Incumbent Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president Raymond Tim Kee has vowed to seek reelection at the football body’s presidential elections and annual general meeting on 29 November 2015.

Tim Kee, who has over two decades of experience on the TTFA executive, had been evasive about his intentions in recent months. However, the Port of Spain Mayor and PNM Treasurer announced his reelection bid, via a press release, after DIRECTV W Connection Football Club president David John-Williams threw his hat in the ring last week.

“I will stand,” stated Tim Kee, via press release. “I am ready and motivated to go for another term…

“As president I have a duty to serve all members of the association and like I have done during my first term, I will do my best to fulfil that responsibility without fear or favour, without discrimination. And with the sole objective of upholding the statutes and regulations of the TTFA, once given that opportunity for a second term.”

Tim Kee’s decision sets the stage for the first presidential contest in the TTFA for over two decades. In November 2012, Tim Kee was appointed unopposed after challenger Colin Murray withdrew his nomination.

Disgraced former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner claimed that he paved the way for Tim Kee’s ascension to the local football throne, although the latter figure denied the assertion.

Tim Kee, who is also a member of the CONCACAF Associated Championships Committee and the FIFA Futsal Committee, is asking football stakeholders for the opportunity to build on the TTFA’s “successes.”

“A new term in office gives the FA the chance to build on our successes,” said Tim Kee, “to fix our shortcomings and to set new milestones to put the game on a stronger footing in Trinidad and Tobago.”

Tim Kee’s presidency has been a mixed bag at best.

The “Women Soca Warriors” came within a whisker of a historic place at the Canada 2015 Women’s World Cup. And the National Senior Men’s Team ended a six-year absence from the CONCACAF Gold Cup to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the 2013 and 2015 editions.

However, the TTFA continued to be plagued by charges of incompetence and mismanagement with a mysterious alleged licensing fee for an Argentina friendly, a controversial fundraiser for deceased ex-World Youth Cup player Akeem Adams, an aborted 2014 Caribbean Cup players strike, a shocking pre-CONCACAF Women’s Championship training camp, claims of dishonesty and dictatorial behaviour by his own executive committee members and a persistent failure to raise private sector funding among the public embarrassments.

Earlier this year, FIFA froze funding to the TTFA due to its failure to presented audited accounting books to the governing body.

Tim Kee, who fulfilled his promise of an updated constitution for the TTFA earlier this year, will let football’s stakeholders decide if he is the best man for the job on November 29.

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Champion 400m hurdler Jehue Gordon achieved another milestone on Saturday with the launch of a cologne appropriately titled Ambition by Jehue.

Germany company Symrise designed the fragrance which was unveiled at the residence of cricketer Brian Lara on Chancellor Hill.

The signature move by the visibly nervous athlete, when unveiling the fantastic scent, represented a paradigm shift in the way the business of sport locally and regionally was viewed, causing a possible rethink of how success was measured.

Before Gordon could unveil the fragrance, however, he had to admit an earlier failing that ultimately guided him back to this crucial and practical move.  

“The idea to develop my personal brand did not occur over night. Mr Edward Skinner, my local manager tossed the idea at me approximately one year ago, and I quickly rejected it. I didn’t think it would have been possible for me to embark on such a course at such an early point in my career. Mr Skinner on the other hand, had a totally different view and was very persistent. He consistently reminded me that I needed to be the ‘trailblazer’ and to set the tone and standard in the sports world thereby leaving behind a legacy. Having an enthusiastic personality and given that I value and believe in creativity and innovation, Mr. Skinner was able to finally convince me and I was up for the challenge. Resulting from just an idea, Ambition by Jehue was born,” he said.

Gordon said, “Many people may ask why a cologne? The answer is a very simple one. When the idea was pitched for me to develop a personal brand I was absolutely sure that I wanted my brand to be a true reflection of me; my passion, my zeal for sport and my ambition to be successful in all aspects of life. Additionally, having travelled to various countries I always made time for that one special place: Duty Free. Yes, I am very fond of signature colognes so much so that the exciting opportunity of having my very own could not be overlooked. Not only would it be convenient for me to have my own cologne, but I want when people buy this product that they understand it’s significance: that it represents the fuel in me, the sacrifices I’ve made, the obstacles I have overcome, the energy and determination that I put into each day to achieve my goals.”

The launch was attended by Brian Lewis, president of the T&T Olympic Committee, Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Olympic gold medalists Hasely Crawford and Keshorn Walcott, and West Indies cricketers Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard.

Having recently completed his degree in Sports Management, specialising in human resources and marketing and graduating with First Class honours at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Gordon said he gained a plethora of knowledge that motivated him further to put this business idea into motion.

As an athlete, a graduate, and a young leader, Gordon developed a greater appreciation for knowing and valuing one’s self, setting goals, and planning as he aimed to build important foundations. And, when put into action, he said, dreams come true. He urged fellow sportsmen and women to work hard, persevere and more importantly be flexible.

“Do not remain subjected to just being an athlete. Never be afraid to step out of the box. The willingness to take risks is critical to achieving success and as such, it is therefore imperative that you surpass your own limits, never quit and think of different ways to win. To live the life you have always dreamed of, you must be fuelled by your ambition and work hard. Having talent means nothing if you have no ambition behind it to work assiduously,” Gordon said.

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A proposal to enforce good governance following the problems experienced by local football officials was a leading item on the agenda at the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) General Assembly in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Caribbean officials have been at the centre of scandals at the heart of football's world governing body in recent years, with Cayman Island's FIFA vice-present Jeffrey Webb among those arrested by Swiss police acting at the request of the United States Department of Justice on charges of racketeering, wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy during May's FIFA Congress in Zurich.

Another former FIFA vice-president, Trinidad and Tobago's Jack Warner, was also banned for life from taking part in football-related activity last month after he was found to be a "key player" in illegal money making schemes.

This followed a string of controversies surrounding the official in the past.

It was Warner's compatriot in Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee President Brian Lewis who raised the need for a Good Governance Code during the 13th General Assembly of the regional 20-member body.

The recommendation was approved and work is now expected to "commence immediately on this aspect of CANOC’s advancement as a world leader in sport administration".

“There is a definite inclination to ensure that CANOC plays a leading role in the application of good governance philosophy, principles and practices in sport," said Keith Joseph, the body's general secretary, who is also secretary general of the Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Olympic Committee.

"Given the international focus placed on FIFA and the startling revelations emerging from the investigations it is important that we in the Caribbean take the necessary steps to ensure that CANOC as an organisation and each individual National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association affiliated become exemplars of good governance."

This marks the first concrete example of a body in the Olymic Movement specifically citing problems within in FIFA as a reason for governance changes.

There remain concerns, however, about whether the situation will blight the reputation of other sports and bodies, with International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach having earlier this month warned FIFA must act "swiftly to regain credibility"

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Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee member National Sport Organisations will meet Professor Leigh Robinson and other members of the  TTOC Good Governance Commission   the week of 2 -7 November.

“There is a definite inclination to ensure that the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees
(CANOC) plays a leading role in the application of good governance philosophy, principles and practices in
sport”. So said Keith Joseph, General Secretary of CANOC.

CANOC held its 13th General Assembly in Paramaribo, Surinam, on 11 October and one of the critical issues
emanating from the discussions was the importance of CANOC undertaking to include in its By Laws, a Good
Governance Code.

According to Joseph, “The subject was raised by the CANOC International and NOC Relations Commission,
headed by Brian Lewis, the president of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee and a member of the
CANOC executive.” The Assembly approved the recommendation and work is expected to commence
immediately on this aspect of CANOC’s advancement as a world leader in sport administration.

Joseph further stated, “given the international focus placed on FIFA and the startling revelations emerging
from the investigations it is important that we in the Caribbean take the necessary steps to ensure that
CANOC as an organisation and each individual National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games
Association affiliated become exemplars of good governance.“

CANOC was officially established in 2003 at its inaugural General Assembly held at the Jaragua Hotel, Santo
Domingo, Dominican Republic.

There are really only two types of story plots; a person goes on a journey, and a stranger comes into town. This exciting story is encapsulating both of these elements.

My journey towards the podium at the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio has taken me all over the world to compete for my livelihood, gaining priceless race experience in the process. Now the story gets even more interesting with the plot taking on a new twist as a stranger comes to town.

Unfortunately, it is still delusional to believe that it would be possible to attain such lofty heights in the sport of swimming while working towards it alone in Trinidad. I would love to be able to live in my own country while pursuing my sporting dreams, but the reality is that I would simply be putting myself at a huge disadvantage.

Being based year round in Trinidad as a professional swimmer is a case of trying to go above and beyond with very limited available resources, while my rivals from developed nations have everything that could possibly aid them in their preparations at their disposal.

It’s frustrating to say the least, but being a perpetual underdog is a huge part of what it means to compete for T&T in a sport that we still don’t have proper facilities for. The playing field, or rather gladiatorial arena, is definitely not a level one. The obvious doping that is being allowed to run rampant in the sport of swimming lately is heartbreaking. I am strong, and fit, and will surely get stronger and fitter over these coming months of hard training.

However the gut wrenching truth is that no matter how hard clean athletes train, we will never be able to be in better physical shape than doping athletes whose bodies have become pharmacologically enhanced so that their blood carries more oxygen, they recover more quickly and have greater power output.

Fortunately, this is swimming and not cycling or track. Due to the density of water, swimming is the most technical of all sports because we must rely on efficiency of movement and minimising frontal resistance and drag, just as much as power. It’s because of this dynamic that I believe that skillful, clean swimmers like myself still stand a chance, and so I continue to chase the dream.

Training for the Olympics in sprint freestyle swimming is analogous to forging a sword. Sparks fly as a lump of steel that is white hot with burning desire to become a sword is hammered. This folds the steel in upon itself thousands of times to make it strong in every direction. Then, once the strength of the blade is satisfactory, it must be sharpened.

Repeatedly hammering the white hot blade is like training for improved power, speed and endurance. Sharpening the blade of the sword is mastering technique. When wielding the sword, if the blade is razor sharp, then less force is needed behind it to slice cleanly through even the toughest armour. It’s this highest possible level of razor sharp technique mastery that I am seeking to use against those other gladiators that have the immense dark force of doping behind their dull blades next summer. And this is what brings the stranger to town.

I have settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for the year to train with the Club Wolverine Elite team and work specifically with my longtime coach Mike Bottom and his protege Mark Hill. Mike first taught me to become a sprinter back in 2006, after a sudden, severe knee injury forced me to change events. Mike and Mark Hill, are simply the best coaches around when it comes to technique, and I am very fortunate and grateful to have them on my side.

There is no getting around the solitude that comes from going on a journey alone, coupled with being a stranger in town. However it has allowed me to realise that if you get lonely, then to put it simply, you are bad company.

I know my rivals read this column online, so, in this ultimate arms race I won't get into the fine nuances of technique here, nor the details of my training regime. It’s easy to get hung up on temperamental details and fixate on the things that aren’t exactly the way you want them to be yet, in this day to day quest for unattainable perfection.

It takes a special kind of long term vision along with nurtured optimism that comes from seeking out and patiently recognising the little things that are slowly coming together as the blade gets sharper. For a perfectionist, it’s liberating to realise that you don’t have to be perfect, just consistently great.

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