For those who want to achieve sustainable success at the highest level of Olympic sports, T&T is no bed of roses.
At every single turn, the landscape is best described as hostile territory. T&T can be a graveyard for those who hunger and thirst for success. It can be a demoralising place if success at the highest level of the sport is the objective, then remaining single-minded is a prerequisite in such a pursuit.
Last Saturday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the NGC/Sagicor-sponsored National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) Track and Field championships had a number of Olympians and medal winners on display and all were in the hunt for success whether it was medals or personal triumphs.
But yet the crowd in attendance was disappointing and it was not because of a lack of effort by the NAAA’s organising committee. The NAAA and Sports Entertainment of T&T (SpenTT) did everything possible to promote the championship as a major attraction on a week that had little or no major competing events locally.
Noticeably, the SpenTT group comprised of young people including former athletes and footballers. The NAAA must be commended for giving young people an opportunity to try new ideas and methods all in an effort to attract those fans who say they love the local sport.
At the stadium, it was wonderful to see the full-hearted efforts of the country’s top athletes. They poured out everything on the track but sadly not too many were on hand to enjoy the skills and entertainment that was on show.
On Friday at Woodford Square, the T&T Olympic Committee celebrated Olympic Day. In attendance and gaining the attention of the school children that were present was Commonwealth Games sprint queen Michelle-Lee Ahye. In fact, June 23, is the actual Olympic Day which is used to mark the celebration worldwide. And to avoid clashing with the national track and field championships the TTOC kept its celebrations, the day prior.
Meanwhile, Made in T&T—we need to take great pride in supporting Made in T&T not in words, but in action. We need to show up and support our athletes.
Watching the national track and field championships one could see that in the very near future legends will rise.
Sport in T&T offers a net positive to society and all will agree that money invested in sport can help to achieve good things after I witnessed last weekend’s track and field championship and I was proud to see so much talent on display.
In the gloom and doom of T&T as a corrupt, murderous killing field that it has become, where citizens rationalise, normalise and turn a blind eye to corruption and crime, hushed conversations aren’t mere gossip and unsubstantiated rumour, but a snapshot of the truth.
Every day in the newspapers it’s another story of corruption. Those who dare to uncover the truth are exposed by the perverse actions of self-styled paragons of virtue.
The vile, shameless hypocrisy and deceit is breathtaking even as the sincere patriotism of our youth and young people and their faith and hope go unheralded on a rainy weekend. No money is the cry for sport yet every day it’s a daily deluge of white-collar crime and murderous life taking.
Editor’s note:
Brian Lewis is the President of the T&T Olympic Committee (T&TOC) and the views expressed are not necessarily those of the organisation.