simpson was adjudged as the Best Bowler.

When time came to salute hockey’s Championship team Chemika Ellis was called as the Most Improved Player, while Kwylan Jaggassar was adjudged the Most Disciplined.

Honours in the Trinity Team Division went to Jeannette Clare, being the Most Improved athlete and Fiona Le Blanc, the Most Disciplined. The Junior Team saw honours bestowed onto Britney Pope–Most Improved and Micaiah King–Most Disciplined; while Shania Gajadhar’s journey in the spotlight was a direct result of her ability to score the Most Goals.

Hockey completed the night’s programme by raising the award for Most Outstanding Sporting Discipline for 2015. 

​

The Honour Roll

CRICKET

RESERVE TEAM

Best Batsman    Randy Harvey

Best Bowler    Jerome Simpson    

Cricketer of the Year    Randy Harvey

HOCKEY–CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

Most Improved    Chemika Ellis

Most Disciplined    Kwylan Jaggassar

TRINITY TEAM

Most Improved    Jeannette Clarke

Most Disciplined    Fiona Le Blanc

JUNIOR TEAM

Most Improved    Britney Pope

Most Disciplined    Micaiah King

Most Valuable Player    Nia Cumberbatch

Most Goals    Shania Gajadhar

Junior Player of the Year    Nia Cumberbatch

RUGBY 

UNDER 19

Most Improved    Enrique Garcia

Most Disciplined    Odell Bacchus

Rookie of the Year    Isaac Small

Player of the Year    Odell Bacchus

SENIOR TEAM

Most Improved    Mark Griffith

Most Disciplined    Brandon Greenidge

Player of the Year    Keston Earle

SPIRIT OF HARVARD AWARD (SOHA)

Junior Member    Odell Bacchus

Senior Member    Isaac Cannon    

FOOTBALL

Most Improved    Landon James

Most Disciplined    Shaquille Coombs

Most Outstanding     Hakim Du Bois

Footballer of the Year    Kyle Jones

Football Special Award    Johann Mendoza

SPECIAL AWARDS

TABLE TENNIS

George Lee Shee, for his commitment and dedication to Table Tennis

BASKETBALL 

Grantley Auguste , for his commitment and dedication to Basketball

HARVARD HARPS

Carl Daly, for his commitment and dedication to the band from 1993 to present

MOST OUTSTANDING SPORTING DISCIPLINE

Hockey

MEMBER OF THE YEAR

Dexter De Souza

​

Declaring he cannot serve as captain of all sports in T&T in an atmosphere of acrimony and discord, Minister Darryl Smith says a mediation policy towards improving the governance of sport is to be established and implemented in early 2016.

A complementing forum, he said, to better deal with contentious matters confronting national governing bodies of sport, which most times turned adversarial, had to be address in the quickest possible time if these organs were to become better constituted, business oriented and revenue generating.

Under the plan the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) and the ministry would be facilitators. “We cannot be ventilating our dirty lining in the public domain. That definitely affects corporate sponsors. We are hoping we can get that kicked in where people could come if they (are) having issues, to the TTOC and or us and have a united front moving forward with regards to decision making.

Taking to social media and making (negative) comments out there, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. We have to work together to get the funding. I don’t blame corporate T&T. We see what is going on with Fifa with regards to their main sponsors wanting to pull out and so on. We need corporate T&T to come on board,” Smith said. He added, “The ministry is going to set the example. This new (SporTT) board is going to set the example.

For a while, they (previous boards) have not been setting the example. We had horrible examples before at the board level and at the minister and the ministry level. So we have started. So far, so good! We haven’t had any issues in the ministry or at the (SporTT) board and we hope to continue that through the five years.”

Instability with the ministry and its agencies previously, said Smith, challenged all hope of advancing a focused agenda for sport development and its expectation rewards. Having three boards within the last five years, a number of CEOs and chairmen either fired or resigned, as well as reassigning permanent secretaries and ministers halted progress.

Olympic sailor Andrew Lewis spent Christmas Day at the Miguel Couto Municipal Hospital in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, where he is recovering from corrective surgery performed on Monday on his jaw and left leg.

A team of specialists performed the procedures which were said to be crucial following injuries he sustained in a freak accident on December 12, in which he suffered a bruised left lung.

His father and businessman David Lewis has been at his side since his accident which occurred outside his short stay apartment in Rio. At the time of the incident the athlete was participating in an Olympic 2016 training camp. Lewis had been hospitalised for the past two weeks. 

He told the T&T Guardian, while in recovery, he was getting himself in the “correct state of mind,” to compete in Rio.

“All the professionals have told me that I will be walking within a month; running within two months; and sailing with two-and-a-half to three months. This does leave me enough time to continue preparing for the Games. I am in the right state of mind. I will be competing in Rio, 2016 and I will do my best for T&T. I don’t have an exact date as to when I will be returning to T&T, but I am guessing it will be within the next ten days,” he said. 

Lewis, 26, continued, “I would like to let everybody (in T&T) know that Andrew Lewis is their 2016 Olympic sailor and I look forward to representing the red, white and black. T&T, I love you and thank you very much for all your support. I will see you’ll soon on the beautiful island.”

Lewis said there were no pastelles, ham or black cake on the hospital menu for him on Christmas day, however, only liquid meals, at least for now. On November 13, he travelled from T&T to Brazil to begin training in Rio for the Olympics. 

While it was not his first time to Brazil, it was his first time to the city of Rio. On arrival, he declared Rio his second home. He described the city–the temperature, the culture and the people–as bringing together elements that mirrored T&T. And, despite the language and currency differences, Lewis could not believe the level of comfort he enjoyed.

In the Olympic city, Lewis had the unique honour of training with the Dutch National team in mid-November.

“This is a very unusual situation as most teams don’t allow other people to join their groups or have access to the things that I had access too. But moments like that I had to grab them; run with them; make the best of it! I was training with two-time Olympian Rutger Van Schaardenburg (and) former world champion Nicholas Heiner,” he said.

Lewis noted that athletes from around the world were in Rio training since last year, because they needed to understand the venue, which took time, be it the wind factors, as well as the currents. 

His first trip lasted eleven days, before the athlete returned to T&T, on break with plans to return to camp from December 7-15. While there, he was to participate in an Olympic test event this month-end. That was before his accident.

“I have always envisioned myself achieving the things I want to achieve and being in the places I want to be and accessing the things I want to access. But what I am seeing out here is beyond belief to me. The level of equipment, the level of organisation these other teams have is beyond anything T&T has ever seen. They have spares for every single thing. They have containers for storage and fantastic accommodation; everything from head to toe. These are the things I need to see. These are things I need to be around,” Lewis said.

He continued, “Yes! These things cost a lot of money and I am accessing a lot of these facilities and equipment at a very low cost, due to my talent, which is what, got me to where I am today. But T&T needs to really realise that (while) I might be a one man team out here, travelling the world, if I want to do what I want to do, I need to get the proper equipment. I need to have access to the proper coaching. I need to have access to the proper facilities. That’s what the top guys have.”

“I feel Brazil is the chance for me to shine, the chance for me to show the world I could really do something special representing our sweet island, our beautiful island of T&T amongst these monster countries. I believe I can do something special and execute when the day comes,” he said.  

Alistair Espinoza and Avril Marcelle have emerged as the Senior men’s and women’s Players of the Year 2015 at the T&T Badminton Association (TTBA) Annual Awards ceremony which took place at the Central Indoor Sporting Facility, Chaguanas.

To their credit the athletes have also received the nod from the national sporting organisation’s to serve as its nominees for the First Citizens Sports Foundation’s Senior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year 2015.

Meanwhile, Will Lee and Jada Renales were voted the Junior boy and girl—Players of the Year. The duo won these honours back in 2014. They too will serve as the TTBA choices for the First Citizens Sports Foundation Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards.

For the year under review Renales impressed with a tally of nine local titles along with silver and bronze medals. She also captured one silver and three regional bronze medals, while competing at the junior and senior levels respectively.

In his effort to retain the coveted title Lee won seven local titles and went on to secure two silver medals and one bronze medal locally. Internationally, he brought home one silver and a bronze at both junior and senior championships.

At home, Espinoza capture four titles. In the process he captured silver and bronze medal, too. Competing regionally, he earned a bronze. Internationally, he won two.

Marcelle, meanwhile, captured two silver medals and three bronze locally. On the regional front, she added silver and bronze medals to her name. Internationally, she had two bronze medals.

Honour Roll
Badminton 2015:
Senior Player of the Year—Female: 
Avril Marcelle
Senior Player of the Year–Male: 
Alistair Espinoza
Junior Player of the Year–Female: 
Jada Renales
Junior Player of the Year–Male: 
Will Lee
Most Outstanding Player:
U-11 Male: Travis Sinanan
U-11 Female: Sonja Cassie
U-13 Male: Zion St Rose
U-13 Female: Sonja Cassie
U-15 Male: Leon Cassie
U-15 Female: Chequeda De Boulet
U-17 Male: Renaldo Sinanan
U-17 Female: Ananda Ramsingh
U-19 Male: Will Lee
U-19 Female: Jada Renales
Local Umpires:
Sheerz Khan
Christopher Joachim
Kevin Young
National Level 1 Umpire:
Arnand Maharaj
Appreciation for Refereeing
Sean Sookdeo

Special Recognition for Sporting Commitment: 
Nicholas Bonkowsky
Special Recognition for Sporting Excellence: 
Travis Sinanan 
Solange Guzman
Lifelong Supporters: 
Melvin Thomas 
Trevor Smith
Special Recognition for Support:
Newsday
Solo Beverages Limited
Dr Carlos Lee
Merle Cezair
Special Appreciation for Support:
Maria Cooper
Most Local Wins –Female:
Jada Renales
Most Local Wins –Male: Will Lee
Most Improved Female:
Chequeda De Boulet
Most Improved –Male: Vance Juteram
Masters Male: 
Christopher Joachim 
Arnand Maharaj
Masters Female:
Virginia Chariandee-Balwan.

Scores of patrons braved inclement weather on New Year’s Day to attend the Trinbago Unified Calypsonians’ Organisation’s (Tuco) launch of Carnival 2016 and Artistes Welfare Fundraiser in the foyer at the National Carnival Commission (NCC), Grand Stand, Queen’s Park Savannah.

Mayaro the Band, Dil-E-Nadan, reigning Calypso Monarch Roderick “Chucky” Gordon, Juby Cox, and Superblue (Austin Lyons)  were among the artistes who entertained at the event which took the form of a cooler fete. 

Tuco president Lutalo “Brother Resistance” Masimba, said the group had been working on a welfare fund for calypsonians for a number of years. 

“Recently, we put it in a different kind of gear in the sense that we have established the Tuco Foundation which is a legal entity to take charge of the welfare and investment on behalf of the organisation. We are on the verge of completing the Tuco medical plan which will take care of the medical requirement of our members, so we expect that with regards to our fund-raising that would be directed towards bringing our medical plan on stream,” he told the Sunday Guardian.

Chairman of the Sport Company of T&T (SporTT) Michael Phillips says priority will be given to developing the sport tourism mandate in 2016, but in doing so the board will need to establish a definition for the term.

The fact that sports was a major component of people moving from one destination to another, not just across borders, but domestically requires a policy move that outlined what this feature in sports means to the country and the economy.

Phillips speaking to the T&T Guardian, said “We have heard sport tourism as a term being presented in many speeches, but what I would really like to start with is an actual definition for sport tourism and how that definition can form the basis of a policy. The decisions that we make would have to be made on the events that we support and we should start with our winners first; products (athletes) that are already within the market that need that boost, in terms of potentially bringing people to the destination.”

He continued, “Sport tourism is a very important part for us, to have our athletes interact with other people by bringing them here. The exposure to athletes by bringing several (international) athletes here means the entire fraternity gets to benefit from the coaching; the different practices; the different equipment that they use. If you want to be the best in sport, you have to do what your competition is doing–better. If you don’t know what your competition is doing, then you don’t know what you are doing.”

The former national cyclist and sport promoter, is following the lead of sports minister Darryl Smith who wanted his stewardship to be defined by making decisions based on the best quality data available.

Philips believes that by acting on reliable data, financial investments to be made by SporTT could be done with measurable outcomes. He made it clear that the board would not be afraid to enlist external talents not resident at SporTT to achieve its objectives, citing there were nationals ready for this call of duty.

“There are so many people with a contribution to make…so many people with knowledge and experience that have gone through the whole spectrum of dealing with personalities and all of the components that create an event. Remember, sport tourism may be marketing an event, facilities in a geographical location and expertise whether it be health, coaching and all those different things that may cause somebody to have movement from one location to the next and spend money. What we are looking for is that generation of income and that upward propulsion or elevation of our own athletes. We are going to be very big on consultation. We are not going to make an egotistical type of movement,” Phillips said. 

Quatermiler Machel Cedenio and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye were named the men’s and women’s Athletes of the Year respectively when the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) held its 18th annual awards ceremony at the Raddison Hotel, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain on Saturday evening.

While victory for Cedenio, 20, came as no surprise citing the polished year in competition, Ahye’s feat was the upset on the night. The 23-year-old had been dogged by injury during the 2015 season.

Sprinters Akanni Hislop and Khalifa St Fort were adjudged the youth Athletes of the Year respectively, but the announcement of Junior Athletes for the Year honours saw the fortunes of field athletes improve. This category of athletes emerged as best performing juniors last season as proven with awards for long jumper Andwuelle Wright and shot putter Portious Warren.

When it came time to reward the Master Athlete of the Year—Albert St Louis and Marsha Mark Baird were awarded the men’s and women’s equivalents.

But the superb performance delivered by the nation’s para-athletes did not go unrewarded as Nyoshia Cain and Akeem Stewart were bestowed with Global Excellence Awards.

Stewart set world records in the discus (63.03m) and javelin (53.36m) events in the F44 categories at the Parapan Am Games back in August. Two months later Cain created history by winning bronze in the 100-metre final of the IPC World Athletics Championships in Doha.

Cedenio, the 400-metre specialist started 2016 similar to how he ended 2015–on a high and deservedly so.

Last Tuesday he was honoured by the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) as its Senior Sportsman of the Year. At the weekend, he continued his winning ways with more honours as the NAAA which was the national governing body responsible for his sport declared him as the Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open –Track), before saluting him for an Outstanding Performance in 2015 and wrapping up his accolades with the Senior Athlete of the Year prize.

By winning an individual silver at the Pan American Games and then anchoring the men’s 4by 400-m team to gold made him a prime candidate for these honours.

Ahye brought home bronze for T&T at the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association Championships and took the fifth spot at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China in a time of 10.98.

She would improve on that by helping teammates Khalifa St Fort, Reyare Thomas, Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Semoy Hackett to bronze in the women’s 4 by 100m relay at the Pan Am Games.

Back at home, she secured silver at the NAAA Senior Open Championships.

The athlete who was in Houston, Texas, training, was represented by her mother Raquel Ahye at the awards ceremony.

Interviewed, Ahye (Raquel) admitted that the award came as a surprise, even though her daughter performed credibly during the 2015 season.

“I was expecting it to go to Cleopatra,” she said.

She described the past year as a difficult one for her daughter.

Ahye (Raquel) recalled the regular conversations with her daughter that would always include the challenges associated with training in cold weather environments and burden of injury.

“I just tell her trust in God and everything will be conquered,” she said.

Ahye firmly belief her daughter would have been a footballer, but to her amazement, she switched disciplines and the rest was now history.

“I just continued watching her and grooming her to make sure she went down the right path. She started sports at the age of 7. From the Milo Games she kept on rising to the top. She was in Concorde Athletic Club,” she said.

Asked what element of her daughter’s track performance fascinated her, Ahye replied, “her speed!”

She explained: “Most of the things I told her. I wanted her to be ten times better than me and she showed me she is a 100 times better than me. The technology they have now, we didn’t have it. I told her make use of it (technology). My events were the 100m and the 200m. It’s great to watch her on TV and represent this country in athletics.” On the topic of the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil, the Ahye family had been discussing the medal possibilities.

NAAA 2015 Honour Roll

Machel Cedenio, Senior Athlete of the Year–Male

Michelle-Lee Ahye , Senior Athlete of the Year–Female

Andwuelle Wright, Junior Athlete of the Year–Male 

Portious Warren, Junior Athlete of the Year–Female

Akanni Hislop, Youth Athlete of the Year–Male

Khalif St Fort, Youth Athlete of the Year–Female

Albert St Louis, Masters Athlete of the Year–Male

Marsha Mark Baird, Masters Athlete of the Year–Female

Nyoshia Cain, (Para-Athletics) In recognition of Global Excellence

Akeem Stewart (Para-Athletics) In recognition of Global Excellence

Cougars Athletic Club, Champion Club–Juvenile

Memphis Pioneers, Champion Club–Junior

Memphis Pioneers, Champion Club–Senior

Outstanding Performances 2015:

Tyriq Horsford, Zenith Athletic Club

Khalifa St Fort, Unattached

Portious Warren, Toco TAFAC

Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Zenith Athletic Club

Cleopatra Borel, Rebirth Athletic Club

Keston Bledman, Simplex Athletic Club

Machel Cedenio, Simplex Athletic Club

Deon Lendore, Abilene Wild Cats Athletic Club

Mikel Thomas, Rebirth Athletic Club

Keshorn Walcott, Rebirth Athletic Club

Women’s 4 by 100-metre Relay Team

(Khalifa St Fort, Reyare Thomas, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackett)

Men’s 4 by 400-metre Relay Team

(Jarrin Solomon, Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Machel Cedenio, Deon Lendore)

Most Outstanding Cross Country Athlete (Men Open):

Matthew Hagley, TT Defence Force

Most Outstanding Athlete (Women Open –Track)

Michelle-Lee Ahye, Rebirth Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Women Open–Field)

Cleopatra Borel, Rebirth Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open–Track)

Machel Cedenio, Simplex Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Men Open–Field)

Keshorn Walcott, Rebirth Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 10)

Janika Jordan, Cougars Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 10)

Tyrell Springer, Cougars Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 12)

Natasha Fox, PFNJ

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 12)

Keavon Mc Kenna, Zenith Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 14)

Patrice Richards, Neon Wolves A/C

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 14)

Ayele Joseph, Maximizing Athletic Potential

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 16 Track)

Deleth Charles, Memphis Pioneers

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 16 Field)

Safiya John, Kaizen Panthers

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 16 Field)

Tyriq Horsford, Zenith Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 16 Track)

Che Lara, Abilene Wildcats A/C

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 18 Track)

Khalifa St Fort, Unattached

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 18 Field)

Akida Briggs, Toco Titans

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 18 Track)

Akanni Hislsop, Zenith Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 18 Field)

Isaiah Taylor, Abilene Wildcats A/C

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 20 Track)

Kayelle Clarke, Petrotrin P.A.P

Most Outstanding Athlete (Girls Under 20 Field)

Portious Warren, Toco TAFAC

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 20 Track)

Aaron Lewis, Kaizen Panthers A/C

Most Outstanding Athlete (Boys Under 20 Field)

Andwuelle Wright, Rebirth A/C

Most Outstanding Distance Athlete (Women Open–Road)  

Tonya Nero, Athletic Central

Most Outstanding Distance Athlete (Men Open –Road)

Curtis Cox, Simplex Athletic Club

Most Outstanding Cross Country Athlete (Women Open)

Tonya Nero, Athletic Central

Sponsors Awards:

National Gas Company of T&T Limited

Sagicor General

Petrotrin

Blue Waters

​

Quartermiler Machel Cedenio has expressed shock having been named as the T&T Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) choice for Sportsman of the Year 2015. 

The honour was bestowed upon the 20-year-old at the 18th Annual Awards Ceremony held at the Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Port-of-Spain, on Tuesday.

The 400-metre sprint specialist left an indelible mark at the Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada, last year, at which he clinched a personal silver and then anchored T&T to a team gold in the 4x4 relay run. His team-mates then were Jarrin Solomon, Lalonde Gordon and Renny Quow.

At the Diamond League in Stockholm, gold was naturally his preferred colour when it came to precious metal in the 400m. “Sportsman of the Year 2015! It’s a dream come through,” he told the T&T Guardian.

“As a kid growing up, I would be coming to the same awards and winning the Junior Sportsman of Year Award and I would be watching. This is my first year as a senior athlete. I have transitioned from junior to a senior athlete. Now it is really amazing to make the transition being the best as a junior, (and) now I’m the best as a senior for the year. So I thank God for that. I thank the TTOC for recognising and and honouring me with the award.” he explained.

He continued: “It’s a really good feeling. My parents pushed me throughout the year and my coach Lance Brauman out in Orlando, Florida, USA. It’s a really good feeling to be here today.”  

Cedenio, the only boy of children added, “I love running the 400m. When I first started track and field my events were the 100m and 200m. I loved the 100 and 200 metres events, but for some reason those two distances did not like me because I always got injured. My coach suggested that I should try the 400. I was like 15.

Immediately, I moved to a new club - Quantum (Quantum Track and Field Academy). We tried it, but I wasn’t the best, but I was doing better. It was easier on my body because I’m tall. It’s hard for a tall guy to sprint, except for Usain Bolt. He has broken all the laws of track and field. We focused on the 400 for a couple more years and that’s why I am where I am today.” 

Cedenio, a resident of Cocoyea Village, San Fernando, showered praise on his sisters for the love and attention they continued to shower onto him and the quality advice they are always present to offer. Together with his parents Diane and Hayden, they attend all his meets locally and the’re looking forwrad to be part of the bandwagon in Rio for the Olympic Games 2016 to continue his biggest and loudest supporters.

“I really love all my sisters, who are very protective of him and very picky about my girl,” he pointed out, chuckling. Looking back at his 2015 season, the Simplex athlete revealed: “Nothing goes as planned. What obstacles are in front of you, you try to overcome them by taking life step by step. I try to get better every day. You have to learn to adjust.”

As far adversity and some of his challenges, he said: “I experienced a lot of injuries this year (2015), but I overcame them and managed to bounce back to be better than I was before. Nothing goes as planned. You just have to work around it.” He believed competing in the Pan American Games in 2015 in the 4 x 4 metres relay event proved the most challenging contest last season and declared the result as the biggest surprise after winning the gold medal.

Cedenio vividly recalled the events on that fateful day. Reliving the moment, he could see the athlete in the lead far ahead, but could hear the rallying call of the T&T supporters, too. As his countrymen sang a chorus around his name, Cedenio was spurred on to win. To this day, he was convinced that was the critical element that led the team to victory.

“It was a motivated race. It made T&T see what I am capable of and it helped me to know that my country is supporting me and to know I can do great things,” he said. 

Cedenio was happy to be home for the holidays having been engaged in intense training over the past two months at the Adidas camp in Orlando, Florida.

“Besides life, this is one of the best being named the Sportsman of the Year by the TTOC. It’s my  best Christmas gifts I could say for a while.”, he concluded.

Caribbean Prestige Foundation for the Performing Arts chairman Peter Scoon says the executive will do everything in their power to ensure the integrity of the Lotto Plus International Soca Monarch contest is preserved and the event remains free of bias and rigging of results.

“Corruption and rigging of scores must not happen under my watch and will never happen under my watch, because I don’t even want to see the results. The judging criterion is set! I am not interested in seeing the results until it comes out. That has given me a lot of confidence in the show,” Scoon told the T&T Guardian following yesterday’s draw for semi-final appearances at the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) booth at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain, where he said the producers of the celebrated contest expected the usual quality and excellence despite the fact that the results will be announced the day after the event this year.

Seventy contestants will take the Queen’s Park Savannah stage in the semi-final on January 17 from 4 pm.

Entertainer Dillon “Salty” Charles drew position number one, while Dexter “Blaxx” Stewart will take centre-stage as contestant 18. Guardian Media Limited’s Nesta “Sekon Sta” Boxill pulled position 7, while Denise “Saucy Wow” Belfon comes seven places later at 14.

When the curtain comes down on that exciting round of competition 15 premium final spots will be filled. Then all attention will turn to Fantastic Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, in Woodbrook, on February 5.

Despite the Government’s decision to reduce its investment in the competition, the first prize remains at $1 million. While last year’s Power Monarch Machel Montano will not be defending his title, Groovy Monarch Olatunji Yearwood will be entering the event.

Scoon expressed confidence that retaining the standard of Fantastic Friday could be maintained despite the agitation of a few “rabble-rousers” over the organising team’s decision to revert to a single contest, as opposed to retaining the category format.

In his view, the category option is not a solution. He gave his view on the power/groovy argument. 

“It has never been. What is the definition of groovy? Music I can groove to? So you are telling me that I can groove to something that is 140 beats per minute (bpm)? What is to stop an artiste from recording a song at 134 bpm and speeding it up to 140 (bpm) and making it a power?” he asked.

“It is not a right definition and separation for calling our music groovy and power. Nobody–not even the judges, none of the soca artistes–could tell me what it is. Everybody will give you a different answer.” 

He added, “My theory is, soca is soca. At 25 bpm, at 160 bpm, let’s judge the music. I’m only interested in the music. I don’t think there is a loss of public confidence in the programme. There are some individuals who want to stick to the status quo–who want their power and their groovy–but they are getting it in one competition, singing what you want. If ten groovy songs come in (to the final) so be it. If ten power songs come in, so be it! 

Addressing public perception that Fantastic Friday could lose its appeal with the absence of so many top-tier acts such as Montano, Ian “Bunji Garlin” Alvarez and Fay-Ann Lyons Alvarez, Scoon said, “Listen, Soca Monarch has always been a breeding ground for the building of stars. Machel has been around 30-plus years. Machel was in Soca Monarch in the early days and he bowed out. Machel came back at an opportune time and won four or five times and he bowed out to give opportunity for the younger ones to develop. We are about the development of the industry.” 

Leading entertainer Fay-Ann Lyons-Alvarez will partner with the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) to raise awareness about its 10 Golds by 2024 Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund initiative.

Lyons-Alvarez will participate in Sunday’s T&T International Marathon (TTIM), competing in the relay segment of the event alongside fellow entertainers Peter C Lewis, Devon Matthews of Red 96.7FM, as well as Hans Romany of We Sports.

Through their participation, at which TTOC president Brian Lewis will also compete, the entertainers will donate their miles and pledged donations to the cause.

The plan was announced at a media conference held at the TTOC’s Olympic House on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday where Lyons-Alvarez pledged $5,000. Lewis (Peter) matched her contribution and raised it by $1,000.

When approached to be part of the project, she said she wanted more from it than just competing in a race and having the focus die at the finish line. As a consequence, a web site was built and launched where all fitness enthusiasts could pledge the miles covered in their daily exercise routine to sustain the awareness of the TTOC campaign. Donations would then be made to the TTOC’s Scotiabank account towards ensuring this country’s champion athletes were able to keep their training regimen on track for Rio 2016 Olympics and take the world stage with the singular aim of doing this country proud.    

Lyons-Alvarez lamented that far too often projects to better the lives of citizens were being undertaken, but the public had no clue as to its existence and significance. 

She made it clear that twining her brand to the TTOC athlete welfare fund was not solely from a sport perspective, but a health perspective, too.   

Diane Henderson, chair of the TTIM, who also serves as an official on the executive of the TTOC expressed delight that Lewis (Brian) was preparing to return to the race and that the need for supporting sport did not escape Lyons-Alvarez and her entertainment friends.

“It actually opens up the door for more charitable ideas to be connected to the marathon and for all the good it can do. The relay is a new idea this year. It is really about development for a younger age. The marathon is 42 kilometres. You can run seven kilometres each,” she said.

TTOC president Lewis praised Lyons-Alvarez’s decision to participate in the event for the expressed purpose to heighten awareness of the public’s need to support the country’s elite athletes and their aspirations.

“In many ways, how Fay-Ann lives her life is representative of Olympism in the sense of being independent thinking, be it in terms of discipline, in terms of bringing body, will and mind together. Music, culture, is a critical part of Olympism. Athletes use music for motivation. Regardless of which sport it is, athletes either have ear buds or speakers and what they are doing is using music to motivate them. So music goes hand in hand with excellence and achievement. Fay-Ann has achieved success and like all people who strive to be successful, do not always please everybody, but her passion for sport goes way back,” he declared. 

Lewis continued: “In the past, she has participated in half marathons aligned to women’s issues. This time she has decided to join with Peter (Lewis) and his team in making a contribution to the athletes and the aspirations of ten or more gold medals by the year 2024. 

“One thing that I am very clear about (is) Fay-Ann understands the struggles that one has to undergo in trying to be the best that you can be and represent the country at the same time. Our athletes, especially those at the elite and Olympic level, have struggled. They were struggling before it was US$33 a barrel for oil, because most people in the society pay lip service to supporting them. Demands placed on our athletes whether they are amateur or professional are enormous. 

“Further, representing a small-island state, like T&T, there is a greater burden of expectation. The cost of failure for them is enormous and that is not equated by the support that they receive,” he said.

Members of Eastern Credit Union (ECU) on Monday chastised the financial institution’s board of directors, led by Wayne Estrada, claiming their public squabbles are embarrassing the organisation and threatening its stability.

At a special meeting at the credit union’s La Joya Complex headquarters, St Joseph, shareholders voiced frustration at the manner in which ECU’s affairs are being managed and told the directors to deal with the issues now tarnishing the image of the institution. 

Tensions at the board level of ECU reached boiling point last November when a special meeting was called to remove Alana Blackman as president, citing a reported lack of confidence in her leadership. Directors voted to have Estrada replace her until the annual general meeting in March.

Blackman’s leadership came into question over allegations of impropriety in the award of contracts by EPL Properties Ltd, a subsidiary of the credit union, for a real estate development at Las Viviendas, Valencia. The 16 acres of land was sold to ECU for $5 million two years ago. 

At Monday’s meeting the membership held the view that matters relating to the purchase did not point to any deception by the board but discretionary allowances in making the best decision, based on information in hand.

Since then a new drama has unfolded which caused director Harvey Borris to direct his attorney to issue a pre-action protocol letter against Estrada and the remaining ECU directors for alleged slander.

Shareholders called on Borris to withdraw the legal action and serve out his term as a director in the interest of stakeholders. Estrada, however, told the meeting that despite their calls for conciliation Borris’ actions made it impossible for them to work as a team.