Athletics in good hands

This country is at a transitional stage with a number of past athletes close to the twilight of their careers, such as Pan Am champion Cleopatra Borel, 38, and three-time Olympic medallist Richard Thompson, 31. A number of TT athletes continue to show tremendous promise, namely double Carifta gold medallist Khalifa St Fort, who is trained by legendary sprinter Ato Boldon.

St Fort, who battled the flu in Curacao, was still good enough to clock 11.56 and 23.99 seconds to win the Girls Under-20 100m and 200m events, respectively, in her last appearance at the Caribbean meet. No doubt tougher tests await but St Fort has shown she is committed to giving her all in pursuit of excellence for the red, white and black.

The National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA) has made a concerted effort to shift the focus from track events to the field in the recent past and we can certainly see the fruits of that approach beginning to bear.

Ianna Roach, a Carifta silver medallist at the 2016 Games, snapped up gold this time in the Girls U-18 shot put. Roach, in an interview prior to leaving for Curacao, told Newsday she looks up to the evergreen Borel as a role model and regularly seeks advice from the multiple Sportswoman of the Year.

Tobagonian Tyriq Horsford is another with much potential, backing up his golden performance in 2016 with another gold (76.50m) in the Boys U-18 javelin event. Javelin has never been a strong point locally but with Keshorn Walcott at the top tier internationally and Horsford following in his footsteps, things look promising for TT in this discipline.

Performing at the international level is a significant leap from the regional standard and the Ministry of Sport, NAAA and Olympic Committee need to ensure the athletes have everything required to succeed.

We have heard complaints in the past of the Hasely Crawford Stadium being inaccessible throughout the Carnival period due to cultural events being held there. Sport and culture sometimes go hand in hand but the dilemma is sport is not seasonal and preparation is crucial to each athlete’s season.

Funding is another perennial issue with Thompson and Sports Minister Darryl Smith in a recent feud over the issue. All these concerns need to be ironed out as soon as possible as Tokyo 2020 is not far away and our next Olympic medallists may have just represented this country at Carifta.

While TT’s athletics team was in Curacao performing admirably, the country’s water polo and swim teams have been campaigning at their respective championships in the Bahamas. Gold by the TT Under- 19 girls water polo team while playing undefeated is an indication that more needs to be invested in this sport to maximise this country’s potential there.

We believe the opening and immediate utilisation of the National Aquatics Centre in Couva will not only enhance the sports of swimming and water polo but allow this country to host international meets, thereby allowing our athletes to compete at the highest level right here.