Trinidad and Tobago Special Olympics athletes shine at Carifta Games

THE 52nd edition of the Carifta Athletics Championships delivered loads of excitement and many high points at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo from April 19-21, with the hosts Trinidad and Tobago thrilling the crowd with their return of 25 medals (nine gold, six, silver, ten bronze).

While middle-distance runners Christopher Sammy, Oshea Cummings and Armani Dillon won the hearts of the TT faithful, to go along with multi-event gold medallists Omari Brown, Tenique Vincent and Tyrique Vincent, the Special Olympics TT (SOTT) athletes also dazzled at the three-day games.

It was the third time Special Olympics athletes have competed at the games, having previously turned out at the previous two editions in Bahamas and Grenada respectively.

On the final afternoon of the games on April 21, SOTT athlete Cadel Cuffie had the crowd eating out of his hands when he won the men’s 200-metre event in a record time of 24.17 seconds – surpassing the previous mark of 25.97.

Cuffie got a bullet start as he covered most of the six-man field in the opening 100 metres, before powering home in the straightaway to get a convincing victory. Nathan McLean grabbed the silver medal in 27.03, with Ezekiel Sylvan (27.54) grabbing the bronze medal. Justin Providence was fourth in 27.72.

On April 19, Providence claimed the 100m Special Olympics gold medal when he dashed to the line in 13.30. Sylvan finished a close second in 13.44, with McLean seizing the bronze medal in 13.60.

In the women’s Special Olympics races, Tershana Tempro was the shining star as she claimed both the 100m and 200m titles. On April 19, Tempro surged away from the 100m field to win in 16.50, with Melissa Nanan (18.80) and Jamilla Gardner (19.67) finishing second and third respectively.

On April 21, Tempro showed fantastic form and poise in the 200m event as she pulled away from Latoya Charles down the straightaway to clinch gold. Before she reached the finish line in 35.37, Tempro had a few glances over her shoulder to ensure the second-placed Charles (36.51) wasn’t within striking distance. Nanan claimed bronze with a time of 40.10.

SOTT chairman David Benjamin was excited the Special Olympics athletes got the opportunity to show their talent to the regional audience.

“The participation of SOTT at the 52nd Carifta Games marks a historic milestone for sport and inclusion in TT,” Benjamin said via media release on April 23. “For the first time, athletes with intellectual disabilities stood shoulder to shoulder with the region’s best young competitors on one of the Caribbean’s most most prestigious athletic stages, sending a powerful message that the tide of inclusion is truly sweeping across our islands and the world.”

The media release said the SOTT’s National Games will be held from May 10-June 14, with sports such as bocce, equestrian, football, powerlifting and volleyball taking centre stage.

The National Beach Games will be held on October 25, with the National Football Games scheduled for November 22. Benjamin thanked the Carifta organisers for embracing the vision of unity and said the participation of the SOTT athletes was a testament of their resilience on their push for greatness.