Stephen Ames may no longer reside in this country, but he still sees himself as 100 per cent 'Trini to the bone'.
Ames, the "best golfer in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean"-as labelled by long-time friend and St Andrew's Golf Course manager Maria Nunes at the launch of the Stephen Ames Cup yesterday- Â said the only thing that changed is his country of residence.
"She's (my wife) Canadian, my kids are Canadian, and that's my home now," Ames told the Express yesterday at the Moka venue. "Plus it's easier with the commute rather than moving backward and forward all the time.
"But my heart is here, yes, definitely it is. I may [live] there, but this will always be home," he explained. Ames is in T&T to support the Stephen Ames Cup, part of the Stephen Ames Foundation initiative to assist youngsters with an affinity for the sport, and aid the development of the game locally.
Yesterday, young T&T juniors lined up against their Canadian counterparts for the three-day tournament, which started yesterday with the better ball format.
Today, they will face off with 'alternate shot' play, and finally match play tomorrow. The team amassing the most points will be the 2008 Stephen Ames Cup winner.
The competition alternates between T&T and Canadian venues every year. Since its inception in 2005, Canada have won it twice, while the only other time T&T hosted, they were winners. They have a chance to win at home, and tie their number of wins.
During yesterday's opening ceremony, acting British High Commissioner Simon Wade praised Ames for his contributions to the sport in Canada and T&T.
"What we've been able to do is miniscule compared to what Stephen Ames has done for junior golf in T&T," Wade declared.
Every year, Ames teams up with Nike to provide golfing equipment for T&T juniors.
The First Citizens Sports Foundation also took the time to honour Ames, with Foundation chairman Hayden Newallo formally presenting the Sportsman of the Year award to the golfer. Ames was rather happy to receive it.
"It's great. Just the fact that they are acknowledging golf with sportsman of the year (award), and the T&T Golf Association have been named Association of the year, both the sport and organisation should be looked at, the fact that we've been doing so well " Ames said.
He was also proud of the local junior golfers' improvement in recent years.
"I think it's telling us that the direction we are moving in is the right one. I think overall, the golf in Trinidad is at its peak right now."
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