Sports Minister Cudjoe thanks Trinidad and Tobago athletes for 2022 effort

JELANI BECKLES

MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe commended the top Trinidad and Tobago athletes for their sterling efforts in 2022 after enduring a challenging 2021 because of the covid19 pandemic, saying TT can take a page from each athlete.

Cudjoe was one of the speakers at the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) annual awards held virtually on Thursday.

“Tonight we celebrate sports excellence as we honour our most accomplished and esteemed sportswoman across TT,” Cudjoe said. “2021 had indeed been a rough year for us, but in 2022 you showed the world the true constitution of courage, commitment, perseverance and grit.”

Cyclist Teniel Campbell, cricketer Anisa Mohammed and footballer Kennya Cordner were among those who had memorable performances among the women athletes.

Campbell was presented with the sportswoman of the year award.

The trio of cyclist Nicholas Paul, swimmer Dylan Carter, and track and field athlete Jereem Richards were among the standout men’s athletes with the latter being named the 2022 sportsman of the year.

Reflecting on the efforts of the men, Cudjoe said, “The pride, the joy, the honour and the glory as we witnessed the likes of Nicholas Paul, Jereem Richards and Dylan Carter in ripping form, taking the world by storm, racking up medals first, second and third.”

In 2021, especially locally, sport felt the brunt of the pandemic as events were held periodically. The year 2022 was a busier one for TT athletes.

Cudjoe said, “Despite challenging circumstances, hours of hopelessness and days of despair you faced the fire...you showed the world our good side, constantly reminding us of who we are, what we were meant to be and who we could still become.”

People can learn valuable traits from the TT athletes, said Cudjoe. “Only if we could all take a page from the book of each athlete because they impart life lessons that only sports can teach where humility brings honour, discipline brings dignity…perseverance brings power and resilience earns you respect. Our athletes epitomised all these fine qualities and they deserve every bit of recognition and honour that they receive.”

Richards was one of TT’s stars at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England winning gold in the men’s 200-metre event.

He broke his personal best and a meet record on his way to defending his men’s 200m title.

Richards, who previously had a personal best of 19.83 seconds, won the event in 19.80. He erased the previous Commonwealth Games record of 19.97, held by Frankie Fredericks of Namibia since 1994. Richards won another gold when he ran the anchor leg for TT in the men’s 4x400m relay. The team included Dwight St Hillaire, Asa Guevara and Machel Cedenio.

Campbell, who made her Olympic debut in 2021, won gold at the 2022 Elite Caribbean Road Championships in Dominican Republic in October.

At the 2022 Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Peru Campbell won multiple medals including a gold medal in the women’s points race.

At the Commonwealth Games, Campbell finished sixth in the women’s road race in a field of over 50 cyclists. In the time trial, she ended seventh in a field which included over 30 athletes.

Cudjoe thanked the TTOC for keeping local athletes dreams alive.