Trinidad and Tobago yesterday began their training in Sydney, Australia ahead of the start of the Netball World Cup 2015. Barbados and Jamaica are the other Caribbean nations participating in the tournament which opens on Friday.

The ‘Calypso Girls’ captain Joelisa Cooper said she is excited to be a part of her third Netball World Cup, having represented T&T in 2007 and 2011. “To be representing my country on a whole is very exciting, but this is my third [Netball World Cup] and I am really excited to actually be here and to compete,” Cooper said. “We are stoked to be here and can’t wait until the actual tournament starts and portray what we have more or less been training for.”

Trinidad and Tobago play their opening NWC2015 game against Australia on Friday night at Allphones Arena. Cooper told reporters that her players are excited and ready to face Australia in their opening game. “We’re ready for Friday, our first game is against Australia,” Cooper said. “In all honesty, Australia is the number one, we’ve come to play the best netball for our county and that’s what we are here to do.”

Jamaica begin their campaign against rivals England on Saturday while on the same day Barbados play Australia in their opening match. The youngest player in this year’s netball world cup is Barbados goal attack Sheniqua Thomas, who is 17 while the most capped is T&T’s Rhonda John-Davis with 148 appearances to her name.

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Olympic 400 metres bronze medallist Lalonde Gordon, Pan American Games 110m hurdles silver medallist Mikel Thomas and sprint star Michelle-Lee Ahye are among the 34 athletes who will be on show for Trinidad and Tobago at the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Senior Track and Field Championships, in San Jose, Costa Rica, this weekend.

The T&T athletes head to Costa Rica today (Wednesday), and will be in action on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Gordon and Tacuma Sterling are expected to fly the T&T flag in the men’s 400m. Thomas and Ruebin Walters are the country’s representatives in the men’s sprint hurdles. And Ahye, as well as Reyare Thomas, will run in the women’s 100m dash.

Emmanuel Callender faces the starter in the men’s 100m. In the 200m for men, Dan-Neil Telesford and Kyle Greaux will hunt precious metal. The women’s 200m will feature Semoy Hackett and Kamaria Durant.

Jamaal James and Nicholas Landeau have been selected to represent the Red, White and Black in the men’s 800m. Alena Brooks is the lone T&T athlete in the women’s 800m. Three one-lap hurdlers will compete in Costa Rica—Sparkle McKnight and Josanne Lucas in the women’s event, and Emanuel Mayers among the men.

Romona Modeste and Jessica James do battle for T&T in the women’s 400m flat event. And in the women’s 100m hurdles, Deborah John will fly the flag. Ayanna Alexander and Elton Walcott are among the jumpers on the T&T team. Quincy Wilson, Hezekiel Romeo and Shakiel Waithe lead the charge among the throwers.

T&T TEAM

Men—Emmanuel Callender, Mikel Thomas, Dan-Neil Telesford, Kyle Greaux, Lalonde Gordon, Tacuma Sterling, Deverne Charles, Jamaal James, Nicholas Landeau, Ruebin Walters, Emanuel Mayers, Dwaine Herbert, Kyron Blaise, Elton Walcott, Quincy Wilson, Emmanuel Stewart, Hezekiel Romeo, Shakiel Waithe, Steve Waithe

Women—Semoy Hackett, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Reyare Thomas, Kamaria Durant, Romona Modeste, Jessica James, Alena Brooks, Sparkle McKnight, Josanne Lucas, Deborah John, Ayanna Alexander, Deandra Daniel, Jaleesa Williams, Lisa Wickham, Peli Alzola

Officials—Durly Lucas (manager), Lester Osouna (head coach), Arlon Morrison (coach), Ken Barton (coach), Dave Sandy (coach), Paul Voisin (coach), Michelle Alleyne-Pennie (coach), Robin Brereton (coach), Joyce Thomas (coach)

Medical Staff—Anthony Walcott, Jason Pilgrim, Kurlyn Smith-Nicholas

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TTOC president urges patience over doping claims

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC), Brian Lewis has expressed his confidence in the doping status of local athletes. The TTOC's top man also declared his faith that the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) would resolve the recent doping allegations now plaguing the organisation. It has been reported that the recent allegations made by German broadcaster ARD and the Sunday Times newspaper in Britain could lead to a mass reshuffling of results from the Olympics and World Championships for the last decade and more.

Lewis however, has confidence that the IAAF can stay on top of the doping. "We have to wait and see what the investigative process produces," he said. "The IAAF would take the necessary steps, and have a very comprehensive process in place."

According to him, as a part of their push towards 2020, the IAAF has a zero-tolerance policy where doping is concerned. "As difficult as it may seem, it is important in the battle for clean athletes."

The TTOC head was unwilling to see the current situation internationally as a "crisis" however. "I don't see it as a catastrophe. I see it as part of an ongoing effort," he said. "All these matters do, is highlight the efforts to maintain a level playing field. Sports like life, is not immune to negative situations, and the emphasis should be to improve, and to continue to improve."

Local sprinters Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Semoy Hackett have both been in the spotlight for doping in the past two years. But Lewis told the Express that there is unlikely to be cases of more doping allegations locally.

"We emphasise the importance of competing clean and we expect that to continue," he said. "I don't expect any local athletes to figure in the scandals. The NAAA have put in the necessary measures to make sure the athletes are clean."

According to the TTOC boss, an Anti-Doping Agency will be soon established in T&T for Olympic-level sport. "The Ministry of Sport have shown great impetus to move the Anti-Doping Agency forward, and I expect to see it established soon."

In a final statement, he reiterated that all of the local athletes currently competing internationally are competing clean and are making every effort to continue to do so.

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AN EXHAUSTED but elated group of Trinidad and Tobago athletes returned home from the 14th Special Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California, United States, yesterday, to a cheering group of supporters, including relatives as well as members of the Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago (SOTT).

In total, Trinidad and Tobago amassed 48 medals — 15 gold, nine silver and 24 bronze, at the 2015 edition.

Yesterday afternoon, at the Piarco International Airport, the first of two groups arrived — participants in aquatics, basketball, powerlifting and track and field. One of the athletes who returned home was 18- year-old powerlifter Nicholas McKnight, a resident of San Juan.

McKnight collected four medals at the Games — a silver (male bench press) and three bronze (male dead lift, male combination and male squat lift).

“I gave it my all,” said McKnight yesterday. “I just wanted to come back with something and make my mother proud. And I just went out there and made myself proud, just to do something for mummy.” Admitting it was his first Special Olympic Games, McKnight noted, “I just said to myself I’ll hold my head up, pray to God and go out there and do my best”.

However, he was hard on himself when asked about his overall display.

“The performance was a little low but I made myself do the best that I could,” he said.

Candilla Berment-Harper, head of delegation for the team and the chairperson of the Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago (SOTT), was also pleased with the returns from the TT squad.

“The experience was very good,” she commented. “It was more for the athletes and not for me. This (was) my tenth year taking a team to the World Games. They performed extremely well.” She emphasised,“the experience for them is really something that they will cherish. It helps them to socialise a lot more, it helps them to deal with their peers. They make friends (and) they enjoy themselves.” Asked what memories stood out for her at the Games, Berment-Harper replied, “many moments I would say. You can’t pinpoint one particular (moment). Just the fact that the athletes performed so well, that is our moment.” The TT basketball team finished third at the Games, defeating Japan in the third-place playoff.

Coach Ronald De Silva pointed out, “we came out very successful, (with) the bronze. We could have done better but we had some shooting problems in one of the games, which we lost.

That put us in the bronze medal (match).” But he was satisfied with the efforts shown by his players.

“What I put them through in the last six months, they really delivered and we came out with a medal in the end,” said De Silva. “And they enjoyed it.

“We had a great time. Many of these kids, it’s the first time they have been on a plane, in a different country.” De Silva made a plea for some of his players to be used in either the national men’s league teams or in school teams.

“Many of these athletes we have, they are not included in the ‘normal’ games that we have,” he stated. “I think there are couple of guys on my team that could be put on a second division or a third division, or a school team. Many of them do not get that opportunity, and the ‘normal’ kids really do not understand them.”

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Nathan Farinha anchored Trinidad and Tobago to bronze in the Pan American Junior Track and Field Championship men's 4x100 metres relay, in Edmonton, Canada, on Sunday night.

Francis Louis, Joash Huggins, Corey Stewart and Farinha combined for a 40.50 seconds clocking. Jamaica produced a 40.15 run to grab gold, while silver was seized by Bahamas in 40.32.

The sprint relay bronze, on the third and final day of the hemispheric Under-20 meet, carried the country's medal tally to three--one gold, one silver, one bronze. Khalifa St Fort earned gold in the women's 100m, while Portious Warren picked up silver in the women's shot put.

On Sunday, Jael Fergusson, Jeminise Parris, Jendayi Noel and St Fort on anchor teamed up for fourth spot in the women's 4x100m relay. The T&T quartet got home in 47.11 seconds. United States won in 43.79, from Jamaica (44.31) and Bahamas (45.96).

T&T's Omari Benoit cleared the bar at 1.90 metres for 10th spot in the men's high jump. Both the gold medallist, American Randall Cunningham, and silver medallist, Cuban Luis Zayas went over at 2.16m. Jamaican Clayton Brown bagged bronze with a 2.13m clearance.

Another T&T athlete, Kenejah Williams finished 10th in the men's shot put. He threw the iron ball 16.45m. United States swept the top two spots, John Maurins getting gold with a 19.49m effort and Ayomidotun Ogundeji claiming silver at 19.20m. Bronze went to Jamaican Demar Gayle (18.56m).

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