Olympic pioneer Chapman,93, dies

SPORTS administrator, coach and icon Alexander B Chapman has died at the age of 93.

Chapman, who grew up on Town Council Street in Port of Spain, has a daughter named Alison.

Chapman, a former TT weightlifter, was part of the Olympic movement when TT started fielding teams at the Olympic Games. He served as TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) president from 1989 to 1997 and before that was the secretary general from 1964 to 1989.

Every year at the annual TTOC Awards, the Alexander B Chapman award is given to someone for their service to sport.

At the 2016 Rio Olympics, TT was represented in eight sports, but when TT started competing in the 1948 London Games TT was only represented in track and field, cycling and weightlifting.

Chapman accompanied the TT Olympic team multiple times serving as the weightlifting coach for Rodney Wilkes, Lennox Kilgour, Brandon Bailey and Hugo Gittens.

President of the TTOC Brian Lewis, who is also president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees, said in a media release, “The TT Olympic Committee and the TT Commonwealth Games extends deepest condolences to the family of Mr Alexander B Chapman. Mr Chapman’s contribution and service to the Olympic and Commonwealth sports movements in TT, the Caribbean region, Americas continent and Commonwealth was immense, tireless, dedicated and unwavering. He epitomised the mean of volunteerism and patriotism.”

Lewis continued, “His passion for sports, the joy found in effort and striving for excellence was boundless. A patriot who took immense pride in seeing TT athletes give their best. A long-serving sports administrator. His wit, sense of humour, dignity and decorum stood out. Mr Chapman’s contribution to the TT Olympic Committee and the TT Commonwealth Games Association and the Caribbean Olympic movement in the early days can be best described as pioneering. May he rest in peace.”

In an interview with Newsday, Lewis described Chapman as a “walking encyclopedia” saying “he was Mr Olympics.” The TTOC president said Chapman had the nickname The Bird because he was always travelling. Chapman was proud of the country’s accomplishments at the Olympics, as Lewis said he filled a room in his house with memorabilia.

“He was a true statesman in the way he conducted himself. He was an institution.”

President of the National Association of Athletics Administrations Ephraim Serrette also reflected on the life of Chapman. “He has contributed a whole lot as an athlete. He used to be involved in weightlifting and then he was part of the administration. He would have contributed greatly to sport in general and through the TTOC.”