[UPDATED] Secondary Schools Relay festival welcomes regional athletes

FOR the first time, the Secondary Schools Track and Field Relay Festival will welcome participants from three schools within the region, for Thursday’s competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.

Speaking at a joint press conference, alongside Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe and Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly on Tuesday morning, the president of the TT Secondary Schools Track and Field Association Joseph Brewster said this is a historic time for the sporting fraternity.

Forty-seven schools are registered for the festival this year. Of this, there will be two athletes from Guyana, two from Jamaica and two from Barbados.

The students were expected to arrive in TT on Tuesday night. Multiple Olympic medallist Richard Thompson along with Emmanuel Callender will also be at the event.

Gadsby-Dolly said an event like this will strengthen the existing ties between sport and education. She said the ministry’s focus has always been on the dualistic education of students. She said this approach will give them the opportunity to develop all of their skills.

“We can see the passion, we can see the enthusiasm for what is happening in the midst of the mother Carnival... We have always been focused on the well-rounded child and the development of all of the skills. So the sporting skills with a partnership with the NGOs and associations such as this one, we are happy after the pandemic, we can expose our children to all of these opportunities.”

Cudjoe added: “There are some who believe that sports and academics can’t go hand in hand, but I think our athletes and schools are doing extremely well in both academics and athletics. They can go hand in hand and I see them as two different sides of one coin. It’s a privilege to see the relay return after six long years.

From the success of the festival over the years, Cudjoe said she anticipates a transformation from a local to a regional trademark event. “This is the start of so many good things to come in sports development for our children for youngsters. In looking at the different systems we have in TT, and seeking to build the energy once against our school sporting activities, we are prepared to continue to work hand in hand with the ministry of education and association in managing the business of sport for the younger athletes...”

In the last relay festival, Toco Secondary was the top overall winner. Athletes from Queens Royal College and Bishop Anstey topped the male and female categories.

“Since 2017, we were not able to put on a relay festival and then covid19 hit so this relay festival is very special to us. It comes on the heels of two regional games –south-central which happened the week before and north which happened last week.”

He revealed Natasha Fox, TT’s national junior athlete, will be coming with the Jamaican contingent to compete against local athletes. “We are looking forward to four by 4x100 metres, 4x400m, 4x4m, 4x8m relay. We are also looking forward to 16m shuttles and we also have an added treat there.”

Each club would have teams participating in the relay race.

“Relay festival was the first event that allowed schools to run against schools. We have now changed the entire landscape of track and field in schools. Before, you would have to run for your school then zone that has changed. Now you’ll be running all the way for your school. From start to finish you’ll be representing your schools.”

The top eight schools in the relay festival will qualify to compete at the national championships in Tobago.

“In Tobago, we would be carrying more fun, more excitement when we get there... We are on the brink of doing something big for youth athletics in TT but all stakeholders must be on board.”

This story has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

For the first time, the Secondary Schools Track and Field Relay Festival will welcome participants from three schools within the region, for Thursday's competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.

Speaking at a joint press conference, alongside Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe and Education Minister Nyan Gadsby-Dolly on Tuesday morning, the president of the TT Secondary Schools Track and Field Association Joseph Brewster said this is a historic time for the sporting fraternity.

Forty-seven schools are registered for the festival this year. Of this, there will be two athletes from Guyana, two from Jamaica and two from Barbados.

The students are expected to arrive in TT on Tuesday night. multiple Olympic medallist Richard Thompson will also be at the event.

Gadsby-Dolly said an event like this will strengthen the existing ties between sport and education. “We can see the passion, we can see the enthusiasm for what is happening in the mother Carnival...”

Cudjoe added: “There are some who believe that sports and academics can't go hand in hand, but I think our athletes and schools are doing extremely well in both academics and athletics. They can go hand in hand and I see them as two different sides of the one coin. It’s a privilege to see the relay return after six long years.”