‘Para athletes an afterthought in TT’

CHEF de mission for TT’s 2019 Parapan American Games team, Micky Ruben, believes the country’s para athletes are often seen as “an afterthought.”

He said the lack of a hero’s welcome for the team, at the Piarco International Airport, upon their return Tuesday afternoon, further proved his point. The team brought home a combined total of four medals from the recently-concluded Games in Lima, Peru–two gold, one silver and one bronze.

Nyoshia Cain-Claxton copped gold in the women’s 100-metre T64 final and bronze in the 200m. Tobagonian Akeem Stewart set a world record to win gold in the men’s discus throw F64 final, and earned silver in the men’s javelin throw F64 final. Missing out on medals were Dennis La Rose, who was eliminated by Argentina’s Mauro Depergola in table tennis, Carlos Greene, who placed fifth in the men’s discus throw F11 and sixth in the men’s shot put final, and Shantol Ince, who placed sixth in the women’s 50m and 100m freestyle F9 finals.

Stewart received a more exciting welcome at the ANR Robinson International Airport in Tobago. Organised by the Tobago House of Assembly, he was entertained by Delicia Dance Company and the Unity Drummers. Chief secretary Kelvin Charles and sport secretary Jomo Pitt were also present.

Speaking with Newsday yesterday evening, Ruben described the team’s performance as “stellar,” and said he is very proud of their accomplishments. “If you check the ratio of athletes to medals, it’s like they won the championship. It’s the highest medal total for a TT Parapan Am team and it’s also the highest medal to athlete ratio of any TT team ever.”

At the 2015 Games in Toronto, Canada, TT earned two medals with Stewart copping gold in the men’s discus and javelin throw events.

He said lack of funding was the main issue they experienced and praised the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) for its continued assistance. “We are thankful for the TTOC who left some stuff there so we can keep warm because we have nothing in our budgets. We had to fight up to mix and match uniforms, etc. They think of us as an afterthought, most of the stuff that we got through with was because of a good relationship with the TTOC and the TT Paralympic Committee.”

The team’s uniforms were donated by local business Print Ideas Ltd.

Both the TTOC and the sport ministry have medal reward programmes in place to assist para athletes. The sport ministry also recently included special athletes in their initiative. TT’s special athletes’ medal haul at the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi was 57 medals–19 gold, 15 silver and 23 bronze. This earned them a reward payout of $387,000 and they also received a hero’s welcome at the airport.

Asked what can be done to rectify his main point, Ruben said, “Like most things, it starts at the top. If you see your para athletes as a second class citizen then your response to their accomplishments would be of that. If it is you appreciate and see what their accomplishments are as a TT citizen–full stop, then you will treat them in that manner.” The team will compete in the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai from November 7-15.