Sports Minister Brent Sancho and TT Olympic Committee (TTO C) president Brian Lewis have both congratulated the TT athletes and officials in Beijing for their medal successes at the World Championships.
In a media release yesterday, Sancho responded, “What a way to end the Championships! The disappointments suffered by Team TT earlier in the meet have been turned into joy and adulation as Trinidad and Tobago mounts the podium for the second time this Independence weekend. Setting a NR also shows the tremendous resilience and determination with which the athletes ran.
Trinidad and Tobago is proud, and supremely proud of you — Jarrin Solomon, Renny Quow, Lalonde Gordon, Machel Cedenio and Deon Lendore.
We also congratulate the NAAA and all the athletes’ support staff on the success. May it continue into Rio 2016!” Lewis is in New Zealand representing the TTO C and the Commonwealth Games Association at the Commonwealth Games Federation General Assembly in Auckland.
Admitting he missed the TT women’s bronze medal performance, he said it was great for women’s sprinting in TT .
“I am delighted for them, in particular KellyAnn Baptiste and Seymoy Hackett who endured a torrid and difficult two years,” he said. “Their resilence and indomitable will to put those difficult days behind them is to their credit.” Lewis also paid credit to Ato Boldon, who joined the coaching team in Beijing, and president of the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Ephraim Serrette.
“Lets build on this,” he continued. “As I continue to call for greater collaboration and cooperation and alignment between national sport organisations, TTO C, Ministry of Sport and Sport Company. Lets ensure our athletes get the support they need when they need it. Not when they win medals.
Rio 2016 is less than 365 days away.”