Sebastian Coe was today elected the new President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), beating his only rival Sergey Bubka, here today.

Britain's double Olympic 1500 metres champion polled 115 votes to 92 for Bubka, Ukraine's former world record holder for the pole vault, at the IAAF Congress.

Coe, the former chairman of London 2012, will succeed 82-year-old Senegalese Lamine Diack, who is stepping down from the role after 16 years, at the conclusion of the IAAF World Championships, due to start in the Chinese capital on Saturday (August 22).

He is also expected now to be appointed as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a role he is likely to take up just before next year's Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Bubka will serve as Coe's senior vice-president after receiving 187 votes in the election that followed.

Thirty-four years to the day since he set a world record for the mile in Zürich, Coe claimed his election was the "second most momentous moment in my life" behind the birth of his children.

"These words are not in any way rehearsed, first I would like to thank Sergey for a thoroughly good and long campaign," Coe added.

"I think it has been in the best traditions of everything we both believe, we have fought according to sound judgement throughout.

"I'd like to thank President Diack for the many personal kindnesses both public and private and to you, the Member Federations, for placing your trust in me today."

Bubka was magnanimous in defeat.

"I know that athletics in the future will grow, and become stronger and stronger," he said after congratulating Coe.

The election of 58-year-old Coe came at the end of a marathon campaign during which he claimed to have travelled 700,000 kilometres - the equivalent of four times around the world - and met a representative from all 214 countries who are a member of the IAAF.

"There is no task in my life for which I have been better prepared," Coe told the IAAF Congress during a five-minute presentation before the vote.

"No job I have ever wanted to do more nor would be more committed to.

"With confidence, with affection, my friends I place myself in your hands.

"If you place your trust in me today, I will not let you down."

A key moment in Coe's victory is widely believed to have been a controversial "declaration of war" speech following allegations by German broadcaster ARD/WDR and the Sunday Times that claimed an "extraordinary extent of cheating" by athletes after they obtained blood test data from 5,000 athletes between 2001 and 2012.

Widely condemned in the media for his comments, Coe's staunch defence of the sport appeared to go down well with delegates, however.

"As you have seen in recent weeks I will always be in your corner," he told them during his presentation.

"Your fight is my fight."

Setting up an independent anti-doping agency was among the most important points in Coe's manifesto.

He only alluded to the new organisation in his address to Congress in the loosest of terms, though.

"Committing to a sport based on a strong foundation and the twin principles of trust and integrity," was one of his promises he told them.

"We could not have survived for three weeks let alone 33 centuries if we were based on anything other than that."

Coe is only the sixth President in the 103-year history of the IAAF.

He is the second Briton to hold the role, following the Marquess of Exeter, better known as Lord Burghley, who held the position between 1946 and 1976.

Like Coe, he was an Olympic gold medallist, winning the 400m hurdles at Amsterdam 1928; Like Coe, he was organiser of the Olympic Games in London, in 1948; and, like Coe, he was chairman of the British Olympic Association.

"We have a man who has devoted his life to the sport." said Diack of Coe.

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Yesterday August 15th 2015, Trinidad and Tobago’s top Beach Volleyball pair of Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield finished 2nd at the California Beach Volleyball Tournament played at Ocean Beach in San Diego USA.

The T&T pair popularly known as the “Toco Boys” was ranked last in the tournament of thirty four (34) teams, placing them in a group with the top ranked team. Most of the teams in the tournament were from the USA. T&T was able to win group 1 an advance directly to the quarter finals. They also won the Quarter Finals and the Semi Finals. T&T lost in the finals to the National Team of Mexico that recently won gold at the Pan American Games.

Mexico was also the team to knock T&T out of the Pan Am games where the Toco Boys placed a credible ninth.
The T&T duo has been on tour since May training on Dogg Beach, California. They participated on the NORCECA Tour legs Punta Cana, Dominican Republic and North Bay Canada. They also participated on the World Tour, St. Petersburg Leg and in the Pan American Games in Toronto Canada. The team is in preparation for a run at the 2016 Olympics qualification. They won the first leg of the process back in May at Saith Park in front of a jubilant home crowd.

The TTVF thanks the Minister of Sport the Honourable Mr. Brent Sancho for his support towards keeping the team on tour. We would also like to thank Mr. Anthony Creed and the Sports Company, Mr. Brian Lewis and the TTOC for its contribution to the process. The Team would continue its preparation heading into the second round of the Olympic Qualification process.

The team’s upcoming activities:
1) Another Open California Tournament - August
2) World Tour – Long Beach Leg - August
3) NORCECA Tour – Veracruz Cuba - August
4) NORCECA Tour – Florida USA - September
5) Return home for a major Beach Volleyball Launch. – September
6) Olympic Qualification 2nd Round Jamaica – September

The TTVF would like the team to be given Elite Athlete Funding consideration. The TTVF would also like the Government to consider allocating a percentage of the NLCB Profits to the SPORTT Company to distribute to deserving sporting organisations as is the practice in the UK, Jamaica and Barbados.

Derron Douglas emerged winner of the World Junior Table Tennis Circuit which took place in Guatemala from August 6-9, 2015. He was successful despite numerous obstacles which he and his teammates faced during the tournament. 

Despite the late arrival of the team in Guatemala City, twelve-year old Douglas defied the odds to stunned table tennis world with his mature level of play as he battled against his more experienced opponents at this level. In the group stage he blazed pass Oscar Davidson of Panama 11-4, 12-10, 11-6. 

Douglas went under to Diego De La Cruz of Guatemala 11-9, 12-10, 11-9 but bounce back in his third group stage match to defeat Wilfred Chicas also of Guatemala 11-7, 4-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-6. In the quarter-finals stage Douglas got pass Luis Ton 9 -11,11- 9,14-12,11-9 in the semi-finals he was defeated by the top seed Sergio Carrillo of Guatemala 11-5, 11- 4, 11-8. Douglas therefore had to settle for the bronze medal. 

The other members of the six-man team fought gallantly but failed to register victories. In the junior division (under 18) there was Benoni Daniel and Shaquille Mitchell. Jakeem Welch in the boys cadets (under 15) while Jasher DeGannes and Ackayla Lucas represented us in the  girls’ cadets division (Under 15).

Some Selected Scores

Shaquille Mitchell Vs Gary Castro (Nicaragua) 7-11, 11-8, 3-11, 12–14.
Shaquille Mitchell Vs Martian Betancourt (Argentina) 11–8, 11–5, 11-2     
Benoni Daniel Vs Jamie Galeano (Spain) 12–10, 7-11, 5-11, 5-11
Benoni Daniel Vs Luis Medina (Honduras) 11-8, 8-11, 11-13, 11–4, 6-11
Jakeem Welch Vs Federico Cherny (Argentina) 8–11, 5-11, 8-11
Jakeem Welch Vs Miguel Jose Cachafeiro (Panama) 8–11, 8–11, 9-11 
Jasher DeGannes Vs Candela Molero (Argentina) 7–11, 2–11, 6-11
Ackayla Lucas Vs Ingrid Marin (Guatemala) 8–11, 11–9, 8–11, 7–11.
Ackayla Lucas Vs Angela Palomo (Guatemala) 7–11, 11–9, 5–11, 8-11 

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Multiple medal success at the Toronto 2015 Pan American and Parapan Games, and Special Olympics, the Trinidad and Tobago public has had plenty to cheer about and the expectations are high for the upcoming IAAF Beijng World Championships. Every four years, the anticipation surrounding the Olympic Games gains much attention around the world. What better way to show true passion and support for your country with official supporter merchandise and where do we get it? 

@briaclew when are we going to be able to buy official @TTOlympic gear?
 
This question was asked of Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) President via Twitter. The tweet stirred up discussions on social media suggesting that there was a demand for Team TTO Olympic merchandise. Seems as if the performances of our sportswomen and sportsmen have generated attention.
 
Requests for various clothing items included T-back tank tops, joggers, racer back workout vests to name a few were made on social media.
 
How to meet the demand for hats, jerseys, jackets, polos, three quarter shorts etc with TTOC, 10Golds24 and Team TTO branding? The TTOC is in discussions with a potential licensee.
 
Just like the #10Golds24 vision, the TTOC is determined to face the challenges. Establishing and maintaining the TTOC / Team TTO brand is an important aspect for building relationships with stakeholders. Word coming out of Olympic House is that the official launch of TTOC merchandise is coming soon.    

A survey that revealed up to a third of top athletes admitted using banned performance-enhancing techniques was allegedly suppressed by the sport’s governing body. The results of the study showed that 29 to 34 per cent of 1,800 competitors broke anti-doping rules, the Sunday Times and ARD-WDR German TV have claimed.

It was carried out by researchers at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, who carried out confidential interviews with athletes at the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea.

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) told the newspaper it was still in negotiations with the study authors and the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) about its publication.

“These findings demonstrate that doping is remarkably widespread among elite athletes, and remains largely unchecked despite current biological testing programmes,” the study said.

Researchers allege they were told to sign a confidentiality agreement and have now criticised the IAAF for preventing its publication.

“The IAAF’s delaying publication for so long without good reason is a serious encroachment on the freedom of publication,” the researchers said in a statement.

They added the IAAF had not commissioned the survey but had used its influence to suppress the findings.

The lead author, Rolf Ulrich, said his team had been barred from discussing their work. He said: “The IAAF is blocking it. I think they are stakeholders with WADA and they just blocked the whole thing.”

The study was financed by WADA who told the newspaper it had given the IAAF the power to veto publication in return for allowing access to the athletes at Daegu.

Some of the study was leaked in America in 2013 but the governing body prevented the full publication of the findings, the newspaper alleged.

The IAAF has denied suggestions any veto took place. “The IAAF has never vetoed publication of this article,” it said in a statement.

“The IAAF does however have serious reservations as to the interpretation of the results made by the research group as confirmed by high-profile experts in social science who reviewed the publication on our request.

“The IAAF submitted those concerns to the research group but has never heard back from them.”

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The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has announced the completion of its constitutional reform process.

Working for the last 18 months, the Raoul John-led a team consisting for former Newcastle United and ESPN analyst Shaka Hislop, senator Elton Prescott, Olympic Committee chairman Brian Lewis, Patrick Raymond, Dr. Shida Rampersad and former West Indies Players Association president Dinanath Ramnarine, worked with former local Referees Association president Osmond Downer to produce the new TTFA constitution.

TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee said the Association had no choice but to do things differently from the past, therefore a reform committee made up of eminent persons was put together to reform the TTFA constitution.

“The new document will speak of not only how things ought to be done, but will look also at the restructuring of the organisation,” Tim Kee said.

“In the restructuring effort, what we ensured was there were checks and balances ensured. Accountability and transparency are two main pillars (upon) which this constitution was developed.

“So, we will be having an office run by compliance and audit, to ensure not only that accounts are done in a particular way, but also that the systems are adhered to, to ensure good governance.

“I am sure we have done enough to ensure there is not a recurrence of those mistakes (of the past),” Tim Kee declared.

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