Cudjoe congratulates achievements of national athletes

Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe sent congratulations to several national athletes who delivered outstanding performances on the regional and international circuit recently.

Cudjoe commended seasoned cricketer Dwayne Bravo on reaching a milestone 500th T20 match during this year’s Hero Caribbean Premier League which concluded on September 15. Bravo also captained St Kitts and Nevis Patriots to their first CPLT20 title in his debut season.

The minister also hailed Olympic cyclist Nicholas Paul on his recent rise to number one on the International Cycling Union individual sprint rankings.

Paul pedalled to the top after placing sixth in the men’s sprint event at the Tokyo Games and then following up with three gold medals (sprint, keirin and kilometre time trial) at the UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup.

She also highlighted national swimmer Dylan Carter’s new national record in the men’s 50m butterfly event. At the International Swimming League in Italy on Friday, Carter splashed to bronze in 22.36 seconds while representing London Roar.

In the process, the Olympic swimmer wiped away his previous national record of 22.38s. At the same meet, he also bagged silver in the 4x100m freestyle with teammates Katsumi Nakamura, Zac Incerti and Duncan Scott in three minutes and seven seconds and bronze (22.62s) in the 50m free.

Women’s pro cyclist Teniel Campbell also made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games and then went on to secure her maiden stage victory in stage six of the 2021 Tour de I’Ardeche.

Additionally, Cudjoe credited netballer Samantha Wallace’s outstanding performance in the 2021 Suncorp Super Netball final.

In the title match, Wallace scored 51 goals at 92 per cent accuracy to steer her New South Wales Swifts team to a 63-59 win over Giants Netball at the Brisbane Nissan Arena in Australia.

A statement issued by Cudjoe’s ministry on Wednesday said, “The sports minister congratulates all our athletes on their achievements and commends them for their tenacity, drive and perseverance amidst the challenges and uncertainty you (the athlete) kept focused and not only showcased your best performance but also made history in the world of sport.”

“I salute the achievements of all our athletes, thank you for being beacons of hope and leading lights to our nation. The MSCD salutes the hardwork and dedication of all our athletes over the past month as they continuously showcase our sporting talent on the world stage.”

Cudjoe reaffirmed the government’s commitment to stand firmly by the nation’s athletes and encouraged all upcoming athletes to persevere, continue training and conquer their respective disciplines.