Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Story by: Clayton Clarke
Sports Minister Anil Roberts, left, is all smiles as he congratulates (NAAA) president Ephraim Serrette, at the unveiling of the new NAAA Web site and logo at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain yesterday. At centre is Sagicor General Insurance Company’s Michelle Serville, who presented a cheque for $150,000 to the organisation yesterday as part of the company’s sponsorship for the junior championships this weekend.
The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs is investing $400,000.00 into this year’s National Senior Track and Field Championships set for the Hasely Crawford Stadium on June 25 and 26. The two-day meet will see this country’s best athletes compete for the right to represent Trinidad and Tobago at several upcoming regional and global events. At this year’s event several foreign relay teams will be seeking to qualify for the World Championship in Daegu, South Korea from August 27 to September 4. Speaking at the launch of the Championships at the Hyatt Regency Hotel yesterday, National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) Secretary Allan Baboolal said St Skitts Nevis, St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and Puerto Rico have confirmed their participations.
Baboolal added that the monies will be used to provide accommodation for the visiting contingents.
“This year the International Association of Athletic Associations (IAAF) has granted permission for us to use our Championship as relay qualifier to allow teams seeking to make the trip to Korea an opportunity to attain the required qualifying standards. The visiting teams will provide their own airfare but the NAAA will cover the accommodation for them. He also said: “Other athletes have been invited to provide competition for our local athletes in pursuit of the World Championships standards and the NAAA will be meeting the cost of airfare and accommodation for these athletes.
“The NAAA executive decided to bring in five Kenyan runners who are based in the US and two Venezuelans to run against Denzil Ramirez in the men’s 5000m. Denzil recently ran the event under 15 minutes. We also bring some hurdlers who are running 50 to 51 seconds for Jehue Gordon. Also Ayanna Alexander has no competition in her event, the women’s triple jump. For the women’s 800m we have indicated to Melissa Deleon that if she can identify competitors we will meet the cost of airfare and accommodation.” Baboolal added that last year the NAAA brought in athletes to compete in the pole vault but the initiative was not well received as there are no local pole vaulters competing.
Baboolal, who is also the chairman of the association’s Games Committee said the Championships is a must for all local athletes to be eligible for selection. Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Anil Roberts supported the requirement and said funding provided by his ministry to the athletes is not a given. “All the best athletes must come home and run. Funding is not a right. It is about pride and love of country and performance. So when athletes feel they deserve funding that is not how it happens.” Roberts cautioned that those who chose not to come home and compete run the risk being disciplined, “To those athletes who try to pretend and fake injuries so as not to run at the championships, you have a Sports Minister who is also a coach, so it will not be easy. You must come and compete or else you will be penalised.”
In addition to the World Championships local athletes will be looking to selected for the Central American and Caribbean Championships in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico from July 15 to 17, Pan American Junior Champs in Florid USA from July 29 to August 31 and the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico from October 23 to 30.