media_artricles :: 2018

Cougars’ relay best in Barbados

Seven-time Juvenile champion of T&T, Cougars track and field club, made a triumphant return to Barbados on Saturday when it dominated the Barbados Relay Fair which was staged at the National Stadium in St Michael.

Cougars, the defending champion, showed to all and sundry that their victories in 2016 and last year were no fluke with another commanding performance in making a historic three-peat.

There was no stopping Cougars who led from the first event to the last, winning a majority of the boys' and girls categories and the Championship trophies in the process.

On their third appearance in "Bimshire", Cougars did not disappoint, impressing with their accurate baton passes and the patrons loved it.

However, on this occasion Cougars only broke four records and now hold 13 records at the international meet. The club's record came when it obliterated the field to win the Under-15 girls 1,600 metres sprint medley. The Cougars "Dream Team" as they are called by its coach Kelvin Nancoo crossed the line first in four minutes, 17.10 seconds, smashing the old record of 4:13.63 set in 2006 by the Lodge School. A very distant second were Foundation in 4:27.75 while Springer Memorial were third in 4:47.53.

Nancoo said that the team had been training for the past five months for the Relay Fair and have all intentions of returning next year to defend its title for the fourth time.

"We had a wonderful preparation that ended with a three-day live-in camp at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium (Marabella) and after the training there, I thought we were ready. From the results and performances, it looked like we were ready. We were on fire," said Nancoo.

The U-15 Girls did not end there as they smashed two other records in the 2x2x4x8 medley when they broke their own record by four seconds registering the time of 4:23.05 in the process.

They came back two hours after to break the track record in the 4x100m relay with a clocking of 49.35 seconds, erasing the old record held by Cougars of 50.03.

Nancoo said, "I must commend the coaches Abeyola Akowe, Rawle Phillips and Ashton Gill for a tremendous job. Special commendations are in order for Nigel Forde, Maurina Preito, Nathania Nancoo and Elizabeth Griffith for ensuring that all was well with the entries and making sure that all our athletes were focussed. This was really a team effort and our team was simply superb. In my career, I have seen great baton passing but this was year was epic, it was the best display of baton passing, I have ever seen. I doubted myself on occasions that the baton was passed, so well did our athletes execute."

Cougars' had the stands jumping as they also reeled off wins in the U-11, U-13 and U-15 boys and girls and the U-17 Girls 4x100m relays.

Another Cougars coach Rawle Phillips commented on the success of the team saying, "This was a great victory. We did what we set out to do and did it in style. They performed like true champions."

Nancoo said, "I want to say thanks to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs and the Sports Minister Darryl Smith for all that was done to facilitate our preparation and the trip to Barbados."

The club extends its appreciation to NLCB, Atlantic, Nestle and FCB for their assistance

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