Yesterday August 15th 2015, Trinidad and Tobago’s top Beach Volleyball pair of Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield finished 2nd at the California Beach Volleyball Tournament played at Ocean Beach in San Diego USA.

The T&T pair popularly known as the “Toco Boys” was ranked last in the tournament of thirty four (34) teams, placing them in a group with the top ranked team. Most of the teams in the tournament were from the USA. T&T was able to win group 1 an advance directly to the quarter finals. They also won the Quarter Finals and the Semi Finals. T&T lost in the finals to the National Team of Mexico that recently won gold at the Pan American Games.

Mexico was also the team to knock T&T out of the Pan Am games where the Toco Boys placed a credible ninth.
The T&T duo has been on tour since May training on Dogg Beach, California. They participated on the NORCECA Tour legs Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and North Bay Canada. They also participated on the World Tour, St. Petersburg Leg and in the Pan American Games in Toronto Canada. The team is in preparation for a run at the 2016 Olympics qualification. They won the first leg of the process back in May at Saith Park in front of a jubilant home crowd.

The TTVF thanks the Minister of Sport the Honourable Mr. Brent Sancho for his support towards keeping the team on tour. We would also like to thank Mr. Anthony Creed and the Sports Company, Mr. Brian Lewis and the TTOC for its contribution to the process. The Team would continue its preparation heading into the second round of the Olympic Qualification process.

The team’s upcoming activities:
1) Another Open California Tournament - August
2) World Tour – Long Beach Leg - August
3) NORCECA Tour – Veracruz Cuba - August
4) NORCECA Tour – Florida USA - September
5) Return home for a major Beach Volleyball Launch. – September
6) Olympic Qualification 2nd Round Jamaica – September

The TTVF would like the team to be given Elite Athlete Funding consideration. The TTVF would also like the Government to consider allocating a percentage of the NLCB Profits to the SPORTT Company to distribute to deserving sporting organisations as is the practice in the UK, Jamaica and Barbados.

Derron Douglas emerged winner of the World Junior Table Tennis Circuit which took place in Guatemala from August 6-9, 2015. He was successful despite numerous obstacles which he and his teammates faced during the tournament. 

Despite the late arrival of the team in Guatemala City, twelve-year old Douglas defied the odds to stunned table tennis world with his mature level of play as he battled against his more experienced opponents at this level. In the group stage he blazed pass Oscar Davidson of Panama 11-4, 12-10, 11-6. 

Douglas went under to Diego De La Cruz of Guatemala 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 but bounce back in his third group stage match to defeat Wilfred Chicas also of Guatemala 11-7, 4-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6. In the quarter-finals stage Douglas got pass Luis Ton 9 -11,11- 9,14-12,11-9 in the semi-finals he was defeated by the top seed Sergio Carrillo of Guatemala 11-5, 11- 4, 11-8. Douglas therefore had to settle for the bronze medal. 

The other members of the six-man team fought gallantly but failed to register victories. In the junior division (under 18) there was Benoni Daniel and Shaquille Mitchell. Jakeem Welch in the boys cadets (under 15) while Jasher DeGannes and Ackayla Lucas represented us in the  girls’ cadets division (Under 15).

Some Selected Scores

Shaquille Mitchell Vs Gary Castro (Nicaragua) 7-11, 11-8, 3-11, 12–14.
Shaquille Mitchell Vs Martian Betancourt (Argentina) 11–8, 11–5, 11-2     
Benoni Daniel Vs Jamie Galeano (Spain) 12–10, 7-11, 5-11, 5-11
Benoni Daniel Vs Luis Medina (Honduras) 11-8, 8-11, 11-13, 11–4, 6-11
Jakeem Welch Vs Federico Cherny (Argentina) 8–11, 5-11, 8-11
Jakeem Welch Vs Miguel Jose Cachafeiro (Panama) 8–11, 8–11, 9-11 
Jasher DeGannes Vs Candela Molero (Argentina) 7–11, 2–11, 6-11
Ackayla Lucas Vs Ingrid Marin (Guatemala) 8–11, 11–9, 8–11, 7–11.
Ackayla Lucas Vs Angela Palomo (Guatemala) 7–11, 11–9, 5–11, 8-11 

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Multiple medal success at the Toronto 2015 Pan American and Parapan Games, and Special Olympics, the Trinidad and Tobago public has had plenty to cheer about and the expectations are high for the upcoming IAAF Beijng World Championships. Every four years, the anticipation surrounding the Olympic Games gains much attention around the world. What better way to show true passion and support for your country with official supporter merchandise and where do we get it? 

@briaclew when are we going to be able to buy official @TTOlympic gear?
 
This question was asked of Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) President via Twitter. The tweet stirred up discussions on social media suggesting that there was a demand for Team TTO Olympic merchandise. Seems as if the performances of our sportswomen and sportsmen have generated attention.
 
Requests for various clothing items included T-back tank tops, joggers, racer back workout vests to name a few were made on social media.
 
How to meet the demand for hats, jerseys, jackets, polos, three quarter shorts etc with TTOC, 10Golds24 and Team TTO branding? The TTOC is in discussions with a potential licensee.
 
Just like the #10Golds24 vision, the TTOC is determined to face the challenges. Establishing and maintaining the TTOC / Team TTO brand is an important aspect for building relationships with stakeholders. Word coming out of Olympic House is that the official launch of TTOC merchandise is coming soon.    

A survey that revealed up to a third of top athletes admitted using banned performance-enhancing techniques was allegedly suppressed by the sport’s governing body. The results of the study showed that 29 to 34 per cent of 1,800 competitors broke anti-doping rules, the Sunday Times and ARD-WDR German TV have claimed.

It was carried out by researchers at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, who carried out confidential interviews with athletes at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) told the newspaper it was still in negotiations with the study authors and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) about its publication.

“These findings demonstrate that doping is remarkably widespread among elite athletes, and remains largely unchecked despite current biological testing programmes,” the study said.

Researchers allege they were told to sign a confidentiality agreement and have now criticised the IAAF for preventing its publication.

“The IAAF’s delaying publication for so long without good reason is a serious encroachment on the freedom of publication,” the researchers said in a statement.

They added the IAAF had not commissioned the survey but had used its influence to suppress the findings.

The lead author, Rolf Ulrich, said his team had been barred from discussing their work. He said: “The IAAF is blocking it. I think they are stakeholders with WADA and they just blocked the whole thing.”

The study was financed by WADA who told the newspaper it had given the IAAF the power to veto publication in return for allowing access to the athletes at Daegu.

Some of the study was leaked in America in 2013 but the governing body prevented the full publication of the findings, the newspaper alleged.

The IAAF has denied suggestions any veto took place. “The IAAF has never vetoed publication of this article,” it said in a statement.

“The IAAF does however have serious reservations as to the interpretation of the results made by the research group as confirmed by high-profile experts in social science who reviewed the publication on our request.

“The IAAF submitted those concerns to the research group but has never heard back from them.”

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The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has announced the completion of its constitutional reform process.

Working for the last 18 months, the Raoul John-led a team consisting for former Newcastle United and ESPN analyst Shaka Hislop, senator Elton Prescott, Olympic Committee chairman Brian Lewis, Patrick Raymond, Dr. Shida Rampersad and former West Indies Players Association president Dinanath Ramnarine, worked with former local Referees Association president Osmond Downer to produce the new TTFA constitution.

TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee said the Association had no choice but to do things differently from the past, therefore a reform committee made up of eminent persons was put together to reform the TTFA constitution.

“The new document will speak of not only how things ought to be done, but will look also at the restructuring of the organisation,” Tim Kee said.

“In the restructuring effort, what we ensured was there were checks and balances ensured. Accountability and transparency are two main pillars (upon) which this constitution was developed.

“So, we will be having an office run by compliance and audit, to ensure not only that accounts are done in a particular way, but also that the systems are adhered to, to ensure good governance.

“I am sure we have done enough to ensure there is not a recurrence of those mistakes (of the past),” Tim Kee declared.

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Calypso Girls finish World Cup with another winning effort

SYDNEY

Trinidad and Tobago goal-shooter Samantha Wallace scored 53 goals to ensure the Calypso Girls recorded their sixth win in a row yesterday at the Netball World Cup in Sydney, Australia, sealing ninth place overall in the process.
T&T had already beaten Samoa 67-47 earlier in the tournament when they met at the second eight Group G last week. However, the local netballers were expecting a stern test after a nail-biting 57-56 extra-time victory over Scotland in their previous encounter on Saturday.
T&T started the match with the intention of using their most potent weapon as much as possible. Wallace scored all 15 of her tries in the first quarter, a total which saw the Calypso Girls end the first quarter with a slim 15-13 lead over the Samoans.

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