media_artricles :: 2016

Crawford praises his mother for inspiring him to greatness

HASELY CRAWFORD said his mother Phyllis was his driving force to succeed in life when a celebratory function was held on Saturday evening to mark the 40th anniversary of his gold medal performance at the 1976 Olympic Games.

At the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, Crawford copped Trinidad and Tobago's first gold medal when he won the men's 100 metres in 10.06 seconds.

Scores of individuals comprising family, friends and well-wishers turned up to pay tribute to the living legend at a function held at Joseph's Restaurant in Maraval, hosted by The National Gas Company (NGC) of Trinidad and Tobago.

The guests at the 40th anniversary celebrations included former Miss Universe Janelle Penny Commissiong, legendary masman Peter Minshall, West Indies batting icon Brian Lara, former national cyclist Ian Atherly, Chief Justice Ivor Archie and former chairman of the West Indies Cricket Board Ken Gordon.

Many paid tribute to Crawford, while Singing Sandra, David Bereaux, NGC Couva Joylanders and Nitelife provided entertainment on the night.

Crawford, who is now employed with NGC, thanked everyone for their support during his life.

Crawford said, "first of all let me thank God for the strength, the discipline in winning the Olympic gold medal. Thank God for my family that has supported all the way. Thank God for all the coaches and well-wishers that helped me." Crawford explained that his mother inspired him to win a gold medal. "For years I looked at my mother. My family does not like me to say these things - we were very poor, very poor. I could remember every night she (his mother) would wash that one blue shirt and that khaki pants. And then in the morning time she would iron it and that blue shirt will start to turn white. I said I must do something for this lady, my father died at an early age." He added, "things were really rough and I said someday I must do something so she could really attain a better life. That is one of the reasons why I won the gold medal." Crawford stated the second reason he won gold at the 1976 Games was because of his excellent support system such as his coaches and management team.

Crawford, who is employed with NGC, implemented the NGC Right on Track Development Programme over 15 years ago to help develop young athletes.

Crawford pleaded with everyone to give young people more support.

"We need to do something for our young people. I made a lot of mistakes after I won the gold medal but I had the strength and the will and some good advisers.

"We have a number of young Under-14s and Under-16s but the problem with track and field in Trinidad and Tobago is we compete with football, volleyball and netball. We have to work with what we get. We all wait until they are 19 when they win a Carifta medal." He added, "we can have a number of medallists and we can achieve what Mr (Brian) Lewis is trying to achieve. Please I am asking, I am begging let us help these young people they are very poor.

Do not wait until they get big to support them you need to support them before." Lewis is the president of the TT Olympic Committee and wants the twin-island republic to win 10 or more gold medals by the 2024 Olympic Games.

Lara reflected on Crawford's gold medal performance and when he returned to TT. Lara stated, "that was an amazing experience for me but what was even more amazing and more of a personal touch for me is when my parents and my 10 siblings jumped into my father's car. We had a pot of pelau and we headed to airport. We got upstairs (at the airport) and we got a pretty good position and I held on as a seven-year-old to the railing, my two legs hanging over and Hasely arrived." Crawford's friends Dr Iva Gloudon, Rawle Agard, Lisa Burkett, Ronald Adams and Gerry Brooks also spoke fondly about Crawford.

Some of the others speaking at the celebratory function were Atherly, Lewis, NAAA president Ephraim Serrette, Minister of National Security Edmund Dillon and Basil Ince, manager of the TT 1976 Olympic team.

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