Borel top female athlete of 2014

[Sando prince]

Bovell, Borel top athletes of 2014

http://www.guardian.co.tt/sport/2014-12-25/bovell-borel-top-athletes-2014

Swimmer George Bovell and field athlete Cleopatra Borel were named the 2014 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively, at the annual Guardian Sports Desk Christmas Lime, on Tuesday, at the company’s office, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain. Also recognised were Michelle Lee Ahye, who was named ‘Emerging Athlete of the Year’ while former national footballer/coach Everald ‘Gally’ Cummings was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award for his contribution to national life. The Desk also named cricket writer Vinode Mamchan as its ‘Personality of the Year’ while Nigel Simon collected an award for his productivity and Jelani Beckles was named ‘Young Sportswriter of The Year.’ Andre Baptiste was named ‘Columnist of the Year.’

Bovell and Borel were the two outstanding athletes for T&T at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games at Leyes de Reforma Aquatic Centre, Veracruz, Mexico, in November.
Bovell won the 50 metres freestyle, speeding home in 22.30 seconds, .07 hundredths of a second outside in 2010 record of 22.23 to turn the tables on his rivals Suriname’s Renzo Tjon-A-Joe (22.62) and Cuban, Hanser Garcia (22.69). Bovell also bagged nine medals at the FINA/MASTBANK World Cup Swimming Circuit which included three gold, five silver and one bronze. The highlight of his World Cup was a first ever 50m breaststroke medal, silver in 26.91 seconds Bovell also picked up a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke at the CAC Games.

Borel won gold in the shot put for the second consecutive time at the CAC Games to follow up her second place at the Commonwealth Games, in Glasgow, Scotland, in July. She collected her award from Guardian Managing Director, Lisa Agard, and said she was thrilled. Borel noted that 2013 was an up and down year for her but she was able to bounce back this year. “There is still a long way to go in 2015, but I am working hard, and I know with the kind of support I have been getting, things will be a lot easier.”

Bovell is currently out of the country on personal business but expressed appreciation at his award.”I am really sorry I could not be there to receive the award. I am very grateful for it and for all the support from everyone.” Cummings, in his acceptance speech, said he was grateful for the honour, noting that he sometimes felt like a forgotten person. Cummings guided T&T within a point of the World Cup Football Finals in 1990, arousing and igniting the nation with his Kaisoca, a brand of football he described as indigenous. “You can’t achieve anything without a piece of your culture. That is why we were so successful in 1989.”

Cummings was also a member of the national football team which was robbed of a place in the Germany World Cup finals in 1974. T&T finished second in the Concacaf finals in Haiti, losing to the hosts 1-2, after scoring five goals in the match, four of which were disallowed. The referee from that match was subsequently banned by Fifa. Sports Editor Valentino Singh described Cummings as a national hero and a treasure for whom a permanent place within the administration of football should be made. The function was attended by a number of sporting personalities, among whom were TTOC president Brian Lewis, TTFA secretary Sheldon Phillips, Sportt chief executive officer Adrian Raymond, batting legend Brian Lara, former national cricketer Colin Murray, ex world boxing champ Ria Ramnarine, sports analyst Andre Baptiste, motivation speaker Don La Foucade and university lecturer and sports columnist Anand Rampersad.

[Socapro]

Btw I don't think MLA's 10.85 was a national record as the author of the article below indicates.
Some of these T&T sportswriters need to do some more research to save themselves from making eroneous statements about important things like national records and thus misinforming the T&T public.
MLA's 10.85 was a PB but not a NR. The Women's 100m NR is still 10.83 ran by Kelly-Ann Baptiste at the HCS in June 2013. http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/trinidad-and-tobago/kelly-ann-baptiste-190476

Athletes honoured for 2014 achievements
By Donstan Bonn
Story Created: Jan 6, 2015 at 8:41 PM ECT  (T&T Express)

Last Saturday’s National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Award Ceremony 2014 at the Radisson Hotel in Port of Spain saw a number of Trinidad and Tobago track and field stars being honoured for their sterling achievements last year.
 
And heading the list was NAAA’s senior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, Keshorn Walcott and Cleopatra Borel.
 
Walcott made the “Outstanding Performances” list for his 85.77m effort, a new national record, at a javelin event in Zurich last August. It came just a month after he clinched silver at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland with an 82.67m throw.
 
And shot putter Borel earned her spot on the list for her season’s best 19.13m set in Brussels in September. Borel also had a good season in which she clinched Commonwealth Games’ silver followed by gold at the CAC Games in Mexico.
 
Sprinters Richard “Torpedo” Thompson and Michelle Lee Ahye won their selection for establishing new national records in the 100 metres event at last year’s National Track and Field Championships at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in June. Thompson won in a sizzling 9.82 seconds to claim the ninth fastest time on the all-time sprint list while Ahye blazed the mondo track for a 10.85 seconds clocking to rewrite the record book.
 
National shot put record holder Akeem Stewart gained recognition for setting a new F44 category world record in the shot put at last month’s Mexican Open Para-Athletics Championships. Stewart threw the ball 18.70 metres to shatter the previous record of 18.38m.
 
Among the junior athletes, Machel Cedenio was honoured for his new national junior 400 metres record of 45.13 seconds, which he set in winning gold at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon, USA, last July.
 
And 14-year-old sprint sensation Adell Colthrust duly earned to have his name among the outstanding achievers. The Southern Athletics standout got the nod for his sizzling sub-eleven seconds clocking when he ran 10.79 at the last year’s Carifta trials.
 
Media personnel were also honoured for their outstanding contribution to track and field with Caribbean Communications Network’s (CCN) sports director/producer Kwame Laurence being among the recipients.
 
Outstanding Performances 2014
Keshorn Walcott (javelin): 85.77m NR
Cleopatra Borel (shot put): 19.13m
Richard Thompson (100m): 9.82s NR
Michelle Lee Ahye (100m): 10.85s NR
Ayanna Alexander (triple jump): 14.40m NR
Deon Lendore (400m): 44.36s
Janeil Bellille (400m): 51.83 PB
Akeem Stewart (shot put): 18.70m – F44 category world record
Machel Cedenio (400m): 45.13s NR -Junior
Jeminise Parris (100m hurdles): 13.62s NR-Youth
Shaquille Waithe (javelin): 72.75 (Junior)
Adel Colthrust (100m): 10.79s (Youth)
 
Youth awards
Girl’s U-10: Nikkeda Peters (Simplex)
Boy’s U-10: Reyshawn Andrews (Memphis)
Girl’s U-12: Shaniqua Bascombe (Cougars)
Boy’s U-12: Jordan Pope (Cougars); Devin Augustine (Point Fortin New Jets)
Girl’s U-14: Deleth Charles (Memphis)
Boy’s U-14: Timothy Frederick (Point Fortin New Jets)
Girl’s U-16 (Track): Jenea Spinks (Neon Trackers)
Girl’s U-16 (Field): Peaches Stewart (Falcons)
Boy’s U-16 (Track): Tyrell Edwards (Toco Titans)
Boy’s U-16 (Field): Tyriq Horsford (Zenith)

Media awards
Kwame Laurence: Express
Winston Sobers: CNMG
Kent Fuentes: CNMG
Andre Errol Baptiste: i95.5 FM
Tony Lee: i95.5 FM

[Deeks]

Congrats to Cleopatra Borel. Sports Woman of the Year.

[Socapro]

Mom: Cleo’s win no surprise
By Kern De Freitas (T&T Express)
Story Created: Mar 7, 2015 at 8:42 PM ECT

A MOTHER’S PRIDE: Marcelle Borel, centre, mother of Cleopatra Borel, is applauded by President Anthony Carmona while First Citizens chaiman Anthony Smart, left, looks on. Borel received the Sportswoman of the Year award on her daughter’s behalf from Reema Carmona, right, at the First Citizens Sports Foundation awards ceremony at Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s, on Friday night. The win was Cleopatra Borel’s fourth. —Photo: CURTIS CHASE

Less than two years ago, 2014 First Citizen Sports Foundation (FCSF) Awards Sportswoman of the Year Cleopatra Borel was ready to call it a day.

The veteran Trinidad and Tobago shot-putter suffered an injured index finger and she had failed to reach the Olympic final a year earlier by one spot, only to find out later that another competitor, who had reached the final, had tested positive for a banned substance.

It left Borel distraught. “I was there, and when I saw it, it tear at my heart,” related Borel’s mother, Marcelle, who collected the accolade on her daughter’s behalf from Reema Carmona, wife of President Anthony Carmona.

“Because she really worked hard up to that point. Then she got her hand damaged and she was really struggling. She went out there and did her best. We need to keep sports clean. Because she is doing it clean. Back home she started going back to natural foods: dasheen, fig, we tried to get that, so she does it clean.”

As Marcelle tells the story, Cleopatra consi­dered quitting. “Her dad was ill and she was really down at that time because she damaged her finger. She said to her dad, ‘I think I’m going to give up.’ He told her, ‘I may not be here but give it one more Olympics.’ He said: ‘Brazil has always been good to you. Go to Brazil.’”

The following year, 2014, Borel returned with a bang with one of her best years in the field. She threw consistently over 18 metres, and even beat the 19-metre mark. It resulted in her fourth Sportswoma­n of the Year title.

Marcelle has grown accustomed to seeing her daughter battle the odds and win. “Well, Cleopatra is a child that would always surprise us from small. So as she grows older, nothing surprises (us anymore).”

Via her mother, Borel thanked her coach, Ismael Mastrapa Lopez, her physio, the T&T Olympic Committee, the National Association of Athletics Administrators, the Sports Company of T&T, the Ministry of Sport and all of T&T, “especially (her native) Mayaro”.

Sharing honours with Borel on the night was George Bovell, the Sportsman of the Year. Ten years after his previous win, Bovell returned to the top of the podium with three World Cup gold medal­s among his many impressive achievements in 2014. “I’m incredibly honoured to be named Sportsman of the Year in this country,” Bovell said, “especiall­y going up against incredible athletes in the form of Keshorn Walcott, Christopher George and the likes of these amazing and outstanding young people.

“I’m just incredibly grateful for this award, for the opportunity, for my health. I feel very blessed and I like to say that I’m working the dream, not living the dream. Working it every day. Every decisio­n I make is taking me closer to or further away from my goals.”

Bovell’s next assignment after months of training is in Milan next weekend, following which he will set up camp in Italy, which he said could be a potential training base. Bovell said he is grateful to be doing what he loves.

Asked where his resilience comes from, the swimmer waxed philosophical. “Real resilience is those people out there who are taking six, eight rounds of chemotherapy fighting for their lives,” the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist said.

“Those are the real heroes out there. I’m really grateful and I’m very blessed and hope to continue to do it with a bang and finish on top.”