media_artricles :: 2016

VIP welcome for T&T's Paralympians

...but crowd support absent

When Trinidad and Tobago's team of Shanntol Ince, Nyoshia Cain and Akeem Stewart left on September 3 for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to fly the red, white and black at the 2016 Paralympic Games, there was no fanfare and no hype. In fact, very few Trinbagonians knew of their departure.

On their midnight return on Tuesday, they were welcomed at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport by a delegate that included Sports Minister Darryl Smith, Sports Company chairman Michael Phillip, and Assemblyman Huey Cadette, secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport at the Tobago House of Assembly.

The purpose of the welcome was to celebrate the team's three-medal haul-gold, silver and bronze-which clearly was a tremendous achievement that was beyond the expectations of many, yet the sparse crowd, which comprised mainly of family members and a few friends, sent a clear message that as a society we still have a very long way to go in embracing the differently-abled.

Akeem Stewart, centre, gold and silver medallist at the 2016 Paralympic Games, is flanked from left by Assemblyman Huey Cadette, Nyoshia Cain, Sports Minister Darryl Smith and Shanntol Ince, during a welcome reception at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport on Tuesday.

See Photo: ROBERT TAYLOR

Any major achievement by an individual or team at any global sporting meet is worthy of celebrating. If one of our Olympic teams had returned with with a gold medal there would not even be standing room at Piarco. Ince, Cain and Stewart did the country proud by achieving gold and adding silver and bronze as a bonus. In fact, they achieved what many able-bodied athletes dream of doing, yet, there was no hype, no red carpet and no appreciative supporters to say, "well done, we 're proud of you."

That most of T&T could not be bothered to show some form of support underscores the call of the para-athletes for equality of treatment, that they want to be seen and appreciated for their abilities and not their disabilities.

Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee president Sudhir Ramessar has expressed a similar call.

Sudhir Ramessar, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Paralympic Committee, delivers his address during the welcome reception for T&T's Paralympic team at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport on Tuesday.

See Photo: ROBERT TAYLOR

In an interview on Monday he said, "In Trinidad and Tobago people with disabilities still lag behind, so para-athletes will always be at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing resources. Their achievement will help open the doors to equality."

And in addressing the audience at Piarco on Tuesday, Ramessar said: "This is a golden opportunity for us to move forward and realise that disable people in T&T have a future in sports."

The Sports Minister gave a committment that the athletes will have access to proper funding. The hope is that the rest of T&T will embrace Ramessar's sentiments, and in doing so, also give a committment to showing equality of treatment and appreciation for the nation's para-athletes.

Look out for Sean Taylor's piece on the athletes' return in tomorrow's Express.

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