Junior swimmers need $.35m

TRINIDAD and Tobago junior swimmers need $350,000 to participate in the Carifta Swimming Championships in Jamaica later this month.

Yesterday Brian Wickham, Public Relations Officer of the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) yesterday made an appeal to lessen the financial burden on the parents who have traditionally dipped into their pockets to fund the overseas trips. “These are Trinidad and Tobago swimmers and their parents should not have to pay to see their children fly the national flag,” said Wickham. He said he wishes to see the business community support the bid by the junior swimmers to score an unprecedented hat-trick of victories in the annual regional competition.

Wickham said already Holiday Snacks of El Socorro, San Juan, have come onboard providing track suits for the swimmers and the water polo teams. “We desperately  need funds for airfare and accommodation in Kingston,” said Wickham. The ASA have submitted a subvention for $30,000 with the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, but Wickham said this figure is woefully inadequate to succesfully send national teams abroad  several times for the year. “In fact we have not received the money as yet. But in any case we travel to regional and international competitions several times and mainly depend on the parents of the swimmers to make the ventures a reality,” said Wickham.

The ASA official is confident that the TT team will dominate the championships with multiple  record holders Nicolas Bovell and Ayeisha Collymore leading the charge in the pool. He is also optimistic of the chances of the waterpolo teams, despite the fact that the girls will be competing at this level for the first time. “There are nine girls training very hard at least four times a week under coach Allan Too-a-Foo. The 13 boys have some experience and will also do us proud,” said Wickham. He said the major competition should come from the home team, Jamaica, and the Barbados swimmers who in the past have done very well. The TT swimmers are coached by Anil Roberts, who is emphasising physical and psychological strength in the pool to complete the historic Carifta hat-trick.