SWIMMER Christian Homer, gold medalist at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in Singapore last month, is among a group of national athletes selected by the Trinidad and Tobago Commonwealth Games Association (TTCGA) for the Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth Games will be staged in New Delhi, India from October 3 to 14. Other notable names in the Commonwealth contingent include shot- putter Cleopatra Borel-Brown, long-jumper Rhonda Watkins, the cycling trio of Emile Abraham, Njisane Phillip and Christopher Sellier, shooter Roger Daniel, and squash player Colin Ramasra.
However several top sprinters who were almost certain to medal will not be making the trip to New Delhi. These include 2008 Olympic silver medallist in the 100 metres Richard Thompson, World Championships 100m silver medallist Darrel Brown and Marc Burns.
Also opting out is 2002 Athens bronze medallist George Bovell III who cited a packed programme of events and intensive training schedule leading up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England. According to a media release issued by the TTOC: “The team will be led by chef-de-mission Annette Knott and assistant chef-de-mission Wendell Labastide. Trinidad and Tobago will be represented for the first time by Para-athlete Shantol Ince who will participate in three swimming events.”
Other participating sports will include three team sports – men’s and women’s hockey, and netball; as well as athletics, archery, aquatics,paraaquatics, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, shooting and squash.
Trinidad and Tobago delegation –
Annette Knott-Chef de Mission
Wendel Labastide-Deputy Chef de Mission
Administrative Assistant- Ms Desiree Wilson
AQUATICS: Jarryd Gregoire, Joshua McLeod, Caryle Blondell, Christian Homer, Cadell Lyons, Cherelle Thompson; officials – Gregory Collymore, Paul Newallo, Joseph McLeod.
AQUATICS (Para sport): Shantol Ince; Officials – Ralph Yearwood, Carol Yearwood.
ARCHERY: George Vire, Hasmath Ali, Rakesh Sookoo; Official – David King.
ATHLETICS: Shaun Stuart, Emmanuel Callender, Aaron Armstrong, Lalonde Gordon, Marcus Duncan, Aleesha Barber, Cleopatra Borel-Brown, Rhonda Watkins, Ayanna Alexander, Ayanna Hutchinson; Officials – Durly Lucas, Gunness Persad, Heathcliffe Thorne, Edwin Skinner.
BOXING: Aaron Prince, Andrew Fermin, Tariq Abdul Haqq; Officials – Reynold Cox, Abdul Haqq.
CYCLING: Emile Abraham, Azikiwe Kellar, Njisane Phillip, Christopher Sellier, Haseem McLean, Thireef Smart; Officials – Erin Hartwell, Roger Smart.
GYMNASTICS: William Albert; Official – Ricardo Lue Shue.
SHOOTING: Robert Auerbach junior, Curtis Blunt, Aftab Khan, Roger Daniel, Rodney Allen, Norris Gomez, Justin Lall; Officials – Robert Auerbach, Allison Hamilton, John Fong Yew.
SQUASH: Colin Ramasra; Official – Dianne Juilien