Cudjoe-Lewis on Paris 2024: New strategies, introspection needed

ON August 11, as ace Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Nicholas Paul exited the men's keirin event at the quarterfinal stage of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, it resigned TT to the fate of competing at back-to-back Olympics with no medals to show for their efforts.

There have been calls in many quarters for a need to address issues plaguing sports in TT, particularly in the sport of track and field, with former Olympians such as Alvin Daniel, Roger Daniel and four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon calling for a different approach to be taken.

On August 13, at a press conference which featured key members of the Ministry of Sport and Community Development and the Sport Company of TT (SporTT), Sport and Community Development minister Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis added to the voices calling for change.

"It doesn't rest solely on providing taxpayers dollars to our athletes or providing financial support. (Our performance) speaks to the need to review our strategy. It speaks to the need to regroup, it speaks to the need for introspection," Cudjoe-Lewis said.

"It speaks to the need for national governing bodies for sport (NGBs), clubs and different players in the sport ecosystem to play their role. As a government, there are some things we need to do differently as it relates to policy."

While acknowledging the role the government plays in providing support to sporting organisations and its athletes, Cudjoe-Lewis said it was imperative for stakeholders not to depend solely on the government to address TT's Olympic drought.

TT carried a 17-member contingent to the Pairs Olympics, with sprinter Jereem Richards and two-time Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott being the only athletes to get to the finals in their events – placing fourth and seventh in the 400-metre and javelin finals respectively.

Walcott also bagged TT's last medal at the Olympics when he got bronze in the men's javelin final at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"There's a need for partnership and there's also a need for national governing bodies to come to the table and discuss coach accountability, long-term athlete development and work hand-in-hand with accountability," Cudoe-Lewis said.

"It's all well and good to question what the government is going to do, but we must admit, recognise, acknowledge and embrace that there is only so much that the government can do."

Cudjoe-Lewis said NGBs may have to come to terms with the reality of not getting an equal piece of the pie when it comes to the disbursement of funds.

"We oversee over 50 sporting disciplines. Nowhere in the world do you see different sporting disciplines receiving equal funding," Cudjoe-Lewis said.

"I think we have in many cases been trying to provide an equal amount of funding to all sporting disciplines — especially at the level of SporTT where they oversee at least 12 different sporting disciplines — ensuring everybody gets about the same amount of funding each. Focus needs to be placed specifically on athletics and the support given to the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA), The Aquatics Sports Association (ASATT), and TT Cycling Federation (TTCF)..."

Back in January, former SporTT chairman Douglas Camacho warned the organisation was prepared to take a "zero tolerance" approach to non-compliant NGBs.

Under the guidance of new chairman Larry Romany, Cudjoe-Lewis said SporTT will have tough decisions to make.

"I have challenged SporTT. You cannot be afraid to say 'no' to some people in the name of accountability," Cudjoe-Lewis said. "It makes good politics, but extremely bad economics...you have to be prepared to make some enemies over being serious about the development of sport."

Talent identification

Last year, Cudjoe-Lewis led an 11-member team of TT officials who visited Jamaica to get insight into the Caribbean country's rich success in track and field at the Olympics. Jamaica has produced prolific athletes such as eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt and female sprint phenoms Elaine Thompson-Herah and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, a seven-time Olympic medallist.

NAAA president George Comissiong, Secondary Schools Track and Field president Joseph Brewster and immediate TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) past president Brian Lewis were among the contingent who made visits to Jamaica' GC Foster College, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association and other schools and sporting organisations.

Last August, certified trainers from GC Foster College made a return visit to TT as they held sessions with 75 local coaches and practitioners. From August 21, GC Foster's representatives will make their second visit to these shores as they train another batch of local coaches, with the overall aim being to encourage children in sport from an earlier age and create a greater sporting culture in the school system – even from the elementary level.

Cudjoe-Lewis said it's the tip of the iceberg, but she says TT has to start somewhere.

"After training them, many of them returned to their clubs and we were able to retain about 35 who are now assigned to schools...the journey of a thousand miles starts with one step."

The importance of the talent identification initiatives was stressed during the presser, and the five-member panel said the I Choose Sport programme is a perfect example of what's needed to identify young talent and get TT youth in love with sport again.

Since its 2024 cycle started in April, SporTT CEO Jason Williams said I Choose Sport has reached over 8,500 students in varying parts of the country.

"The intention is to go back to the schools and back in the communities," Williams said.

"GC Foster identified that there were gaps, but the training mechanism and the component period is really to upscale these students and get them into the system to work with us."

Tobias Ottley, head of elite performance and well-being at SporTT, said the current talent identification programme may bear fruit by 2032 as the target population is 11-14.