Badree, Williams honoured to be inducted into First Citizens Hall of Fame

WEST Indies T20 World Cup winner Samuel Badree and former national long jump record holder Wendell Williams, said they are humbled after being inducted into the hall of fame at the First Citizens Sports Foundation’s 2024 Sports Awards and 2025 Hall of Fame Induction. The ceremony was held at the Hyatt Regency on January 11.

Badree is now a popular commentator worldwide and runs a sporting academy for young cricketers.

Williams is an athletics jumps coach, guiding athletes in events such as long jump and triple jump.

Badree, a member of the West Indies T20 World Cup winning teams in 2012 and 2016, said, "It is truly a humbling experience for me to be inducted...to be in the company of some distinguished pre-eminent men and women who have impacted the sporting landscape in TT is pore-raising. It really inspires me even more to continue to do the work that I am doing with young people in TT in the facet of sport and youth development."

Badree believes it is the duty of former athletes to give back. "As former representatives of national teams, and in my case the West Indies team, I think we have a responsibility to pass on our skills, knowledge and experiences that we gained through our careers to the next generation and that is what I try to do with my academy."

The former leg spinner runs the Badree's Academy of Sport and Education. He was proud to say that over 185 children have registered for the Saturday sessions in the new year and close to 60 for the Sunday training sessions.

Explaining the goals of the academy, he said, "Cricket is still strong in our eyes in TT...it is about getting our young people actively engaged in sport and physical activity...life skills such as discipline and respect, punctuality, regularity and all of those things that come with being part of a team environment. We are not only looking to create cricketers. That is of course the ultimate goal, but we are also looking to develop good citizens of our beloved twin-island republic."

Former national long jump record holder Williams described the feeling of being honoured with the award as "overwhelming."

"I did it (coaching) because of the passion. To be recognised I am humbled, really and truly."

Williams started his coaching career in Germany while he was still competing. After spending seven years overseas, he returned home and has been coaching TT athletes for more than 15 years.

He spoke highly of TT brothers Dexter and Paul Voisin for encouraging him to get involved in coaching.

It was a decision that benefited TT as there was a shortage of coaches in the area Williams once competed.

"The discipline that I did which was jumps, it hardly had coaches in TT (at the time)," he said

Williams, like Badree, knows all his athletes may not become world-class athletes, but wants to give them an opportunity to achieve something. "I am humbled because the passion is there and my goal is to help not necessarily bring out a world beater, but just to help young individuals, either male or female, to at least understand what the power of sport could do and also for them to believe in themselves...develop you from someone who couldn't do anything and come and say, 'I use to long jump. I started off at zero and this is where I came.' I do have a lot of those breakthrough stories."

Some of the promising athletes that have been under Williams are Carifta gold medal winners Andwuelle Wright and Janae De Gannes. Josanne Joseph, Clement Campbell and Jada Williams have also been under his guidance. Williams had the privilege of seeing Wright break his own long jump record. In 2018, Wright jumped 8.23 metres which was further than the national record of 8.14m held by Williams since 1999.

Williams is often seen at venues with his athletes being supportive and extremely animated.