Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

The International Cricket Council, the world governing body for cricket, will be presented this week with recommendations from a committee led by Lord Woolf on how to reform the way it does business both on and off the pitch.

I welcome this review as long overdue, and was more than happy to contribute some of my experience, as both a former Test player and head of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board, to a submission made by Transparency International to the ICC review committee.

Cricket faces a number of obvious challenges — such as combatting the kind of spot-fixing that led to the sentencing of three Pakistani cricketers for corruption in 2011 — and those who manage the game must look at their existing structures.

Sport today is a multi-billion dollar business. Today’s sports governing bodies have to start operating as big businesses, using best business practices. The International Olympic Committee has already gone through a reform process; other international sporting bodies must too.

One of the key points we stressed in our submission is that while the players are the ones who face greatest public scrutiny, it is the administrators, both at the international and national level, who set the infrastructure and environment in which players and match officials operate. And this must be transparent and accountable.

We made a total of 20 recommendations to Lord Woolf but I’d like to highlight just a couple here.

First the ICC should conduct an independent risk assessment of the corruption risks facing cricket today, including the mushrooming of new types of tournaments and the emergence of franchise and syndicate ownership of teams, and determine what impact these risks have on the integrity and reputation of the game.

Sport, as we all know, is a key avenue for engaging and influencing young people. Corruption linked to sport, therefore, has tremendous repercussions. We recommend that the ICC ensure adequate anti-corruption training for players and officials. Prevention would be far more desirable than the kind of medicine meted out to the young Pakistani players who are likely to spend many months behind bars.

Secondly, the ICC should introduce best-practice policies in all areas of its internal procedures — from how it handles whistleblowers and conflicts of interest to the way it elects its officials. It should produce a detailed code of ethics that spells out what ethical conduct means in practice and it should set and enforce governance standards, both at its headquarters and in the cricket boards of member countries.

This is not a matter of reinventing the wheel, but it does require tremendous will and commitment.

At Transparency International we publish all-purpose guidelines on how to counter corruption in business and we adapted these when we submitted our recommendations to FIFA, football’s world governing body.

The ICC is a traditional body where the power lies in the hands of the 10 full member countries, but naturally some are more influential, and therefore, the cricketing superpowers must exert their leadership to fast-track this review process in order to put reforms into practice.

Change is always difficult, especially if it threatens established power bases. The ICC is to be commended for initiating this review process. It is the first international sports organisation to seek the input of its various stakeholders.

In a world where the cricketing fan base is growing, it is imperative that the sport’s governing body ensure the integrity of the game. I look forward to seeing what Lord Woolf’s review produces. To simply maintain the status quo would be, well, just not cricket.

-Deryck Murray

Source: www.blog.transparency.org

With the London Olympics less than six months away Tonya Nero is seeking to create history by becoming the first local female marathon runner to compete at the quadrennial global sporting show piece. Nero has her eyes set on the 26.2 mile event in the English capital and will have to run under the 2 hour 43 minute B standard to be among the starters for the August 5 event. Nero made her debut in the marathon event clocking 3 hours 4 minutes and nine seconds at the White Rock event in Dallas, USA on December 4. She was well off the Olympic qualifying mark but speaking to the Trinidad Guardian, the 2011 NCAA Division 10,000 finalist said the cold and rainy conditions on the day of the White Rock was not suitable for such a long race: “It was impossible to generate body heat. My muscles cramped and I got hypothermia.” The Marathon is the latest event the Wichita student has added her list. Nero holds national records in the half marathon (1 hour 15 minutes 42 seconds), 10,000 (33 minutes 11 minutes 14 second),  5000m-outdoor (16:16:17), 5000-indoor (16:26:42) and 3,000-indoor (9:30:10). Nero opted to turn professional following seventh place finish in the 2011 NCAA 10K track race: “I always wanted to keep running for a lifetime, so the idea came to me while I was in college. Seeing that my times improved and that my coaches always encouraged me to keep going, I decided to continue after college.”

The Maracas runner now competes under the Empire Athletics Management team. Nero made her post-collegiate career last September with a second place finish in the Miles for Meso 5K in Alton, Illinois clocking 16 minutes 20 seconds. The 23-year-old still remains unsponsored as she has not been able to obtain a contract with the established shoe companies. “I am not a sponsored athlete but I have an agent. She would contact race managers and help me get into competitions with support for travel, hotels, and race entry fees. Otherwise, I offset on my own cost,” she said. Despite the challenges, Nero is focused on making the T&T team to London: “My main plan is to continue striving to qualify for the 2012 Olympics. I am going to take another try at a marathon. If I do not make it, then I will continue working hard towards the 2016 Olympics.” The Biological Science major is looking to next marathon in March or April. “I would like to do some races on the track along with road races. It is always good to get in something different.” On reflecting on the 2011 year where she was seventh in the women’s 10,000 at the NCAA Division One Championships and set numerous national records, Nero credits God for her achievement: “God is the number one person who is responsible for my success because I know that I can’t do anything without him. It is always great to know that He has a great plan for my life and that he wants me to use and be successful with the talents that He has given me so that I can give him all the glory.”

She added that her family has pivotal in all her undertakings: “My family has also been instrumental to my success because of all the support that they give. It feels great to have parents who did the same sport so they can give me a lot of advice. “Moreover, since I started college, I have had a line of great coaches who were always enthusiastic about running and always supporting my goals.” She singles out her mother Crelene as her inspiration: “I admire my mother everyday because I always look up to her and want to be like her. In my eyes, she is a hero and it makes me happy today to see that she continues to be her at her best.” Nero began her 2012 season with a double win at the Herm Wilson Indoor Classic in Kansas, where women’s mile (4:51:01) and 3,000m (10:11:70) races on January 14. In her stellar 2011 the former ASJA Girls student was named the top Cross Country of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference. She also copped the Dr Charlotte West Scholar-Athlete Award in the Conference. Nero is the daughter of Anthony and Crelene. Her lone sister Scarla is also a student at Wichita University. Her brother Sandino was a national athlete.

-Clayton Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

January 31 - Australian rugby sevens head coach Michael O'Connor has claimed that the lucrative new sponsorship deal between his team and Qantas will help the country be serious medal contenders in the sport at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced back in 2009 that the sport would appear on the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 in a move that has led to many countries setting up full-time programmes in the hunt for Olympic gold.

The semi-professional Australian rugby sevens team has historically relied largely on modest Government and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) funding, while the sport has acted as a pathway programme for individuals to move on to Super Rugby, the largest and professional rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere, or the National Rugby League (NRL), the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia.

But O'Connor, a former rugby league and union player who represented Australia in both, feels that the new Qantas sponsorship deal will mark a change in the system to stop talented young rugby sevens players moving on to play for Super Rugby or the NRL team as the extra money will allow him to sign young athletes to long-term deals.

"If we are to become a serious medal contender for the Olympics in 2016, we have to try and hold on to players and be able to compete with what they'd get if they went and played Super XV," said the 51-year-old from New South Wales.

"This sponsorship is a great help.

"We are very much dependent on young kids coming through and we have developed a lot over the last few years, but ultimately if they're good, they get picked up by Super sides."

The sponsorship deal is the latest partnership signed by Qantas this month after the Australian airline became the title sponsor of the Australian Athletics Tour, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Challenge accredited Melbourne Track Classic and the official airline for Athletics Australia.

By Tom Degun

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

Trinidad and Tobago athletes Marc Burns and Ayanna Alexander were in winners' row in the United States, on the weekend.

At the Clemson Invitational indoor meet, in South Carolina, Burns was a comfortable winner of the men's 60 metres dash, the 2008 Olympic Games sprint relay silver medallist getting to the line in 6.71 seconds. In the preliminary round, he had clocked 6.76.

Burns' best run this season is 6.64 seconds, produced in his fifth-place finish at the Auburn Invitational in Alabama, two weekends ago.

At the Patriot Games, in Virginia, Alexander topped the women's triple jump field with a 13.68 metres effort.

Alexander opened the competition with a 13.34m jump. She improved to 13.50m in the second round, but fouled her third attempt. In round four, however, Alexander produced the 13.68m effort.

The 29-year-old athlete followed up with a 13.62m jump, before passing in the sixth and final round.

The victory was Alexander's third in as many indoor meets this season. In her opener, at the Father Diamond Invitational in Virginia, she jumped 13.36m. And two weekends ago, at the Hokie Invitational, also in Virginia, the 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist produced a 13.43m effort.

In Wisconsin, Chris Hercules jumped 7.47m to cop fourth spot in the Tadd Metzger Invitational men's long jump. On December 3, Hercules opened his indoor season with victory in the men's triple jump, at the Early Bird Invite, in Illinois. He jumped 15.37m.

In outdoor action, T&T's Ayanna Hutchinson clocked 24.42 seconds to finish third in section two and ninth overall in the Queen's/Grace Jackson Track Meet women's 200m event, at the National Stadium in Jamaica.

Another T&T sprinter, Emmanuel Callender, was 13th in the men's 400m in 49.03 seconds.

-Kwame Laurence

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Harvard Club has always been in the vanguard of change and the fostering of a spirit of self-sufficiency. It’s a club where dependency and self-pity will not flourish. Since its establishment in 1943, Harvard has taken great pride in a mission and vision that went far beyond mere participating in sporting activities.  Even though staying on such a course has been a challenge at every turn and historic juncture, Harvard has responded positively—not always with the unanimous agreement of its members—as  action was always deemed a much better option than ole talk. Last Saturday, the younger generation of the club members got together to put on a fete aimed at raising funds for all the club’s disciplines. Ably supported by the club’s elders, it was a display of the old maxims—“in unity there is strength” and “nothing ventured, nothing gained.” This Saturday, Harvard will again reach out by supporting the T&T Rugby Football Union (TTRFU) fete aimed at raising funds for the national team’s preparation, participation and the creation of a medical fund for national rugby players who get injured while on national duty. Feteing for a cause and more specifically for the cause of sport—that’s the Harvard way. It’s easy to jump ship and give up in abject frustration because say what you will—anyone involved in sport will tell you—frustration is always knocking on the door.

How much of it can be put down to sport organisations themselves being their own worse enemy will always be a bone of contention. But one cannot help but wonder why more clubs and organisations involved in sport don’t fete for the cause of sport. Trinis love to party. One would think that feteing for sport is a no brainer. In the old days some of the best and well attended parties in the land were thrown by clubs involved in sport. Those days seem long gone. Sometime in the 90s Mary Sui Butt and Roy Maraj, pitched an idea to have a fete for sport—the concept was called Sport Aid. The idea met with little support from stakeholders in sport who preferred to fail alone by doing nothing while waiting expectantly on Father Christmas. It seemed then that those involved in the running of sport and those who play sport, much prefer to attend and support non sport related ventures. What’s the reason? Too much work? Fear of failing? Who knows the answer?

Let your imagination run wild for a moment. Picture all the national sport organisations coming together to support a fete aimed at putting all the profit into a fund for sport. But Mary Sui Butt will tell you we went down that road before. Sports people weren’t ready then and the sad thing is—they still aren’t ready now. There is a reason why there is so much lacking in the society.  It’s a belief system that says there is not enough to go around. At some time we must accept that fighting over the same piece of pie only provides crumbs. That point leads us right back to where we began. Feteing for a cause—feteing for sport. There are other ways by which sport clubs and organisations can raise funds. Feteing is only one such option. What is needed is a change in attitude—shed the dependency and “gimme gimme” way of thinking and behaving. Harvard Club and the other organisations that continue to encourage its members to take the fund raising bull by the horns are on the right track. It’s a culture, attitude and way of being that the young sportsmen and women must be encouraged to adopt.

-Brian Lewis

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

SPRINTER KELLY-ANN Baptiste, cyclist Njisane Phillip and cricketer Ravi Rampaul are among 49 nominees vying for the respective 2011 First Citizens Sports Foundation Sports Awards.

The 50th annual ceremony, under the patronage of President George Maxwell Richards, will be staged on February 8 at the Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.

Baptiste was one of Trinidad and Tobago’s shining lights in the sporting arena, in 2011, having claimed a bronze medal at the IAAF World Championships in Daegu, South Korea in the women’s 100 metres, with a time of 10.98 seconds.

Phillip copped bronze at two major meets — in the men’s match sprint event at the Pan American Cycling Championships in Medellin, Colombia, and the flying 200-metres in a record time of 9.977 seconds at the Pan Am Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Rampaul established himself as a key fast bowler for both the West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago. For the West Indies, Rampaul was a key performer during the ICC World Cup and international series against Pakistan (at home), Bangladesh (away) and India (both home and away) while, for TT, he took vital wickets at the Caribbean T20 Tournament and the Nokia Champions League in India.

In last year’s award ceremony at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port-of-Spain, shooter Roger Daniel and shot-putter Cleopatra Borel-Brown emerged victorious. Daniel is also vying for the 2011 Sportsman of the Year award, having been nominated yet again by the Trinidad Rifle Association, while former Sportsman winner and Olympic bronze medallist George Bovell III was selected by the Amateur Swimming Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ASATT).

There will be two other awards on offer - the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award for the best sporting administration and the Lystra Lewis Award for the Team of the Year.

In addition, there will be the WOW moments, for the third successive year, which highlights the Top 10 Performances for 2011.

Nominees —

Amateur Boxing: Andrew Fermin (male) and Ria Ramnarine (female); Archery: George Vire (male); Athletics: Rondel Sorrillo (male) and Kelly Ann Baptiste (female); Automobile Sports: Sheldon Bissessar (male); Badminton: Rahul Rampersad (male) and Virginia Balwant (female); Body-building: Neal Bonaparte (male) and Tamara Ribiero-Bailey (female); Canoeing/kayaking: Ryan Mendes (male) and Nina Chaves (female); Chess: Ryan Harper (male) and Aditi Soondarsingh (female); Cricket: Ravi Rampaul (male) and Anisa Mohammed (female); Cycling: Njisane Phillip (male); Field Hockey: Kwandwane Browne (male) and Kristin Thompson (female); Football: Kevin Molino (male) and Karyn Forbes (female); Golf: Talin Rajendranath (male) and Monifa Sealy (female); Gymnastics: William Albert (male) and Thema Williams (female); Horse Racing: Brian Boodramsingh (male); Karate: Kwame Kinsale (male) and Janelle Alexander (female); Netball: Crystal Ann George (female); Powerlifting: Kerron Commissiong (male) and Cheryl Abraham (female); Rally: Latiff Khan (male); Rugby: Wayne Kelly (male) and Juliana Straker (female); Sailing: Andrew Lewis (male); Shooting: Roger Daniel (male); Squash: Colin Ramasra (male) and Rhea Khan (female); Swimming: George Bovell III (male) and Samantha Rahael (female); Table-tennis: Dexter St Louis (male) and Rheann Chung (female); Taekwondo: Lenn Hypolite (male) and Katherine Lee-A-Ping (female); Tennis: Yohansey Williams (male) and Breana Stampfli (female); Triathlon: Ancil Greene (male); Volleyball: Saleem Ali (male) and Krystle Esdelle (female).

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

By JOEL BAILEY

The road to Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 in France will begin with this year’s RBS Women's 6 Nations, kicking off an expanded qualification process that will involve more teams than ever before, Rugby World Cup Limited has announced.

Following the resounding success of the acclaimed 2010 tournament in England, teams from Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania will participate in the qualification process for WRWC 2014.

The announcement is a major development for the tournament which has grown from an invitational event to one with an ever-growing qualification process and record broadcast and attendance figures.

England 2010 captured the imagination of fans in the UK and across the world owing to the high level of competition and the newly-designed qualification process will feature the leading existing regional women’s tournaments from around the globe to ensure that the world’s best teams are represented at the showcase event.

There are six automatic qualifiers for WRWC 2014: Reigning world champions New Zealand, 2010 runners up England, 2010 bronze medallists Australia, 2014 hosts France and USA and Canada by virtue of their top six placing at WRWC 2010.

The RBS Women’s 6 Nations will kick start the global qualification process when Ireland take on Wales on February 3. The process will bridge both the 2012 and 2013 championships with the two highest placed teams on aggregate (outside of automatic qualifiers England and France) securing places at France 2014. The two other teams from the Women’s 6 Nations, plus the highest ranked teams in Europe will be joined by a team from Oceania in a Women’s Rugby World Cup qualification tournament in 2013.

Reflecting the significant growth of Women’s Rugby in Africa, the continent will host a qualification tournament for the first time with the burgeoning Elgon Cup in 2013 used to determine the play-off opponent for South Africa, who have played in the past two Women's Rugby World Cups.

“These are exciting times for Women’s Rugby and Women’s Rugby World Cup is the premier event in the Women’s Game, providing the platform for growing the sport across the world and building on the record broadcast and attendances we saw in London two years ago,” said Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

“As we look to France 2014, the qualification process will ensure the very best teams from across the world will meet in Paris, and we have created an opportunity for more teams than ever before to achieve their Rugby World Cup dream.”

The expanded qualification process underscores the commitment of the IRB to grow global participation and achieve greater competitiveness as set out in the recently launched IRB Women’s Rugby Plan.

IRB Women’s Development Manager Susan Carty said: “With over 200,000 registered women currently playing the Game in over 100 countries around the world, the qualification process reflects the significant and sustained growth we have experienced in recent years in the Women’s Game.”

“We now have an improved tournament structure around the world which reflects the appetite for high level elite competition amongst traditional and emerging nations and we have incorporated these existing competitions, wherever possible, into the qualification process in line with the IRB Women’s Rugby Plan.

Source: http://www.rwcwomens.com

"Seeing the accomplishments of Denesh Ramdin and the rest of the team (there) was a level of pride and excitement that I've never experienced before."

Watching the team he led as recently as three months ago on TV did not diminish Daren Ganga's appreciation for what Trinidad and Tobago achieved at the 2012 Caribbean T20 tournament, which ended on Sunday in Barbados.

"Here it was, I was in a position taking in a bird's-eye view of everything we have built and every system we have put in place in T20 cricket, and to see a structure work and to see the dominance of our style of play and the manner in which we play Twenty/20 cricket proves to me that all the standards we set ourselves really and truly have given us the benchmark that is comparable to world standards," Ganga told the Express yesterday.

"All credit must go to the players, the captain, the technical team for being able to execute, which is the most critical thing in any cricket match. It was the first time I've experienced that feeling (from the outside) and it brought a certain level of pride to me as a player."
T&T, under Ramdin, retained their title–won in 2011 under Ganga–with a comprehensive 63-run victory over Jamaica in the final at Kensington Oval.

Ganga, whose resignation from the captaincy after nine years was belatedly shrouded in controversy, was not a part of the national squad for the tournament played in Antigua/Barbuda and Barbados.

Asked if he felt any regret as he watched the team lift the trophy, Ganga replied: "Obviously, every single Trinidad and Tobago player would love to be there at the end lifting a trophy for Trinidad and Tobago...it's a natural part of every sports person to want to receive that glory. But, at the same time, I recognised that I had my limitations because of my injury and it was important for Trinidad and Tobago to have other players continue all the systems we have built."

Since the end of the Champions League campaign in India last October, Ganga has been suffering with a back complaint that has seen him visit two specialists.

He has been cleared of serious injury by the doctors and said: "For the last week or so since I came back from my responsibilities as a sports ambassador in India, I've been batting in the nets, I've been taking my occasional jogs and working within a pain-free limitation."
He is expected to get a final word on playing again today.

Ganga has not been included in any of the national trial matches in preparation for the start of the Regional Four-Day competition, which begins next Friday.

However, he said: "The long and short of it is we are waiting on Dr (Anil) Gopeesingh and his recommendations and the chairman (of TTCB selectors, Dudnath Ramkessoon) has indicated his willingness to include me in preparation and training for the new season. Only time and fitness is going to determine my participation."

The ex-skipper again stated his desire to keep playing for T&T.

"I've always told myself that before I end playing cricket, rather than lead, I would love to contribute as a player and support the next leader of Trinidad and Tobago's cricket and that is exactly what I want to do."

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com

By Garth Wattley

The third fastest Trinidad and Tobago sprinter in history is facing serious financial challenges as he prepares for the July 27-August 4 Olympic Games, in London, England.

Keston Bledman, who jumped to number three on the all-time T&T men's 100 metres performance list with a 9.93 seconds scorcher last June, has not yet received his elite athlete funding cheque.

Florida-based athlete told the Express, yesterday, that in addition to rent, he needs money to pay for massages and purchase vitamins.

"By next week or so, I would have to come home," a dejected Bledman explained.
But Ashwin Creed, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport, has promised that Bledman will receive a $200,000 cheque very soon.

"We're dealing with the applications as they come in," the PS explained. "Bledman will get his funding in the next release of funds, at the end of next week."

Bledman enjoyed a successful 2011 campaign. The highpoint came in mid-July, at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Championships, in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, where he struck gold in the 100m dash in 10.05 seconds.

In late August, at the World Championships in Daegu, Korea, Bledman missed out on a lane in the final by the narrowest of margins--less than one-hundredth of a second.

The 23-year-old sprinter was fifth in the first of three semi-final heats, in 10.14 seconds. Antiguan Daniel Bailey finished fourth in that heat, also in 10.14, qualifying for the championship race as the second of two "fastest losers".

Bledman said he is aware that fellow T&T sprinters Emmanuel Callender, Marc Burns and Aaron Armstrong have received funding.

"The only person I expected to get (funding) before me was (Rondel) Sorrillo, because he reached the 200 final at Worlds."

But Bledman, who started his Olympic preparations in November, said he is not begrudging his fellow sprinters. The 2008 Olympic Games 4x100m silver medallist just wants to be well-equipped for the London 2012 challenge.

"We have to put in to put out, and without the funding we cannot perform to the best of our ability."

Bledman called off his 2011 campaign after the World Championships. He skipped the Pan American Games, which were staged in Guadalajara, Mexico in October, opting instead to get some much needed rest.

"By that time I was very tired, so I could not go to Pan Am. Plus, I had a small calf injury, which I did not want to risk at Pam Am because of the Olympics this year."

Source: http://www.trinidadexpress.com

By Kwame Laurence

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has requested the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) provide information on the status of president Suresh Kalmadi following his release from prison last week.

After serving a nine-month sentence Kalmadi was released on bail having been arrested in April 2011 on charges of inflating tenders worth millions of dollars for equipment used at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. While Kalmadi has been suspended from India’s ruling Congress party he is still listed as IOA president – a matter the IOC is keen to clear up.

“The IOC sent a letter to the IOA asking for a full and official report on the exact current situation of Mr Kalmadi before the courts of justice,” an IOC official said, according to Reuters. “The IOC asked the IOA to ensure the respect of the principles and rules of the IOC Code of Ethics and to preserve the reputation of the Olympic Movement in India. The IOC also indicated that it will prepare a report for its next Executive Board meeting based on the answers that the IOA provides.”

A state auditor report last year slammed preparations for the 2010 Games and criticised organisers and legislators for a lack of due diligence ahead of the event. The Comptroller and Auditor General report, presented to the Indian parliament, revealed that the final cost of the Games was 16 times the original estimate of US$270 million. Auditors also stated that the organising committee was “deeply flawed, riddled with favouritism and bias” and added that “appropriate due diligence was conspicuously absent at all levels”. According to the report, the Games cost $4.1 billion to organise while the revenue generated from the event was only $38 million.

Kalmadi served as head of the organising committee for Delhi 2010 before falling foul of the corruption allegations. Speaking on Tuesday, India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken stated that Kalmadi should immediately step down from his position at the IOA. “Anyone facing charges as serious as that of corruption should not head the Indian Olympic Association,” Maken told CNN-IBN. “So, any such person as Suresh Kalmadi, I think in the best interest of Indian sports, should resign from the presidency.” The IOC’s next Executive Board meeting is scheduled to take place in Lausanne, Switzerland on March 13-14.

Source: http://www.sportbusiness.com

Multiple offers in excess of US$1 billion have been tabled in the initial round of bidding in the auction for Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to a report.

The Wall Street Journal, citing bankers handling the sale of the iconic franchise, reported that those submitting bids by Monday's deadline included media investor Leo Hindery and financier Marc Utay. A separate joint bid by developer Rick Caruso and former Dodgers manager Joe Torre, along with one that includes former Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten and former Los Angeles Lakers National Basketball Association star Magic Johnson, is also in the mix, according to the newspaper.

Intriguingly, Stan Kroenke, who owns the National Football League's St Louis Rams, the NBA's Denver Nuggets, the National Hockey League's Colorado Avalanche, Arsenal of the English Premier League and Major League Soccer's Colorado Rapids, is also reported to be in the running, according to the Los Angeles Times. The Dodgers were put up for sale by owner Frank McCourt in November, five months after the team filed for bankruptcy.

Initial bids for the team were due to be filed by Monday with the Blackstone Group, McCourt's investment banker. However, any further interest that emerges during this preliminary stage is likely to be considered as long as it receives the approval of the League. An agreement between McCourt and MLB means the team has to be sold by April 30, with experts predicting the sale is likely to exceed the record $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.

More than 20 individuals, who make up more than a dozen bidding groups, have signed non-disclosure agreements with Blackstone Group. It is not known at this stage whether the Dodgers' local broadcast rights partner Fox, which was linked with an investment, has entered the auction or is backing another bidder.

Blackstone will now analyse the bids before forwarding a shortlist to the League. According to a disclosure statement filed on Friday with the team's reorganisation plan in the bankruptcy court, the Dodgers are $573 million in debt. However, the successful bidder will be able to negotiate a lucrative new broadcast agreement later this year, when the Dodgers' deal with Fox expires.

Source: http://www.sportbusiness.com

January 23, 2012

BP today signed agreements with Trinidad and Tobago’s National Olympic Committee and National Paralympic Committee to support the country’s national teams in their preparation for the London 2012 Games and beyond. This happens in an immense year of national pride for Trinidad and Tobago – its 50th year of Independence.    

A signing ceremony was hosted at the BP Trinidad and Tobago hospitality suite at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, where invitees learned about BP’s decision to sign on as official partner of the Trinidad and Tobago National Olympic Committee and the Trinidad and Tobago National Paralympic Committee.  During the event, BP also announced plans to identify Athlete Ambassadors for the London 2012 Games.

Addressing the audience at the signing event, Norman Christie, BP’s Regional President for Trinidad and Tobago, said: “In 2008, the BP group signed on as the official Oil and Gas sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. In line with the Group’s commitment to the Games, BPTT is excited about the opportunity to support our national Olympic and Paralympic teams and to showcase their talent and journey to these historic events. This partnership will also raise the understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic values which can engender a greater sense of responsibility and nationalism in the youth of the nation. I look forward to watching as our athletes progress towards their Olympic and Paralympic goals and to celebrating their achievements when they come home after a successful London 2012 Games.”

Larry Romany, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee said: “BP Trinidad and Tobago has a long history of community involvement and we are pleased they are now assisting in the support for our Olympic athletes as they prepare for London 2012 Games and beyond.”

At the signing ceremony, Kenneth McKell, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee, said: “We are excited to work with BP and to see their London 2012 campaign featuring our Paralympic athletes. This partnership is particularly meaningful to the T&T Paralympic athletes as it will lead to increased awareness from members of our society and in turn greater understanding, admiration and support for our athletes. This will ultimately help inspire others to get involved in sports and in their community.”

BPTT is currently working on a national campaign to highlight our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, share the stories of their journey to the Games and rally the country around our teams as they continue to prepare for London 2012.

Notes to editors:

BP Trinidad and Tobago Facts:

Operations
•    Type of license: Exploration and Production (Tax & Royalty regime for operating fields)
•    Area of operation: 904,000 acres off Trinidad’s east coast. Once the two deepwater PSC’s are completed this will effectively double the acreage
•    Facilities: 13 offshore platforms and two onshore processing facility

Contribution to the local economy
•    Contribution to T&T national hydrocarbon production: Approx. 55%
•    Production: average of 450,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day: National Gas Company (40%) and Atlantic LNG (60%).
•    Contribution to Government Revenue: 25%
•    Employment: Approx. 800 employees

Industry
•    Midstream and Downstream ownership: ALNG holdings: Train 1 - 34%, Train 2/3 - 42.5%, Train 4 - 37.78%; and Powergen- 10%
•    Initiation of Local Fabrication Industry: BPTT’s Cannonball, Mango, Cashima, Savonette and Serette platforms were built locally in Trinidad and Tobago over the last seven years. BPTT was instrumental in establishing the local platform design and fabrication industry.

Background on BP involvement with London 2012
•    BP is the Official Oil and Gas Partner for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, providing advanced fuels and lubricants for the 4,000 official Games vehicles, LPG for catering and car washing facilities.
•    As a Sustainability Partner and the Official Carbon Offsetting Partner with Target Neutral (www.targetneutral.co.uk) BP will contribute to a lower carbon Games.    
•    As a Premier Partner of the Cultural Olympiad, BP is building on its longstanding support of arts and culture in the UK, and providing millions of people with an opportunity to get involved in the build-up to the Games. The programmes that BP supports and which are part of the Cultural Olympiad include:
o    London 2012 Open Weekend: a yearly countdown celebration to the London 2012 Games.  So far, over a million people have visited Open Weekend events across the UK, an opportunity for the public to try something new in arts and culture.  http://www.london2012.com/get-involved/open-weekend/
o    Tate Movie Project: the first of its kind - an animated film made by and for children.  With the talents of Aardman, the Tate Movie project aims to inspire 5 – 13 year olds across the UK to engage with and contribute ideas for the making of an animated movie. http://www.tatemovie.co.uk
o    BP Portrait Awards: Next Generation: Inspired by London 2012, this project encourages young people between the ages of 14-19 to increase their involvement with portraiture.  Participants attend workshops and have the opportunity to meet and work with practising artists who have exhibited at the BP Portrait Awards. http://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/bp-portrait-award-2010/bp-portrait-award-next-generation3.php
o    The Olympic Journey: The Story of the Games: A BP collaboration with the Royal Opera House and The Olympic Museum in Lausanne.  The exhibition will be created and staged at the Royal Opera House for the duration of the Olympic Games next summer from 27 July to 12 August 2012. It will include unique artefacts, graphics, film and audio from The Olympic Museum in Lausanne being shown in London for the very first time, and promises to be a highlight of the London 2012 Festival, the finale of the Cultural Olympiad. http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7068860
o    London 1612: Shakespeare's Theatre of the World, will open at the British Museum in the run-up to the London 2012 Games.  It will be supported by BP and will explore the role of the capital as an emerging international city 400 years ago, interpreted through Shakespeare’s plays
o    BP is supporting the Young Leaders Programme.  In bidding for the 2012 Games, London 2012 made a commitment to deliver a project to support 100 young people on an intensive personal development programme. The aim was for them to play a significant role in the delivery of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  The London 2012 Young Leaders Programme (YLP), supported by BP, is designed to give a group of disadvantaged young people the chance to make positive change to their lives. This will be achieved by participation in a number of remarkable volunteering opportunities between April 2010 and the end of the Games in September 2012. http://www.london2012.com/youngleaders
o    BP is also inspiring young people through the Enterprise Trading Game and Roadshow.  The Game is a work-related learning game that offers students the opportunity to put enterprise, maths and business skills into action through an exciting simulation of real-life oil trading.  The Roadshow is a one-day schools roadshow focusing on maths and enterprise, delivered in all areas of the UK by the time of the Olympic Games in 2012. http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9036379&contentId=7067216
o    BP in London is supporting 6 outstanding British athletes as they prepare for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games: Jessica Ennis; Lizzie Amitstead; Shelly Woods; Richard Whitehead; Stef Reid and William Sharman.  BP will be helping them to reduce their carbon footprint as they prepare for the Games using the Target Neutral framework of Reduce-Replace-Neutralise.  To find out more about BP’s athletes, go to www.bp.com/london2012

Further information please contact:
BPTT Communications and External Affairs at 868 623 2862

– ENDS –

When Hackney RFC was approached by Tour Aid to host a young rugby prospect from Trinidad & Tobago no one could have predicted just how well things would work out.

On November 10th last year Agboola 'Jack' Silverthorn was preparing to travel to the UK when his existing plans fell through. Silverthorn's family and community had raised the money for his flights (costing more than the average annual wage in his home town of Marabella) and this now looked like being wasted, with his departure scheduled just 10 days later. An SOS was sent out by Andy Berry of TourAid, and Iain Richards, of Skrum, immediately contacted Hackney RFC, one of that charities established fundraising partners.

Morgan Whitlock, Hackney RFC's Sponsorship Officer and Women's Coach immediately canvassed it's membership, hoping to be able to find enough hosts to put Silverthorn up until January. Within hours Whitlock had received more offers of spare rooms and sofas than he could use, and Silervthorn was on his way to London.

Silverhtorn is one of Trinidad & Tobago's brightest young rugby prospects. After captaining the U19 T&T representative side at the Caribbean Championships in 2011, Silverthorn went on to make his senior debut for the national 7s side at the North American and Caribbean Championships. The side finished as plate winners. Since arriving in London he's made a huge impact. Welcomed by the players and coaches of Hackney RFC, Silverthorn has quickly shown the elusive running skills you'd expect of a 7s specialist, scoring twice in 3 games. But more than that, his humble and respectful attitude has quickly established him as a firm favourite with players and coaches alike.

Fred Pentecost, Hackeny RFC Coaching Coordinator said: "Jack is a credit to his family, not just because he has an outstanding talent for rugby but also has a moral standard that is to be envied. Jack brings a little bit of Trinidadian sunshine with him wherever he goes. I’m certain that he will achieve great recognition in the future and I shall be looking out for his name at the 2016 Olympics."

Working with Helen Clayton at Premiership Rugby, James Cooper at the RFU, Andy Berry at TourAid and Iain Richards at Skrum, Hackney RFC has organised sessions training with and observing some of the countries top rugby sides. Silverthorn has impressed London Irish and Sale whilst training with their Academy, seen first hand the energy and positivity underpinning Harlequins surge to the top of the table, spent time with Rosslyn Park, who sit top of National league 1 and will soon be heading in to London Wasps. Mark Lees at EAM Consulting is helping make these future trips possible, funding Silverhtorn's travel.

Silervthorn has also spent a lot of time with the Hitz Project, volunteering with the team working in Hackney & Islington as they offer free coaching sessions to some of the cities young people.

And just last week his time in the UK seems to have paid off. The Trinidad & Tobago RFU announced that Silverthorn had been included in the Senior squad for their upcoming qualifying games for the 2015 World Cup. In fact his time here has been such a success that he'll now be staying with Hackney until April.

Everyone involved is hoping Silverthorn's time here can help him develop as a player and go on to represent his country with distinction, both in their international fixtures and at future Olympic Games. It's also hoped that this success will let Jack serve as a role model to other young people in Marabella, letting them know that gangs and crime aren't the only way you can achieve something.

Andy Berry, CEO of Tour Aid, said: "It has been incredible to see Hackney RFC's response, and the way in which the club has embraced this young lad and given him the opportunity to develop as a young man and as a player. The relationship between the club, its' community and Trinidad and Tobago will grow over time. We would love to the hear from other clubs, who like Hackney and Wilmslow, would like to change lives."

I am a bacchanalist. This is the house of bacchanal. Just you watch me… I love bacchanal.  Bacchanal… Bacchanal…You will have to be living on another planet to not know that Mr Bacchanal and the Antilles Riddim are in heavy rotation on the airwaves and ruling things for Carnival 2012. Infectious it certainly is. Bacchanal… Bacchanal… Bacchanal… The bacchanal vibes can’t done. Its origin dates back to ancient Greece, antiquity and Greek mythology. Dionysus or Bacchus as the Romans called him is the God of wine, theatre and ecstasy. According to Greek mythology, he symbolises everything that is chaotic, dangerous and unexpected. Bacchanalian rites were steeped, allegedly, in all kinds of political conspiracies—nothing was regarded as impious and criminal. Bacchanalian behaviour and bacchanalism is therefore associated with crapulence, capriciousness, intemperance and overindulgence. Bacchanalian as much as it may be enjoyed has negative consequences. In T&T, bacchanal has a variety of meanings from wild partying, to scandal, argument and confusion. Plenty boof, crapaud smoke your pipe and who vex lorse. Wabean behaviour, mauvais langue and stirring up of trouble. It’s not only drunken celebration.  Most Trinis love a bacchanal and Carnival is both king and queen. So it should be a major concern that local sport seems bent on dethroning King and Queen Carnival.

Sport ought not to be the house of bacchanal with occupants’ single minded and dedicated to bacchanalian behaviour. Nothing can convince me that our sportsmen and women young and old are better off or best served by bacchanalian behaviour. As much as we may love to dance and prance to the Antilles riddim and the captivating refrain of bacchanal... bacchanal... bacchanal… The old maxim that there is a time and place under the sun for everything applies. Our, in particular, young sportsmen and women, and their coaches must not be left to the mercy of capricious sport thespians. Dionysus or Bacchus should not reign supreme. Put simply, there is too much bacchanal in T&T sport. Remember anything created by a lying tongue is a vanishing mist. According to Proverbs 22 :1 it is better to choose a good reputation… being held in high esteem is better than silver or gold. Our sportsmen and women are sacrificing countless hours preparing them to perform to their full potential. They deserve much better than to have to endure bacchanalian behaviour from their leaders. The core essence of leadership is putting others ahead of yourself. Leaders must be prepared to give up more than the people they lead.

In this respect good leaders count the cost before doing or saying anything. When you accept leadership the price to be paid includes personal privacy—your time is no longer your own. Everything you say and do is carefully examined, every decision you make is questioned. It goes with the territory. People will say things knowing that there is no truth to any of it. Others will hate on you for all kinds of reasons known and unknown. Things you say will be taken out of context and used to paint a negative picture. Nothing you do will be good enough. But that’s fine. That’s just the reality of leadership. You can’t take things personally or make assumptions. Here in sweet T&T we have way too many leaders who need to be needed. What we should strive for is to develop more leaders who want to be succeeded and who are driven by the right motives, a noble purpose, and a firm grasp on the situation. Added to that the willingness to accept all that goes with the territory and chalice that is leadership. By failing to do so what we get is bacchanal… bacchanal… bacchanal…

-Brian Lewis

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Tobago-born Kevan George was one of three players selected by the Columbus Crew in Thursday’s US Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The two other players are forward Ethan Finlay,  the tenth overall pick from Creighton: right back Aubrey Perry, the 26th overall pick from South Florida and midfielder/defender, 29th overall pick from Central Florida: His family made a bold decision early in his life.

Speaking after being drafted, the Roxborough-born defender said, “I was born in T&T and moved to America in 2002.” “My parents moved first, then they moved my brother and I three years afterward. “They didn’t have a job,” he added. “They just moved out hoping to help my brother and I advance our academic careers and me my professional dream. “It was very tough in the beginning, as you could expect, because we had nothing. That alone motivated me. All throughout my life, college, the Combine, I just had a one-track mind what I was going to do for my family.”

The realisation hit him when he heard his name called by the Crew where he will join fellow T&T defender, Julius James. “My knees got weak and I immediately started thanking God,” he said. “I was thinking of my family and what they had done for me.”

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

T&T’s Njisane Phillip placed seventh overall in the men’s sprint during the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in the Laoshan Velodrome, Beijing, China, yesterday. Out of a field of 56 riders, Phillip clocked the third fastest time of the qualifying round (10.186) and later won his round of 16 match up against Australia’s Taylor Andrew in 10.630.

However, he was eliminated by eventual winner Charlie Concord of France in the quarterfinals after two races. Concord stopped the clock at 10.572 and 10.554 in each race. Phillip was third to cross the line in the 5th-8th place playoff, finishing behind Serges Borisov (10.467) and Venezuelan Hersony Canelon. After three World Cup events, Phillip is currently ranked sixth in the Sprint Standings with 12 points. The fourth and final World Cup event will be held in London from February 17-19.

-Nicholas Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Reigning NCAA bronze medallist Annie Alexander won the women’s shot put at the Kentucky Invitational at Nutter Field House in Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday. The Tennessee University senior tossed the iron ball 16.08m which was achieved on her third attempt and followed up with 15.88 to finish ahead of Khadija Abdulllah (Louisville 15.80m) and Jennifer Svoboda (Kentucky 14.78m). Another T&T/Tennessee Jamol James made his debut on the US Collegiate circuit and was third in the men’s 60m clocking a 6.78 in a close race which was won by Torrin Lawrence (Georgia) in 6.76. Alexander’s triumph was the third for T&T athletes as Lalonde Gordon and Semoy Hackett also raced to gold. On Friday, Gordon (Zenith Velocity) won the men’s 400m in 46.51 at the Gotham Cup in New York while Hackett (Louisiana State University) captured the women’s 60m dash at the inaugural Crimson Tide Opener in 7.36 seconds. Another T&T sprinter, Kai Selvon (Auburn) was second in 7.38.  Hackett’s LSU team-mates Kyron Blaise, Danielle Davis and Shermund Allsop were also in action.

Blaise was sixth in the first heat of the men’s 60m preliminaries. He clocked 7.01 to finish 22nd overall and did not advance to the finals. Davis was seventh in heat one (21st overall)  of the women’s 60m hurdles heats clocking 9.24 seconds.  Allsop was eighth overall in the men’s 200m after clocking 22.02 to finish top heat two. Baylor’s Zwede Hewitt was second in the men’s 400m at the Texas A&M Invitational at the Mc Ferrin Athletic Centre, College Station, Texas on Saturday.  Hewitt was beaten for the gold by his schoolmate Blake Heriot. Hewitt returned to anchor Baylor to silver in the men’s 4x400m relay clocking 3:07:93 behind hosts Texas A&M. Durell Busby was fourth in the men’s 55m hurdles finals at the Carthage Invite at the Tarble Athleteic Center in Kenosha, Wisonsin. The University of Winconsin-Milwaukee junior clocked 7.81 as his school mate swept the top five spots.

-Clayton Clarke

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Newly appointed Technical Director of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation Anton Corneal says he’s ready to take on the challenges that will come with his massive role and outline of assignments that he will undertake in his new position. Corneal’s appointment which will run over a four-year period  was approved by the Executive Committee of the TTFF on Thursday and on Sunday Corneal will start the ball rolling as he partakes in the TTFF Elite Coaches Symposium from January 15-17 at the Media Work Room, Larry Gomes Stadium. The symposium starts at 9am today. Several of the respected and highly regarded  coaches and players from both Men's and Women's side have been invited as the TTFF embarks on establishing a pool of possible National Coaches with the aim of giving serious analysis to the direction of football in T&T and the coaches that may have to take the mantle.

FIFA instructor and technical study group member Alvin Corneal, Edgar Vidale, Neville Chance and Anton Corneal will be the main instructors of this Workshop. In compliance with FIFA’s outline, among Corneal’s responsibilities will be improving the profile and image of the role of local coaches and making sure that clubs observe their obligation to use qualified coaches; the implementation of national coaching licensing programme which is already ongoing through the “C” license course; Organising  seminars that involves international game analysis, fitness, goalkeeping course and others; Implementing and overseeing a national talent identification system; Regulating and conducting checks on (both clubs and other private) academies and training centres and organizing specific coaches education; Overseeing annual refresher’s courses;Facilitating the training of talented young players by setting up Training Centres to bring the best players together (at national, regional and club level);Developing football activities for Primary School children and other youth players.

Corneal will lead the National Technical Programme after approval of the same by the Federation’s Executive Committee. He will also work with the coaches attached to the various national teams. “It’s a lot of work based on the outline but it’s not something that is new to me. Actually we already have some of these things  in place and it’s more a matter of carrying it out in the right form or manner that will allow us to improve on what is there at the moment,”Corneal said. “Again, we will begin by bringing a pool of coaches together that will allow for a better collaborative effort towards achieving our goal which is to lift our standard and get our football to a level that will make us proud and give us greater possibilities in achieving success on the international stage and by extension help in improving  society through football’s contribution,” Corneal added.

More info
The following participants have been invited to attend the upcoming Elite Coaches symposium.

1. Hutson Charles
2. Angus Eve
3. Derek King
4. Sean Cooper
5. Clint Marcelle
6. Dale Saunders
7. Terrance Marcelle
8. Philbert Jones
9. Mike Mc Comie
10. Kevin Jeffery
11. Ross Russell
12. Anthony Streete
13. Stuart Charles
14. Leonson Lewis
15. Anthony Rougier
16. Terrance Williams
17. Clayton Morris
18. Brian Williams
19. Dion La Foucade
20. Marlon Charles
21. Richard Hood
22. Izler Browne
23. Stephan De Four
24. Rajesh Latchoo
25. Peter Pierre

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

HURDLER JOSANNE Lucas missed her opportunity to compete in last year’s World Championships in South Korea due to injury, but the persistent Tobagonian has now set her sights on attaining a spot in this year’s London Olympic Games.

Lucas was forced to miss the World Championships after she failed to fully recover from an Achilles tendon injury she sustained in late 2010.

However, the 2008 Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) champion is in high spirits and training toward sealing an Olympic spot.

“It was hard for me to make that decision (not to go to Daegu).

“That injury was a major setback and it rendered my season virtually non-existent. It was either I push myself to the end of the season or seek medical attention and rehabilitation, and be ready for the 2012 season. Because the bigger goal will be the Olympic Games,” explained Lucas.

The 2009 Berlin women’s 400-metre hurdles bronze medallist revealed that she is back in training and overjoyed that her injury is now behind her.

“Training has been going well. Being injury free and being able to train at the intensity that I should be able to, all because I am healthy. I want to be healthy because you can’t perform if you are injured,” continued Lucas.

The 2003 Pan American Junior silver medallist admitted that missing the World Championships was a significant learning experience for her. She accepted full blame for her tendon injury and was certain that such physical errors would not be made in the future of her athletic career.

Lucas indicated that it was simply because she tried desperately to train despite her injury.

“I trained at high levels for the previous World Champ-

ionships and for 2011. I pushed myself too much and did not listen to my body. The lesson to me was to listen to my body and prevent injury when possible.”

The Lambeau Government Primary/Bishop’s High graduate became the first local athlete to receive a medal at a senior global meet when she raced to bronze (53.20 seconds) in the women’s 400m hurdles at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Lucas, who also graduated from Auburn University, admitted that her Berlin performance instilled a great amount of motivation in her.

“It made the drive even greater before the 2009 season. I had to make many sacrifices to attain that (result). To know the sacrifices we made with the limited resources I had, created a longing and greater drive. Most importantly was improving my time to run 52 seconds, which is no easy task,” added Lucas.

The Tobagonian also hailed fellow compatriot Kelly Ann Baptiste on her 100m bronze medal performance at last year’s World Championships. This achievement saw Baptiste become the second local woman to medal at World/Olympic level.

“Simply amazing, especially to do it in her event. She has had a long career starting as a junior and has made the transition to the elite and professional stage,” Lucas concluded.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt