Trinidad investing in sports
by SHERRYLYN A. TOPPIN (Nation News).Published on: 8/20/07.
HAPPY TOURISTS: delegation head Lyndell Hoyte-Williams (squatting at left) with other members of the Trinidad and Tobago team. (Picture by Clifton Henry.) THE GOVERNMENT of Trinidad and Tobago is investing heavily in the future of sports.
Through the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, a national training and development programme has been implemented which caters to athletes 13 to 17 years old, providing coaching in basketball, netball, football and hockey.
As part of this programme, a 62-member team, comprising 50 athletes, eight coaches and four medical personnel, toured Barbados from August 9 to 17, competing against local teams and working closely with the National Sports Council.
"The tour was close to a half-million dollars, about TT$480 000 (BDS $116 000). That included airfare, accommodation, travel wear, uniforms and allowances of US$10 (BDS$20) per athlete per day and US$15 (BDS $30) per official per day," said Lyndell Hoyte-Williams, head of the delegation.
"The government gives us everything that we need. The officers sit down and do a work plan, all of the projects that we do for the year, and all the funds we will need. That is about TT$4 million (about BDS$1.3). They put that aside and we have access to that," she told NATION SPORTS.
A physical education and sports officer in the Ministry of Sport, Hoyte-Williams said the trip was the first of its kind for all of the athletes in Trinidad who have excelled in the various programmes.
"We have coaching programmes throughout the country and the coaches select the better athletes and put them in a programme called the Centre For Future Training. We are hoping to have other disciplines like cricket, volleyball, tennis and track and field," she said.
"Margaret Farray, the permanent secretary in the ministry, has been very supportive of this programme and is eager to have it continue on an annual basis.
"We are hoping to keep this group together as a base for junior training and to recruit more as time goes by."
Although Trinidad got the better of Barbados in the exchanges, Hoyte-Williams said the skill level was close between the two countries, but individual skills, tactics and strategies made the difference.
A Trini takeover
By: Nation News.Published on: 8/19/07.
THE TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO touring development team got the better of their Barbadian counterparts during the just-concluded week-long series of matches.
Through the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs, a national training and development programme has been implemented which caters to athletes 13 to 17 years old in the twin-island republic, providing coaching in basketball, netball, football and hockey.
The 50-member team of Trinidadians outplayed the Barbadians in basketball, hockey and netball and left the island on Friday, pleased with the trip and already making plans to return next year.
The Trinidadians won all three of the basketball games they played, defeating the National Sports Council (NSC) teams 62-46 and 58-41, while the Combined Schools team were edged 52-51.
In netball, the NSC team went down 34-30 and 25-20 in the last game which was played on Wednesday afternoon at the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium. Barbados trailed 3-4 at the end of the first quarter as neither shooter Abeje Carrington nor Damisha Croney were getting free to receive passes or simply missed shots under the pole. However, in the second they fought back to lead 11-9 and held a slim 17-16 lead at the end of third, a stretch where Carrington went 11 from 11. She scored 15 from 17 but Croney had a poor shooting game with five from 12.
Trinidad's defenders Onella Jack and Kimfer Phillip kept their team in the game, and Nailah Coltes (9 from 16) and Amiola Camejo (9 from 14). In the final quarter, Samantha Wallace was seven from nine at goal shooter as Trinidad outscored Barbados 9-3 to win the match.
Both of the NSC teams were defeated 5-3 and 7-6 in hockey, while Empire beat them 4-0.
Barbados were competitive in football. After going down 4-0 to the Trinidadians, Genesis won the second game 2-1, Pro-Shottas also won their game 1-0 and the NSC team had a 4-0 victory.
The NSC hosted the Trinidadians while they were here and also sponsored trophies for the Most Improved and Most Valuable Players of the tourists.
