Walcott, Borel fancied for Sports Awards
Wednesday, March 4 2015 (T&T Newsday)Keshorn Walcott in line for First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportsman of the Year AwardKESHORN WALCOTT and Cleopatra Borel are both fancied to claim the 2014 First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards on Friday at the Queen’s Hall, St Ann’s.
Walcott and Borel both claimed the respective Male and Female Athletes of the Year at the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) 2014 awards, which was held in December.
A total of 51 persons were nominated by their respective sporting organisations - 30 male and 21 female.
Here is a look at the two track & field nominees -
KESHORN WALCOTT (TRACK AND FIELD) In the midst of a great season for Trinidad and Tobago’s top athletes, Keshorn Walcott somehow found a way to maintain an edge over his compatriots.
The javelin thrower’s performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland last August, was a main contributor to him standing out from the pack. Walcott’s 82.67 metre effort in the Men’s Javelin final, was enough to earn the Toco native the silver medal behind Kenya’s Julius Yego (83.87 metres). Another major performance came at the IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech, Morocco, where Walcott represented the Americas. This time, he threw the javelin 83.52 metres to earn a bronze medal, with Egyptian Ihab Abdelrahman El Sayed (85.44 metres), representing Africa and Vitezslav Vesely (83.77) of Czech Republic representing Europe taking the gold and silver medals respectively. It capped off a fine IAAF Diamond League season in which Walcott finished second in Zurich with a national record 85.77 metres throw in August.
CLEOPATRA BOREL (TRACK AND FIELD) The story of Cleopatra Borel contains many chapters, and the current episode is focused on her amazing ability to maintain her status as one of the world’s best female shot putters, thanks to her sheer focus and dedication.
It definitely paid off last July at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she earned the silver medal with a toss of 18.57 metres that placed her behind New Zealand’s shot put icon, Valerie Adams (19.88 metres). Borel went on to create some history at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico during November, when she won her third, consecutive gold medal at this event, thanks to her throw of 18.99 metres that kept her ahead of Cuba’s Yaniuvis Lopez (17.88 metres) and Sandra Lemos (17.50 metres) of Colombia.
Borel’s best throw of the season came at the Memorial Van Damme IAAF Diamond League meeting in Brussels, Belgium (19.13 metres), where she earned fourth place in September.
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And here is a look at some of the nominees from other sports -
JOELISA COOPER (NETBALL) As she has often done since she came to prominence at the beginning of this decade, Joelisa Cooper rose to the fore and gave of her best when it mattered most in top level international competition. The goal attack was prolific at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, last August. Her 16 points off 21 attempts for a shooting percentage of 76 helped Trinidad and Tobago to a 38-37 win over Barbados. She followed this up with a 15/17 (88 percent) effort during a 56-40 defeat to South Africa. Cooper also scored 13/16 (81 percent) against England as Trinidad and Tobago eventually placed 10th in the competition.
YOHANSEY WILLIAMS (TENNIS) For the past few years, Yohansey Williams has not only maintained his status as Trinidad and Tobago’s top male tennis star, he has been imparting his experience and skills to many of the next generation of promising performers in his capacity as a coach.
At the National Championships at the Eddie Taylor Courts in St Clair, Williams captured the Men’s Singles title for the third time with a 6-0, 6-4 victory over Akiel Duke, and finished second in the Men’s Doubles competition with fellow Tobagonian Vaughn Wilson.
OLIVIA BENNETT (TENNIS) A solid tennis foundation that was laid down during her years as a top junior player continues to serve Olivia Bennett well.
She achieved the triple crown at the BGTT Tranquillity Open last March. She defeated national teammate Shenelle Mohammed 6-1, 6-1 in the Women’s Singles final, partnered with her sister Cristina Bennett to win the Women’s Doubles trophy by defeating Leah Alcala and Trevine Sellier, and joined Richard Chung in capturing the Mixed Doubles championship with a victory over Akiel Duke and Carissa Rudolfo. At the National Championships, Bennett again defeated Mohammed to win the Women’s Singles title 7-5, 6-0, and subsequently teamed with Mohammed to capture the Women’s Doubles crown with a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Emma Davis and Cindy Low.
AKIM TOUSSAINT (HOCKEY)Akim Toussaint topscored with four goals as he helped Trinidad and Tobago to win the Americas First Round tournament of the FIH Hockey World League in Jamaica. Two of Toussaint’s strikes came in the crucial 3-0 win over the hosts. Toussaint also played his part in guiding Trinidad and Tobago to the silver medal in the men’s competition at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico. Toussaint scored twice during an 11-0 first round annihilation of Guatemala and later scored the winner in the 1-0 semi-final victory over Mexico.
ALANNA LEWIS (HOCKEY) A solid defensive rock, with an innate sense of timing and the ability to get forward and score often, Alanna Lewis’ qualities were instrumental to the fortunes enjoyed by both the Trinidad and Tobago women’s field hockey team and her club side, Paragon.
Lewis scored three goals as she helped TT win the FIH Hockey World League Americas Round One tournament in Jamaica, ahead of the Dominican Republic, Barbados, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. She scored twice at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mexico, where she helped Trinidad and Tobago to a fourth place finish.
Lewis scored the most goals in the Open Division competition (five), helping Paragon to win the TTHF Women’s Championship Division, Women’s Open competition and the Women’s Big Four tournament.
CHRISTOPHER GEORGE (JUDO)At the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Christopher George earned a bronze medal thanks to a victory over Jesse De Leon of the Dominican Republic in the Men’s 100 kg division, finishing behind gold medalist Jose Armenteros (Cuba) and Sergio Garcia (Mexico) who took the silver medal. At the Pan American Cup in Barbados, George placed fourth, and subsequently took a silver (open) and a bronze medal (over 100 kg) at the Quebec Senior Open in Montreal.
At the JudoTT National Championships at the Chinese Association of Trinidad and Tobago in St Ann’s, George, who represents Queen’s Park Judo Club, won the Men’s Open title, ahead of Jelanie Boyce (Club Judo Inc.) and teammates Kendall Padarath and Thomas Teufel. He copped the Men’s Over-90 kg crown ahead of Padarath and Kerwyn Carrabon (Southern Warriors).
DORIAN ALEXANDER (TAEKWONDO)At the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico, Dorian Alexander, a qualified medical doctor operated his way through to the semi-finals in the Men’s Under-68 kg division, following a victory over Carlos Solis (Costa Rica). Alexander eventually won a bronze medal behind the Dominican Republic’s Ruddy Mateo and Isaac Torres of Mexico, the gold and silver medallists, respectively.
Alexander, who originally hails from Malabar, also competed at the Pan American Championships in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where he engaged in a losing but lively battle with home favourite Isaac Torres Vasquez, in which Alexander’s much vaunted spirit and precise technique were both still evident.
BRIAN BOODRAMSINGH (HORSE RACING) Brian Boodramsingh led the Caribbean to a 3-0 clean sweep of Great Britain and Ireland during the Jockey Challenge in November, thanks to his triumph with Big Profit in the second race. Boodramsingh completed Triple Crown success with Momentum in September, when he rode trainer John O’Brien’s three year old First Past the Post in the NGC CNG Trinidad Derby.
Boodramsingh also guided Momentum to the first of the Triple Crown wins at the Easter Guineas, in April and the Midsummer Classic in May. In the bargain, he also claimed his fourth, consecutive Champion Jockey of Trinidad and Tobago accolade.
BRENT BRANKER (POWERBOAT RACING)While Elixir was being ably piloted by Marcus Gomez, his throttleman, Brent Branker played an instrumental role in Team Elixir winning the overall TTPBA Championship title, as well as copping the trophy for the most outstanding boat in its division, the E Class (80 mph). During the Powerboat Regatta series event on July 20 Elixir copped its division after it won all three of its circuit races. It was typical of a season in which the craft regularly won in its class during the various races that comprised the regattas.
At the Carib Great Race from Port- of-Spain to Scarborough on August 23, Branker guided Elixir to an eighth-place finish overall out of 22 boats and third overall in the 80 mph section - yet another display that would earn Branker and Elixir the TTPBA Boat of the Year Award.
CRAIG SUMAIR (RALLY) During the last TTRC Rally Stages season, Craig Sumair and his co-driver Matthew Russell, and their Mitsubishi Evolution 6, racked up the points in the Group N class, thanks to their top performances as the circuit went along. They copped first place overall during the Reform Cup event in July. A fifth place finish was attained at the year’s biggest event, Rally Trinidad, in May. By the end of the stages season in October, the TTRC title was achieved by Sumair and company as they stayed ahead of the pack for good.