Brown seeks WITCO Sportsman double

DARREL BROWN the 2002 WITCO Sportsman of the Year, will lay strong claims to the 2003 title when the WITCO Sports Foundation stages the 40th edition of their awards ceremony at the Hilton Trinidad ballroom on Friday next. In seeking the double, Brown’s credentials stand out vividly, having smashed the world junior 100 metres record with a time of 10.01 seconds. Before his record run, Brown retained his 100 metres title at the Junior Carifta Games here.

He then went on to the IAAF World Championships in Paris, where he got the silver medal in the final, finishing runner-up to St Kitts and Nevis’ Kim Collins, during which he established the record. Brown again finished behind Collins in the 100 metres at the CAC Championships in St George’s, Grenada, and after another second place finish at the Prefonatine Games in Oregon, helped Trinidad and Tobago to silver in the relay at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo.

But he will have a serious challenger in George Bovell III, who had outstanding performances at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, striking gold in the 200 metres freestyle  in a national record time - one minute, 48.90 seconds. This 20-year old Auburn University sophomore subsequently earned silver medals in both the 100 metres freestyle and the 100 metres backstroke before attention fell on his pet event, the 200 metres individual medley. Bovell promised he would reclaim the Commonwealth record which was wrested from him by Australian Ian Thorpe, during the World Championships in Barcelona, and he lived up to his promise by dominating his rivals to touch the wall first in the new Commonwealth and Pan Am Games record time of 1:59.49. And at the World Championships, Bovell made it to the 200 metres IM final for the third consecutive time, finishing fifth behind a star-studded field which included winner Michael Phelps, in a stunning world record time of 1:56.04, Thorpe, Massimiliano Rossi (Italy) and Jani Sievinen (Finland). There are 39 nominees for the 2003 title, 20 men and 19 women.

Those nominated are: MEN - Brown (athletics); Bovell III (swimming); Jonathan Kacal (archery); Kelvin “Tanko” Baboolal (motor racing); Justin Gregory Siu (badminton); Kerry Westfield (basketball); Kertson Manswell (boxing); Brian Charles Lara (cricket); Emile Abraham (cycling); Carlos Baynes (golf); Kwandwane Brown (hockey); Brian Harding (horse racing); Clifford Parris (judo); Brendon Strong (karate); Ishwar Patel (rallying); Adam Frederick (rugby); John Holley (squash); Dexter St Louis (table tennis); Ivor Grazette (tennis); Sean Morrison (volleyball).
WOMEN -Candice Scott (athletics);   Noelle Maria Chin (archery); Radha Mohammed (motor racing); Vikie Singh (badminton); Melissa Guerrero (basketball); Tiana Sosa-Saney (boxing); Anisa Mohammed (cricket); Diana Torry (golf); Ananda Florence Magdelene Fraser (gymnastics); Stacey-Ann Siu Butt (hockey); Ginna Charles (judo); Cindy Guevara-Sammy (karate); Janelle Barker (netball); Reeza Chan Tack (rugby); Joanna Scoon (squash); Sharntelle McLean (swimming); Rheann Chung (table tennis); Olivia Bennet (tennis); kelly Anne Billingy (volleybal).