All Mayaro Sports Foundation invests in homegrown talents

THE ALL Mayaro Sports Foundation (AMSF) has provided financial support to four its budding athletes for impending regional competitions.

This was announced by AMSF president Bartholomew "Bunny" Lynch on Friday, as the foundation recognised sporting excellence during a certificate distribution ceremony at the Mayaro Resource Centre (MRC) on April 1.

Swimmer Irmani Smith, national Under-17 footballer Dereece Sylvan, as well as national Under-19 cricketers Maria La Foucade and Aniaya Roberts will benefit from AMSF’s timely investment.

Smith, 14, will compete in the 5,000-metre open water swim at the Carifta Swimming and Open Water Championships in Barbados from April 16. He welcomed AMSF’s financial aid into the south-eastern community’s young sportsmen and women.

Smith said, “My grandmother got me involved in swimming from the age of two and it has been my passion ever since. I actually learned to swim right here in the pool at the MRC, so this is an extra significant moment for me.

“This support from my community means a lot and it will give me that extra drive to compete and win. My ultimate goal is to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the Olympic Games and the AMFS is helping me to achieve that.”

His mother, Demeen Smith, also thanked the organisation for offsetting costs associated with training in San Fernando and Macoya.

She said, “We are truly grateful. (Irmani) also enrolled in their sports administration course and gained a deeper understanding of the management, governance and media-based aspects of her discipline.”

Delivering the feature address was Matthew Pierre, community liaison officer, bpTT, who is also a former national basketball player and a proud product of Mayaro.

“It’s not easy being a national athlete and competing at the highest levels demands a lot of you mentally and physically. The AMSF must be commended for not only their support of these athletes, but for expanding the local capacity in various sport-based disciplines,” said Pierre.

With the recent lift in covid19 restrictions which permits domestic sport, the AMSF looks forward to returning to organising local sporting activities.

The popular bpTT Mayaro Windball Night Cricket League bowls off first, followed by the football, basketball and netball competitions. This will be in tandem with the continued delivery of training and athlete support initiatives.

Lynch added, “With the onset of the pandemic, we transitioned our sports development programmes into the virtual environment and delivered training in sports injury, basketball, futsal and football to name a few.

“There was an overwhelming response and the local sporting organisations and individuals have been re-tooled and up-skilled to be up and running as things re-open.”

He thanked bpTT for their continued support during the downtime to help facilitate capacity development and support for national athletes.

Given the constraints caused by covid19, the AMSF shifted focus and facilitated virtual training courses since 2020.

Over 20 members of the community took advantage of the Americas Netball level one coaching award course and the sports administration course delivered in November and December last year.

Each programme covered an expansive mix of theoretical and practical knowledge delivered by internationally accredited tutors. The successful participants were presented with their certificates at the AMSF-hosted event.

The AMSF was incorporated in October 2014 and is an umbrella organisation established and funded by bpTT to empower the people of Mayaro and environs and enable them to lead the way and take charge of community-based sporting development in the region.