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

THE Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board on Sunday paid homage to "living legend" Alloy Lequay, a a function held in his honour at the
National Cricket Centre, Couva.

The facility was dedicated in honour of Lequay, who has spent close to 70 years as a cricket administrator.

Family, friends and supporters of local cricket joined in praising Lequay for his contribution to cricket, both locally and regionally.

Together with current TTCB president Azim Bassarath, Lequay unveiled a commemorative stone bearing his acolades, which spanned 1945 to 2005.

By Innis Francis

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) envision a more "transparent" future as its newly-formed Integrity Committee, set-up to run a full investigation into past corruption within the governing body, prepare to present a full report to the Congress in Panama City in April.

Enrique Sanz, the CONCACAF secretary general, told the conference here today how the 40-member organisation were "happy" to investigate the past as part of the much needed reform to their future leadership and mission.

"We are happy to look into the past," said Sanz.

"We have set up the committees to ensure everyone knows what we are doing.

"These are the little steps we are taking to put things right."

The Integrity Committee includes representatives from each of the Confederation's three areas – North America, Central America and the Caribbean, along with an additional financial committee.

It was set-up last year to clean up the unsavoury period led by former President Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago and will announce details of a financial audit commissioned in the fallout of an election bribery scandal which rocked the world of football.

Warner, the long serving CONCACAF President, resigned from his role after 28-years in June 2011 to avoid investigation by FIFA after whistleblower secretary general Chuck Blazer, publically revealed the infamous bribery accusations.

The full Integrity Committee report will be presented to FIFA along with other football governing bodies during the annual CONCACAF Congress - which will this year take place in Panama City on April 19, as part of their quest to rebuild and reform the organisation.

"Our new leadership and mission are the key for us," said Sanz.

"And it is important that this, and the next generation, will remember our mission.

"We hope to create an ideal platform for continued development, something which hasn't been done at a consistent level for the past four years.

"We want to invest in the kids and the future.

"We want a better foundation for players to develop and to grow to become the best teams in the world."

At last year's CONCACAF Congress in May 2012, an election took place which saw Jeff Webb elected as new President along with Miami-based Enrique Sanz as new secretary general to mandate a much-needed unity within the organisation.

By Lauren Mattera at the World Sports Congress in London

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

US titles too for John, Collingwood, Waithe

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board meeting which saw hockey coming dangerously close to being axed from the core sports programme for the 2020 Games was a wake-up call for the sport, International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Leandro Negre has admitted.

Despite proving to be a big success at London 2012, hockey was in the final three sports, alongside wrestling and modern pentathlon, facing the chop at the meeting in Lausanne earlier this month, but, ultimately, it was wrestling that was controversially dropped despite having appeared in every Games, except one, since 1896.

"What happened in the IOC Executive Board was a rude shock for all of us," Negre (pictured top) said.

"It was something we were not expecting."

The main problem, insidethegames understands, is that hockey is widely viewed by IOC members as a Commonwealth sport with its roots set deep in Britain, despite the gold medallists at London 2012 being Germany in the men's tournament and the Netherlands in the women's, retaining the titles they had won at Beijing 2008.

However, Negre remains adamant that hockey's future is safe.

"The hockey tournament was a success in the London Games in terms of crowd and finance," he explained.

"But the IOC vote was a wake-up call for us.

"We believe that hockey is very strong in the Olympics, but we need to see how we can make it better.

"The decision in Lausanne was more to do with procedure and even the people at the IOC were surprised by the outcome.

"The final report in this matter has not been finalised yet."

Nevertheless, Negre was keen to point out that the sport cannot afford to rest on its laurels and that the IOC Executive Board meeting should spark a significant re-evaluation on the game.

"We are in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics," the Spaniard said.

"But the fact that the IOC is looking at the status of various sports is good for us.

"We are taking it in a positive way.

"It tells us where we are and ensures we are not slipping."

The FIH is now looking to develop the sport by increasing its popularity in other countries, particularly in smaller nations, Negre added.

"We are giving more responsibilities to the continental bodies," he said.

"They are now in charge of developing the game in the continents.

"We have also asked all the continental bodies to appoint a full time chief executive, because the sport has to be run professionally."

Most recently, the hockey President has been pushing the sport in Asia and has held talks with Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra about arranging a tournament involving Pakistan in Bangladesh - a nation he hopes to see in the Champions Trophy in years to come.

"The sport has huge potential in Bangladesh," Negre said.

"I did discuss with Mr Batra the possibilities of having a tournament involving India and Pakistan in Bangladesh."

By Emily Goddard

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

Can South America catch rugby fever?

Rio de Janeiro will be at the center of the sporting universe come August 2016 when the Olympic torch lights up at Estádio do Maracanã. Rugby will join the party of modern olympics and our sport’s best athletes will take center stage next to the likes of athletics legend Usain Bolt. As Brazil’s former capital prepares to become the capital of world rugby for a few weeks, I can imagine fans from other, more “oval-minded” regions wondering what type of opposition the All Black 7s, Team Great Britain or the Blitz Bokke will face when they come to South America for the ultimate prize in sevens: olympic gold.

Brazil have guaranteed entry into the 12-team tournament and their local union has been busy at work spreading rugby amongst the most soccer-obsessed populace on the planet. Both the Confederação Brasileira de Rugby (CBRu) and the brazilian players are aware of the huge task ahead of them. The Tupís, named after an Amazonian ethnic group in Brazil, need to have some things in place in order to give an up-to-par performance and perhaps even cause a famous upset.

Their strength was tested on february 23rd and 24rd when the Clube de Regatas do Flamengo in Rio hosted the South American Rugby Sevens Championship, pitting 10 national men’s teams and 8 women’s teams against each other for continental top dog status and a place in this year’s Rugby World Cup Sevens which in the end went to runner-ups Uruguay. A draw against Chile in the decisive stage of the tournament landed the home squad a solid 3rd place.

2013 South American Sevens Championship Trophy

Brazilian national team captain Fernando Portugal thinks that “in order to grow the sport, we could bet more on sevens. It’s easier to get better results in a shorter term and we will host the Olympic Games soon. It is extremely important to have a competitive squad in that tournament and that brazilian people are aware of rugby sevens so they can support their seleção”.

The muscle of this effort will be guided by Canterbury backs coach John Haggart, as part of the alliance the Brazilian Union sealed with the New Zealander provincial powerhouse some time ago. He knows where his teams stands relative to other, more established rugby nations in the region like Chile, Uruguay and Argentina but he seems confident that the country can make a name for itself on the international scen:.

“Rugby in these countries has been organized effectively for a long time. Whilst Brazil has a long history of Rugby it is only relatively recently that Brazil Rugby has organized itself into National Sports Organisation. Developing strong competitions and identifying players form such a huge population who are currently playing or who want to transfer to rugby from other sports will enhance the growth of the game quickly. Certainly CBRu are ambitious and with the right structures and development program we hope one day to be highly competitive against other South American countries”.

On a lower step in the ladder to contend for olympic gold is Colombia, an emerging nation which has stepped up its game on the field and off it in the managing offices. The game remains firmly amateur but there’s been a collective effort in the last few years to insert rugby into the mind of the average Colombian. Currently, their National Sevens Circuit runs in alliance with a sports beverage giant. Male and female teams from all over the country fight it out in a format similar to the World Series that stops by the country’s most important cities.

President of the Colombian Rugby Federation Andrés Gómez recalls that “we had to work really hard from the beginning to get significant support from a big company like Coca Cola and their brand Gatorade, but through evidence of a hard labor and an attractive league format we’ve been able to earn more attention from the company itself which translates into thousands of dollars in sponsorship which go straight into making the National Sevens Circuit happen and the preparation of our national teams.”

The Tucanes are currently in the upper part of the continent’s second tier of nations along with Paraguay, Venezuela and Peru. They have benefited both from a more solid organization and an increased support for the sport now that it has olympic status and they’ve even recruited former athletics star Fausto Mosquera into their squad in an effort to raise the physical standards of the team.

National sevens coach, frenchman Laurent Palau, has been linked with spreading rugby in Colombia for a number of years and he believes that part of their relative success is due to rugby’s more social aspects such as promoting discipline and respect amongst the youth. “It will take some time for us to catch up with the elite, we’re still lacking the playing experience most of their players have. Then again, not everything is high performance competition. In terms of the amount of players and followers we have, of our educational and social contribution to the communities that practice rugby, we’re up there with the rest.”

Their possibilities of grabbing a spot in the 2016 Olympic Tournament will depend on how they fare against their continental opposition in the coming tournaments such as the South American Championship and the Panamerican Games. They are currently boasting a young, fresh squad which placed 5th this year in Rio, taking home the Bronze Cup after beating all their direct rivals.

We can’t overview South America without checking on the continent’s undisputed top rugby nation. They’ve already gained a birth in this year’s Rugby World Cup Sevens to be held in Moscow and they hope to go one better on their silver medal performance at the 2009 Dubai event. As one of the teams to always look out for at international competitions, the Pumas will be faced with the decision of calling some of their big names in the XVs game like Racing Metro’s Juan Martín Hernández or Bath’s Horacio Agulla.

Andrés Romagnoli, coach of the Pumas 7s, believes that “we should opt for a mix of sevens specialists and players who’ve already had success at test level. Our road to the olympics begins with the early detection of young talent. They’ll go on to play sevens and develop many technical skills, reach top physical shape and grow mentally. These are the aspects that propel rugby players to the top of their career possibilities.”

Sevens has helped cement the careers of many argentinean youngsters such as former Argentina captain Agustín Pichot and Montpellier winger Lucas González Amorosino. Matías Orlando, a young center from Tucuman who has been through all the preparation stages the country has to offer, hopes to emulate their peers’ success and leave a mark in the international sevens stage.

“From where I stand sevens is really important, it’s a very complete form of rugby and just playing it helps you develop your individual game a lot. Right now clubs are paying more attention to sevens competitions and players seem to be enjoying it more, so i hope that continues. I would love to play in the olympics but right now our attention is completely focussed on the 2013 World Cup, they are both equally important for us. I believe that we have the right players to bring home a medal in 2016.”

Argentina’s status as the region’s dominating force was questioned last year at the South American Championship, where their neighbors Uruguay took home the trophy. This time around, Los Pumas set the record straight with an undefeated run to the top step of the podium. Their opposition in the pool stage included one of the continents latest debutantes in the international scene: Ecuador. Los Piqueros (The Blue-Footed Boobies) set flight last year on the same facilities as this year. They placed last on both occasions, but they don’t feel discouraged to challenge top opposition in order to improve.

“It’s the only way we’ll ever move forward. We need to play the best and not be afraid of them. Last year I tried to stay focussed on doing my job right instead of thinking who it was in front me. It was great fun to play at such a high level and I hope we get many more opportunities like this”, said Pablo Pantoja, one of the first ecuadorian-born players to embrace rugby in the country who got the chance to represent his country last year.

Ecuador arrived a hundred years late to the party of rugby nations, but they hope to bridge the gaps quickly by facing tougher opposition all the time. Former national team coach Douglas Rodriguez thinks the country’s touristic appeal could serve a purpose for rugby. “If a club from an established rugby nation wanted to tour the country and face the best opposition possible, the Federation would be glad to arrange a game with the national team. We need all the help we can get in this sense and I can assure you a foreign team would have a blast in Ecuador, both on and off the field.”

Brazil banked on a level performance with their closest contiental rivals Chile and Argentina put their foot down as contenders for olympic glory. Both Pumas and Tupís are eager for 2016 when they face the challenge of keeping the gold in South America. Stay tuned to UR7s.com to find out if they're successful.

By Jaime Duque Cevallos

Source: www.ur7s.com

Why gangs and not sports? What is fuelling the gangs and run away gun crimes? Why have gangs become an option for young men? Why are they comfortable hanging out on the streets, joining gangs and getting involved in illegal activity? Is it because they feel ignored by the system? Why is a generation of young men drawn into drugs, guns and other criminal activity?

Is it due to low aspirations, low self-worth, an absence of law-abiding male role models and peer pressure? Why is there the feeling that there is no viable alternative?

They wake up every morning accepting that at days end they may either be in prison or dead but yet they find solace and comfort in the gangs.

Why gangs and not sports? Is sport failing the youth of the nation?

It is against this background that I want to suggest that it is important that National Sport Organisations (NSOs) not sell themselves and their respective sports short. Given the power of sport, T&T need sport organisations and sport leaders to see sport as playing a key role .

Sport can play a significant part in the solution and efforts to drive change for a better life and society. Is it possible? Is it realistic? Why even bother?

What would be required of sport organisations and governing bodies? A start would be stepping out of the comfort zone of only organising competitions, leagues and national teams.

Nor should a lack of financial resources be an impediment.

Can sport leaders think creatively and more intelligently to contribute to a societal transformation here in T&T?

Sport can open the door to new possibilities but sport leaders must be able to imagine new ways to meet the needs of sport stakeholders and build a sense of ownership and a sense of self belief.

This will require a greater involvement with the communities, schools and neighbourhoods.

Sport leaders must ask themselves what is their vision for their sport and organisations?

How many sport leaders want to approach challenges and problems differently? Would sport leaders, national organisations and governing bodies reach out to gangs and offer sport as an alternative?

There is no doubt that we are all participants in the creation of our lives, and we are all responsible for creating the T&T we want to see.

Greater fulfillment is possible but sport leaders must first look within themselves and question their priorities, circumstances, their purpose and vision for sport. Re-examine their thinking.

The only way sport can make its contribution is by believing that sport can and should help make T&T a better place.

At its core, sport is joy, love and happiness and that's why it can make a positive difference.

There is no lack of opportunity.

Walt Disney said “All our dreams can come true—if we have the courage to pursue them"

The core values, purpose and mission of sport have stood the test of time. A big vision and a can do attitude will ensure that sport can make a significant difference to the efforts to build a better T&T. It will take a shift in how we think about sport but it can be done.

Is it worth it ? If sport can be an alternative to gangs it will be more than worth it.

Brian Lewis is the Honorary Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org/. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the TTOC.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

I am going to share with you a bit of insight on how my professional development, even within the confines of T&T’s, politically riddled and inefficiently ran sports industry, has managed to acquire an opportunity to elevate to another level within my clinical practice.

Let me introduce you to the technique of dry needling, a technique that utilizes the same equipment as acupuncture, looks the same as acupuncture but operates by very different principles and philosophies

Traditional acupuncture operates on the principles of energy flow along the body’s meridian lines, referred to by the Chinese as the body’s “Chi.”

The belief is that when these energy flows are blocked, ailments occur and the acupuncture techniques are aimed to remove the blockage and revive the energy flows in the body’s system.

Dry needling, however, is based on a more tangible basis of the physiological principles. The general purpose is to deactivate trigger points that have developed within the muscle due to injury or tension in the tissue, which has resulted for whatever reason.

While this may sound very similar to massage therapy that utilises fingers or elbows to accomplish the same thing, needles are less painful and in some cases, more effective. It is important to always bear in mind that the same can be said for other cases in favour of massage therapy—the key is to know the best application for the case being treated.

That being said, one of the unique benefit of dry needle work is, however, being able to target more than one spot at a time, if need be, by placing more than one needle at a time and allowing the tissue to respond.

Where I currently practice, we recently added a trigger point therapist to the team. She brings her dry needling skills to the table thus introducing a new dimension to therapy.

Sherise Clancy, trained abroad, has just returned home after 15 years in Ireland and has been practicing dry needling and trigger point therapy for a few years now. Her patient outcomes thus far have been impressive, from chronic to acute conditions.

As it relates to my own practice, a setting where I often come across injuries related to overuse and over specialization, the dry needle has been great in reducing both active and dormant trigger points. The usual side effects of this treatment include a sensation of soreness to the treated area and sometimes, lethargy.

It is recommended that the client take the rest of the day to rest and to drink a lot of water following this treatment, allowing the body to recover from the application and flush the body of any toxins and debris that would have resulted from the session. Applying cold therapy such as ice to the area for 20 minutes, regularly also helps to minimise this discomfort.

As much as I appreciate this form of therapeutic application, I become ever more convinced that no single form of therapy is a cure all. Sherise has noted it as well, and witnesses the improvements directly when the specialties come together to treat a client. After a few sessions of shared rehabilitation, the pain/discomfort is minimal and the athlete is better able to apply proper body mechanics to his daily and athletic life.

Vanessa Aberdeen, a qualified sports massage therapists and colleague with whom I also work, also cross refers her clients for dry needling as indicated, particularly with cases where there is nerve involvement.

Appreciate the fact that these are two skills specifically trained in the area of soft tissue manipulation that are able to complement each other versus compete against each other. It is a humbling and refreshing thing to work with a team that is able to appreciate the strengths of the various specialties and develop a team approach towards accomplishing the end goal of pain-free, full return to sport or movement.

Not always is it possible to speed up the recovery time even with the application of the various specialties, as lifestyles significantly impacts on an individual’s response to therapy.

My experience has been that people who take care of their health by eating right and exercising properly respond better, are more in tune with their body and therefore communicate more effectively with their therapist.

The body is a dynamic machine to which I will always remain a student.

By Asha De Freitas-Moseley

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Trinidad and Tobago quartermiler Lalonde Gordon finished third in his section and fifth overall in the men's 400 metres event, at the XL Galan IAAF Indoor Permit meet, in Stockholm, Sweden, yesterday.

The double Olympic bronze medallist clocked 47.19 seconds.

Czech Republic athlete Pavel Maslak (46.34) and Briton Richard Strachan (46.68) finished ahead of Gordon in section two to earn gold and silver, respectively. Sudan's Rabah Yousif (46.79) topped section one, ahead of Dominican Republic's Luguelin Santos (46.79). Yousif was third overall, and Santos, fourth.

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Although the main focus of the media earlier this month was on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board decision to recommend wrestling for removal from the Games, the ruling elite of the Olympic Movement made another key decision in Lausanne.

That decision was to shortlist just three bids for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The bids were Buenos Aires, Glasgow and Medellín, with the two cities of Guadalajara and Rotterdam unceremoniously dropped due to the fact that both are struggling financially.

The decision came after the IOC Executive Board reviewed a report by the IOC Working Group, chaired by Germany's Claudia Bokel.

So what's next?

"An Evaluation Commission will now conduct further assessments of and hold video conferences with representatives from the three shortlisted Candidate Cities before submitting a report to the IOC members, who are scheduled to elect the host city at an Extraordinary Session in Lausanne on 4 July 2013," an IOC statement said.

Only two key dates remain.

The first is June 2013 (no specific day as yet) where the report by the IOC Evaluation Commission will be published before that all-important day on July 4, when the winner is announced.

The Youth Olympics itself still does not have the full backing of every IOC member but it will perhaps be the most tangible legacy of current IOC President Jacques Rogge, who will step down later this year.

Rogge is not a man known for his constant smiling but never have I found him more happy or approachable than at the first summer and winter editions of the Youth Olympic Games at Singapore 2010 and Innsbruck 2012 respectively.

In fact, the vast majority of IOC members seem to enjoy the relaxed, upbeat atmosphere created by the Games after two successful outings. Next up is Nanjing in 2014 before a Winter Youth Olympics in Lillehammer in 2016. But where the third Summer Youth Olympics go could truly help define the event.

The three remaining candidates all present strong but very different options.

First up is Buenos Aires, who are said to be eyeing the event as a way to tee up a bid for the full Olympic and Paralympic Games.

They are marketing their bid as a way to help spread the Olympic Movement across South America, tying it in with the fact that nearby Rio is staging the 2016 Olympics and Paralympics.

They are being spearheaded by Argentine Olympic Committee (COA) President Gerardo Werthein, who is of the rising figures in the IOC.

"Buenos Aires and Argentina are ready to host the Youth Olympic Games in 2018," he says. "The Olympic Movement can trust Buenos Aires to deliver a truly wonderful Youth Olympic Games that will make the sporting world proud of this new international celebration of sport and culture."

Next up is Glasgow, looking to build on the magnificent London 2012 and the upcoming 2014 Commonwealth Games in the Scottish city itself. Technically, this is the strongest bid of the three given that all the facilities will pretty much be in place due to the Commonwealth Games.

But their trump card will be the fact that London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe is now heading the bid, due to the fact he has become British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman.

Coe's standing in the IOC could not be higher right now after he delivered arguably their greatest ever Games last year. The entire IOC owe him a debt of gratitude and Coe standing on the stage in Lausanne this July will no doubt bring back found memories of the way he helped London win their 2012 bid when he took to the stage in Singapore in 2005.

"It is an honour to have Glasgow shortlisted to host the YOG in 2018," said Coe. London 2012 inspired young people like never before and there is now a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the UK to take the next step on the Olympic journey to empower young people globally."

Powerful messaging indeed; and given that the Glasgow 2018 bid will be armed with another heavyweight in the form of Scotland's IOC vice-president Sir Craig Reedie, the city can be forgiven for being quietly confident.

Last up is Medellín, who were for so long the dark horses in this race but who now must be respected and even feared by the two more established sporting cities.

The second largest city in Colombia hopes that staging the Games will showcase its remarkable renaissance.

Once the centre of the country's drugs trade, the Medellín Cartel was at the height of its operation making $60 million (£39 million/€45 million) a day exporting illegal substances around the world. But in the last 20 years the city has undergone a miraculous transformation, dubbed the "Medellín Miracle" and this year has been as announced as the Latin-American Capital City in Innovation due to their recent advances on politics, education and social development.

"This is a wonderful experience, and a dream that Colombia has had for several years," stated Andres Botero Phillipsbourne, Colombia's Sports Minister, who is also a member of the IOC.

"Medellín is now on the global sporting map. We know that our capabilities are equal to other major cities. We expect a serious campaign from Glasgow and Buenos Aires and we are committed to show that Medellín is the perfect place to bring the Youth Olympics."

In this, the year of the Olympic elections, rumours are already rife that block votes are being traded in favour of votes for the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics and the IOC Presidency later this year.

What that leaves is the strongest Youth Olympic bid race ever, and perhaps the toughest of all the IOC election races to pick this year.

The fact of the matter is that all three have great credentials and could all stage fantastic events.

And that what makes this race so wonderfully compelling.

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

NAIROBI, Kenya, February 19- Kenya has started early the process of identifying potential young players to represent the country at the 2016 Olympics in rugby sevens.

Kenya Rugby Union (KRU) Chairman Mwangi Muthee said Kenya need to stamp its authority as a super power in the shorter version of rugby and will have to do just that at both the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Series, the World Championships in Moscow and the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro in three years time.

“The secret to good performance is in early preparations. We have seen the good work done by our technical bench led by Mike Friday to restore our glory and spot in the world ranking.”

“The blip in performance in different legs however, shows that we still have a long way to go and hopefully they will guide us there,” he said in Nairobi.

Rugby together with golf have been included in the 27 disciplines that will be in Rio and Kenya wants to widen its medal brackets beyond the traditional track championships.

“Rugby is a major sport in Kenya. We have the players to do us that task and we will see how they develop and shape up ahead of the Olympics,” said Muthee.

The national rugby 7s squad is currently resting ahead of the Hong Kong Sevens in March 23.

But Muthee believes the recipe for success is with good preparations and that is why has earmarked the Friday to start plans for the Olympics by scouting for new talent, which will carry Kenya through the qualification.

Kenya Sevens team captain Andrew Amonde was also optimistic, the country will finally find its rightful place on the world stage and be able to string together a number of positive results especially this season.

“It was a learning process and as we move forward we will work on our consistency. I pay tribute to all those who have supported us and stood by us through it all, we really appreciate the support,” Amonde said.

The team is currently at loggerheads with the coaches as they want to compete in the local league, but the coaches want them to take full rest after a draining campaign in Wellington and Las Vegas.

“We are now a big team and many countries are watching Kenya keenly. We must maintain this momentum and build on it for the future championships,” said Muthee.
But Amonde claimed they would love to take part in the Kenya Cup.
“I have been in contact with some of my team mates and they have been asking if we can play for our clubs in the final.”
“As a player we have deep ties with our clubs and so we have every intention of playing for teams, but at the same time we understand that there are rules and regulations, which need to be followed,” the Captain said.

(Capital Sports Kenya)

Source: www.ur7s.com

Milo West Games launch

Carenage Boys and Girls Government and Diamond Vale Government will defend their Milo West Games titles, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain on March 5. The event was launched yesterday at Harvard Club in St James.

Carenage and Diamond Vale dominated the 25th Milo West Games, last year, sweeping the West A and West B zones, respectively.

Carenage Boys Government tallied 117 points to repeat as boys' champions, while Carenage Girls Government got 114 points to dethrone Maraval RC and regain the girls' title.

In West B, it was a sweep for Diamond Vale Government, winning both the girls' and boys' titles. For the Diamond Vale boys, it was a title defence, while the girls replaced Patna/River Estate Government as champions.

Trinidad and Tobago 400-metre hurdler Jehue Gordon, who placed sixth in the Olympic final in London last year, gave the feature address at yesterday's launch, sharing some personal anecdotes.

Gordon related how he came to understand that choosing the wrong company could lead a person down the wrong road. He recalled that early in his career as a Memphis Pioneers athlete, two friends had hot-wired one of the golf carts at their training site at the Hasely Crawford Stadium and he had gone along for the ride. The joyride turned sour when five minutes later a security guard came speeding on another golf cart to stop them.

His two friends quickly sped off on foot, and deserted Gordon, who was paralysed with fear and did not move a muscle.

Gordon said the authorities wanted to send him to YTC (Youth Training Centre), and his coach wanted to throw him out of the club for the misadventure. Eventually, Gordon said, he was given a chance and put on probation by the club.

"I learned from that day what my parents meant by 'your friends will carry yuh, but they won't bring you back'," he said, to the amusement of the children in attendance, adding that it was important to have people with similar goals around you.

Gordon also told the young children that they should not let any obstacle, like poverty or the neighbourhood they come from, determine their success in life.

Chairman of the Milo West Games, Kelvin Nancoo lauded the sponsors for their support since the inception of the Games. He also gave a brief history of the Games and the people involved. Nancoo noted that national athletes, including Michelle-Lee Ahye and Gordon, had emerged from the Milo West Games.

By Mark Pouchett

Source: www.trinidadexpress.com

Roger Daniel captured the men's overall Air Pistol title at the 2013 Canadian Airgun Grand Prix at the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel in Toronto, Canada on the weekend. The Olympic shooter amassed a total score of 1241.1 to reclaim the crown he last won in 2011. Anthony Muoz Choez (Ecuador) was runner-up with 1233.7. Going in the final round the multiple Pan American and Commonwealth medallist was tied with the Ecuadorian for the lead with 1139 but Daniel by scoring 102.1 points in the final round to pulled away for the win. Canadians Mark Haynes (1132) and Sylvain Quellette (1229.6) were next in third and fourth respectively. Speaking after his win, Daniel said he was happy with the victory. "I feel great and was confident. I just kept thinking of what I had to do to deliver that performance that is needed to be at the top at world class level.  The rules have changed now this year as all finalists will now start at zero no more scores going forward."

The 2010 Sportsman of the year had a tough road to victory battling the cold weather in Canada and brief power outage. "My match was a mental marathon, just before we competed electricity went so it was total darkness and cold again. I had to keep hydrated and warm. A couple of minutes it(the electricity) was back so it took a longer while to readjust as they had to check all electrical equipment." T&T's other competitor Marsha Bullen-Jones was 17th overall and did not make the finals. Bullen-Jones won the marksman class and competed in field of 25 shooters. Daniel and Bullen-Jones were scheduled to return home tonight (Monday) at around 11:15pm.

The Canadian Airgun Grand Prix is the largest international airgun competition in North America and attacted 56 competitors from Wales, India, Ecuador, USA, Trinidad and Canada.

Finals

1st. ROGER DANIEL  Tri. 102.1 + 1139 (1241.1 total)

2nd. A M CHOEZ  Ecuador 94.7 + 1139 (1233.7)

3rd. M Haynes Canada         97.6 (1229.6)

4th. S OUELLETTE Canada 95.8 (1221.8)

5th. K SNYDER. USA.           93.7 (1219.7)

6th. Y MOVSHOVICH         94.8 (1216.8)

7th. A. HARDING.  Canda 90.5 (1210.5)

8th. F CAKMAK. Canada.       91.6. (1208.6)

Qualifications Round

1=ROGER DANIEL/ANTHONY MUNOZ CHOEZ   tied at 1139.0,

(3rdMARK HAYNES of Canada 1132.

(4th) SYLVAIN QUELLETTE of Canada   1126.

(5th) KEN SNYDER of USA also 1126.

(6th) YURI MOVSHOVICH 1122

(7th) ALLAN HARDING Canada 1120

(8th) FERDI CAKMAK Canada 1117.

Hinting at the tone of his upcoming tenure, President-elect Anthony Carmona has started off what he also describes as “a new process,” by paying tribute to incumbent President George Maxwell Richards. He was speaking at the Parliament yesterday after receiving his instruments of election from Speaker Wade Mark, after the electoral college’s ratification of his election last Friday.

Thanking the media for kind sentiments, Carmona said he would not take any questions since he felt, in the circumstances, he needed to invoke standards of comity and civility, given the fact that T&T still had an incumbent President.  He added: “I feel, for example, sometimes, you know, we have a terrible habit of discarding the old and glorifying the new and I want to be no part of that. “I want to say how gracious a man he (Richards) has been over the years to me personally and I wish him all the best in his retirement and, in fact, I want to thank him on behalf of the wider community for the sterling role he has played during his ten-year stewardship.”

Carmona also told reporters: “So as much as I know you all want to ask questions, we are engaging in new process—a fresh breeze, you may call it. “It started here this morning with the honourable Speaker of the House doing something very innovative and in my view something very commendable, to bring a sense of governance to all and sundry. “That governance must not be a cloistered reality. It is for all and by this simple ceremony, a signal has been sent for all-inclusiveness in the conduct of the affairs in this country.”

Carmona was accompanied by his wife, Reema, and other family members. Parliament, in a statement yesterday, said the event was to present Carmona with instruments confirming his election to the office of President, rather than his instruments of appointment. Mark, making the presentation, declared Carmona President-elect. “Warmest congratulations, Mr President-elect,” Mark added.

In Carmona’s address, his first official one since being elected, he said: “It would be remiss of me if I did not thank honourable senator Mark, chairman of the electoral college, and the electoral college for the responsibility they have placed on my shoulders. “I feel compelled to indicate to all and sundry, I am prepared to serve this nation with the same kind of clarity, objectivity, fairness and due process that I have always invoked in my capacity as deputy Director of Public Prosecutions and acting DPP, as a former appeals counsel at the International Criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, and as a judge of the High Court, and I feel honoured to be so bestowed with this responsibility.”

Carmona also thanked the Prime Minister, who is in Haiti. He added: “I have to thank the Opposition Leader Mr Keith Rowley for his kind sentiments that he has expressed publicly, in fact the various members of Parliament, who, in my view, have kindly expressed their support for my stewardship as President of this beloved republic of T&T. “There is no denying that it is indeed an onerous responsibility but it is one I feel in the circumstances that by the grace of God I am prepared to do and to execute. I have to thank almighty God.”

He also thanked his wife, his uncle Desmond Dickie, his brother-in law Dr Nandi Harrysingh and his sisters, attorney Faye (Felicita) Gregoire and Cheryll Foster. Carmona said: “I have to thank my parents, who have kept me in good stead to be where I am today; my community. “It is indeed fitting for me to make a comment to the effect that it takes a village to raise a child as I have lived in many villages down in deep South and everyone there, they have played a major role and part in my stewardship as a young man growing up and as a professional. They have given me unstinting support.”

Before receiving the instruments of election, Carmona commended Mark for the function, saying in the past the process had been dealt with differently. In previous times, he said, it might hardly have even been known that the process was being carried out. He quipped that the Marshal of the Parliament might, in those days, have taken the instruments in a hired car and “passed it to someone over a fence.” Carmona said he felt in the context of the need for open governance, Mark’s function yesterday was a good initiative and the idea was well executed and boded quite well.

Carmona, 59, is expected to be administered the oath of office by Chief Justice Ivor Archie on March 18 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.  Richards, 82, will retire on March 17 when his term ends.

More Info

While the spotlight of yesterday’s Parliament function was on President-elect Anthony TA Carmona, his wife Reema Harrysingh-Carmona was also the focus of much attention. Harrysingh-Carmona, 43, is an economist from a business family from Thick Village, Siparia, where the family’s Sunco Engineering Services Co has been based for years. The couple has two children, Christian, 12, and ten. They were not at yesterday’s function. Accompanying the couple were Carmona’s uncle, Desmond Dickie, and his sisters Felicita Gregoire and Cheryll Foster. Also present was Carmona’s brother-in-law Dr Nandi Harrysingh, his wife’s brother.

By Gail Alexander

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Wrestling needs to emphasise its universality compared to the sports it is now bidding against to keep its place on the Olympic programme, its new interim President Nenad Lalovic admitted today.

The Serbian, who replaced Raphaël Martinetti as the new head of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) on Saturday (February 16), claimed that they had no idea that its place in the Olympic programme after Rio 2016 was even in danger.

"I am surprised by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) decision because we [FILA Bureau members] were kept without information," Lalovic told Reuters in a interview published today. 

"No one even knew that there was an IOC Commission working on these problematic sports.

"As Bureau members we did not have this information.

"Now, why we did not have the information is another question that needs to be answered."

But Lalovic admitted his main task was rescuing wrestling from the situation it finds itself in after the IOC's ruling Executive Board last week voted for it to be removed from the core list of 28 programmes. 

He is planning to travel extensively and when he is not on the road will be based in Lausanne, where both FILA and the IOC are based.

Wrestling will now join the seven sports bidding to be included on the Olympic programme - baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, squash, sport climbing, wakeboarding and wushu - giving presentations to the IOC Executive Board in St Petersburg at the end of May.

The final decision on which should be included as a core sport for 2020 will be taken by the full IOC Session in Buenos Aires in September.

"Wrestling has helped build the Olympic village since ancient times and now we are out," Lalovic told Reuters.

"The first steps will be to see how to integrate it back into the Olympic family, because end of May is the decision.

"We then have to survive Buenos Aires too.

"It is very difficult but if I was not optimistic I would not be here.

"That is where all our energy will be focused on now."

FILA has a total of 180 member National Federations 

"There are some sports where the practising of these sports is minimal," said Lalovic.

"I don't want to say which these sports are because they are not our enemies.

"We have been bad neighbours, our approach to the Olympic Movement was in the past a little bit problematic.

"I strongly believe we first have to see what is happening now and then to criticise the others,

"I will try to meet with IOC members, to see as many as I can and for them to tell us what we have to change.

"We will also have professional presentation of our sport.

"It is our responsibility alone to address the issues that led to this situation.

"We are listening to the IOC's concerns and learning from their guidance."

What is our reality here in T&T? We need to take a long hard look at ourselves—what are our values? What are our strengths and weaknesses? And we have to be brutal with ourselves—honesty is what we require.

I say because I am certain we can do much better than we are currently doing in most areas of national life. There is too much mediocrity, failure and underperformance.

We make and accept excuses and have mastered the blame game. Nobody wants to accept responsibility for what is going wrong. Sport like everything else is no different.

What will it take for us to shake ourselves awake from our slumber? What is holding us back from having a positive attitude and a can do mentality? Why is it that we are so dependent on someone or something other than ourselves? Why are we still enslaved mentally and emotionally?

Self-belief is critical; there must be an expectation and an intention that success will be achieved. Trying to simply survive is a recipe for mediocrity.

It’s about believing that national sport organisations (NSOs) have the capacity to deliver and execute on their strategy. That they can put in place the structure and develop the culture that will drive excellence and the execution of the plan.

Take ownership of your destiny and purpose.

There are potholes and fears along the winding uphill road—many barriers and obstacles.

However getting the attitude right is more important than anything else. It’s the starting point.

But how do you cultivate that positive attitude?

How do you generate that drive for success and belief that it can be done? How many NSOs really believe they can achieve their goals?

Last week -post carnival there were a lot of discussions taking place on talk radio and social media on a number of issues surrounding carnival celebrations.

It was while taking in the varied views and opinions as to whether carnival was a success or not that my thoughts drifted to local sport and where it is compared to carnival.

It is woeful that we are unable to get a handle on carnival. We all have answers and opinions. But it is glaring that successive governments have been unable to really come up with a definitive policy position on carnival. It begs the question—has government’s involvement in carnival hinder and hamper its growth and development?

In considering the failure of carnival to move pass the annual ritual of bacchanal, there may very well be important clues and answers for sport.

If sport is to develop and grow to the point where it can collectively and individually fulfill its potential, it has to shake free of the shackles of government dependency.

Sport must cut loose and make a leap of faith. For whatever reasons government centred carnival has repeatedly failed and it will be no different for sport.

There are arguments for the heavy hand of government but in the absence of a policy and a clear understanding that government should be a facilitator not the controller, stuttering progress is made.

To move forward in a meaningful way, we need to define reality. Too many of us have a tendency to sugar coat things, but that does not help to improve things.

We need to create the context and the framework that will not only define reality but create hope that we can achieve success.

We need to understand that even if things are bad, they can get better. And even if things are good there is a lot of work to keep us going in the right direction

Brian Lewis is the Honorary Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the TTOC.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

"I am 30 and financially crippled. London 2012 feels like a million years ago."

Last summer, volleyball player Rachel Laybourne was part of a Team GB squad that helped light up a Games and inspire a nation. But post-Olympics she found herself struggling financially and looking for work.

Dozens of the 553 athletes who represented Team GB in London are job-hunting.

At least 64 have quit their sports for a variety of reasons, while a further 24 are undecided about their futures, according to research conducted by BBC Sport.

For Laybourne, whose side beat Algeria at the Games but lost four other matches and subsequently £3.1m of funding, a career in sports education beckoned.

"The sense of pride, the satisfaction has been worth it without a doubt," Laybourne told BBC Sport of her London 2012 experience. "But I have to be able to put a roof over my head, to support myself and potentially a family in the future."

Retirements are par for the course for top athletes, whether they are brought on by unexpected injury, a cut in funding, or simply the natural end to a competitive career.

The British Olympic Association (BOA) recently hosted an inaugural Athletes Career Fair  at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.

The hunt for work continues for many who formed part of Britain's most successful Olympic team. In the broader economic climate 2.49 million are unemployed.

In Reading, 150 Paralympians and Olympians met more than 40 exhibitors. For many attendees, the months immediately after retirement were proving as challenging as anything faced on the track.

"There's a natural grieving process," admits former modern pentathlete Georgina Harland. "It's a very difficult time."

Harland, a bronze medal winner at Athens in 2004, retired from her sport in 2008 after sustaining a calf injury two months before the Beijing Olympics.

At 30, she immediately knew her competitive career had ended.

"I was very well supported by my sport in terms of my transition period, but it was not easy to go through," she said.

"You have had this one goal for so long and never questioned it. Then suddenly it's not there anymore."

The two-time European champion and former world number one found herself unexpectedly searching for some form of paid employment.

"You are used to aspiring to be, literally, the best in the world," she said.

"But you have to make compromises. What is success in the normal workplace and what does success mean to me?"

Harland experimented with jobs away from sport, but quickly realised she wanted her future to have some form of sporting connection. Now she finds herself employed by the BOA as a sport engagement manager, responsible for the team that organised the career fair in Reading.

"I am an ex-athlete and went through this process myself," she explained.

"At the fair, we had the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association, the Institute for Sport, UK Sport and the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust. We all recognise that there is that responsibility to ensure that athletes are supported during what is a very difficult time."

England and Great Britain hockey captain Kate Walsh knows all about that difficult time.

In 2007, her sport's funding was cut. Then, after London 2012, a gap in funding provision meant almost her entire squad has had to look for paid work elsewhere.

"We all had to go out and get jobs," she said. "That took some time.

"It's really scary for some athletes, devastating. We've all got rent and mortgages to pay."

Walsh, 32, won bronze in London, has represented her country since 1999 and participated in two World Cups, three European Cups and two Commonwealth Games.

She does not intend to retire from her sport yet - and has found part-time work in public relations for a firm in Berkshire.

The Team GB captain is frank about how balancing employment and an ongoing playing career can be far from ideal.

"There will be hard times when you have to train in the morning, go to work, train in the evening," she said.

"You have to squeeze it in, do it during the lunch hour. That's far less ideal than doing your training and being able to recover properly."

Harland is sympathetic to the plights of those out-of-work ex-athletes.

"Don't panic" is her advice.

"There is time to make mistakes in terms of finding the right path now. You may start something and realise it's not the job for you. It's all right.

"You can find a job that will satisfy you. It may never be what it was like when you were competing, but you can find something that satisfies in a different way."

By Jimmy Smallwood & Nick Hope BBC Sport

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Cardiff has officially admitted that they plan to launch a bid for the 2026 Commonwealth Games by setting out a "road map" of international events it wants to host to show its capabilities.

They include the Canoe Slalom World Cup, the British Indoor Rowing Championships, a Masters Rowing Championship and a stopover of the Volvo Round The World Yacht Race in June 2018.

Cardiff City Council plans to launch Commonwealth Games planning team that will undertake an an audit of South Wales' sports assets and infrastructure necessary for a successful bid, which they estimate would cost £530 million.

Consultants Arup have, meanwhile, been appointed by the Welsh Government to carry out a study into potential Games venues, including the Millennium Stadium, a host city for football during London 2012 but which would be the proposed venue for the athletics.

Other proposals include a temporary tank at the Cardiff Sports Village to stage aquatics, rowing in Cardiff Bay and canoeing and kayaking at the Cardiff International White Water Centre.

Any bid, though, will be dependent on it being able to help drive forward the regeneration of the Welsh capital, as Manchester did when they hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and what Glasgow are doing in the build-up to next year's edition.

"When we look at major events, particularly in the current economic climate, we cannot afford luxuries anymore," said Huw Thomas, the Councillor at Cardiff City Council with responsibility for sport‚ leisure and culture.

"We need a major events strategy driven by regeneration.

"The Commonwealth Games would have fantastic potential to deliver that.

"Just look at what is happening in Glasgow right now.

"If the city is serious about hosting it in 13 years' time we need a road map setting out how we do that and what sort of events we need to attract to show our capability of hosting these kind of events.

"We need to move on from the two-bob events of the past that deliver questionable value, we need to concentrate on events that will project Cardiff on a global scale and deliver real jobs and investment."

Cardiff last hosted the event, when it was known as the Empire Games, in 1958.

A total of 1,122 athletes from 35 countries took part in ten sports.

At Glasgow next year nearly 7,000 athletes from 72 countries are due to take part in 17 sports.

"As we saw in London and seeing in Glasgow, it can be an incredible boom for communities that have not seen real investment possibly ever," said Thomas.

"I think it can invigorate not just the whole city, but the whole region.

"If these Games are to be a success the region will be a major part of them."

(Reuters) - South African 'Blade Runner' Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who became one of the biggest names in world athletics, broke down in tears on Friday after he was charged in court with shooting dead his girlfriend in his Pretoria home.

The 26-year-old Olympic and Paralympic superstar stood with head bowed in front of magistrate Desmond Nair to hear the charge that he had murdered model and law graduate Reeva Steenkamp.

Pistorius then started sobbing, covering his face with his hands. "Take it easy," Nair told him. "Come take a seat."

The case has stunned a nation that revered 'the fastest man on no legs' as a hero who managed to compete at the highest levels of sport despite being born without a fibula in either leg.

Prosecutors told the Pretoria court the shooting of 30-year-old Steenkamp in the early hours of Thursday was pre-meditated.

Pistorius faces life in prison if found guilty.

He did not enter a plea but a statement issued by his family and London-based agent said the charge was disputed "in the strongest possible terms".

"He (Pistorius) has made it very clear that he would like to send his deepest sympathies to the family of Reeva," the statement said, in the first message attributed to him since his arrest.

Steenkamp was found shot dead in Pistorius's plush home in the middle of a heavily guarded gated complex in the northern outskirts of the capital, police said.

The Afrikaans-language Beeld newspaper said she was hit four times, in the head, chest, pelvis and hand.

"The security guards found Pistorius by Steenkamp's body in the bathroom," the paper said on its website, citing a neighbor. "The door had bullet holes right through it."

Defense lawyer Kenny Oldwage said his client had an "extremely traumatized state of mind". He did not request bail before proceedings were adjourned until February 19.

GOLDEN BOY LOSES SHINE

Early reports of the shooting suggested Pistorius may have mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder, but police said neighbors had heard noises before the shots and there had been previous "domestic" incidents at the house.

Pistorius said nothing during the 40-minute hearing.

His father, Henke, and brother, Carl, sat directly behind him in the packed court-room, occasionally leaning forward to give him a pat on the shoulder.

His mother died in 2002 when he was 15 years old - a tragedy that he said spurred him on in his quest to compete as an able-bodied athlete.

Along with Lance Armstrong's recovery from testicular cancer to win the Tour de France - an achievement now brought low by his admission of doping - Pistorius' tale of triumph over adversity was one of the most powerful in the history of sport.

South African newspapers plastered Steenkamp's killing across their front pages, reflecting shock and dismay at the fall of a man who commanded rare respect on all sides of the racial divides that persist in Nelson Mandela's "Rainbow Nation" 19 years after the end of apartheid.

"Golden Boy Loses Shine" ran a front page headline in the Sowetan, beside a picture of Pistorius, head bowed in a grey hooded tracksuit being led away from a police station.

Callers to morning radio shows expressed grief at the death of Steenkamp, who had been due to give a talk at a Johannesburg school this week about violence against women.

There was also widespread disbelief at the fate of a sportsman regarded as a genuinely "good guy".

"How is it possible for one so high to fall so low so quickly?" Talk Radio 702 host John Robbie said.

ADVERTS PULLED

South Africa's M-Net cable TV channel immediately pulled adverts featuring Pistorius off air but most of his sponsors, including sports apparel group Nike, said they would not make any decisions until the police investigation was completed.

Pistorius' endorsements and sponsorships, which also include British telecoms firm BT, sunglasses maker Oakley and French designer Thierry Mugler, are thought to be worth as much as $2 million a year.

He reached the pinnacle of his fame in London 2012 when he became the first double amputee to run in the Olympics, reaching the 400-metres semi-finals.

In last year's Paralympics he suffered his first loss over 200 meters in nine years. After the race he questioned the legitimacy of Brazilian winner Alan Oliveira's prosthetic blades, but was quick to express regret for the comments.

Near the home, people who knew Pistorius paid tribute to a much-loved local hero.

"Some of us were in tears," said Precious, who works at a petrol station where Pistorius used to fill up his McLaren supercar, signing autographs and picking up the tab for people in the convenience store.

"He was just so kind to everyone," said Precious, who declined to give her family name.

(Writing by Ed Cropley; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: www.reuters.com