The VIP Lounge at the Piarco International Airport included members of the media, local athletics personnel, Government officials and a few of the athlete’s close friends and family members.

However, from interacting with the athlete, one cannot help but realise that Richards is only at the start of his path to greatness.

Richards, who is only 23 years of age, studies at the University of Alabama in the United States, and the last of three children who were raised at New Village, Point Fortin by their mother Yvette Wilson.

During his speech, which also showcased his charismatic qualities, Richards emotionally highlighted the hardships that he and his family had to face leading up to the Championships.

“All year this year I was thinking about my mother because I know it’s hard. Me being in college and having my good apartment there and just knowing sometimes the struggles my mom had to go through and the struggles she went through for me to go to practice when I was in Trinidad, doing everything for me and, this year, even before I left, I told my mother that I wanted to dedicate this year to her. And I am just thankful to God that I can actually do that.” The sprinter also stated that his mother is his number one supporter.

“She even watches all of my races a million times and sometimes my sister gets mad because she always watches the races over and over again.” Hearing Richards speak about his family, especially his mother, gives one a sense of where his positive and humble personality originated. He is heavily supported by those closest to him and this has played a major role in his current success as an athlete.

He also expressed the immense love he has for his family saying he cried after reading news articles about his mother watching him run on television.

“The undying support I have from them is unreal,” said Richards.

“Reading the articles I saw my mom said ‘run baby run!’ and just picturing my mom saying that brought tears to my eyes because I know how emotional she could get. She calls me her baby and I am a baby because I am a last child. So I just want to say thank you to her and my family for all their support.” Wilson also expressed how proud she was about her son’s achievements at the Championships.

She said, “I am really, really proud of him and we just want to enjoy this moment with him and spend as much time as we can with him while he is here.”

Making the bold move from corporate Canada to the unpredictable adventures of an entrepreneur in a foreign market was not easy, but while attending university, 35-year-old Akit met Kirk Budhram, a Trini national and they became friend and eventually co-founders of Poutinôis.

“We launched our business on January 2, 2016 at the first official Carnival fete for the season, Tribe Ice. That’s when our crazy adventure started.

Our poutine is authentic to what Canadians would consider a real poutine. It is fresh cut fries, cheddar cheese curds and topped with brown gravy.

That is an original poutine.

We try to educate people that if it doesn’t have cheese curds or fresh cut fries then it’s just cheesy fries. While this might sound like a nominal detail it makes a world of difference in the final product. The beauty is that there are many ways to customise our poutine to the diverse taste of Trinidad and Tobago. Currently we have different flavoured cheese curds, meat toppings and vegetable toppings. Our Trini twists are toppings like geera chicken and then combine it with our tropical salsa (tomatoes, chadon beni, red onions, pineapple) which is a growing favourite.

We even try to do limited toppings during various religious holidays. For instance, we had a saltfish buljol topping for Lent.” The business is currently located in Curepe, but it takes poutines throughout the country via pop ups, special events and catering. Poutinôis offers customers an assortment of poutines, catering to meat lovers, vegetarians and the health-conscious. The poutines come in two sizes; the beaver (small) and the grizzly (large) and customers can choose from a variety of toppings.

They can even create their own poutine to match their taste. And with the thousands of followers Poutinôis has gathered on social media, Akit is convinced that poutine is something that has great potential in TT and that the market has room for other things.

“Yes, we started with poutines but there are other global foods that we want Trinis to try without ever having to leave their shores. There are unique desserts, beverages and snacks we have bold visions! I think poutine has the potential and the right ingredients to make it as big as the gyros trend.

Gyro was already a popular food in Canada years before it got to Trinidad, and then it took a while to gain popularity and has since created a whole segment on its own with a gyro stand on every corner.

This is my vision for poutine but what is satisfying is that it’s something made accessible to Trinidad, being a true foodie capital.” So how did the idea for Poutinôis come about? “My grandfather immigrated to Trinidad from China then had my father who was born in Trinidad, but moved as a young adult to pursue schooling overseas and ended up staying in Montreal to have kids,” Akit said.

“On my visits to Trinidad and Tobago I noticed that Trinis love food specifically when it comes to taste and they always like something different. This is where poutine as a product made sense, since any Trini who visited Canada have already heard of poutine so that helped with awareness. My corporate experience in the food service industry helped make the transition less daunting.” Akit graduated from Concordia University with a major in economics and minor in business.

“While my educational background is in economics, I knew that I had a passion for business while connecting with consumers, so I pursued a career in brand management.” He told Newsday he and his business partner have a vision for the company that could include other ambitious entrepreneurs.

“We are also seeking to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs/investors to help continue expanding on the Poutinôis vision.” Poutinôis can be found on Facebook and Instagram by searching @poutinois Email: Edwin.Akit@poutinois.com

TKR completed a successful run at home on Monday with a four-wicket win over St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. The victory was TKR’s fourth win out of five matches between August 7 to Monday at the Oval.

“Every one wish the finals was here because at the end of the day this is where the atmosphere is,” Bravo said after Monday’s game.

“The people came out in their numbers, every game there is about 12 to 15 thousand people. To full the Oval is not easy especially on a weekday, on a Monday. I think the brand of cricket that we are playing encouraged the public to come out.

We play with heart and soul, we play with a lot of passion and this is for the fans.” Bravo said his aim was to win three of their five matches at the Oval, so to win four was a plus.”We played some good cricket so to get four out five is a bonus. At the first press conference I said I would be happy with three out of five, but to get the extra win I am happy.” The TKR skipper is hopeful his team could continue winning on the road. “We are on top of the table, now we just have to shift our focus because the road is going to be a lot more difficult. You have to play and travel, but I think my team is experienced enough and good enough to cope with any pressure outside.” Pakistani leg-spinner Shadab Khan has been one of the players of the tournament, but has been called up for national duty and will play no further part in the CPL.

Bravo said it is tough to lose such an important player but said his squad has depth.

“It is a big blow. He is a worldclass player, his presence alone is very important. He was our leading wicket-taker also, so we are going to miss him but he has national duties. We have the likes of Nikita Miller and other guys on the bench who are also very experienced.” Khan is currently the leading wicket-taker (before yesterday’s St Lucia/Jamaica match) in the tournament with 10 scalps. TKR Bangladeshi off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz will also leave the squad due to national duty.

“Definitely we are going to try to get someone to come in. We might get a local player as well, but the management team and myself have to sit down and see who is available, that is another challenge. At the same time our bench is strong also, so it is just to see what options are there.”

Alliyah‘s mother Nicole Gopaul fought to hold back tears as she spoke about her dead daughter .

“Days before, my daughter was asking me what does heaven look like,” she said, adding that Alliyah was a lively child who never failed to bring laughter and happiness to her home and that of her parents.

Alliyah, Nicole said, was not a perfect child. In fact she was rude and would show attitude for everything.

She recalled a day when she sent an email to Alliyah’s father, Kitson Primus, asking him to come by and pick up his child.

“When I did not see him, I phoned her father. He said he did what was asked of him in the email.

When I read the email once more, Alliyah had sent another message saying, ‘Don’t bother ok’,” Nicole said causing laughter in the church.

She said Alliyah was always designing clothes and she would take a vest and make it into a skirt and wear it. So gifted was Alliyah that she would use bags to design dresses.

She said Alliyah’s dream was to go to Disneyland and her mother was making arrangements by getting her passport so that she could go with her father in December.

Nicole said she loved her daughter dearly and would not allow even an ant to bite her toes. She said she was the only parent who would be at the St Mary’s Baptist School everyday before 2.30 pm to pick up her child.

Nicole said since the incident on Friday last, she has not rested or eaten properly. She recalled when Alliyah was born, she was placed on life support for three days at the San Fernando General Hospital.

“She survived and lived to make us all happy. But the devil decided to take my child.” As she reflected on her eighth birthday on February 3, Nicole said she held a thanksgiving for Alliyah.

Nolene’s cousin Karlene Ali said she was loud and always in a festive mood. “My cousin would carry on loud, boisterous conversations with her neighbours,” she said, adding that Nolene found great happiness in cleaning her home and decorating.

She also said Alliyah was very fond of her. “She would feed the child and get her dressed for school in the absence of her sister Nicole,” she said, adding that Alliyah was spending the night at Nolene’s home when the fire took place.

Gopaul was married to Terrence Mc Intosh and had one child Terisha Ms Intosh, 15. Terisha was spending the night at her grandmother’s house when tragedy struck.

Meanwhile, the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, police said. Fire officers worked over the weekend to gather evidence.

Police were told by family members that fire was set outside the two main doors, making it difficult for anyone to escape. Nolene and Alliyah were asleep in the same bedroom on the first floor of the concrete house when the fire started during the early hours of the morning.

The remains were taken to the family’s home at noon yesterday and then to the St Mary’s Open Bible Church. Pastor Valerie Samuel conducted the service. The two were buried at the Paynter Cemetery.

The heart-rending plight of fiveyear- old Haleema Mohammed who is afflicted with a blood disorder known as beta thalassaemia, moved many to reach out to her family financially when Newsday last week featured her parents’ call for funds from the CLA, to save their child’s life. But with no definite word from the CLA, attorneys yesterday petitioned a judge of the High Court with a lawsuit to compel the State body to deal with the application with urgency.

Justice Devendra Rampersad, presiding in the San Fernando High Court, after hearing attorney Gerald Ramdeen’s arguments, expressed concern over what he described as a lack of compassion in meeting and treating with the funding of life-threatening illnesses involving children.

Medical doctors say Haleema must have a bone marrow transplant. She requires a blood transfusion every three weeks. The cost of the operation in India is TT$400,000, but Haleema’s mother, Kristal Carmel Mohammed, stated in a lawsuit filed yesterday against the CLA, that if the operation is not done soon, her child will die.

Ramdeen, instructed by attorney Sean Sobers, contended that the funds of the CLA are derived from money voted on by Parliament and it is the taxpayers who fund it. He pointed out in the lawsuit, which was served on the CLA and the Attorney-General, that on July 28, Mohammed had submitted her application for funding to the CLA. She was told that her application would not be entertained between less than a week and three months. The attorney pointed out in the lawsuit, however, that applications on behalf of other children, who are afflicted with the same illness, were determined by the CLA in a matter of a week. “There is no lawful justification for the different treatment that has been afforded to the daughter of the intended claimant (Mohammed,” Ramdeen submitted to the judge.

Ramdeen apologised for the absence of the child’s mother in court yesterday, because she had taken Haleema to the San Fernando General Hospital for yet another blood transfusion.

Attorney for the AG, Nadine Nabbie, responded that the matter of the application for Haleema would be looked into and the court would be informed by midday tomorrow of the result.

With this in mind, maintaining health, and the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases of the population remain critical.

Therefore, you should note that the incorporation of nutritious foods for the preparation of balanced meals and healthy snacks consistently in your meal plan add benefits, and are included in the plan of adopting a heathy lifestyle.

Nutrition plays a major role global health and development. According to the Global Nutrition Report (2015, 2014) good nutrition is critical to sustainable development and can make a significant impact during one’s lifespan, leading to improvement in cognitive skills, and better-nourished mothers giving birth to better-nourished children, boost immunity, adults being productive and able to earn better wages, as well as prevent or lower their potential risk for diseases. You can conclude that good nutrition is essential throughout the life cycle, simply meaning prior to and during pregnancy, infancy, school-aged children and adolescents, and in adulthood.

This aid physical growth, cognitive development and can assist in improving and/or maintaining the nutritional status of persons.

For, the improvement of nutritional status may probably be beneficial in breaking intergenerational cycle of poverty, generates broad-based economic growth, and great health benefits for individuals, households, communities, and countries. Today’s article will focus on diabetes mellitus nutrition management and some barriers to compliance.

People can still enjoy life even though diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.

They should follow the advice of their medical doctor and be compliant with the prescribed diet and medications; as these are essential components of the plan.

Diabetes mellitus (or sometimes referred to as sugar) can be characterised by increase blood sugar levels (high blood glucose concentrations) that results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.

You should note that abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein and fat are present.

Those individuals diagnosed with diabetes mellitus may not produce or respond to insulin. This causes sugar to build up in the blood. Insulin, a hormone is produced by the beta cells of the pancreas (simply put the pancreas is an organ that lies near the stomach and makes several hormones, one of which is insulin). The role of insulin is to help the body use the glucose produced from the food that you consume.

Also, keep in mind that with diabetes, uncontrolled blood sugar levels can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, foot problems, and loss of limbs through amputation (Mahan and Escott- Stump, 2008; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). For the diabetic diet schedule a visit with your registered dietitian or nutritionist, also refer to Special diets – benefits you can’t deny, August 9, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday, pp. B2, B23.

In addition, self-management tips and support are always helpful to a client. According to the American Diabetes Association, Standards for Diabetes Care (2017); these include the following: (a) adopting a healthy lifestyle, the client should make wise choices such as choosing nutritious foods (adding more of the non-starchy vegetables to your plate and limit the starchy vegetables e.g. carrots, pumpkin, beetroot; add only two fruits daily to your meal plan; eat a balanced diet); omit sugary drinks and processed foods, add fresh local seasonings to your food during meal preparation; participate in physical activity – note, first check with your medical doctor; manage your weight; tobacco cessation; and develop effective strategies for stress management; (b) monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure levels; (c) prevent diabetic complications; and (d) identify any problems that might occur with self-management, work together with healthcare professionals to get them resolve.

Though, the primary goals are to manage blood sugar and blood pressure levels and prevent diabetic complications; there are some barriers to compliance

The partnership aims at creating and offering more job opportunities for young people ages 16- 29, developing and mobilising individuals through career counselling and implementing and strengthening apprenticeship, internship and traineeship programmes.

At the signing on July 27 at Nestlé’s Valsayn compound, Human Resource manager, Kristin Ramlogan stated, “We look forward to developing our TT youths by helping them to understand the working world and making them more employable.

Through this alliance, we will provide our youth with readiness to work support such as resume writing coaching, interview preparation training and career development workshops.” Nestlé Needs YOUth has reached over 5,000 young people in TT through hiring, internships and career guidance programmes, since its inception in 2014.

The charges read to the trio alleged that on Monday, they had in their possession a protected animal namely the Scarlet Ibis. They have also been charged with entering the Caroni Bird Sanctuary, a prohibited area, without acquiring permission. The men pleaded not guilty. They were charged under the Wild Life Conservation Act of 1958. It is alleged they were caught with bird parts in a boat near the bird sanctuary by a team of game wardens.

The wardens said they were conducting surveillance in the area when they spotted the men.

They attempted to escape in a boat but were held shortly after.

The men were granted bail and the case was adjourned to September 5.

While all is not well on the political, judicial, economic and social fronts, I am always happy when our sporting and cultural heroes do TT proud on the local, regional and international stages.

To cut a long story short, I congratulate all our athletes who represented the red, white and black at the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, England.

We had some outstanding performances from Jereem “The Dream” Richards who awakened me from “beping” with a bronze medal in the 200 metres final.

The man was finishing like a ton of bricks. Jereem came back to strike gold with our 4×400 metres men — Jarrin Solomon, Machel Cedenio and Lalonde Gordon.

What a joy! The world has to take that in its rookung.

Several athletes have complained about funding problems which must be rectified by the authorities as we head for Tokoyo 2020.

Two of my favourite athletes, Michelle Lee Ahye and Keshorn “Toco Boy” Walcott, did not medal, so I say to them and all the others — keep the faith and forget the armchair critics.

KEITH ANDERSON via email

The reception by Customs was not only cold and unsociable, but I find the procedure unfriendly to visitors and deliberately hostile to citizens. Everyone “with nothing to declare” was kept in line and made to place their suitcases on a conveyor.

Since Customs provides no baggage handlers, frail or elderly people could be seen struggling to lift two-three suitcases from their carts onto the conveyor. Some got assistance from kind-hearted people.

A traveller with only a briefcase or handbag is required to stand behind 20 or more others with 30 or more bags or suitcases to have their briefcase or handbag X-rayed before clearance.

Witnessing this absurdity, which I experienced twice before, I opted for the “red section” to “declare” some in-bond liquor, but no officer was on duty. I had to go into the office and clamour for service.

At most international airports — London, Miami, Toronto — nothing-to-declare travellers can walk through a “green section” where a Customs officer may randomly select a traveller for inspection.

My observation is that 95 per cent pass without query.

What is the logic in this absurd system where passengers are unduly delayed if they have nothing to declare, but can get a speedier exit in the red section — if they can find an officer on duty? Can the Comptroller of Customs or the Finance Minister explain this upside-down procedure?

MICHAEL JAY WILLIAMS via email