NLCB injects $97k into cycling meet

JOEL BAILEY

THE NATIONAL Lotteries Control Board (NLCB) has injected a sum of $97,000 towards the staging of the Easter Grand Prix, at the Arima Velodrome, on Friday and Saturday.

The annual cycling event was cancelled a few weeks ago due to an outstanding debt of $1 million, from the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, towards the TT Cycling Federation (TTCF), which arose after the staging of the Pan Am Track Cycling Championships at the National Cycling Centre, Couva last August.

However, at a media conference at the Arima Velodrome yesterday, it was revealed that the Easter Grand Prix is back on track, under the auspices of top local club Madonna Wheelers, in collaboration with the TTCF.

“The NLCB gave the Federation, on behalf of Madonna Wheelers, $97,000,” said Farrier, when asked about the financial support given towards the staging of the Grand Prix.

But Farrier noted, “So far, the Ministry of Sport is not involved in this event. Our main sponsor would be the NLCB.”

There will be 46 events per day, and a number of top local riders will be involved, including Jabari Whiteman, Tyler Cole, Adam Alexander, Joshua Alexander, Jessica Costa, Cheyenne Awai and Jamaican-born Dahlia Palmer.

On the other side of the coin, Farrier noted, “Because of the Commonwealth Games (in Australia next week), all of our top sprinters would not be (here). However, our endurance athletes will get an opportunity to race among their Caribbean and some of their Latin American counterparts here, in preparation for CAC Games (in Barranquilla, Colombia) later this year.”

But Farrier said yesterday that a full list of the foreign entrants will be unveiled later this week.

The TTCF president also spoke about how the 2018 Easter Grand Prix was reignited.

“Out of the negatives comes a positive,” he said. “It also brings a challenge, the challenge being why is there no Easter cycling. Madonna Wheelers (his former club) is the oldest registered cycling club in Trinidad and Tobago.

“They took up the challenge to have an event, for the youth in Trinidad and Tobago. This is something that I personally should pursue.”

Farrier continued, “I got an initiative that was happening by the Mayor of Arima (Lisa Morris-Julian), where the lightning of the Arima Velodrome is going to be (re-done) for (the) Easter Weekend. Everything started to fall (into) place and a good phone call to a couple Arimians who showed the initiative to also support the sponsorship of the event, and we got NLCB on board.”

The TTCF president added, “The story now unfolds into a positive, cycling will happen at the Arima Velodrome this Easter weekend as normal. However, it has been a challenge, our cycling calendar has to be relooked, in keeping with the international cycling calendar (which) ends after the World Championships in March, which always lends a challenge for us getting top-class international cyclists during the Easter weekend. The (international) track calendar ends in March.”

In his brief remarks, Madonna Wheelers president Ronald Peters extended his gratitude to the TTCF “for assisting us in putting together this Meet, and it also extends to various supporters.”