media_artricles :: 2015

Walcott, Borel top NAAA awards

Trinidad and Tobago’s Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) women’s shot put champion Cleopatra Borel and Olympic men’s javelin champion Keshorn Walcott stole the spotlight for the second time in a week when they copped the senior Female and Male Athlete of the Year awards at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) 2014 Awards Ceremony at the Radisson Hotel, Port of Spain, on Saturday.

Last Monday, they both walked away with Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year awards. Borel and Walcott, who are also training partners, sweep of the local track and field awards was based on their strong showing last season with both winning silver medals in their respective events at last July’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Borel would later add women’s shot put gold to her 2014 list of achievements at the CAC Games in Mexico.

Machel Cedenio imitated Borel and Walcott by adding the NAAA’s Male Junior Sportsman of the Year award to his TTOC title. The highlight of Cedenio’s season last year was his sizzling 45.13 seconds over 400 metres, a new national junior record, en route to capturing his first major global title with victory at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Oregon, USA.

And Toco Tafac’s Portious Warren was adjudged the Female Junior Sportswoman of the Year. After an eight place finish with a 14.90m effort in the shot put at the IAAF World Youth Championships in the Ukraine in 2013, she threw the ball 12.70m for bronze at the Carifta Games in Martinique last April and then upped the ante in July with a golden 14.47m effort at the CAC Junior Championships in Mexico.

In delivering the feature address titled “Pass the Baton”, University of the Southern Caribbean president Dr Clinton Valley said the true test of excellence in track in field will not be winning a gold medal or setting a world record, as much as athletes pride themselves in those accomplishments, but will be defined by team effort as epitomised by a relay race.

“Relay runners are all conscious that the race is about passing the baton and victory is about getting the baton through different key stages to the finish line. “This race and the race of life in general are not for the selfish and individualistic.”

He also made a plea to the awardees to remain humble. “Race for your team, race for your family, race for your country, race for your God who has so nobly gifted you. Perform at your very best at all times but remember to share your success because you couldn’t have made it without the help of so many others.”

Valley said that passing the baton is a critical factor in leadership, as effective leaders prepare others to replace them, as well as in the role of mentoring. “We want people who can fulfil their potential and help a youngster up the ladder also to enjoy a life of work, a life of meaning and a life of purpose.

“We want role models in our society who will teach but not touch in appropriately. We want role models who will be family but not familiar, role models who possess what they profess and practice what they preach.

“Administrators, you’ve pulled off another successful year of athletic administration. Now let’s get back to work, we’ve victories to gain, medals to win, events to plan, young people to mentor and a country to build,” Valley said. He encouraged the awardees to have the courage in 2015 to reproduce and exceed their greatness.

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