f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
f Paria - Ins and Outs of Trinidad & Tobago 2013
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away following a car accident in January but her rival,<br />
Ria Ramnarine, enhanced the legacy <strong>of</strong> fine female<br />
boxers, by capturing the WBA title in May, immediately<br />
dedicating it to Sal<strong>and</strong>y’s memory.<br />
The mental type <strong>of</strong> battle, on the chess table,<br />
continues to grow in popularity among all ages, with<br />
youngsters such as Rafael Guerrero doing well in<br />
competitions abroad, <strong>and</strong> the Chess Carnival attracting<br />
players from around the globe.<br />
In August 2009, the <strong>Trinidad</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tobago</strong> golf team<br />
defended the title in the Stephen Ames Cup in Calgary,<br />
Canada. This was the first time that any team had won<br />
this Cup away from home. T&T also finished second in<br />
the Caribbean Amateur Golf Championships (in Turks<br />
<strong>and</strong> Caicos) <strong>and</strong> the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf<br />
Championships (in Jamaica).<br />
The annual Great Race between the two isl<strong>and</strong>s<br />
resulted in an amazing eleventh victory for Ken<br />
Charles’s Mr. Solo powerboat. In sailing, a different<br />
eleven surfaced; denoting the age <strong>of</strong> Myles Kaufman<br />
who led the T&T team to the Caribbean Junior Team<br />
Trophy held in Barbados. Allied to 10-year-old Abigail<br />
Affoo’s victory at the International Regatta in St.<br />
Thomas, it seems that age does not necessarily equate<br />
experience for T&T’s young sailors.<br />
In racquet sports, the local tennis <strong>and</strong> table tennis<br />
scene continues to produce promising youngsters<br />
though it is 56-year-old Lionel Darceuil that now reigns<br />
as national tennis champion. However it is the squash<br />
players that take the bragging rights for 2009 with<br />
the emphatic first-time victories for both the men <strong>and</strong><br />
women’s teams at the Caribbean Championships in<br />
the Cayman Isl<strong>and</strong>s.<br />
As the Beacon Windies vs. the Rest <strong>of</strong> the World<br />
series <strong>and</strong> the <strong>Tobago</strong> Classic, continues to bookend<br />
a busy cycling calendar, the multitalented Njisane<br />
Phillips confirmed his potential with three gold medals<br />
at the Pan Am Championships, followed by fifth place<br />
at the Junior Worlds. The 18-year-old will now undertake<br />
an extended training stint in Switzerl<strong>and</strong> for 2010.<br />
Arguably the top performance <strong>of</strong> 2009 came<br />
from the Track <strong>and</strong> Field athletes who took their<br />
wonderful Beijing results a step further at the World<br />
Championships in Berlin. As Richard Thompson, Marc<br />
Burns <strong>and</strong> company, gained silver in the sprint relay to<br />
match their Olympic achievement with the third fastest<br />
run <strong>of</strong> all time, the women’s 4 x 100 m relay team<br />
reached the final for the first time ever. Keeping the<br />
flag flying for the gender, <strong>Tobago</strong>nian Josanne Lucas<br />
became the first T&T female to earn a World medal with<br />
a Bronze in the 400 m hurdles. In the same distance<br />
but minus the hurdles, her fellow <strong>Tobago</strong>nian Renny<br />
Quow, earned his Bronze in a come- from-behind run<br />
that excited both fans <strong>and</strong> commentators alike. With<br />
many other T&T youngsters also reaching Finals, the<br />
medal prospects for London 2012 is indeed exciting.<br />
T&T continues to punch above its weight in terms <strong>of</strong><br />
the quality <strong>of</strong> athletes derived from a relatively small<br />
population. Given the continued upward trajectory <strong>of</strong><br />
the past few years, 2010 will bring further success for<br />
the men <strong>and</strong> women in the national colours.<br />
The <strong>Ins</strong> & <strong>Outs</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Trinidad</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Tobago</strong><br />
153<br />
Anthony Harris