Independents dominate bocce at Special Olympics National Games

INDEPENDENTS won four of seven gold medals on day one of the 2025 Special Olympics Trinidad and Tobago (SOTT) National Games which got under way with bocce at Manny Ramjohn Stadium in Marabella on May 10.

Independents’ Tyrese Jaikaran won gold in the "divisioning" skills group one, followed by silver medallist Akiel Ritchards and bronze receiver Stephen Bartholomew; both of the National Centre for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD).

NCPD’s Faith Roach topped the field in group two. Lady Hochoy Home North’s Shallima Rascul and Immortelle’s Vivienne White rounded off the top three finishers respectively.

Independents One quartet of Renee Massiah, Joseph Turpin, Samuel Bonapart and Sonetta Wellington defeated Lady Hochoy Home Gasparillo 4-2 and then beat Combined One 3-1 in the mixed team division two final to claim top honours.

Silver went to Combined One (Antonio Sorzano, Melissa Nanan, Natash Persad, Trinity Paul), bronze to Lady Hochoy Gasparillo (Afiah Andrews, Rosanna Gebodh, Vishanta Dubarry, Tmika Revello Darabie) while Lady Hochoy Penal (Brandon Babwah, Jonathon Ferdinand, Narindra Mungal, Bavan Nancoo) placed fourth.

In the mixed team division one, Lady Hochoy School Penal Two (Tyrese Daniel, Oneal Ramnath, Amelia Lalla, Samantha Jogmohan) lifted the crown after getting past Memisa One with a 3-2 result, and then conquering NCPD (Devon Baboolal, Deron Baboolal, Kealon Joseph, Xavier Joseph) 4-2 in the trophy match. Memisa One (Nathan Mc Lean, Trevon Williams, Jishua Danial, Jamile Cunningham) took bronze.

Independents teams also swept the mixed team divisions three and four. The quartet of Alicia Khan, Bernard Singh, Michelle Cooper and Lorena Singh won division three, and Kadeem Seaton, Shawn Winchester, Celeste Singh, Sherise Hosein took division four.

The division three squad got past Lady Hochoy Gasparillo 4-2 in the preliminary stages and then eased past Memisa Two by five goals to nil in the final.

Division four saw the Independents’ unit edge Lady Hochoy Gasparillo 4-3 in the earlier rounds and then beat Lady Hochoy North 5-2 in the title match.

Lady Hochoy Penal topped the field in division five as they crushed their Gasparillo branch 5-0 and then defeated them 8-0 in the final.

The opening leg of the month-long games featured over 100 athletes from eight special-needs schools competing in bocce. Throughout the games, athletes from 25 schools will compete across eight disciplines: bocce, volleyball, equestrian, athletics, powerlifting, basketball, aquatics, and football.

At the opening ceremony, Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Phillip Watts said the spirit of Special Olympics is aligned with the core values of the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.

“We believe in sport as a vehicle for empowerment, a platform through which people of all abilities can express themselves, achieve excellence and contribute meaningfully to our national community,” he said.

“To our athletes – you are the heart of these games. Your courage inspires us, your commitment uplifts us, and you remind us that sport is not only about competition but about connection, joy and pushing past limitations both perceived and real.”

SOTT board chairman Major David Benjamin added that sport is an ideal platform to develop the lives of people with intellectual disabilities.

“We understand the value of sport...it’s also holistic development where the athletes can realise their fullest potential in this space,” Benjamin said.

Cadel Cuffie, the Special Olympics division record holder in the boys’ 200m at Carifta level, recited the oath: “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in my attempt.”

Fire officer Hazzard and police officer Seemungal performed the ceremonial torch handover.

Also present at the games were Minister of the People, Social Development and Family Services Vandan Mohit and acting permanent secretaries Narine Charran and Beverly Reid-Emmanuel, CEO of Digicel Pieter Verkade, CEO of Digicel Foundation Penny Gomez and board member La Toya Gopaul, among other dignitaries.

SOTT’s commitment to year-round inclusive sports continues beyond the National Games, with the National Beach Games scheduled for October 25 at Maracas Beach and the National Floorball Games on November 22 at the Southern Regional Indoor Sport Arena in Pleasantville.