The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee concluded the second leg of its 13^th Annual Olympic Youth Camp at Guardian Holdings Limited, Westmoorings on 25^th July 2015. This marked the end of a two week camp from the 6^th – 11^th (Tobago) and 20^th – 25^th July (Trinidad) that targeted athletes in the eleven to fourteen age groups.

The theme this year ‘10Golds2024' or “10G24” encouraged young athletes to Strive for Excellence in their sporting discipline and also exemplified  the Olympic Principles of Fair Play, Respect for Others, Joy of Effort and Balance between Body, Will and Mind.  Youth Facilitators (past campers) explained these principles through engaging drama and team building exercises.

Life skill sessions focused on Media Interview Training, Athlete Welfare, Setting Goals (Donald La Guerre, Sport Psychologist), Anti –Doping (Andre Collins, Caribbean Sport and Development Agency),  Critical Thinking (Save our Children Foundation) , Sport for Development and Peace (Janine Thornhill, Commonwealth Youth Sport for Development and Peace Working Group member) and HIV/AIDS Awareness (Youth Department, THA).

The closing of the camp was fashioned after the Opening Ceremony of an Olympic Games, with Trinidad and Tobago as the host country. Campers paraded flags from Tokyo 1964 to London 2012 Olympics. In addition, the campers wore decorated face masks showcasing the Olympic Flag, Olympic Flame, Peace and Trinidad and Tobago that was created for their art project during the camp.

In Trinidad, campers presented their art pieces on 10Golds24 vision which highlighted aspects they believe are essential to achieving a gold medal. They emphasized sound morals and values, self-confidence, enjoyment of their sport, balance between school and training, respect for their competitors and support from family, friends, coaches, medical personnel and sponsors.  The campers also highlighted the significance of inclusion of the differently abled in sport, and the need to stay away from crime, violence and drugs in order to achieve their goals.

The participants were able to learn new sports from their fellow campers such as cycling, badminton, archery, triathlon, hockey, volleyball, badminton, chess, basketball, football and netball. They were also exposed to Jump Rope (Thandiwe Prescott).

Most impactful for the young participants was the athlete mentors; Mark Anthony Honore (Volleyball), Kairon Pollard (Cricket), Akanni Hislop (Track and Field, Youth Olympian),  Pietra Gay (Basketball, Women's NBA) Sherridan Kirk (Olympian) and Jeannette Small and Kwanieze John (Young Ambassadors Nanjing 2014 and Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics).

The TTOC will like to encourage athletes and mentors interested in the Olympic Youth Camp to send their profiles to the TTOC at jsmall@ttoc.org.

Special Thanks to the Tobago House of Assembly, Scotia Bank Limited and Guardian Group, Lisa Communications and BPTT for their continued support in the development of our nation’s young athletes.

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Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel will face defending champions Barbados Tridents in the Hero Caribbean Premier League Twenty20 final today after defeating two-time finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors by six wickets in the second semifinal at Queen’s Park Oval, Port of Spain, last night.

It is the first time the Dwayne Bravo-led side will contest the final and they will have the momentum heading into that match.

But the Red Steel have had mixed results against the defending champs, losing to them earlier this season before whipping the Kieron Pollard-led side at the Oval the second time around.

Pollard’s team booked an automatic place in the final for the second straight year after topping the standings while the Red Steel came from the last place to earn a spot in the final four and now have a chance to clinch the trophy and the US$400,000 winner-take-all jackpot.

Last night, the home fans had a lot to cheer about after the Amazon Warriors opted to bat first and were restricted to 109 for nine off their 20 overs with only Lendl Simmons standing up to the Red Steel bowling attack.

Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal then came to the party for the Red Steel, smashing 49 off 41 balls to set up the win as the home side replied with 109 for four off 18.2 overs.

When the visitors batted, Simmons smashed 64 off 51 balls with eight fours. He gave the Amazon Warriors a good start, putting on 19 in the first three overs before Kevon Cooper pulled the game back for the Red Steel.

Cooper got Trevon Griffith with his third ball of the game before the Red Steel spinners really tightened the screws.

Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn removed the Amazon Warriors captain Denesh Ramdin with the score on 50 in the eighth over before leg-spinner Samuel Badree sent back Brad Hodge and the promoted Sunil Narine in the next over to put the hosts in control.

Only Simmons troubled the Red Steel bowlers, reaching his half-century with a four off Benn. Christopher Barnwell was the only other batsman to reach double figures. He hit 12 off 17 balls before he was run out in the 15th over with the score progressing to 77 for six.

The Red Steel suffered a few scares in their reply when they lost Cameron Delport and Jacques Kallis early but the hosts were never in any real danger.

Kamran Akmal dispelled any fears as he took the attack to Veerasammy Permaul in the fifth over, smashing a four and a six to deep midwicket as the hosts progressed from 14 for one after four overs to 27 for one after five.

Akmal went after David Wiese in the next over hitting five fours to get the home crowd fired up.

Even after Kallis departed the Oval crowd was still on its feet as Darren Bravo walked to the middle.

The left-hander smacked Narine for two fours to announce his arrival before pulling Devendra Bishoo for six over the Trini Posse Stand.

But he departed shortly after for 22 off 17 while Akmal was bowled by Narine with the score on 85 for five to slow the chase but there were no more scares for the Red Steel as skipper Dwayne Bravo and Jason Mohammed guided their team safely across the finish line.

The final bowls off today at 4:30 p.m.

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Following a thorough review of the official match report and video footage from the Gold Cup 2015 semi-final match between Panama and Mexico, in Atlanta on Wednesday evening, the Panamanian Football Federation was fined an undisclosed amount for team misconduct both on and off the field by the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF).

Additionally, Panamanian player Jaime Penedo was suspended two matches for pushing the assistant referee following the conclusion of the match. The first game of the suspension was to be served for yesterday's Gold Cup 2015 third place match, and the second for Panama's next official senior national team engagement.

Fellow Panamanian player Luis Tejada was also sanctioned with a two-match ban, one match for the red card received in the semi-final match and an additional match for failing to leave the field in a timely manner following the ejection.

The Gold Cup Disciplinary Committee also levied fines of undisclosed amounts on Mexican national team head coach Miguel Herrera and United States player Michael Bradley, for infractions of the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2015 media regulations.

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Pan American Games shot putt gold medallist Cleopatra Borel and current national female boxing coach Ria Ramnarine are throwing their support behind Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) president Brian Lewis’ proposal for elite athlete housing assistance policy and programme.

Borel, who took home Pan Am gold and a medal bonus of US$3,000 from the meet in Toronto, Canada says she agrees with the proposal, “because as an elite level athlete, we make a lot of sacrifices in our personal lives and also financially because for some of us we would be in a better position financially if we were in another occupation and I believe that after you have done a number of years of service for your country, well it is nice to know that you have a small place in that country to call home just like other services people like firemen, police officers and such. “

Borel said elite athletes were not asking for free housing but to be afforded the opportunity to purchase a home.

“Elite athletes want the same thing like everyone else, we want a place, you know, that sort of security that we can afford a place where I can live and have a happy family life after my career is ended” the Pan Am champ says.

Borel said T&T athletes love representing the country but that to compete at the level they compete at requires “a 100 per cent commitment” and having to worry about a roof over their heads while preparing for world and international competition is an unnecessary distraction that could detract from performance.

“To be placed in a nice surrounding and to have that sort of security is important to us,” she said.

Borel added the T&T public would be surprised to know the circumstances some elite athletes exist under.

Ramnarine, a four-time world champion, also believes the athlete housing proposal is a great one.

For more reasons than one.

“First we have to make the athletes as comfortable as possible with regards to their training. It helps them to train better, be in a better frame of mind, the mental focus is there .

Speaking of her experience of applying for HDC housing since 1999, Ramnarine adds:

“The reason why I am saying that is coming from my athletic background itself and struggling to locating housing, I went through the process and it was incredibly difficult.“

Ramnarine said she is currently coaching a female athlete who qualified for the Pan Am Games but who is struggling to keep the roof over her head.

“Because of her training regime, three times a day, she is not working and what little savings she has is quickly dwindling because rent is very high, a high cost everywhere.... I am surprised that the relevant authorities have not taken it and ran with it, “she states.

Ramnarine said she felt really helpless and got flashbacks to her own situation when she was seeking housing as a world class athlete.

“It really touches my heart and I would take her into my home if I had the space for her. And as I said, it would not be for everyone but for athletes who have proven themselves and who have met certain objectives and athletes who are deserving based on that criteria.

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On a day like this, it’s heartening to be able to focus on sporting excellence.

With a weekend to absorb the ramifications of Friday’s prison break and on the 25th anniversary of the coup attempt that ushered in a new level of violence and criminality in this country, results on the field of play again offer us hope for a better, safer, more disciplined and productive Trinidad and Tobago, if only we could appreciate the serious symbolism behind the apparent triviality of T20 cricket and the Pan Am Games.

Yes, the Pan Am Games, a multi-sport event that pales in comparison to Olympics and World Championships, and will be struggling today to grab the attention of a local sporting public that would have been caught up in the excitement and hype generated by Dwayne Bravo leading the Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel against compatriot Kieron Pollard’s Barbados Tridents in last evening’s final of the Hero Caribbean Premier League.

Whatever the result at the Queen’s Park Oval, it would have been a victory for T&T cricket in this most abbreviated format, given that there were no fewer than 14 natives of the twin-islands state in the two squads, even if all didn’t get on the field for the showpiece occasion.

Add to that the vital trio of Denesh Ramdin, Lendl Simmons and Sunil Narine in the Guyana Amazon Warriors that went under to the Red Steel in Saturday’s final, and not forgetting fast bowler Shannon Gabriel’s impact for the St Lucia Zouks and batsman Evin Lewis’ contribution for the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, and it should become clear that this franchise format has actually benefited more Trinidad and Tobago cricketers than it would have in a strictly territorial structure.

But that’s not today’s focus. It’s the exploits of the squad that represented the red, white and black over the past fortnight in Toronto to the extent that they will now return home from Canada’s largest metropolis with a team record eight medals, bettering by one the tally of seven at the games of 1967 (Winnipeg), 1971 (Cali) and 2003 (Santo Domingo).

Significantly, the haul of three gold medals by shot putter Cleopatra Borel, Olympic javelin champion Keshorn Walcott and the 4 x 400-metre men’s relay team is not only the most earned by T&T at a single Pan Am but also equals the nation’s entire gold medal haul at the hemispheric event over the previous ten editions, from 1975 in Mexico City to 2011 back in Mexico, this time in the city of Guadalajara.

No amount of praise can be enough for 36-year-old Borel, our 2014 “Sportswoman of the Year,” whose gold with a throw of 18.67 metres follows bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 and silver four years ago. As Kwame Laurence, one of the most experienced athletics journalists in this part of the world noted on Friday, the day after her golden effort, this is no guarantee of success at the Rio Olympics next year, simply because the quality of the field will be considerably higher there.

But that is speculation. What is fact is that this consistent and enduring competitor continues to do the country proud on the world stage.

At the other end of the scale you’ve got Walcott, a bolt-out-of-the-blue Olympic champion at 19 years of age at London 2012 in an event which has no tradition in this country and at an age when he should have been far too young to challenge the best in the world.

Not surprisingly, he struggled with expectation – and injury – in the aftermath of that astonishing success. In 2015 though, he seems to have settled into the right sort of groove and assuming he can maintain his form going into next month’s World Championships in Beijing, has the chance to make amends for a disappointing outing at the 2013 event in Moscow.

Then to top off the golden effort we had the quartet of Renny Quow, Jarrin Solomon, Emmanuel Mayers and Machel Cedenio (already a silver medallist in the individual 400), the anchorman running a brilliant final leg to overhaul Cuba and the United States to reach the finish line first.

It is a measure of the regard in which they are held that George Bovell’s bronze in the swimming pool in the 50-metre freestyle, Njisane Phillip’s silver in the sprint at the cycling velodrome and the third-place finish by the men’s sprint relay quartet were greeted as if they were in line with general expectations.

However the same cannot be said of Mikel Thomas’ surprise silver in an excellent 110-metre hurdles final in which the top five finishers achieved personal bests.

These are the stories that inspire, the achievements that should be celebrated in the face of so much negativity on this day.

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Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Star, Kieron Pollard took time from his busy Hero CPL Tournament schedule to give inspirational advice to the young athletes attending the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee 2015 Youth Camp. Pollard told the attentive youngsters, “to be the best you need to put in the work, obstacles may try to get in the way but once you put God first in everything that you do, you will be successful”.

The Barbados Trident Captain advised the young athletes of the importance of education and urged them to maintain a proper balance between and their school work.

Marc-Anthony Honore German based professional Volleyball Player shared his experience with the youth campers. Honore a National Volleyball player has been on the European professional circuit for the past 7 years.

Honore shared with the athletes the importance of making sacrifices to achieve their goals. He also spoke about his Professional Volleyball Experience and ended his visit by demonstrating and teaching some basic skills.

Andre Colin Doping Control Officer of the World Anti-Doping Agency also paid a visit to the TTOC 2015 Olympic Youth Camp to educate the group of young athletes.