media_artricles :: 2015

NAAA dubs June extravaganza month

Ephraim Serrette, president of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) has unveiled plans for an exciting month of track and field action this month, but made it clear that none of the events would have been possible without the commitment of its sponsors. The NGC/NAAA Junior Championships; NGC/NAAA Juvenile Championships; the NGC/NAAA Combined Events Championships; and the Sagicor/NGC Open Championships were the events that would occupy each weekend of the month.

Venue for these events is the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Woodbrook. Blue Waters and Phoenix Park Gas Processor Limited (PPGPL) have joined Sagicor and NGC as sponsors. Each round of competition will see athletes engage in keen competition vying for selection at international meets for their respective age groups this July. These events include the World Youth Championships in Cali Colombia; the Pan Am Juniors Championship in Edmonton, Canada; and the PanAm Games in Toronto.

There was also the NACAC Senior Championship in San Jose, Costa Rica and IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, this August.

Serrette said: “The Juvenile Championships which is very dear to our hearts, is where our future athletes come from. Entries in the Juvenile Championships are over 800 athletes. What is nice about those Games (is) the athletes do show up. No absenteeism. The combined events are where the athletes are given the opportunity to actually experience the sport of track and field and then the Open Championships where athletes will be vying to represent T&T at the PanAm Games in Toronto, Canada.”

He added: “Without our sponsors, we would not be able to have a Championship Month. When I took office six years ago, I indicated that I wanted to bring us to a state of self-sufficiency, so that we could generate funds from sponsors and not sit and wait on Government. The support we get from Government is the free use of the Stadium. I want to say a heartfelt thanks to the NGC who has come on board with us over the last five years and even in a bigger way this year, giving the NAAA a three-year contract–$12 million over the next three years. We must compliment Sagicor.

They have been with us for the past 13 years recognising what the sport has been doing and where we are going; and Blue Waters and Phoenix Gas. Without the sponsors we are nowhere. Sports today is big business. We need money to run sports. When we look at our national budget, the funds that are put aside for sport is not enough.”

The NAAA, unlike many of its sister Federations around the world under the governance of the IAAF, said Serrette, was one of a handful that took the time to stage local championship events. He boasted that local championship meets had a proud legacy of being exciting and over time had become more competitive.

“We are looking forward to some great competition in the men’s 100m. You have the usual suspects in Richard Thompson, Bledman (Keston) and young Jamol James who is also vying for his spot. In the women we have the return of Kelly-Ann (Baptiste) (and) Michelle Lee (Ahye). Semoy (Hackett) also returns; some very interesting competition.

In the men’s 400m, we have the second and third fastest times posted in the world this year: 44.36 (Machel Cedenio) 44.41 (Deon Lendore) are by T&T athletes. We have competitive events. In the javelin we have Shakeel Waithe who is challenging Keshorn Walcott and we have (shot putter) Cleopatra (Borel) and Portious Warren,” he said.

Serrette added, “We have passed the days where we just have individuals in the specific events. We are very competitive among ourselves. What is interesting though, even the junior athletes who are competing for selection at the World Youth and the PanAm Juniors are also vying for spaces on the senior team as well, because we have some very interesting performances by our young athletes who are very competitive with the seniors.”

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