TT scored an overall 1,259.5 points, accumulating the majority in swimming (938.5) after the final day of events on Sunday. Puerto Rico, who topped the Swimming category with 978 points, managed a combined score of 1,217 points.

Costa Rica were third overall with 757 points as a result of their solid performances in swimming, rounding off the top three in that discipline on 676.

Team TTO ’s Water Polo teams combined for a total score of 228 points to win the discipline and the hosts gathered 70 and 23 points in the Open Water and Diving disciplines, respectively.

Tournament rivals, Puerto Rico, only managed 59 points in the Open Water and placed second in Water Polo with 180 points.

Costa Rica ended on 45 points in Open Water and 36 points in Water Polo. Costa Rica and Puerto Rico did not compete in Diving or Synchronized Swimming.

On the final night of aquatic action, TT ’s Amira Pilgrim copped gold in the Girls 15-17 50m freestyle with her time of 26.26 seconds seeing her finish ahead of Curacao’s Chade Nersicio (26.45) and Cathy Cooper (26.47), representing Panama.

In the Girls 18-and-Over 50m freestyle, TT managed gold and silver as Cherelle Thompson and Kristen Julien sprinted to the wall ahead of Jamaica’s Kelsie Campbell.

Thompson’s time of 26.69 seconds was enough to hold off Julien (26.74) and Campbell (26.91).

Team TTO ’s Christopher Dieffenthaller, who had a magnificent tournament, claimed the 100m breaststroke gold in the Boys 13-14 age group with his time of one minute and 9.10 seconds.

He was followed by Bajan Nkosi Dunwoody’s time of 1:09.48 and Alejandro Panting’s 1:10.29 representing Honduras.

Trinidad and Tobago won gold in the Girls 13-14 400m medley relay along with the final race of CCCAN – a record-breaking victory in the Boys 18-and-Over equivalent – despite the absence of Olympian Dylan Carter.

The local boys stopped the clock at 3:54.84 as both relay teams held off the Puerto Ricans in their final events, gathering the crucial points for the host to be crowned overall champions.

Aruba emerged victorious in the Synchronised Swimming with 381 points, defeating Panama’s 243 points and Jamaica on 171.

A provisional team of 23 athletes and 11 officials will represent TT at the Championships.

Other athletes can still make the TT team, as the cut off time to qualify for the World Championships is July 23.

This is the first major meet for the TT athletes since the Rio Olympics, where Keshorn Walcott got this country’s only medal.

Walcott earned his second Olympic medal when he got bronze in the men’s javelin. The team was criticised for their performance in Rio with people venting their disappointment on social media.

Carter is confident the TT athletes will bounce back from the Rio Olympics. “I am hopeful that they would have gotten over the Olympic experience and that they understand better how fickle the public could be at times,” Carter said.

“I think the Olympic experience and the disappointment that the public felt and how the athletes reacted to it would have helped them become stronger and have greater resolve going into the World Championships.

I think they will be mentally stronger.” The TT women have been in top form of late, outshining the men at the National Championships held last month at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

Michelle-Lee Ahye achieved the sprint double (100 and 200 metres) and will be seeking gold in both events, as well as the women’s 4×100-metre relay.

Carter thinks the TT athletes will compete at a high level and expects the relay teams to excel.

“I think we stand a good chance particularly in the relays.

The women have rounded into pretty good form. We looking for some positive results from Kelly-Ann (Baptiste) and Michelle-Lee (Ahye) in particular.

For the men, they have not ran extremely great times this year, but they have been fairly consistent and I think if we do the relay work I think we could feature (prominently) in the relays.” TT will participate in the women’s 4x100m relay, men’s 4x100m relay and men’s 4x400m relay.

Team TT will be without three-time Olympian Richard Thompson due to injury. Carter said this is an opportunity for someone else to take up the leadership role.

“It may be a good thing or a bad thing that Richard Thompson is not in the team. They depended on Richard for leadership for so long. They now have to search for a new leader and I think that will augur well for the team.” Carter, who will also serve as a sprints and hurdles coach, says the spiritual leadership will come from Emmanuel Callender.

The team will leave Trinidad on July 26 to attend a pre-camp at Brunel University in London, before going to the Games Village on August 1.

Speaking about the importance of the pre camp, Carter said, “The pre-camps are important particularly for the team to jell and because we have not been competing as teams in the relays. The pre-camp helps us prepare the relay teams for competition.” TT TEAM Women: Michelle-Lee Ahye (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Kelly- Ann Baptiste (100m, 4x100m), Khalifa St Fort (100m, 4x100m), Semoy Hackett (100m, 200m, 4x100m), Kayelle Clarke (200m, 4x100m), Kamaria Durant (4x100m), Domonique Williams (400m), Sparkle McKnight (400m hurdles).

Men: Emmanuel Callender (100m, 4x100m), Keston Bledman (100m, 4x100m), Jereem Richards (200m, 4x400m), Kyle Greaux (200m, 4x100m), Lalonde Gordon (400m, 4x400m), Machel Cedenio (400m, 4x400m), Reubin Walters (110m hurdles), Mikel Thomas (110m hurdles), Keshorn Walcott (javelin), Rondell Sorillo (4x100m), Moriba Morain (4x100m), Dan-Neil Telesford (4x100m), Renny Quow (4x400m), Jarrin Solomon (4x400m), Joshua St Clair (4x400m).

Officials: Dexter Voison (manager), Ian Carter (sprint and hurdles coach, head coach), Ismael Lopez-Mastrapa (throws), Charles Joseph (sprints), Gunness Persad (sprints), Ken Barton (sprints), Anyl Gopeesingh (doctor), Akila Gomez (physio therapist), Shurland Bonas (massage therapist), Nicole Fuentes (massage therapist), Anthony Walcott (massage therapist).

During a news conference yesterday on the revocation of Marlene McDonald’s appointment as Minister of Public Utilities, the Prime Minister referred to the body as, “An Integrity Commission without integrity.” Chairman of the Commission, Retired Justice Zainool Hosein could not be reached yesterday, but the Registrar of the Commission Jacqueline Pascall, said she would inform the Chairman of the Commission about the Prime Minister’s comment today.

Police reports state that about 2 am on Sunday, the 31-year-old victim was walking west along the road near Rich Gold Hotel when two people in a car approached and robbed him of $900.

The men, one armed with a gun, returned to the car and the driver drove off. The victim reported the matter to police and members of the Freeport CID responded. They included Constables Sookraj, Hall, Morgan and Ramsahai.

In about 15 minutes, police intercepted the car at Church Street, Chase Village and recovered the stolen cash. Upon searching the vehicle, police found a revolver with five rounds of ammunition as well as .4 grammes of marijuana.

Police detained the suspects, ages 18 and 36-years-old, who are both from Lower Santa Cruz.

President of the C ommun i c a t i o n Workers’ Union (CWU) John Julien says the advice follows an emergency injunction, granted late last Friday by the Industrial Court, which restrains the TDC from “terminating the services of any of the workers or doing any such action until and unless the entire matter is heard before the Court.” The union filed two previous complaints, relative to a decision to shut down the TDC without consulting the CWU and the development of VSE P packages to be considered by the Cabinet. A decision to dissolve the TDC was announced at a post-Cabinet media briefing on March 9.

Speaking with Newsday on Sunday, Julien said the union feels “vindicated”, describing the ruling as “a major victory” for the CWU. “The TDC was the first company that (Government) attempted to get rid of in March (2017). Remember they did that with Caroni Green Limited, with Government Human Resources Services (GHRS).

They said they’re going to do that to GISL (Government Information Services Limited), they did it with the OJT (On the Job Training) staff.” Julien argued that “all of them were sent home and the only reason that they did not send home the TDC workers in March was because they are part of a recognised majority union.” “We are saying, quite clearly, the only reason that they (Government) want to shut down the company and start it back (as two separate entities) is that if they do that, by law, the union will no longer be able to represent anybody in the new entity and they wanted to get rid of the union.” Hence the union’s feeling of vindication that its decision to have its lead counsel, Douglas Mendes, SC, file a request last Friday morning.

Julien said the decision was taken after the union learned that last Thursday afternoon, TDC staff were called into a meeting where they were presented with letters informing them of the company’s closure the next day; June 30.

The letters; addressed to individual workers, included calculations of that persons’ severance package based on their years of service but in order to get the money, TDC workers were told they must first sign a “Release and Discharge Agreement”. Julien explained that if a worker signed this agreement, they would effectively be waiving their right or that of the union “to take any action whatsoever against the TDC” in the future related to their termination of employment.

Newsday obtained a copy of the letter given to TDC workers on June 29. In it, the company said, “We regret to inform you that the Tourism Development Company Limited (TDC) will cease operation on June 30, 2017 and that you will be paid the following: (a) accrued vacation leave and gratuity, where applicable; (b) an ex-gratia payment equivalent to 45 calendar days’ pay, plus where applicable, half month’s pay for each year of service for years one to four and three quarter month’s pay for each year thereafter.” The letter continued, “Prior to release of the monies due to you, the Release and Discharge Agreement attached must be signed and returned to Cliff Hamilton, Interim Chief Executive Officer. You are advised that you ex-gratia payment will be paid on or before Friday, July 7, 2017, bearing in mind the four-day requirement for bank clearing arrangements.

We wish to acknowledge your loyalty, dedication and contribution over the period of your employment and to wish you the best in your future endeavours.”

Panchayat embodies five principles of good behaviour as laid down in the Sanskirt text.

The principles are concerned with personal conduct and behaviour and prohibit the taking of life and indulgence of the senses.

The first prime minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, used the term panchayat to include the five principles of: mutual respect, non-aggression, non-interference of each other’s internal affairs, territorial integrity, peaceful co-existence.

In 1954, India and China accepted the principles.

Marshal Josip Tito of Yugoslavia and Bulgaria and Russia also subscribed to the principles.

At the Bandung Conference of 1955, Asian and African countries endorsed the principles.

At the Geneva Conference more than 50 years ago, the fate of Indo-China was a great victory for panchayat.

Nehru’s tour of Russia, Europe and America furthered panchayat.

Russia gave up her claim to spread communism to other countries.

If panchayat were accepted in the world, then war would be a thing of the past.

AHAMAD KHAYYAM Curepe

Blame Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar. Blame the Government for lack of initiative.

Blame the Opposition for having the formula and not sharing it.

Blame National Security Minister Edmund Dillon and even MP Fitzgerald Hinds for just posing. Blame Hugo Chavez.

Blame Nicolas Maduro. Blame Donald Trump. And when you run out of people to blame, just blame God.

Crime is as old as mankind.

An important trait of the creation is its ability to self-destruct be it the destruction of human beings, trees, animals, the air, the water and even the land forms. However, our part in the annihilation is limited to only changing the form of matter.

In the past the world had agreed to commit crimes against humanity: the slave trade, World Wars One and the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, ethnic cleansing, Catholics against Protestants, Muslims against Hindus.

Other crimes against the planet: air and water pollution, hunting the animals, destruction of the forests, desecration of the seas, and even mining and quarrying.

On a more individual note: food producers dumping commodities to maintain high prices, doctors deliberately mistreating their patients until they can pay no more, lawyers representing the guilty for exorbitant fees, and the list goes on and on.

Everyone is born with constructive and destructive tendencies.

We have criminality embedded in our DNA, hence our ability to commit the atrocities above and keep a straight face with no remorse.

Despite all that’s happening, indoctrination and the education system are purposeful in maintaining the status quo. Is this a silent agreement of the trend? If no, what were the adjustments made in the society to cure the ills? We have agreed to blame each other, collect symptoms and engineer superficial solutions for an age-old problem.

A civil society will make every effort to discover what the individual has in his or her constitution and provide an environment that allows the venting of positive tendencies.

Failing to do this the society will have to build a hierarchical system of punishments to treat with offenders and satisfy the cravings of the offended for vengeance.

This is what modern-day societies call a judicial system. It is based on catching the culprits and proving that they are guilty of wrong-doing.

The glaring faults of such a system are that an eyewitness is needed; guilt may or may not be established based on the competence of the attorney; the punishment may or may not equal the crime; the innocent can be mistakenly punished and the guilty can get off scot-free; not all offenders are caught and justice appears to be vengeance by a third party.

The limited definition of crime allows high economic status to elevate some above the law. In this type of society there is a high demand for selective corporal punishment, security forces, protective services, institutions for incarceration, firing squads, and even hangmen.

We are then caught in the tangle of helping, protecting, correcting, nurturing and destroying, which give crime a foothold in the universe that even prayer cannot eradicate.

LENNOX FRANCIS via email

He added the prime minister acted in a “no-nonsense” manner given questions and concerns which arose over a guest at McDonald’s swearing in ceremony last Friday.

Asked whether she should consider resigning as an MP after her second dismissal from the Cabinet, Basdeo said, “No, she was elected as an MP which is up to her and her constituents to determine her future as to whether they want her to remain so.

“But the point about that is, clearly she has been fired as a minister from a ministerial portfolio.

And if she has been fired for the reasons we are speculating she has been fired for, the association that she has, it is hardly likely she will come back as a minister in this term.” Asked about Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s calls for a new election, he said, “Well every opposition leader, that is their role and function. They are to call on the government to call fresh election.”

LifeLine coordinator Lucy Gabriel told Newsday, “Suicide is more impulsive in children because children live very much in the now. They don’t have an appreciation of the future. Adults tend to plan it but it can be just as impulsive.” She said bullying, whether was in school or cyber bullying, could lead to a child feeling cut off from others.

She said many times, when children say they are being bullied, the results were meetings and talks with the parents but no immediate, definitive action was taken. The parents instead would have to take the children out of the school, to see a psychologist, or both.

“When it comes to children there is a critical lack of authoritative action being taken. The bullied child is not given the support to fight back yet no action is taken against the bully, so the bullying continues and you leave that child with nowhere to go.

Therefore it must become very clear that nobody can be bullied in your classroom. Nobody is allowed to be bullied in your school because you would take swift action.” Gabriel lamented that people know too little about mental health and suicide because no one talks about it. She said while depression was a mental illness in the broadest sense, it was not like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, which could also lead to suicidal thoughts.

“We as a society need to open the doors and talk about it because it is presentable. People just don’t know enough about suicide and mental illness. That is a nut that has to be cracked.” She noted that some of the signs of someone having suicidal thoughts included insomnia, saying they want to kill themselves, giving their things way, and being upset virtually every day.

She said too often, the family of the person who committed suicide got blamed for their relative’s actions.

However she said once a person had made up their mind to kill themselves, they make sure that their family knew nothing about it by acting in a manner that alleviates all suspicion. For example, she said if the person had a tendency to get agitated or quarrel, when they make the decision to terminate their life, they would act as “normal” as possible.

“If something has been bothering you for a while and you found the answer to it, how would you feel? You’d feel calm, you’ve resolved the issue, no problem.” On the other hand, she said sometimes a person would say, “I feel to kill myself ” and the family would tell them to stop being stupid or dramatic. Also, sometimes family members do not discuss anything so it would be easier for the affected person to hide their feelings.

In the end, she said the family would be left devastated and may suffer from guilt. Also, she said once someone in the family committed suicide, other members of the family were more likely to do it as well.

“It becomes a way of solving a major problem. That is, unless they themselves go through the process of grieving about it, because it is harder to take than an ordinary death, and sort it out and look at the way they interact with each other as family.” Therefore, Gabriel said if you notice someone is disturbed about something, be open to discussing it and if you are unsure of what to do, call LifeLine.

She said it was important to sit and listen to the person and do not deny their feelings. “They feel cut off from other people? You bridge that gap by saying, ‘You tell me what it is like for you to be you. What is bothering you?’ Do not judge, give advise or criticise.

Listen and give their feelings the respect they deserve. Affirm their feelings. You are not pitying the person. It’s empathy.” She said when they feel that connection, the feeling to kill themselves would start to decrease.

TIC 2017 opens on Thursday and runs until Sunday at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.

The association also said yesterday that its membership readily came forward to donate more than 400 hampers “which they envisioned would be essential in such a critical period for those affected.” To date, hampers have been distributed to people living in areas such as Caparo, Endeavour, Las Lomas, Rio Claro and Brasil.

“However the process has not curtailed, as members continue to be moved to send assistance,” the association said.

TTMA president Christopher Alcazar said, “While it is devastating to see the damage after the storm, it is heart-warming to see the manufacturing community rally together.

I think this response is important to note not as a PR initiative but rather what should be highlighted is that it is up to us all as a community of ‘Trinbagonians’ to lend a helping hand to those who need it.

The TTMA secretariat thanked all who assisted in its relief effort but said special mention had to be made of the companies “who answered the call immediately and without reservation”.

These include National Flour Mills, Premium Products, VEMCO, Nestle Trinidad, Dumore Enterprises, Langston Roach Industries, S.M. Jaleel & Company, Trinidad Tissues, Associated Brands, John Dickenson & Company (W.I.), CGA, Happi Products, Ace Printery Fed-Traders, Albrosco, Global Marketing Enterprises, Angostura, Caribbean Packaging Industries, Bermudez Biscuit Company and the staff of NGC.