Source: trinidadexpress.com |By Kern De Freitas
Trinidad and Tobago's Special Olympics team came home yesterday gleaming with pride at Piarco International Airport with a national record 38-medal haul from the recent Special Olympics Games in Greece.
T&T's haul included 15 gold medals, 15 silver medal and eight bronze medals, as well as 28 other ribbons for other placings.
More than 50 represented this country in eight disciplines: aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, equestrian, football, powerlifting, volleyball, and produced their best performance in the competition to date.
Communications manager of main sponsors, Digicel Trinidad, Penny Gomez commended the team for their strong performances at the Games.
"I just want to say that we are as proud of you when you left as we are today. The medals look beautiful on you today. You are all winners in our eyes."
Ferdinand Bibby, national director of T&T's Special Olympics, was even more pleased about every athlete achieving personal best marks than their impressive medal haul.
And Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Anil Roberts reiterated his ministry's support for the special athletes, indicating that plans are in the works to provide them with their own facilities at the National Sporting Centre in Tacarigua.
He hailed the Special Olympics squad as an example to all national teams, telling them they have made the entire nation proud. He also praised them for their discipline even on their arrival home.
"I want the media to highlight not only how well the team did," Roberts told the athletes, "but the media has been in the VIP room for many a team, and this team is the most disciplined (to return home like this)…they are tired, but they are still showing class."