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

Life is full of opportunities to take the easy way out. Doing the right thing seems to involve many shades of grey—finding shortcuts always looks appealing. It’s sometimes easier to do the wrong thing, but it’s always better to do the right thing.

So much of what seems convenient and expedient at any given moment is really a distraction.

Temptations to take the easy way will throw us off track and send us in the wrong direction in our lives.

Even though we live in a world that considers values fluid and subject to change with circumstances or popular opinion, we know we can rely on certain absolutes. We all have a sense of right and wrong.

Standing up for what’s right isn’t a matter of popular opinion. It’s not about some situations and not others. There are some things that aren’t negotiable. The fundamentals don’t change. It’s sometimes easier to do the wrong thing but it’s always better to do the right thing.

Know your values and don’t depart from them. Choose right over easy whenever life offers you a shortcut. Some people are incessant critics. As a sport leader it’s the price you have to pay.

There are people who will do everything possible to criticise you and damage your credibility in the eyes of the general public. When people criticise you, it’s not always for your actions but for what you represent.

Even in the midst of criticism you have to stay focused and continue on the pathway you believe in. Sometimes it makes no sense or serves any useful purpose trying to figure out or to make sense of criticism.

Solid foundations are critical in all aspects of life. The most important foundation stone of them all is your character. How you handle things when the going gets tough and obstacles, setbacks and disappointments present themselves.

It’s always most important to stand firm for things that matter.

It’s always better when faced with difficult situations rather than complaining about a situation, try to count the blessings and be a positive force to make things better.

We live in a world with perverse and crooked people as a result it’s easy to simply be a complainer and a critic and become part of mob rule and rabble rousing.

We have to start going back to basics and instead of focusing on the negatives focus on the positives.

T&T is once again enjoying another moment of glory on the world stage. Last week, Jehue Gordon dug deep and showed the world yet again that T&T can deliver and produce world class. If you ever wanted a metaphor for all that’s blessed and great about T&T look at the tape of Gordon’s gold medal run and press replay over and over again. Pay close attention you will see integrity, courage, determination and an indomitable will to win no matter what the challenge of obstacle.

What served Gordon well was his strong foundation, his upbringing, his self-belief, discipline and faith.

There is so much to be proud and passionate about there is so much to be positive about.

Two of our best women track and field athletes are currently facing a difficult moment in their careers. I don’t know them to be deliberate cheats so my fervent hope is that they will overcome, learn and grow through the negativity. What will serve both of them well will be their strong foundation, family support and upbringing, self-belief, discipline and above all faith in God.

In closing I wish to extend condolences to Annette Knott, general secretary of TTOC, on the passing of her loving husband David. David was a friend and supporter of sport and the Olympic movement in T&T. May he rest in peace.

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A hand-crafted Baton made of titanium, wood and granite which will travel throughout the Commonwealth representing Glasgow and Scotland ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games was revealed to the public for the first time tonight (Friday, August 16).

The beautiful creation lies at the heart of the Queen’s Baton Relay, a well-loved tradition of the Commonwealth Games which seeks to unite the two billion citizens of the Commonwealth in a celebration of sport, diversity and peace.

It will carry, innovatively display and illuminate a personal message from Her Majesty The Queen calling the athletes of the Commonwealth to Glasgow for the start of the Games.

The Baton’s journey officially begins on October 9 at a ceremony in Buckingham Palace when the Queen places her message within the Baton. The Baton then journeys across the Commonwealth - including all the Home Nations and territories - before arriving back in Scotland in June next year.

Over 288 days the Baton will travel more than a hundred thousand miles, visiting all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth – including being the first to visit Rwanda.

It will be carried by thousands of batonbearers on its epic journey, all chosen or nominated by their own nation to participate. On its final leg, the Baton will travel the length and breadth of Scotland on the way to its ultimate destination, the Opening Ceremony, where the Queen’s message will be read and the Games declared open.

The Baton’s design has been a closely-guarded secret until its official unveiling tonight (Friday, August 16) at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum on the banks of the River Clyde, when it was formally presented to Lord Smith of Kelvin, Chairman of Glasgow 2014, by Scotland’s most successful Commonwealth athlete Allan Wells, recently announced as a Games Ambassador.

The former Scottish Olympic and Commonwealth Gold sprinter and winner of the 100m Olympic title at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games, was the final batonbearer at the last Commonwealth Games on Scottish soil in Edinburgh in 1986.

Allan will also be among the first batonbearers for the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay when it leaves from Buckingham Palace later this year.

The wave-shaped Zaha Hadid-designed Riverside Museum was a fitting place for this memorable occasion as its collection celebrates Glasgow and Scotland’s adventurous past through the ships, trains, trams and cars that were manufactured by Scots and transported hundreds and thousands of Scots across the globe.

The Baton symbolises Glasgow and Scotland’s culture, history and innovation in its design and construction by combining leading-edge technology with traditional skills and craft. Created by Glasgow-based Designers, 4c Design Limited and made primarily from titanium and wood, the Baton features four main elements in its design:

The illuminated Queen’s message

The heart of the Baton design centres on the Queen’s message, which will be placed inside a transparent cylinder and housed in a pure titanium latticework frame. The message forms the visual core of the Baton design - illuminated from within by LED lights, yet unreadable until the Opening Ceremony.

The lattice frame

The titanium lattice frame takes inspiration from Glasgow’s rich industrial heritage and the architectural beauty of Charles Rennie Mackintosh design. A cutting-edge ‘Direct Metal Laser Sintering’ process was used to create its striking organic form, fusing together multiple layers of pure titanium powder three hundredths of a millimetre thick with a focused laser beam – essentially 3D printing.

The handle

The baton’s handle is made from Elm sourced from the grounds of Garrison House on the Isle of Cumbrae - a tribute to Scotland’s natural resources. It was constructed using a boat-building technique called bird-mouthing, traditionally used to make masts for ships. Light, strong and durable, the handle was created by craftsmen at GalGael, a Glasgow social enterprise that teaches traditional skills.

The Granite gemstone

The Baton contains a granite ‘gemstone’ which will be gifted to each nation and territory during the visit. Housed at the very top of the Baton, it is released only by opening a clever mechanism, inspired by historic box puzzles. The gemstones, made of granite unique to Scotland, were sourced from Ailsa Craig in the Firth of Clyde, crafted by Kays of Scotland, world-famous Curling stone manufacturers, and embellished by jewellers from The Glasgow School of Art.

The Baton made its dramatic arrival to the unveiling event along the River Clyde on the fastest electric boat in the UK – aptly named ‘Bolt’ – accompanied by Clyde, the Official Glasgow 2014 Mascot and a security team before being unveiled to a cheering crowd.

Also revealed were the official Queen’s Baton Relay uniforms to be worn by thousands of batonbearers who will have the honour of carrying the Baton, the symbol of the Games, as it travels through the Commonwealth.

The Baton will be relayed on its journey by Emirates, the Official Airline of the Queen’s Baton Relay and an official Partner of Glasgow 2014.

The uniforms have been designed by Glasgow-based international sportswear company Trespass, the Official Casual Uniform Provider to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Workforce.

This evening it was also revealed that Scots adventurer Mark Beaumont will cover the journey of the Queen’s Baton Relay for a series of programmes across the BBC network.

Lord Smith of Kelvin, Glasgow 2014 Chairman said:

“The Queen’s Baton Relay is a great tradition of the Commonwealth Games and a wonderful opportunity for Glasgow and Scotland to share our culture and heritage with the citizens of the Commonwealth.

“Glasgow 2014’s Queen’s Baton is not only an incredibly stylish object, but is an example of cutting-edge, contemporary Scottish design that tells so many stories about our nation. It is a symbol of our friendship and the warm welcome that awaits the Commonwealth Family here next year. As the Baton leaves a piece of Scottish granite in every nation it visits, I hope it also leaves a sense of our excitement and determination to make Glasgow 2014 an outstanding experience for all who attend.”

HRH Prince Imran President of the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), said:

“The Queen’s Baton symbolises the amazing international journey to every Commonwealth Games and brings all elements of the Commonwealth values together to celebrate a very unique tradition.

“I am very much looking forward to seeing the Baton on its global journey and building momentum to next summer when the athletes of the Commonwealth will come to Glasgow for what I’m sure will be a memorable and welcoming Games experience.”

Olympic and Commonwealth legend Allan Wells MBE said:

“As the final runner of the Queen’s Baton Relay at the last Commonwealth Games on Scottish soil in Edinburgh in 1986, the Baton and what it symbolises is incredibly special for me.

“Thousands of batonbearers will, like I did, have the honour of playing a very special part in the inspirational journey to the Opening Ceremony and I can’t wait to see this Baton begin its epic journey around the Commonwealth with the spirit of Glasgow and Scotland at its heart.”

Baton designer William Mitchell said:

"It's been both a privilege and an honour to design the Queen's Baton for the Glasgow 2014 Games. This commission has been a wonderful opportunity for the team at 4c Design to bring all their different skills to the table to create a design that combines inspiration and innovation, and that will promote Glasgow, Scotland and our culture across the globe.

“It's been an exciting journey and one which we could not have taken without the amazing contribution from many talented individuals and companies here in Scotland, and from the team at Glasgow 2014. Collaboration has been pivotal to what you see before you and we now look forward to following the Baton's journey. We hope that people across the Commonwealth will enjoy seeing the Baton as much as we have enjoyed designing it.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland said:

“We are hugely impressed with the design of the Baton that beautifully links both traditional and contemporary aspects of Scotland in a clever and innovative way which is truly awe-inspiring.

“The Queen’s Baton is the ultimate symbol of the Commonwealth Games and gives an important signal to Scottish athletes that the Games are within touching distance and will spur them on in their quest for selection. As the host Commonwealth Games Association for Glasgow 2014, we are looking forward with great anticipation and excitement to the final leg of the Baton’s journey here in Scotland.”

Commonwealth Games Minister Shona Robison said:

“This Baton, designed and manufactured in Glasgow, is a fitting symbol to carry the Queen’s message to the athletes of the Commonwealth. On its journey around the 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, the Baton will give two billion people a taste of the history, innovation and creativity of Scotland.”

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

"The Baton was designed and crafted in Glasgow, and it was inspired by the city's industrial and architectural heritage, so it's fitting that it was revealed at the Riverside Museum on the banks of the Clyde.

"It was from here that Glasgow's links with the Commonwealth began. The Baton will be a perfect symbol of the city's present-day global reach as it makes its way around the world, uniting two billion people through the Queen's Baton Relay."

Note to Editors

1. The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving 71 teams of athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years. Glasgow 2014 will be the 20th Commonwealth Games and will be held from 23 July to 3 August. It will feature 17 sports in 11 days of competition with 261 medal events on show. The Games will play host to 4500 athletes and sell 1,000,000 tickets with the event aided by an army of up to 15,000 local volunteers. Glasgow 2014 Ltd is the official name for the Organising Committee tasked with delivering the Games in partnership with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games Scotland.
2. The first Queen’s Baton Relay was staged for the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff and has been the curtain raiser to the Games ever since.
3. The Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay Baton has been designed by award-winning 4c Design, a key contributor to Glasgow’s vibrant creative sector. Established in 2002 by two design graduates of The Glasgow School of Art, William Mitchell (Product Design) and Robin Smith (Product Design Engineering), it comprises expert designers, engineers and model-makers.
4. GalGael Trust is a community and heritage association located in Govan, Glasgow, Scotland, near the River Clyde. It is best known for building and sailing wooden boats in celebration of Scotland's heritage.
5. Technical specifications for the Baton are height: 615mm; diameter (at widest point): 80mm; weight 1.6kg. A variety of unconventional methods were used to test the durability of the Baton and its raw material. 4C Design produced a sample handle in Elmwood using the same boatbuilding technique as used in the Baton base and installed it on the door to their Glasgow workshop to test it in both sun and rain, and to see how it would wear once handled by a large number of people. Unwittingly tested by 4C Design clients, suppliers and postman for the past 60 days while enduring the baking Glasgow summer and recent monsoon rains, it is still wearing well.

6. Allan Wells MBE is a former Scottish Olympic and Commonwealth sprinter, most famously known for winning the 100m Olympic title at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. Wells also had a hugely successful Commonwealth career, winning two Golds and a Silver medal at the Edmonton 1978 Games and two Golds and a Bronze at the Brisbane 1982 Commonwealth Games. He was the final batonbearer and handed the 1986 Edinburgh Baton to the Queen at the Opening Ceremony.

7. The Queen’s Baton Relay will for the first time be covered by the BBC across its entire journey. Presented by adventurer and broadcaster Mark Beaumont, coverage will be provided on The One Show, BBC Breakfast, Radio 2 and Radio Scotland, along with BBC News outlets, and online. Mark Beaumont cycled the world in 2008 with his record-beating adventure charted for the BBC in The Man Who Cycled the World. Other BBC projects have included The Man Who Cycled the Americas (2010) and Rowing the Arctic (2011).

8. Emirates, an Official Partner of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, is the Official Airline of the Queen’s Baton Relay.

9. Glasgow 2014’s other official partner level sponsors are Longines, SSE, Virgin Media and BP. For more information on Glasgow 2014’s full sponsor family, please visit http://www.glasgow2014.com/games/our-sponsors

10. Glasgow 2014, the Commonwealth Games Federation and UNICEF are working together in an exciting partnership that will transform the lives of children in Scotland and throughout the Commonwealth. Using the power of sport and culture this unique partnership aims to inspire, enable and empower the children of the Commonwealth to be the best they can be.

11. The World Press Briefing is being held in Glasgow on 2 and 3 September 2013. Registration is now open via the Press Operations extranet ‘The Pulse’.
Contact pressoperations@glasgow2014.com for more details.

12. To follow the baton visit www.glasgow2014.com/batonrelay

Up to one million tickets for the UK’s next big sporting celebration will go on sale from 10am today (Monday, 19 August) as the starting pistol is fired for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Marking the 10am launch with a splash in every sense, Commonwealth and Olympic swimming star, and just-announced Glasgow 2014 ambassador, Michael Jamieson will dive into the newly re-furbished Tollcross International Swimming Centre for the first time - the pool where he hopes to win one of Team Scotland’s first Golds of next summer on the first night of competition.

For Glaswegian Michael the pool holds special memories as it’s where he trained as a youngster and today he will share the historic moment with young swimmers from Glasgow School of Sport, who all hope to be swimming champions of the future.

Next summer will see 4,500 athletes from 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth compete for gold and glory in Glasgow. Within the Glasgow 2014 Ticketing Programme there’s something for everyone, across 17 sports and 11 days of competition, with family-friendly pricing and a simple application process. The four-week ticketing phase is open from today until 16 September offering fans the opportunity to experience the action and thrills of the Games with two-thirds of tickets priced at £25 or less.

Ticket applications can be made from 10am on glasgow2014.com/tickets or via postal applications forms distributed nationwide with the Official Ticketing Guide. It makes no difference whether fans apply on the first day, last day or in between, but all applications must be received by 6pm on 16 September.

Everyone will have the same opportunity to apply for the tickets they want over the four week period. It’s a brilliant opportunity to experience world-class competition in all the sports you already love and experience new thrills of elite athletes going for Gold in sports you’ve never seen live or at that level before. It makes no difference whether you apply on the first day, last day or in between – so take time to explore the sports programme and plan your application with your family and friends.

Access to sporting events will start from just £15 for adults. Half-price concessions will also be available for under 16s - a Commonwealth Games first - and the over-60s.


The price of a ticket also includes access to public transport in the local area on the day of your event.

As part of the simple and accessible ticketing process at least 70% of all tickets to all sporting events will be available to the public, and a number of different payment methods can be used.

Glasgow 2014 Chairman, Lord Smith of Kelvin, said:

“Glasgow 2014 in every sense is a Games for everyone and a fantastic opportunity to experience world-class sport up close in one of the world’s great sporting cities. We look forward to welcoming elite athletes from across the Commonwealth and the best welcome we can give them are stadia packed with supporters cheering them on.

“Now is your chance to be part of this friendly force of fans for what I hope will be a great moment for sport, for Glasgow and Scotland.

“This is your opportunity to make sure you are part of the experience, part of the action and enjoy all the thrills and spills which Glasgow 2014 will have on offer. We want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy live sport and really make these Games the best they can be.”

Michael Jamieson said:

“Glasgow 2014 is going to be one of the highlights of my career and I’m delighted to be an Official Ambassador for the Games. As well as being an athlete the great thing for me as a sports fan is being able to attend other events and I can’t wait to get to see as much as I can at Glasgow 2014.

“The difference between watching a big multi-sport event on television or actually being there and experiencing it is second to none. You can feel the support of the crowd, the noise from the stadium and being in front of a home crowd will just add to the excitement. I would encourage as many people as possible to get tickets and come and be part of the action. These are elite athletes in every one of the 17 sports competing against their rivals so no matter which sport you get tickets for you will be enthralled, excited and entertained. There is nothing to beat live sport.”

Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said:

“In less than one year’s time, Team Scotland hopes to be fielding its biggest team ever at Glasgow 2014. Our athletes in 17 sports will be ready to go up against the best in the Commonwealth and make their mark at the biggest international sporting event to come to these shores.

“We urge the public to buy tickets now to ensure that the venues are filled with Saltire flags and cheering Scots, helping to make home advantage count. From swimming to weightlifting our athletes are training hard to give you something to shout about, so come along and play your part in the Games!”

Deputy First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said:

“This is a chance to be part of one of the world’s biggest events and the largest ever multi-sport event in Scotland. With affordable ticket prices and concessions for children and over 60s, this is a truly family friendly Games that will guarantee top class sporting drama for spectators and a great Glasgow welcome for visitors.”

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said:

“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games come a step closer today when tickets to see so many of the world’s greatest athletes become available.  This presents a fantastic opportunity to see world-class performers compete in Glasgow in what will be a very special 11 days next summer.  The Games is an occasion not be to missed, and I am sure we will take this opportunity to give a great Glaswegian welcome to the athletes as we watch them in venues across the city.”

ENDS

Note to Editors

The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving 71 teams of

athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years. Glasgow 2014 will be the 20th Commonwealth Games and will be held from 23 July to 3 August. It will feature 17 sports in 11 days of competition with 261 medal events on show. The Games will play host to 4500 athletes and sell 1,000,000 tickets with the event aided by an army of 15,000 volunteers. Glasgow 2014 Ltd is the official name for the Organising Committee tasked with delivering the Games in partnership with the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Commonwealth Games Scotland.

Glasgow 2014’s official partner level sponsors are Longines, SSE, Virgin Media, BP and Emirates. For more information on Glasgow 2014’s full sponsor family, please visit http://www.glasgow2014.com/games/our-sponsors

Glasgow 2014, the Commonwealth Games Federation and UNICEF are working together in an exciting partnership that will transform the lives of children in Scotland and throughout the Commonwealth. Using the power of sport and culture this unique partnership aims to inspire, enable and empower the children of the Commonwealth to be the best they can be.

The first phase of ticket sales will be open from 19 August to 16 September. It makes no difference whether fans apply on the first or last day of this four-week window. For high-demand sessions and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, or for venues where seating is limited, you can buy up to four tickets per household. This is the fairest way of ensuring more people have a better chance of getting tickets for these events. It’s normal practice for a wide range of sporting and cultural  events,

People apply for the tickets they want. It’s not a lucky dip - there is absolutely no chance of requesting tickets for, say, Netball and being given tickets for Table Tennis. Similarly, if someone asks ask for four tickets, they will either be successful or unsuccessful in their application for four tickets. They will not be offered one, two or three tickets.

2/3 of tickets are £25 and under.

For Athletics, there are six price categories, but for most events there are two or three price bands to keep it simple.

Only 8% of tickets are set aside for sponsors. Our sponsors pay for tickets like everybody else.

Prices for the Opening Ceremony start at £40 and the Closing Ceremony at £30.

10.  Ticket applications will be accepted online or with a Ticket Application Form (available within the Ticketing Guide which was published on 23 July).

11.  ATP Event Experts is the Games Travel Office Provider for the 2014 Commonwealth Games and part of the ATPI Group, one of the world’s fastest growing corporate travel and events businesses. Since 1984 the ATPI Group and ATP Event Experts has offered corporate sponsorship activation and travel and event services for a wide array of global sporting events including the UEFA Champions League, Rugby World Cup, and since 1997 the previous ten Olympic, Paralympic and Winter Olympic Games around the world. For further information about corporate hospitality packages please visit www.glasgow2014packages.com, or contact the Games Travel Office (GTO) operated by ATP Event Experts on Glasgow2014@atpi.com

12.  The World Press Briefing is being held in Glasgow on 2 and 3 September 2013.  Registration is now open via the Press Operations extranet ‘The Pulse’.  Contact pressoperations@glasgow2014.com for more details.

13.  For further information please contact Matthew Williams on 030 2014 0133 / 07557 322 490 matthew.williams@glasgow2014.com or Simon Buckland on 030 2014 0612 / 07557 846547 simon.buckland@glasgow2014.com

August 16 - A proposal to move the headquarters of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) from London to Kuala Lumpur after Glasgow 2014 was blocked today following protests from several countries.  

The controversial plan, which would have seen the organisation leave the British capital after more than 80 years based there, was presented at the CGF General Assembly here today.

But a majority of the 71 delegates opposed the plan, angry at the fact it had been presented as a fait accompli by Prince Tunku Imran, the Malaysian President of the CGF, and the rest of the ruling Executive Board.

The six staff who work for the CGF in London had been called to a meeting at 7.30am here today where they were told of the plans to relocate in September 2014 and given notices of redundancy.

These included Mike Hooper, chief executive of the CGF.

But by the end of the meeting they had been told to "tear up" the letters after any decision was deferred to an extraordinary meeting on a date to be announced.

Tunku had earlier delegates that relocating from the CGF's current London headquarters, at a building in Piccadilly owned by EON Productions, the film production company that makes the James Bond movies, would save them £925,000 ($1.4 million/€1.1 million) within the next quadrennial.

The Commonwealth Games Federation are currently based in EON House, headquarters of the film production company that makes the James Bond moviesThe Commonwealth Games Federation are based in London's Piccadilly area at  EON House, headquarters of the film production company that makes the James Bond movies

The CGF's roots are in the British Empire Games Federation, founded in 1932 following the success two years earlier of the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada.

Its name was changed in 1952 to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games Federation, and again in 1966 to the British Commonwealth Games Federation, until eventually being changed again in 1974 to the Commonwealth Games Federation.

But it has always been based in London.

"These were not easy decisions to make and the [Executive] Board recognises that there in particular personal ramifications for incumbent staff," Tunku had told delegates in the morning.

"I formally advised them of these decisions earlier today and reasons for them.

"All have been invited to apply for positions based in the new location on terms and conditions applicable under Malaysian law.

"However, no guarantees of an offer of employment have been given."

Prince Tunku Imran, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, had broken news of the proposed move to staff before telling the General AssemblyPrince Tunku Imran, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, had broken news of the proposed move to staff before telling the General Assembly

Many countries publicly showed their support to staff during the lunch break and it was no surprise that the proposal was defeated after being deferred from the morning to the end of the Assembly.

Tunku had claimed that Kuala Lumpur had been identified following a study carried out last year by professional services firm KPMG who considered a number of factors, including tax efficiency and the costs of overheads.

A total of 15 countries had been considered, including Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Africa.

"The outcome of the Board's consideration of that work identified Kuala Lumpur as the preferred location, not only as a consequence of its substantially reduced overhead costs but also due to a series of unique tax concessions that the Federation can access, not only in relation to its income but also in relation to the remuneration of any expatriate employees, which would be tax free, with the subsequent benefit accuring back to the Federation," said Tunku.

"In addition to the projected savings of £925,000 across the next quadrennial, the Board is of the view that Kuala Lumpur's geographic location will lend itself to additional savings arising as well as enhancing the Federation's ability to do more for members.

"This decision was particularly sensitive for me as two of the Board members [myself and Dr M. Jegathesan, the CGF's honorary medical adviser] are resident in Kuala Lumpur.

"That is why we took independent advice on this matter and declared our interests in the matter."

But the opposition to the plan was summed up best by Sani Ndanusa, President of the Nigeria Olympic Committee.

"We often wonder how we appear to the international community," he said.

"Today we looked deep into the heart of how we appear to ourselves.

"It's not been an edifying experience and I trust there will be no repeat of this."

Source

Franz Huggins, Head Coach of the national team for the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, is quietly confident that his team of five has what it takes to deliver Trinidad and Tobago’s best performance yet at this meet. Tyla Martin, Kristin Julien, Dylan Carter, Jonathan Ramkissoon and Joshua Romany are T&T’s standard bearers for the games from August 26 – 31 at the fourth edition, to be held at the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex in Dubai, UAE.
Huggins, who was selected as coach in late July sees the World Junior Championships as a precursor to senior elite meets.
“It is an extremely high quality meet and can be a real springboard for success and a wakeup call,” the coach said. “Not doing well here is not the end of the world, however, not learning what it means to be a world-beater, after seeing one in the flesh is a crime against the sport. Our athletes too many times see the end of the journey as making the team.
“Learning to be great through practice and observation is critical to this being a success. We want the swimmers on this team, to go on to be CAC, Commonwealth and Pan Am medallists and finalists/medallists at World Championships and Olympics. It’s not just what you’ve done as a junior swimmer, it’s how you have applied it as you transfer to senior swimming.”
The team has not trained together as a unit, but have been the beneficiaries of high level training both at home and overseas. Carter has been based at Davie Nadadores Swim Club Fort Lauderdale since September. Martin, who lives in the USA, trains with Pine Crest Swim Club in Florida. Romany, Ramkissoon and Julien have been training locally for the most part.
Romany of Areios Aquatechs joined Carter in Davie in June to complete preparations with the Davie team. Julien and Ramkissoon also had a two week stint at Davie in June and returned home to train with Titans Swim Club. Ramkissoon went off to Davie in August, while Julien joined Martin in Pine Crest. The trio of Romany, Ramkissoon and Carter are now in Kuwait for acclimatisation training with the Davie Group, while the entire team is expected to be in Dubai by August 24th.
Huggins sees training overseas as a positive as the athletes experience training with their peers of similar quality and ambition which allows them to be competitive on a daily basis, and experience training conditions which are more conducive to success.
“I do not disagree with athletes choosing to train abroad. I simply wish that we could do something about lessening the occurrence at junior level as a start. Qualifying for a championship does not make an athlete or a coach successful. We have to perform, and the fact is we have only had one swimmer consistently perform at a high level, and even he has chosen to leave these shores after attempting to train locally,” he added.
As head coach, Huggins sees his role as reinforcing their good training and providing reassurance that they are in great shape and ready to execute.
“I have been in contact with the primary coaches of all the athletes and know the hard work each and every athlete has put in. I plan to provide them with tips for dealing with situations as they arise as the competition starts. I see myself as that final supportive face they see before going into battle. As much as each coach has done with each athlete, I am responsible for the moral and overall performance of the Trinidad and Tobago swim team.”
T & T’s highest performance to date is a 17th place finish by Kimberlee John Williams in the 2011 meet in Peru. All in all Huggins is very positive about his team’s prospects in Dubai.
“I remain quietly confident that this will be our most successful foray into a World Junior Championships. To date, we have not had anyone go past the opening round of the World Junior meet. My hope is that every one of these athletes does so in at least one event. With some good fortune, we may get a medal or two.”

Team: Tyla Martin, Kristin Julien, Dylan Carter. Jonathan Ramkissoon and Joshua Romany ;Dean Romany (manager), Franz Huggins (head coach), June Durham (physio), Jacqueline Pantin-Romany (chaperone).

Source

Trinidad and Tobago’s Kwandwane Browne was named Player of the Tournament, and also was one of two T&T players named among the championship’s best eleven players at the end of the 2013 Pan American Cup, which concluded in Brampton, Canada, on Saturday night.
T&T’s Akim Toussaint was also named in the tournament eleven, alongside three Argentines, two Canadians, one Mexican and two Brazilians—one of whom was the tournament’s best goalkeeper in Hubertus Reinbach.
The tournament’s final saw four penalty-corner goals by Gonzalo Peillat give Argentina a clean 4-0 victory over home team Canada. Trinidad & Tobago also defeated the United States 3-1 for third spot, and earned their first Pan American medal since 1967. Chile finished fifth, with Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay rounding out the top eight in that order. Chile edged aside Mexico 6-3 for fifth spot in a wide open contest, Brazil needed a shoot-out to grab seventh place from Uruguay after a 2-2 draw.

Source

• MOSCOW

Usain Bolt, already enshrined as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, became the most successful athlete in world championship history when he anchored Jamaica to victory in the 4x100 metres relay yesterday.
Bolt followed up the 100 and 200m double with his third gold in the final event, taking his all-time tally to eight. That matches American trio Carl Lewis, Michael Johnson and Allyson Felix but the Jamaican moved ahead by virtue of his two silvers from 2007.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also completed the hat-trick as Jamaica won the women’s 4x100 relay in the second-fastest time ever, giving them all six sprint golds in Moscow to bring a smile back to the Caribbean island following the doping cloud surrounding the build-up to Moscow.
On a high-quality final day, there was a Kenyan middle-distance double as Asbel Kiprop retained his 1,500 metres title and Eunice Sum took a surprise gold in the women’s 800.
Frenchman Teddy Tamgho became the third-longest triple-jumper in history as he soared 18.04 metres to win France’s only gold of the week, while Christina Obergfoell’s javelin victory gave Germany their fourth field event title.
Traditionally athletics programmes ended with the 4x400m relay but such is Bolt’s worldwide selling power that recent events have been rejigged to ensure the Jamaican gets top billing.
Jamaica were pipped

by Britain in the heats, but the favourites drafted in Bolt and Nickel Ashmeade, while the US, unusually, used the same four in their evening heat as in the final.
Initially it seemed to be working in the Americans’ favour as they led approaching the final bend, but Rakieem Salaam’s handover to Justin Gatlin left the individual 100m runner-up off balance. He clearly strayed into the Jamaicans’ lead outside him, but somehow escaped disqualification.
It made no difference to Bolt, who streaked clear to complete victory in 37.36 seconds, the sixth-fastest ever, with the US in 37.66
Britain, another nation with a painful history of relay foul ups, crossed the line third but were disqualified for a late changeover. That promoted Canada on to the podium and somewhat made amends for the 2012 Olympics when they were disqualified after finishing third.
Bolt delighted the crowed with a celebratory Cossack dance, not easy for someone

6ft 5ins (1.95 metres) tall, before parading round the track with his three medals on show for 50,000 flashing cameras.
“It gets harder every year as I get older but I’m proud of myself and my team mates and I’ll continue to work as hard as I can to dominate for as long as possible,” Bolt said.
America’s women also got it horribly wrong, although they managed a super-human recovery to claim bronze.
English Gardner had come to a complete standstill by the time she finally collected the baton for the third leg but a brilliant bend and an astounding last leg by Octavious Freeman took the US through half the field for an initial bronze behind France.
By then Jamaica’s quartet of Carrie Russell, Kerron Stewart, Schillonie Calvert and Fraser-Pryce were celebrating their win in 41.29, second only to America’s 40.82 set at last year’s Olympics and inside the drug-fuelled 41.37 of East Germany that stood for 27 years.
Hours later officials disqualified France for a changeover violation, promoting the US to silver to give Britain the bronze and some consolation for the men’s team’s DQ.
Having become the fourth-fastest 1,500m runner of all time last month, Kiprop started hot favourite and nobody could live with his long-striding acceleration over the last 200 metres as he triumphed in 3:36.28.
American Matthew Centrowitz took silver and South African Johan Cronje a surprise bronze as both men finished strongly.
Sum’s victory was much less expected as her late burst denied Russia’s Mariya Savinova back-to-back 800m titles.
She took gold in 1:57.38, ahead of Savinova (1:57.80). Brenda Martinez grabbed third as she overhauled compatriot Alysia Johnson Montano, who had run a brave front-running race but ended fourth, flat on the track and sobbing uncontrollably.
Tamgho was already leading when he landed two fouls around the 18-metre mark before nailing the breakthrough distance with his last. Only American Kenny Harrison (18.09) and Jonathan Edwards, with his 1995 world record of 18.29 and 18.16 from the same Gothenburg world championships, have jumped longer.
Pedro Pablo Pichardo of Cuba took silver with 17.68 and American Will Claye was third on 17.52, well clear of out-of-sorts compatriot and world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor in a frustrated fourth.

Yesterday’s World Championships results:

Men
1,500 — 1, Asbel Kiprop, Kenya, 3:36.28. 2, Matthew Centrowitz, United States, 3:36.78. 3, Johan Cronje, South Africa, 3:36.83.
4x100 Relay — 1, Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Kemar Bailey-Cole, Nickel Ashmeade, Usain Bolt), 37.36. 2, United States (Charles Silmon, Mike Rodgers, Rakieem Salaam, Justin Gatlin), 37.66. 3, Britain and Northern Ireland (Adam Gemili, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, James Ellington, Dwain Chambers), 37.80.
Triple Jump — 1, Teddy Tamgho, France, 59-2¼. 2, Pedro Pablo Pichardo, Cuba, 58-0¼. 3, Will Claye, United States, 57-5¾.

Women
800 — 1, Eunice Jepkoech Sum, Kenya, 1:57.38. 2, Mariya Savinova, Russia, 1:57.80. 3, Brenda Martinez, United States, 1:57.91.
4x100 Relay — 1, Jamaica (Carrie Russell, Kerron Stewart, Schillonie Calvert, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce), 41.29. 2, France (Celine Distel-Bonnet, Ayodele Ikuesan, Myriam Soumare, Stella Akakpo), 42.73. 3, United States (Jeneba Tarmoh, Alexandria Anderson, English Gardner, Octavious Freeman), 42.75.
Javelin — 1, Christina Obergfoell, Germany, 226-6. 2, Kimberley Mickle, Australia, 218-0. 3, Maria Abakumova, Russia, 213-6.

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T&T's athletes, sportsmen and women national and international must be afforded the necessary protection of a fair hearing and the presumption of  innocence until proven otherwise.
Issues surrounding Anti Doping jurisprudence can be quite complex and  at times not easily reconciled. The athletes right to due process, rule of law and natural justice are  clearly outlined in the WADA Code and  Results Management Guidelines.
While the notion of Strict Liability is at the core of the athlete's liability for an adverse analytical finding.
Recent thinking recognises that there may be arguable mitigating factors.
Given legal complexities it is imperative that the right of the athlete be recognised and honoured if matters arising are to stand scrutiny on the basis of well established  due process and natural justice principles.
Notwithstanding its unwavering dedication to fair play ,honest and clean sport the TTOC is duty bound to abide by the Olympic Charter and the WADA Code in all regards.

It is critical that the TTOC continue its cooperation with  national sport organisations and the Ministry of Sport to ensure that the youth of the nation who participate in sport are well informed about the at times complicated issues and information that form the WADA Code and banned substance list.
The TTOC remains mindful that as much as it rigorously supported and took an active part in the process that led to the Anti Doping in Sport Legislation recent enactment and continue to work hand in hand with the Ministry of Sport and other stakeholders.
Until the National Anti doping Organisation(NADO) is established the TTOC is in effect the NADO.
This is not a situation that is comfortable,ideal nor desirable and this recognition guided the TTOC's unreserved support for the Anti Doping in Sport Legislation.
It is therefore an urgent imperative that the NADO as provided for by the Legislation be established .

The future of Trinidad and Tobago sprinting was on show at the Luzhniki Stadium here in Moscow, Russia, yesterday.

First, 21-year-old Jamol James made his IAAF World Championship debut, helping Trinidad and Tobago get to the final of the men’s 4x100 metres event. But a hamstring injury prevented him from returning for the championship race, and in came another first-timer, 18-year-old Ayodele Taffe running the leadoff leg for his country.

T&T finished eighth in the final in 38.57 seconds, but were later promoted to seventh following the disqualification of Great Britain.

Jamaica, anchored by double sprint champion Usain Bolt, won in 37.36, forcing United States (37.66) to settle for silver. Canada (37.92) belatedly bagged bronze at the expense of the British.

Keston Bledman, running the second leg for T&T, had to look back and reach for the baton from Taffe.

“He’s a junior still,” Bledman told the Express. “Different leg speed. We just had faith in him. Running from lane one is a hell of a thing. It’s real hard. My head was just get the baton and do what you could do. But tough luck. He ran good.”

It was always going to be a challenge for T&T to secure a podium finish, Taffe, Bledman, Rondel Sorrillo and anchorman Richard “Torpedo” Thompson falling well short of that goal.

Taffe, though, leaves Moscow today with invaluable experience under his belt.

“When I heard the news I was very excited. It was a great feeling to know I was going out there to run with the best in the world. I did my best. I guess it didn’t work out today, but I just have to go back to the drawing board and work things right for the next time.”

Thompson said that while he had his doubts about using Taffe for the final instead of the experienced Emmanuel Callendar, it turned out to be the right decision.

“One of the first things I told him after the race is that he’s a big man now. He ran against the best in the world, the big fellas, and he did well. He stepped up.

“It does well for his confidence in the future,” Thompson continued, “because Bledman and I wouldn’t be around forever. We need the future to get the experience so that when it’s their time and they’re called upon, they have no doubt, no fear. He’s run in the World Championships, so the second time is nothing for him to do. I’m glad we made that decision. I expect big things from him in the future.”

In the qualifying round, T&T clocked 38.38 seconds for third spot in heat one, advancing to the final as a “fastest loser”.

“It was a good run,” said Sorrillo. “Everything felt great and we pulled it off.”

James ran the leadoff leg in the qualifying round. Like Taffe, he was thrilled to perform on the global stage.

“I was ready because I knew I had a big task to play. The overall feeling was great.”

In the women’s 4x100m relay, T&T were out of the final, in, and then out again.

Kamaria Durant, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas and Kai Selvon combined for fourth spot in heat three in 43.01 seconds—not good enough for a “fastest loser” berth in the final. However, Bahamas and Germany were disqualified, and T&T stepped into the last qualifying position.

Germany, though, lodged a successful protest, and T&T were out again.
In the final, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce captured her third gold, the double sprint champion anchoring Jamaica to victory in 41.29 seconds—a new Championship record. United States (42.75) and Great Britain (42.87) picked up the minor medals.

T&T finished joint-12th on the medal table with one gold—captured by Jehue Gordon in the men’s 400m hurdles. Colombia, Croatia, Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden and Uganda each earned a single gold medal as well.

Russia topped the table with seven gold medals, four silver and six bronze. United States (six gold, 14 silver, five bronze) finished second, while third spot went to Jamaica (six gold, two silver, one bronze).

T&T secured the second highest spot on the medal table among Caribbean nations, trailing only the Jamaicans.

On the placing table, T&T were 24th with 13 points, thanks to Gordon, and the men’s 4x400m and 4x100m teams. The 4x4 men finished sixth in the final, one spot better than their 4x1 counterparts.

The Americans were first on the placing table with 282 points. Russia (183), Kenya (139), Germany (102) and Jamaica (100) finished second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

T&T team manager Dexter Voisin told the Express, yesterday, that coming on the heels of T&T’s best ever Olympic showing, one gold and three bronze medals in London last year, the 2013 World Championship results were not what he had anticipated.

“Expectations would have been high, based on the Olympics…this is a performance we weren’t expecting.

“But we cannot,” Voisin continued, “not look at the fact that we have won a gold medal. Not many countries can boast of a gold medal. At the end of the day, we have a world champion in Jehue Gordon.”

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To celebrate the one-year-to-go mark, the city of Nanjing unveiled last night the OMEGA Countdown Clock just as the days clicked from 366 to 365. The second edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held from 16 to 28 August 2014. Until then, what better way to get into the spirit than with an awesome teaser video with messages from some of our former YOGgies and other international names!

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T&T’s men’s hockey team will play the United States for the bronze medals tomorrow from 4.30 pm at the fouth Pan American Cup, in Brampton, Toronto, Canada.

T&T went under to world 10th ranked Argentina 8-0 in the first of two semifinals yesterday.

In the second semifinal, hosts Canada edged the USA 1-0 with a tenth minute item from Sukhi Panesar.

The South Americans led T&T 2-0 at the half via two penalty-corner conversions from Gonzalo Peillat in the 29th and 34th minutes.

However, in the second-half, the Argentines stepped up the pace and added items through Lucas Rey (39th), Lucas Vila (45th), Guillermo Schickendantz (52nd), Juan Aguilleiro (52nd), Leandro Tolini (55th) and Peillat, who completed his hat-trick in the 63rd minute.

Argentina and Canada meet in tomorrow’s final from 7 pm.

The winner of the tournament qualifies for next year’s Men's World Cup in The Hague, Holland.

Yesterday Pan Am Hockey Cup results:

Fifith to eight semifinals:

Mexico 3 (Francisco Aguilar 46th, 64th, 67th) vs Brazil 2 (Matheus Borges 20th, 28th)

Chile 14 (Vincente Martin 19th, 37th, 50th, Martin Rodriguez 6th, 33rd, 46th, Alexis Berczely 28th, 61st, Thomas Krussig 65th, 70th, Jaime Zarhi 20th, Nicolas Renz 42nd, Raimundo Valenzuela 50th, Sven Richter 56th) vs Uruguay 0

Main Draw semifinals:

Argentina 8 (Gonzalo Peillat 29th, 34th, 63rd, Lucas Rey 39th, Lucas Vila 45th, Guillermo Schickendantz 52nd, Juan Aguilleiro 52nd, Leandro Tolini 55th) vs T&T 0

Canada 1 (Sukhi Panesar 10th) vs USA 0

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Jehue Gordon's former coach Albert King has cautioned the government against overworking the newly crowned 400m hurdles world champion with public relations duties following his latest win in Moscow.

King, who introduced Gordon to hurdling as a Form One student at Belmont Boys Intermediate, pointed out that such chores had a negative impact on Keshorn Walcott, whom he felt had been overwhelmed following his win in the javelin at the London Olympics last year.

“I am honestly hoping that Jehue’s parents will prevent him from the sort of stupidness that went on with Keshorn Walcott,” he said. “Because of political stupidness, they had Keshorn moving around the country up and down almost everyday and he was overworked. I believe that was one of the things that has him underperforming.”

King, a Level Four middle and long distance specialist who also coaches at Airborn Sonics, said that Gordon’s talent had been apparent from an early age.

“He came in Form One as an 800m primary school champ but when I saw him running over benches, I encouraged him to pursue hurdles,” he said, adding. “He was also good in cricket. If he had decided to follow it he could have been the equivalent of Dwayne Bravo right now.”

Gordon spent five years at Belmont before moving to QRC for Form Six and is currently attending the University of the West Indies in St Augustine. King said they had maintained their relationship throughout and still kept in regular contact.

“He still discusses things with me,” he said. “He talks with athletes at the club and gives them mentorship. He's a very focused young man and whatever he chooses to do, I know he will be successful because of his mental attitude.”

King also hoped Gordon's win would encourage the government to invest more into track and field's development.

“In my opinion, we have some real quality athletes but no national develop programme. Everything that occurs is because of individual coaches.”

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Cook reaches two finals

Jehue Gordon, 21, in nail-biting 400-metre hurdles finish in Moscow

Trinidad and Tobago track star Jehue Gordon lunged for the line at the Luzhniki Stadium, here in Moscow, Russia, yesterday, his herculean effort earning the country only its second gold medal in the 30-year history of the IAAF World Championships.

Coming off the final turn in the men’s 400 metres hurdles final, Gordon trailed American Michael Tinsley. But as he battled on the home straight, the Maraval athlete drew inspiration from two of the most influential people in his life—his coach Dr Ian Hypolite and mother Marcella Woods.

“On the last hurdle, I just remember my coach telling me it’s going to be a foot race coming home, put my foot down on the ground, roll my arms. And I remember my mom telling me to push yuh head Jehue, just remember to push your head. So did and so done.

“My head actually left my body and went over the line, and my body went behind it. I just throw my frame, as Trinidadians would say, I throw my frame over the line.”

Tinsley, too, “threw his frame”, and the two athletes, like everyone else in the stadium, had to wait until the results showed up on the giant screen to know who took the title.

“I wanted to raise up,” Gordon told the Express, “and just see my name to the top of the board.”

He got his wish, Gordon striking gold in 47.69 seconds—a new national record and the fastest time in the world this year. Tinsley had to settle for silver in 47.70, while bronze was bagged by Serbia’s Emir Bekric (48.05).

“I’m ecstatic,” said Gordon.

Yesterday’s gold was the 11th World Championship medal for T&T.

Ato Boldon opened T&T’s account back in 1995 with men’s 100m bronze. And two years later, in Athens, Greece, he triumphed in the 200m to became the country’s first senior world champion in athletics. A couple hours before the one-lap hurdles final, the former track star told the Express he was “ready to make room in the club”, the T&T world title club.

Gordon became only the second person to gain membership with yesterday’s scorching run on the Luzhniki Stadium’s blue Mondo surface.

“My coach has been nagging me and telling me that my body is ready to do something phenomenal. I went out there, had that belief in him, and kept my belief in Jehovah God that he’s going to bless me with his Holy Spirit and pull me through the line.

“My coach,” Gordon continued, “has been there for me since I was 12 years old. And I must give this big achievement to him.”

Gordon also acknowledged the contribution of the T&T medical staff, and paid tribute to his mother.

“My mom, I must devote this to her also. She’s been there for me through thick and also through thin.  Mom, I did this for you…just continue to support me and believe in me.”

Gordon is a fully home-grown talent. He turned down the opportunity to go abroad, opting instead to train in T&T under the guidance of Hypolite.

As a 17-year-old, Gordon finished fourth at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany. One year later, he was crowned world junior champion in Moncton, Canada. And at the 2012 London Olympics, he was sixth in the final.

Yesterday, Dominican Republic’s two-time Olympic champion Felix Sanchez had to settle for fifth spot in 48.22 seconds. Cuban Omar Cisneros (48.12) finished fourth, while Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson (48.38) and Senegal’s Mamadou Kasse Hanne (48.68) were sixth and seventh, respectively.

In the cellar position was T&T-born Kerron Clement. While Clement opted to represent United States rather than the country of his birth, Gordon, a Sports Management major at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, chose to be the ultimate patriot.

“I wanted to show Trinidad and Tobago that I could localise things. I could localise books and athletics at the same time, showing people that I don’t need to go outside to be successful.”

Born, bred, and developed right here in T&T, 21-year-old Jehue “Young Prince” Gordon is now king of the one-lap hurdles. He has truly come of age.



Trinidad and Tobago’s World Championships medals:



1995: Ato Boldon--Bronze--Men’s 100 metres

1997: Ato Boldon--Gold--Men’s 200m

1999: No Medals

2001: Ato Boldon--Bronze--Men’s 100m

Marc Burns, Ato Boldon, Jacey Harper, Darrel Brown--Silver--4x100m relay

2003: Darrel Brown--Silver--Men’s 100m

2005: Kevon Pierre, Marc Burns, Jacey Harper, Darrel Brown--Silver--Men’s 4x100m relay

2007: No Medals

2009: Darrel Brown, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Richard Thompson, Keston Bledman--Silver--Men’s 4x100m relay

Josanne Lucas--Bronze--Women’s 400m Hurdles

Renny Quow--Bronze--Men’s 400m

2011: Kelly-Ann Baptiste--Bronze--Women’s 100m

*2013: Jehue Gordon--Gold--Men’s 400m Hurdles



*2013 edition still ongoing

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“The chance of success increases when you put country before self.”

This was the message relayed by Sports Minister Anil Roberts, who reverted to his part-time job as coach when he spoke to members of T&T’s Under-17 men’s water polo team which will depart for Buenos Aires, Argentina next Friday, to contest the Pan American Junior Water Polo Championship.

The Championships, a qualifying event for next year’s FINA World Youth Water Polo Championship, will run from August 23 to September 1, where a top five spot will suffice in the team’s progression to the global competition.

The national junior water polo team, along with parents, executive members of the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT) and officials of the Sport Company of T&T (Sportt), were present at the VIP Lounge of the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Wrightson Road, on Tuesday night, where the charges were offered words of wisdom from Roberts, who also serves as coach of Olympic medalist George Bovell III.

Chairman of Sportt, Sebastien Paddington, who represented T&T in freestyle swimming at the Olympic Games in 2000 also spoke to the junior athletes.

Roberts’ advice to the parents was straightforward: “Allow the coach to do his job.”

Saying he was already inspired by their past success and the determination etched in their faces, Roberts advised the athletes to use their country as motivation to succeed, citing recent FINA World Championship medalist Bovell as an inspiration and a patriot.

T&T’s participation at the last Junior Pan American Championship in 2011 resulted in a fourth placed finish, which secured the team a spot at last year’s World Championship, where it placed 18th.

The team’s current head coach Allan Too A Foo said his team is as likely as any other to finish in the top five at the competition. He coached the team to its first ever gold medal at the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, where the team triumphed 8-4 over Puerto Rico in the final.

T&T cannot field a girls’ team at the Pan American Games due to the team’s withdrawal before the recent CCCAN qualifying event.

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NAAA not happy with response to athlete withdrawals

The National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) has issued a press release, expressing “deep concern” over comments in the media in response to the withdrawal of two Trinidad and Tobago athletes from the World Championships, in Moscow, Russia.

The release, headlined “In support of fairplay”, was issued by NAAA secretary Allan Baboolal.

Here is the full release:

“National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) notes with deep concern comments being made in the media with respect to sensitive matters relating to allegations of the use of prohibited substances by two of our country’s top female athletes: Semoy Hackett and Kelly-Ann Baptiste.
“Both the IAAF and WADA have well established procedures for treating with allegations of the use of prohibited substances against athletes and, notwithstanding the unfortunate comments referred to above, NAAA as a responsible organisation has adhered to all the applicable protocols in such matters.
“At present, both athletes have withdrawn from the IAAF World Championships currently underway in Moscow. The Association is awaiting further communication from Kelly-Ann Baptiste and in the case of Semoy Hackett is awaiting a date for the hearing of the appeal of her matter, since it has been referred to the Court of Arbitration in Sport by the IAAF. As such, the Association is not prepared at this time to comment further on both situations.
“NAAA is strongly committed to the sporting ideal of fair play from both the athletes and from those charged with the conduct and administration of the sport. In this regard, the Association is very mindful of its responsibility in ensuring that the sport remain free from cheats, that the rich and proud sporting legacy that has been established over the years is not destroyed and that the country’s well-earned reputation is protected. However, the Association is equally mindful of its role in protecting the interest of its athletes and in ensuring that the principles of natural justice are adhered to when allegations are made.
“We merely ask that commentators adopt a similar approach.”

Meanwhile, NAAA president Ephraim Serrette and manager of the T&T World Championship team Dexter Voisin both refused to comment on the recent call by Minister of Sport Anil Roberts for the NAAA executive committee to resign over the selection of Hackett on the Worlds team.

“Right now I have no comment on it,” Voisin, who is also the NAAA assistant secretary, told the Express, yesterday, “because my focus is on team performance here.”

Serrette is also attending the World Championships.

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FOUR Trinidad and Tobago players advanced to the “round of 16” in the Under-18 division when the Coca-Cola ITF (International Tennis Federation) Junior Tournament served off Tuesday in St Lucia.
Tobagonians Shania Millington and Kezia Koroma, the runner-up in the National Championships just over a week ago, made the perfect start as they did not allow St Lucians Jayda Hunte and Surabhi Gupta, respectively, a single game.
Dominique Coutain also advanced by beating Antiguan Noah Peters 6-4, 6-3, but Makalah Goodridge and Danielle Devenish were only able to win one game each from Antiguan D’Jeri Raymond and Dominique Maria Ong of the Philippines, respectively.
And Juliet Campbell failed to trouble the scorer against Cristina Rovira of the United States.
Breana Stampfli, who won her first ITF title three weeks ago in Jamaica and just failed to secure another doubles crown when she lost in the final the following weekend in Dominican Republic, is seeded second and got a bye into yesterday’s “round of 16”
Tobagonian Joshua Abraham, runner-up in the recent National Championships, was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Brazilian Cavalante Platzeck, but his twin brother Ty, a quarter-finalist in “Nationals”, defeated Tjimon Louisy 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
Kryel Trim, the other T&T player in the main draw, was only able to win one game against Franz Luna of Guatemala.
Along with Anthony twins, Kristen and Kriston, Nabeel Mohammed, who reached the Under-16 quarter-finals of JITIC last week in Dominican Republic, was eliminated in the first round of qualifying.
But the national Under-16 and 18 champ was narrowly beaten 7-5 in the third set by Sam Burnette and the American not only went on to qualify, but also sent the No. 6 seed packing in straight sets on Tuesday.
In Under-14 first-round action, Anya King cruised past Vincentian Anastasia White 6-0, 6-2 and Candace Cook halted Amarlia Benn, also of St Vincent, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals.
Kobe James and Danyel Angus cruised past Antiguan Chad Joseph (6-0, 6-2) and Ethan Doctrove (6-3, 6-1) of Dominica, respectively, to reach the boys’ quarters, but Joshua Arnold was beaten 6-4, 6-3 by Mickel Alexander of Grenada 6-4, 6-3.

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One breath away. That’s how close you are to your greatest goals and worst fears right before the start of a World Championship 50m freestyle final.
Exactly one exhale later, you will be at the other end of the pool, the race will be over, the drama played out for the world to see leaving the results echoing for eternity. One breath within which to define a race, a season, a career, even to define an athlete.
In sport, we love to watch moments like this, the last few seconds of the tied game, the penalty shootout, the too close to call lunge at the end of a track and field final. We love the drama. We want to share in the thrill.
I seem to repeatedly find myself in this situation. However, each time this absolutely exhilarating moment is very different. The synthesis of these moments, our approach and reaction to them as well as the result becomes our experience, in the sense that someone can become experienced at handling such situations. How do we measure moments; by intervals of time or by the amount of living that we manage to cram into these fleeting, short periods of existence? If you agree that it is the latter, then thrilling moments such as being one breath away from hopes and dreams or failure and disaster must surely be up there with the greatest of a lifetime. They are the moments that if we approach correctly make us feel completely alive and in so doing allow us to cram the most living into life. It has taken me most of my sporting career to start to learn how to approach these moments, and it’s a beautiful thing.
For most of my career I have approached races with the insatiable burning desire to either win or achieve a desired time or place and it has worked quite well. This burning desire for success has always served to energise me with motivation and has provided me with the “bad mind” that has been instrumental in countless successful races and workouts.
There is a time and place for everything, but however, over the course of the past year I seem to have found a better approach and come to a deeper level of understanding. I mean to specify a race specific approach here because the previously discussed  mindset of “go big or stay home” always applies to my macro view of the season.
I have come to the realisation that when you want something, no matter what it is, the very action of wanting it makes you feel a fear of losing or not getting it. Wants and fears simply go hand in hand. When you want to win an Olympic medal for example, you are also afraid of failing at trying to win one. The same applies to someone desiring an excellent result on an exam, they are afraid of or really don’t want to get a poor result.  By cultivating desire you also inadvertently bring on board fears as well, most often manifested in the all  too familiar form of pressure that finds the cracks in our game and causes them to leak.
To perform to the best of one’s abilities in the 50m freestyle, as I am sure it must be in many other disciplines, one endeavours to get as excited and energised as possible while also remaining cool, calm and collected, balancing on that razor’s edge.
The 50m freestyle requires as much control over the mind as it does the body. This is an event where you must summon up an incredible amount of emotional energy, applied force, coordination, speed and power while also attempting to remain relaxed enough to hold your breath for the race’s duration and execute countless details correctly.
Even in the actual swimming effort of the race itself, one must stay relaxed and composed in order to allow for a very brief seemingly counter-intuitive pause which actually allows the body to travel forward before starting the next stroke repetition. Too much rushing and applied effort and one ends up cavitating or “spinning the wheels” as this mistake is commonly referred to. This is often the result of an intense feeling of mixed wants and fears that I would describe as desperation. This feeling of desperation naturally ensues due to the intense desire for success and fear of failure involved in the approach to the race.
This feeling of mixed wants and fears akin to desperation is very often what causes us to make mistakes, rush things, choke and most importantly prevents us from feeling completely alive and enjoying the moment. The wants and fears involved with the desired future result get in the way of the actions of achieving the very result in the present moment.
I will attempt to describe in words something that is impossible to describe and is actually limited by the very words themselves. What I am trying to convey is that in place of focusing on the wants and fears to motivate us, we should free ourselves from them and instead, we need to be chasing a feeling. Chasing a feeling that is similar to how it feels to devour a tasty meal when you are starving, or quench your thirst when you feel like you are parched.
You don’t think about how you are thinking about it, you just do it, just so, completely in the moment. You really enjoy it and it feels amazing. If you can free yourself from the sinking pressure of desperation so as to be free to really enjoy what you are doing even in the moments when you are just one breath away from what were your wants and fears, you will truly be thrilled. You will cram the most life into that unforgiving moment, living it to the fullest and naturally producing your most honest, deliberate effort in the process.
If the result of the race is a product of the moments in the race, just as life is a product of the moments of our life, then we avoid desperately rushing towards the end of our race but rather maximise the life lived in each moment  by living it well and really enjoying it.

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