Stamps celebrate TT in Athens

The Trinidad and Tobago Postal Corporation (TTPost) yesterday launched their 2004 Olympic Stamp Issue in the Atrium at Guardian Life of the Caribbean Limited, Westmoorings. The latest stamp collectors’ item includes four commemorative stamps and a First Day Cover, featuring the disciplines of swimming, taekwando, track and field and boxing. The stamps went on sale at all TTPost outlets yesterday. President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee, Douglas Camacho said the  commemorative issue of stamps is a celebration of this country’s participation in the Olympics. “Our team will be off to Athens, Greece in August and these stamps go on sale to celebrate the fact. You would notice that boxing is represented on the stamps and we are not taking part in that event at the 2004 Games.

“However one has to understand that planning for this venture started last year and at that time we thought that we would be represented in boxing. However there was a terrible mix-up in terms of the qualifying criteria and our boxer will not be there. As a wild card application, our rifle shooter got in and we will take part in this in August,” Camacho said. “I think this is the best quality team that Trinidad and Tobago will be putting out for an Olympics and we have a realistic chance of adding to our haul of Olympic medals,” he said. “Every athlete that represents Trinidad and Tobago at these Games must be very proud because just to qualify for the thing is so hard. Also since the break-up of the Soviet Union there is now more competition among athletes to get in. The Olympic Committee has raised the bar in terms of qualifications and hence it is now harder to get to the Games,” he said.

Peter Campbell, representing Minister of Public Utilities, Pennelope Beckles, said: “The Government underscores the value of sports in the holistic development of our growth and we must thank TTPost for their kind gesture of portraying sports in this country on their stamps.” Charles Branch, Special Adviser to the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs said that his ministry is looking on in anticipation at the lead-up to the Games and is hoping that this country enjoys rich return of medals.