The St Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee (SKNOC) are set to launch their nine-year strategic plan ahead of a busy period for the organisation.

With the help of facilitator Dr Peter Davis, the governing body will begin with working sessions, due to be held today, which will determine the content of the plan.

It is hoped it will help with the sporting development of the nation ahead of major Games, including next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and the plan will run until 2024.

The announcement comes before SKNOC release details of their team for the Pan American Games in the Canadian city of Toronto, due to be revealed tomorrow.

The event, which runs from July 10 to 26, is expected to be attended by recently-elected President Timothy Harris, along with Deputy Prime Minister Shawn Richards.

Following the announcement of the Pan American Games team, SKNOC will present the St Kitts and Nevis Amateur Athletics Association (SKNAAA) with a cheque for $50,000 (£32,000/€44,700) in order to help with costs surrounding the CARIFTA Games, which took place in the nation in April, on Tuesday (June 30).

On the same day, SKNOC are due to officially put the brand new Toyota Bus into service, funded by money from the Olympic Solidarity initiative.

The news follows celebrations held to mark Olympic Day, which included a traditional run around the nation and other activities such as worships at various different churches.

In his Olympic Day message, SKNOC President Alphonso Bridgewater also paid tribute to the late Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) President Mario Vázquez Raña, who passed away in February.

“It is the very first Olympic celebration we shall experience since the passing, earlier this year, of the indomitable spirit and titanic sports figure of Don Mario Vasquez Rana, President of the Pan American Sports Organization, and President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) among other leadership positions,” he wrote.

“We shall miss the imposing yet reassuring presence Don Mario, his passion for sports in general and anything related to the Pan American family, in particular; his obstinacy of purpose, his perennial pride, his negotiating prowess, his financial prudence and his abiding penchant for loyalty.”

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VETERAN SWIMMER George Bovell III and ace cyclist Njisane Phillip have been chosen among the Trinidad and Tobago competitors for the Pan American Games 2015, which will be contested from July 10-26 in Toronto, Canada.

The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) released the names of 80 athletes from 13 disciplines — aquatics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, golf, gymnastics, men’s hockey, judo, football (both men’s and women’s teams), sailing, shooting, taekwondo.

But the TTOC, in a media release issued yesterday, stated, “we await confirmation of the athletics team as the NGC-Sagicor National Association of Athletics Administration (NAAA) Open Track and Field Championships concluded this weekend. News on the athletics team will be released on July 3.”

The NAAA is expected to name a bunch of 40 athletes, to complete the field of 120 participants at the Pan Am Games.

Trinidad and Tobago will be seeking to do much better than they did in the last Pan Am Games, when they returned home with four medals — two silver (Daniel and Cleopatra Borel in the women’s shot put) and two bronze (Phillip and Emmanuel Callender in the men’s 100m).



Trinidad and Tobago Pan Am Team -

AQUATICS: George Bovell III, Dylan Carter, Christian Marsden.

BADMINTON: Nicholas Bonkowsky.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL: Daneil Williams, Fabien Whitfield, Ayana Dyette, Malika Davidson.

BOXING: Chimere Taylor.

CYCLING: Njisane Phillip, Quincy Alexander, Jude Codrington, Justin Roberts, Varun Maharajh, Emile Abraham.

GOLF: Monifa Sealy, Christina Ferreira, Talin Rajendranath, Sachin Kumar.

GYMNASTICS: William Albert, Marisa Dick.

HOCKEY (MEN): Darren Cowie, Solomon Eccles, Shaquille Daniel, Mickel Pierre, Akim Toussaint, Che Modeste, Christopher Scipio, Dillet Gilkes, Jordon Reyos, Aidan De Gannes, Kiel Murray, Stefan Mouttet, Tariq Marcano, Andrey Rocke, Kristien Emmanuel, Ishmael Campbell.

JUDO: Christopher George.

FOOTBALL (MEN): Montell Joseph, Shannon Gomez, Maurice Ford, Alvin Jones, Jesus Perez, Neveal Hackshaw, Jomal Williams, Tristan Hodge, Nathaniel Garcia, Kadeem Corbin, Shakeil Henry, Xavier Rajpaul, Dwight Quintero, Jelani Felix, Neil Benjamin, Dario Holmes, Aikim Andrews, Jovan Sample.

FOOTBALL (WOMEN’S): Kennya Cordner, Tasha St Louis, Karyn Forbes, Kimika Forbes, Maylee Attin Johnson, Rhea Belgrave, Janine Francois, Arin King, Patrice Superville, Dernelle Mascall, Mariah Shade, Khadidra Debessette, Ayanna Russell, Ahkeela Mollon, Brianna Ryce, Shalette Alexander, Lauryn Hutchinson, Shinelle Henry.

SAILING: Andrew Lewis, Kelly-Ann Arrindell.

SHOOTING: Marlon Moses, Anthony Maraj, Roger Daniel.

TAEKWONDO: Dorian Alexander.

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Olympic bronze medallist George Bovell III, cyclist Njisane Phillip and shooter Roger Daniel are among the athletes named to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the July 10-26 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada.

In a press release, yesterday, the T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) listed a team of 80 athletes in 13 sports – aquatics, badminton, beach volleyball, boxing, cycling, football, golf, gymnastics, hockey, judo, sailing, shooting and taekwondo.

The track and field team has not yet been named.

“We await confirmation of the final athletics (track and field) team,” the TTOC release explained, “as the NGC-Sagicor National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) Open Track and Field Championships concluded this weekend. News on the final athletics team will be released on 3rd July 2015.” Diane Henderson is the T&T chef de mission for the Pan American Games.

Trinidad and Tobago team:

Aquatics: George Bovell III, Dylan Carter, Christian Marsden

Badminton: Nicholas Bonkowsky

Beach Volleyball: Daneil Williams, Fabien Whitfield, Ayana Dyette, Malika Davidson

Boxing: Chimere Taylor

Cycling: Njisane Phillip, Quincy Alexander, Jude Codrington, Justin Roberts, Varun Maharajh, Emile Abraham

Football (men): Montell Joseph, Shannon Gomez, Maurice Ford, Alvin Jones, Jesus Perez, Neveal Hackshaw, Jomal Williams, Tristan Hodge, Nathaniel Garcia, Kadeem Corbin, Shakeil Henry, Xavier Rajpaul, Dwight Quintero, Jelani Felix, Neil Benjamin, Dario Holmes, Aikim Andrews, Jovan Sample

Football (women): Kennya Cordner, Tasha St Louis, Karyn Forbes, Kimika Forbes, Maylee Attin Johnson, Rhea Belgrave, Janine Francois, Arin King, Patrice Superville, Dernelle Mascall, Mariah Shade, Khadidra Debessette, Ayanna Russell, Ahkeela Mollon, Brianna Ryce, Shalette Alexander, Lauryn Hutchinson, Shinelle Henry

Golf: Monifa Sealy, Christina Ferreira, Talin Rajendranath, Sachin Kumar

Gymnastics: William Albert, Marisa Dick

Hockey (men): Darren Cowie, Solomon Eccles, Shaquille Daniel, Mickel Pierre, Akim Toussaint, Che Modeste, Christopher Scipio, Dillet Gilkes, Jordon Reyos, Aidan De Gannes, Kiel Murray, Stefan Mouttet, Tariq Marcano, Andrey Rocke, Kristien Emmanuel, Ishmael Campbell

Judo: Christopher George

Sailing: Andrew Lewis, Kelly-Ann Arrindell

Shooting: Marlon Moses, Anthony Maraj, Roger Daniel

Taekwondo: Dorian Alexander

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‘Toco Boys’ ninth in NORCECA

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s top two beach volleyball pairs will be training in California, USA, ahead of the Pan American Games in Canada, starting next weekend.

The Daneil Williams/Fabian Whitfield and Ayana Dyette/Malika Davidson combinations were scheduled to travel straight to the US west coast at the conclusion of the second leg of the 2015 NORCECA (North, Central America and the Caribbean) Beach Volleyball Tour, Sunday, in the Dominican Republic.

Both pairs failed to advance from the round-robin stage in the three-day tournament.

But after winning one of the three matches in the group phase, Whitfield and Williams beat pairs from Bonaire (21-9, 21-9), Panama (21-11, 21-7) and Jamaica (21-10, 14-25, 15-9) to win the consolation tournament and finish ninth overall.

Playing in their first NORCECA tournament together, Davidson and Dyette lost all three matches in the group stage as well as their only one in the consolation round.

They only joined forces only two months ago when Nancy Joseph, the country’s most celebrated beach volleyball player, decided to take a break from the game.

Dyette and Joseph competed in six of the ten events on last year’s NORCECA circuit and then finished the season with an impressive quarterfinal effort in the CAC (Central America and the Caribbean) Games in Mexico in late November.

After also flying the red, white and black flag in the CAC Games, Williams and Whitfield have raised their level this season.

After winning all ten local tournaments, the “Toco Boys” placed ninth in the first tournament of the NORCECA calendar in Cayman Islands in late April and two weeks later they were instrumental in T&T being crowned Caribbean champs.

This performance at home also earned the country’s men a place in the second round of regional qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games in Brazil. Davidson already has Olympic experience as she and Chelsi Ward represented the country in last year’s Youth Olympics in China after competing in the World Under-21 Beach Volleyball Championships in 2013.

The Pan Am Games will begin in Canada next week Friday and the beach volleyball discipline will serve off the following Monday (July 13) and conclude on July 21.

The T&T players are expected to return to Canada a couple weeks later to compete in the third leg of the NORCECA series (from August 7-9).

There are 12 legs in this year’s circuit, which is scheduled to conclude in Trinidad in mid-November.

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Trinidad and Tobago's senior women's team head coach Ross Russell said his team will be ready to contest the upcoming Pan American Games and he is expecting them to give a strong showing in Toronto, Canada.

The former national goalkeeper was speaking following a recent training session at the Ato Boldon Stadium as his team continued its preparations for the slate of matches in the opening group phase.

The Women Warriors open against Argentina on July 11 at the Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium before facing Colombia on July 14th and Mexico on July 18.

“We are ready as can be,” Russell told TTFA Media. “Right now the team is shaping up quite good. Most of the players are playing in the WPL. I have been to all of the games and they are all in good nick. It's just about sharpening up and finalizing the system we will play.”

Russell said there were benefits to his team members from playing in the WPL. “The benefit is that the players are getting to play 90 minutes of football. It fits in okay into our preparations.”

The teams in T&T's group are more than likely to be formidable opponents for the Caribbean champions. “There are positives for us heading into such a tournament against these high quality teams. The confidence level of our girls is high because they want to play these kind of teams. The only scare for me is that the teams we are playing are already in competition, some of them being at the World Cup and they will be well oiled. We are optimistic but we just have to be mindful of our opponents being a bit sharper at this time.”

Russell said his current squad members will be eager to show their worth at the Pan Am Games. “The girls are very eager to show their worth. They are very anxious to go out there and show the world that they belong to be up there with the better teams. The last game was a bit of a bitter sweet experience (against Ecuador) but they are putting that behind them and looking forward to doing well in the Pan Am Games,” Russell added.

On the men's side, head coach Zoran Vranes will be hoping his team can bounce back from the disappointment of being eliminated from the Olympic qualifying campaign after one match having lost 5-3 to St Vincent/Grenadines on the weekend.

“It's not an easy time for us but we have to take it on openly as this tournament will be a very good chance for us to face some very good teams and this will be a very good experience for our boys,” Vranes said.

“Now we do not have any more games in the Olympic qualification to prepare for so it is important that we make full use of this opportunity in the Pan Am and then get our players back into a programme as they will now then have to look forward to being part of the senior team in the years ahead,” he added.

T&T's Under-23 men's team face Uruguay on July 13, Paraguay on July 17 and Mexico on July 21. The T&T teams are scheduled to depart for Toronto on Monday.

T&T Women's Pan Am squad: Kimika Forbes, Karyn Forbes, Maylee Attin-Johnson, Rhea Belgrave, Janine Francois, Arin King, Patrice Superville, Dernelle Mascall, Mariah Shade, Khadidra Debesette, Ayanna Russell, Ahkeela Mollon, Brianna Ryce, Shalette Alexander, Lauryn Hutchinson, Shenelle Henry, Kennya Cordner and Tasha St Louis

T&T men's team (Pan Am): Montell Joseph, Maurice Ford, Alvin Jones, Jesus Perez, Neveal Hackshaw, Jomal Williams, Tristan Hodge, Shannon Gomez, Nathaniel Garcia, Shackiel Henry, Xavier Rajpaul, Dwight Quintero, Jelani Felix, Neil Benjamin, Dario Holmes, Aikim Andrews, Jovan Sample and Kadeem Corbin.

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The Trinidad and Tobago team led by Chef de Mission Diane Henderson will include 180 athletes and officials from the following fourteen (14) sporting disciplines; Athletics, Aquatics, Badminton, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Cycling, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Football, Shooting, Taekwondo and Sailing. The Pan American Games 2015 will take place in Toronto, Canada from the 10^th to 26^th July 2015.

Trinidad and Tobago Team:

Athletics: Keston Bledman, Marcus Duncan, Rondel Sorrillo, Mikel Thomas, Emmanuel Callender, Dan-Eil Telsford, Kyle Greaux, Machel Cedenio, Emanuel Mayers, Elton Walcott, Steve Waithe, Quincy Wilson, Emmanuel Stewart, Shakeil Waithe, Renny Quow, Jarrin Solomon, Lalonde Gordon, Jehue Gordon, Keshorn Walcott, Kelly- Ann Baptiste, Semoy Hackett, Reyare Thomas, Kamaria Durant, Lisa Wickham, Peli Alzola, Janeil Belille, Romona Modeste, Jessica James, Alena Brooks, Sparkle McKnight, Josanne Lucas, Ayanna Alexander, Deandra Daniel, Cleopatra Borel, & Marsha Mark Baird.

Aquatics: George Richard Bovell III, Dylan Carter, & Christian Marzden

Badminton: Nicholas Bonkowsky

Beach Volleyball: Daneil Williams, Fabien Whitfield, Ayana Dyette, & Malika Davidson

Boxing: Chimere Taylor

Cycling: Njisane Phillip, Quincy Alexander, Jude Codrington, Justin Roberts, Varun Maharajh, & Emile Abraham

Golf: Monifa Sealy, Christina Ferreira, Talin Rajendranath, Sachin Kumar

Gymnastics: William Albert, Marisa Dick

Hockey: Darren Cowie, Solomon Eccles, Shaquille Daniel, Mickel Pierre, Akim Toussaint, Che Modeste, Christopher Scipio, Dillet Gilkes, Jordon Reyos, Aidan De Gannes, Kiel Murray, Stefan Mouttet, Tariq Marcano, Andrey Rocke, Kristien Emmanuel & Ishmael Campbell

Judo: Christopher George

Football (Men): Montell Joseph, Shannon Gomez, Maurice Ford, Alvin Jones, Jesus Perez, Neveal  Hackshaw, Jomal Williams, Tristan Hodge, Nathaniel Garcia, Kadeem Corbin, Shakeil Henry, Xavier Rajpaul, Dwight Quintero, Jelani Felix, Neil Benjamin, Dario Holmes, Aikim Andrews & Jovan Sample

Football (Women): Kennya Cordner, Tasha St Louis, Karyn Forbes, Kimika Forbes, Maylee Attin Johnson, Rhea Belgrave, Janine Francois, Arin King, Patrice Superville, Dernelle Mascall, Mariah Shade, Khadidra Debessette, Ayanna Russell, Ahkeela Mollon, Brianna Ryce, Shalette Alexander, Lauryn Hutchinson, & Shinelle Henry

Shooting: Marlon Moses, Anthony Maraj & Roger Daniel

Taekwondo: Dorian Alexander

Sailing: Andrew Lewis & Kelly-Ann Arrindell