International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Dr Jacques Rogge has lauded the efforts of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (T&TOC) to facilitate the holistic development of athletes from the grassroots areas.
"You are a very respected National Olympic Committee in the Olympic movement, and you have a vision."
Rogge, who represented Belgium in yachting at three Olympic Games, was speaking at a cocktail reception at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain, during his four-hour visit to T&T, yesterday. He was accompanied by Mexican Mario Vasquez Rana, president of the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) and the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).
For the T&TOC, yesterday's function served a dual purpose. "Today, we mark not only their visit," T&TOC president Larry Romany told the gathering, "but we also mark the start of something that we have been working at for a very long time, and that is the brand called TTOC Legacy.
"In 1997," the local Olympic boss continued, "we started a programme called 'Shape Your Life' which was geared towards allowing the average person to recognise their greatness through participation in sport, not only as a sports person but also as a human being and a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago."
Romany also explained the details of the latest T&TOC initiative.
"We are doing research on exactly how an athlete learns. In third world countries, the grassroots are really the athletes that come forward, and these athletes that come from grassroots areas don't have the resources to be able to go forward. In addition, they don't necessarily learn the same way everybody else learns.
"The TTOC has entered a project with some specialised educators to do a pilot in determining how athletes in our school system learn, and to develop a curriculum that runs alongside the Ministry of Education's curriculum so that all athletes have the opportunity to become their greatest being."
Rogge pledged the IOC's support.
"The vision you have on Legacy and on supporting grassroots athletes is definitely also the Legacy of the IOC...we will not let you down. One of the issues we are going to offer you in your quest for having better athletes and better individuals is the Youth Olympic Games that we are going to organise from 2010."
At yesterday's cocktail reception, Rogge also paid tribute to Hasely Crawford, T&T's first and only Olympic gold medallist.
The IOC boss explained that he was unable to witness Crawford's men's 100 metres triumph live, since he was competing at the same time.
"I saw the highlights on television in the evening. I said 'Jesus, a non-American winning gold'," Rogge's clenched fist telling a story of celebration. "I am so pleased to meet the hero in person. We have the utmost respect for the feats of the sport of your country.
"How can a country of 1,300,000 people," the Belgian continued, "groom such athletes as Rodney Wilkes, Hasely Crawford, Ato Boldon and someone coming from a non-Olympic sport but nevertheless an icon of sport, Brian Lara? There must be a magic, there must be a mystery here in your country."
SOURCE:Kwame Laurence,Trinidad
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