Cudjoe hails Trinidad and Tobago athletes: You hushed the critics

MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe said TT’s track and field athletes answered the critics by delivering resounding efforts in 2022 after being chastised for their performance at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Cudjoe was speaking at the 2022 National Association of Athletics Administrations award ceremony at Radisson Hotel in Port of Spain on Saturday.

TT ended the Olympics Games, held a year late because of the covid19 pandemic, without a medal. It was the first time TT returned home empty-handed since the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The national athletes were heavily criticised on social media but there were also those who reminded the public that many of the local athletes were unable to reach peak form due to covid19 restrictions implemented by the government.

However, in 2022, the track and field athletes bounced back with three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Jereem Richards was the star for TT winning gold in the men’s 200-metre event and gold in the men’s 4x400m relay alongside Machel Cedenio, Dwight St Hillaire and Asa Guevara. The squad also included Kashief King and Che Lara.

The men’s 4x100m team of Kion Benjamin, Jerod Elcock, Kyle Greaux and Eric Harrison Jnr copped silver in the final. Akanni Hislop was also a member of the team.

“This year was a watershed year for athletics as we saw the likes of Jereem Richards, Akanni Hislop, Dwight St Hillaire, Machel Cedenio and all our outstanding athletes break records, blaze trails, bring honour and glory to TT, especially following what we experienced in 2021 for the Olympics and all the negativity that our athletes had to face,” Cudjoe said.

“They really came back and showed perseverance and persistence and made people eat their words. I think that is what made 2022 so beautiful and so sweet for me – watching everybody who had so much to say on social media just hush.”

Cudjoe thanked all those behind the scenes for making 2022 a memorable year. “Not only the athletes, but the administrators, the managers, everybody who put your hands, your hearts and your heads towards such an outstanding performance for 2022. You deserve to give yourself a round of applause.”

The sport minister said the Government is behind the athletes and urged them to apply for elite funding.

“We are inviting you and encouraging the elite athletes to submit your applications (for funding). I have to make that call because last year if we got 20 applications we got a lot. We have over 50 elite athletes in the country.”

Cudjoe said not only elite athletes are eligible for funding.

Jereem, Ahye cop top awards

A number of awards were distributed on the night with Richards and Michelle-Lee Ahye winning the men’s and women’s senior athletes of the year awards, respectively. Richards’ mother, Yvette Wilson, collected the award on behalf of her son and Ahye’s mother, Raquel Ahye, was in attendance to receive the award for her daughter.

Richards’ sister Brittney Richards-Nelson said the family is elated. “We are extremely proud. The entire family is very proud of him. It is always very satisfying to see when someone puts work in and they are able to achieve.”

Richards, who hails from Pt Fortin, enjoys strong family support and his relatives often gather around the TV to watch him compete. “Family is extremely important, our family is really close,” Richards-Nelson said. “Every year for the National Championships we print jerseys and come up (to Port of Spain) in a maxi. We call ourselves the dream team.”

Richards is nicknamed The Dream.

Ahye’s manager Afeisha Wright said TT can continue to expect success in 2023. “Based on the conversations that I had with herself and the coach she realised where she went wrong over the past few years. They have been correcting a few issues and we are just looking forward to a prosperous 2023.”

Wright said despite Ahye being a generally quiet person, her passion for athletics and helping children is immense.

HONOUR ROLL:

Most Outstanding

Girls Under-9: Mikaya Young

Boys Under-9: Jhe-Armani Stewart

Girls Under-11: Gloria Henry

Boys Under-11: Seth Sylvester

Girls Under-13: Jael Peters

Girls Under-13: Michael Paul

Youth Track Awards

Girls Under-15: Jenna Marie Thomas

Boys Under-15: Shezlon Gordon

Girls Under-17: Kayleigh Forde

Boys Under-17: Keeran Sriskandarajah

Girls Under-20: Shaniqua Bascombe

Boys Under-20: Shakeem McKay

Youth Field Awards

Girls Under-15: Tenique Vincent

Boys Under-15: Tyrique Vincent

Girls Under-17: Kenika Cassar

Boys Under-17: Andrew Steele

Girls Under-20: Lalenii Grant

Boys Under-20: Aaron Antoine

Youth Multi-Event

Girls Under-20: Gianna Paul

Long Distance Awards

Women’s Road Running: Shardie Mahabir

Men’s Road Running: Nicholas Romany

Women’s Cross Country: Samantha Shukla

Men’s Cross Country: Donnell Francis

Senior Awards

Women’s Track: Michelle-Lee Ahye

Women’s Field: Tyra Gittens

Men’s Track: Jereem Richards

Men’s Field: Keshorn Walcott

Special Award

President’s Rising Star Award: Jenna Marie Thomas

Awards for Outstanding Performance in 2022

Akeem Stewart (new national record – men’s shot put)

Lalenii Grant (new national record Under-20 women’s discus)

Aaron Antoine (new national record Under-20 men’s high jump)

Tyra Gittens (matching national record women’s high jump)

Kenika Cassar (new national record Under-18 women’s javelin)

Kion Benjamin, Jerod Elcock, Kyle Greaux, Eric Harrison Jnr, Akanni Hislop (men’s 4x100m relay - 2022 Commonwealth Games)

Machel Cedenio, Asa Guevara, Kashief King, Che Lara, Jereem Richards, Dwight St Hillaire (men’s 4x400 relay – 2022 Commonwealth Games)

Jereem Richards (new National Championships record men’s 200m, new championships record and new national indoor record men’s 400m at World Athletics Indoor Championships 2022, new games record men’s 200m at Commonwealth Games 2022)

Awards for Long and Meritorious Service

Lucretia Burns – coach, administrator and technical official

Charles Joseph – coach/administrator

Gunness Persad – coach/administrator

Rawle Raphael – administrator/meet promoter

Kelvin Roberts – administrator/technical official

Winston Rudder – coach, administrator and technical official

Ian Sharpe – massage therapy

Joyce Thomas – coach/administrator

Golden Award (In recognition of a gold medal performance men’s 4X100m relay at 2008 Olympic Games)

Aaron Armstrong, Keston Bledman, Marc Burns, Emmanuel Callender, Richard Thompson

Champion Clubs

Juvenile - RSS Phoenix

Junior - RSS Phoenix Champion Club

Senior - Abilene Wildcats

Athlete of the Year Awards

Youth Girls Category – Kayleigh Forde

Youth Boys Category – Keeran Sriskandarajah

Junior Girls Category – Shaniqua Bascombe

Junior Boys Category – Aaron Antoine

Senior Women’s Category - Michelle-Lee Ahye

Senior Men’s Category – Jereem Richards