Campbell, Paul claim TTOC top awards

ANDREW GIOANNETTI

HAVING recently secured her first professional club contract, and earning some of the finest performances of her short career this year, national track cyclist Teneil Campbell crowned 2019 by claiming the TT Olympic Committee's Sportswoman of the Year award on Sunday.

The TTOC award ceremony took place at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Port of Spain.

Campbell, who is abroad, was represented by her mother, Euphenia Huggins, a former national field athlete, and her brother, another premier national cyclist Akil Campbell.

She dethroned sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye, who won a hat-trick of TTOC Sportswoman of the Year titles (2016-2018).

It was the second time Campbell was recognised by the Committee, having won the recently-introduced Future is Female award last year.

She rose to stardom with a CAC Games gold medal in 2018 but bolstered her haul of awards with two silver medals at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. She also earned the distinction of becoming the first female TT cyclist to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, Paul was also recognised for the second straight year by fans, who voted him winner of the People's Choice award.

More significantly, though, Paul was named the Sportsman of the Year for his 2019 heroics, among them a record-breaking gold medal performance in the flying 200m at the Elite Pan American Games in September.

Paul's coach and TT cycling technical director Erin Hartwell was also rewarded for his team's 2019 successes at the same event, as he was named the Sports Personality of the Year.

The Future is Female award was given to international judo athlete Gabriella Wood, who was also unable to attend Sunday's ceremony.

The Alexander B Chapman award was given to athletics coach Gunness Persad.

Broadcaster Dave Lamy, who died in November, won the award last year for his outstanding contribution to sport and promotion of Olympic ideals.

Sprinter Shaniqua Bascombe won her second consecutive TTOC Junior Sportswoman of the Year award, while Tyriq Horsford put javelin back in the spotlight, winning the Junior Sportsman of the Year award.