Top honours for sports stars

Recently crowned junior track and field champions Renny Quow (400 metres), Rhonda Watkins (long jump), cricket administrator Dudnath Ramkeesoon and ex-Olympian Edwin Skinner will today receive Humming Bird Silver Medals.

President George Maxwell Richards will pin the medals on the sports heroes “for their loyal and devoted service to Trinidad and Tobago in the sphere of sports” at the President’s House, St Ann’s.

And yesterday they all expressed their gratitude for the honour and for being among the group of people who are recognised for their contribution to Trinidad and Tobago.

Watkins and Tobagonian Quow, stunned the world in capturing gold medals at the recent World Junior Track and Field Championships in Beijing China.

Ramkeesoon is a former West Indies Youth cricket captain and national player who is widely respected for his administrative ability and leadership qualities.

He said yesterday he was extremely delighted with the gesture to give him a national award. The marketing manager said he was not expecting it. “But it goes to show that once you work hard, you will be rewarded. And for this reason I always tell cricketers that they must continue to do what they are suppose to, and do it to the best of their ability and let other people judge them,” Ramkeesoon said.

Ramkeesoon, who attended Presenta-tion College, Chaguanas said he did not set out to get an award but only to work for the satisfaction of seeing people benefit from his efforts.

“As a past cricketer myself, when you see players develop and their game improves, I get my personal enjoyment and satisfaction,” Ramkeesoon said.

Watkins, who attends university in the US produced a leap of 6.46 metres to collect one of only three gold medals won by the entire Caribbean at the Beijing Junior World Championships. Her performance came after Quow clocked 45.74 seconds to win the 400 metres final.

Watkins said she was pleasantly surprised to learn she was on the Independence Day List.

“I think they caught me with this one, when I came home I was told that I was nominated for the medal and I am really, really honoured,” Watkins said.

She said it has provided her with the impetus to pursue her lifelong dream of an Olympic medal at Beijing 2008.

“At present I am doing everything possible in my preparations for the Olympic experience,” she added. “When something like this happens, it makes you as an athlete go out there and do your best for your country,”she said. Quow meantime, has already left his home in the sister-isle of Tobago to make his trip down to the President’s House.

He revealed that he was surprised when he found out about the Humming Bird Silver Medal award.

“All I did was went out there and did what I had to do,” Quow said about his gold medal performance.

Like Watkins he also has his eyes set on an Olympic medal in Beijing and said his recent experience in China has given him the confidence accomplish his goal.

“From now on I will not have any doubts about winning races, but instead will go out there with the confidence that helped me win in Beijing,” Quow said.

He said he was thankful to his coaches Wade and Gerard Franklyn who have helped him make great improvement.

“It was very rewarding. It was amazing though that I didn’t really think I was going to win the gold (medal), but in the last 100 metres I believed in myself and when I saw my opponent in front of me, about five footsteps away, I said ‘I can do it’ and I just went out there and did my best,” Quow said.

“I feel happy, it was a great experience for me. I prayed a lot, even before the race I asked God to give me the health and strength so that I can go through this event safe and sound, no injury, you know, and just believe in myself!” he said.

The past student of Scarborough Secondary School wants to become a professional athlete, but says his studies take precedence at this time. Quow’s aim is to qualify with a degree in massage therapy. Skinner, a bronze medallist for Trinidad and Tobago at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo in the 4x400 metres relay said he is “absolutely elated” to be honoured for his achievement.

“I have received gifts a lot throughout my life, but there is none that makes me feel as special as this one from my country and I am really thankful for it,” Skinner said.

Like Ramkeesoon, Skinner says he enjoys what he does — helping youngsters in track and field.

Apart from earning an Olympic bronze, Skinner also qualified for the final of the 400m at the Games. He continues his work at the Memphis Pioneers Athletic Club, preparing athletes for scholarships overseas.