media_artricles :: 2014

Borel in line for First Citizens award

Shot putter Cleopatra Borel, a three-time First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year winner, will again be a top contender for the coveted honour when the 2014 edition of the awards takes place next year. The awards presentation is scheduled to take place on March 6, 2015. Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) confirmed the national sporting organisation’s nominations.

Borel took home the awards in 2002, 2007 and 2010. London 2012 Olympic medallist Keshorn Walcott was the organisation’s male nominee. He was Sportsman of the Year in 2012. The NAAA’s also announced sprinter Akani Hislop and 300-metre hurdle specialist Jeminise Parris as its choices for the Junior Sportsman and Sportsman of the Year titles, which is scheduled to come off on January 30. Borel secured gold for T&T at last month’s 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico. It was her second gold at the event in four years. Walcott also competed at the Games. His javelin throws secured silver for T&T.

Other successful CAC Games medallists–bronze–that secured their organisation’s nominations were: taekwondo exponent Dr Dorian Alexander’s in the men’s featherweight division (68kg); cyclist Kwesi Browne (keirin); Christopher George (Judo) and Dexter St Louis (table tennis). The T&T Badminton Association (TTBA) and the T&T Hockey Board (TTHB) announced their nominees at their respective end of year awards ceremonies earlier this month. Naim Mohammed and Jada Renales were the TTBA’s choice for the Junior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, while Alistair Espinoza and Nekeisha Blake were candidates for the adult awards.

The TTBA named Renales as its Female Player of the Year, too, at its end of year awards ceremony on December 12, held at the Central Indoor Regional Sporting Arena, Chaguanas.

At the TTHB Awards three weekends ago, forward Akim Toussaint and defender Alanna Lewis of Paragon Hockey Club were recipients of the Male and Female Players of the Year Awards and were announced as the board’s choices for FC honours. West Indies test team captain Denesh Ramdin was the T&T Cricket Board’s choice for Sportsman of the Year.

The FC Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards were bestowed onto outstanding male and female athletes who have contributed to the development and recognition of sport, not only in T&T, but at an international level. Successful athletes in the categories must be nationals of this country and must have established an outstanding benchmark record at international competition and or world competition, particularly among international competitors.

They must have also registered exceptional performances at national competitions that could be considered outstanding among other national athletes. These results must be easily verifiable and achievements attained must have taken place between January to December of the Year under review. In addition to the athlete awards, there were two other awards that favour administrations and administrators respectively.

They were: the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award and the Lytra D Lewis Award. The former award was given to a national governing sports body which showcased initiatives and made significant improvements, not only in its administration, but towards the development of its athletes, while the latter accolade was given at the discretion of the panel of the Sports Foundation and was presented to an individual, team or group whose performance(s) have impacted significantly on the national sport landscape.

Nominees

Seniors
Track and Field: Cleopatra Borel, Keshorn Walcott
Judo: Christopher George
Table Tennis: Dexter St Louis, Rheann Chung
Badminton: Alistair Espinoza, Nekeisha Blake
Hockey: Alanna Lewis, Akim Toussaint
Rugby: Nicolette Pantor, Agboola Silverthorn
Bodybuilding: Vanessa Hill, Kelton Thomas
Cricket: Denesh Ramdin, Britnay Cooper
Cycling: Kwesi Browne
Taekwondo: Dr Dorian Alexanader
Target Archery: Hasmath Ali, Sonia Thompson
Triathlon: Ancil Greene
Chess: Ryan Harper, Aditi Soondarsingh
Tennis: Yohansey Williams, Olivia Bennett

Juniors
Track and Field: Akani Hislop, Jeminise Parris
Table Tennis: Aaron Wilson, Brittany Joseph
Badminton: Jada Renales, Naim Mohammed
Rugby: Jade Husbands, Leon Pantor
Cricket: Amir Jangoo
Cycling: Akil Campbell, Kollyn St George
Taekwondo: Jade Persad, Nekisha Sorias
Target Archery: Priyanka Dhanie, Orlando Edwards
Triathlon: Joshua Ho
Chess: Joshua Johnson, Javanna Smith
Tennis: Nabeel Mohammed, Emm-Rose Trestrail

Top