TRINIDAD and Tobago will be led by a Canadian when the senior team events of the Caribbean Regional Badminton Championships (CAREBACO) serve off today in the Dominican Republic.
Nicholas Bonkowsky, a Canadian whose mother hails from this country, is the key member of the team, which also consists of Alistair Espinoza, Leanna Castanada, Avril Plaza and Jason Ramjass.
However 2006 CAC (Central America and the Caribbean) Games gold-medallist Solangel Guzman is not on the team.
Cuba-born Guzman has been living over here for over four years, but is still in the process of becoming a citizen and can only represent the country in individual events.
Guzman, who is coaching the team, struck gold in women’s singles in last year’s edition of this tournament and will be defending her title from Wednesday.
Bonkowsky, who was crowned national champion in only his third tournament here a few months ago, was this country’s only badminton representative in the Pan American Games in Canada last month.
Espinoza picked up a bronze medal in doubles in this tournament last year, while Castanada, who returned from “Nationals” after being out of action for about a year, Plaza and Ramjass are also former national junior champs.
Each fixture will consist of five matches – men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as a mixed doubles encounter.
The individual events, which also include Under-11, 13, 15 and 17 categories, will be contested from Wednesday until Saturday and T&T will also be represented in all four junior disciplines.
All six T&T players – Will Lee, Adrian Nicholson, Renaldo Sinanan, Jada Renales, Brittney Mohammed and Ralitsa Wong – were bundled out early in the Under-19 events, which served off last Wednesday.
Joy to sorrow
Borel's medal bid halted by freak injury
Achieving her best-ever IAAF World Championship finish was no consolation for Cleopatra Borel as a freak injury put paid to her chances of earning a top-eight spot and a shot at a medal, at the Bird's Nest Stadium here in Beijing, China, yesterday.
Competing at the World Championships for the sixth time, Borel was 12th in the women's shot put final, improving on her previous best finish—13th in the 2011 final in Daegu, Korea.
Severely hampered by a finger injury, sustained while warming up for her medal bid, Borel was very flat and could only manage a 17.43 metres effort.
“I hurt my finger warming up and that was it,” a bitterly disappointed Borel told the Sunday Express. “Something happened and it separated my fingers. It was just kind of a freak thing. I was doing what I always do and the shot just came out my hand bad. I couldn't throw after that.
“It's something that's happened before,” the Trinidad and Tobago athlete explained. “In the past it was just on this portion of my finger, but now I feel pain in the middle of my hand so hopefully it's nothing too serious.”
Borel produced the 17.43m throw in round one. Very unhappy with her next effort, the 2015 Pan American Games champion deliberately stepped on the stop board for a foul. And in round three, she landed the shot just 16.85m, ensuring early elimination from the final.
Germany's Christina Schwanitz grabbed gold with a 20.37m throw. Lijiao Gong (20.30m) earned silver for the host nation, while bronze went to American Michelle Carter (19.76m).
Borel went into the World Championships in fourth spot on the 2015 world outdoor performance list at 19.26m.
“I've had so many good meets this year, and when it counted the most it felt like my body let me down, so it's tough,” said the 36-year-old thrower, fighting back the emotions on a day that promised much but delivered little.
At the end of yesterday's qualifying competition, Borel was in buoyant mood. She had thrown 18.55m to secure an automatic berth in the final, the quality effort earning her sixth spot.
Borel had an ordinary start in the qualifying event, throwing the iron ball 17.01m.
“I don't even know what happened there. I was trying to not rush and not be stressed, and I was just so slow and deliberate and not like myself, so I had to remember to go after it.”
And that she did in round two. Following a chat with her coach, Ismael Lopez Mastrapa, Borel went well past the 18.30m automatic qualifying mark. The 18.55m effort was a big confidence booster ahead of the final.
“You know my history with qualifying. I had to work extremely hard to have that kind of throw under my belt when necessary, so I'm really really happy that I can do it for myself and for my coach and for the whole team…start things right for the team, and come back this afternoon and hopefully do well again.”
Unfortunately, the freak warm-up injury scuppered Borel's plans.
SportTT provides $195k for Pan Am cyclists
The Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SporTT ) has thrown a $195,000 lifeline to 12 Olympic cycling hopefuls towards their participation in next month’s Pan American Cycling Championships in Santiago, Chile.
After being told by officials of the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TT CF) last week, that they would have to foot their own bill to the Championships due to financial constraints at SporTT , the organisation’s sport development manager, Anthony Creed, stepped in to quell the uneasiness among the cyclists and their respective managerial teams. Creed revealed yesterday that SporTT was able to source these much needed funds which will be used for the athletes’ airfare and accommodation in the South American continent from September 1-6.
Speaking to TT CF president, Robert Farrier, after the welcomed revelation, he was in an obvious buoyant mood and pleased to know that the fraternity’s representatives would now be funded on their competitive journey.
Farrier also commended the speedy resolution by SporTT .
“We have always been working closely with the Sport Company,” said Farrier yesterday.
“We understand their position and the funding that is given to them. We try to work together with them. We never pressured them, we actually tried to resolve it in an amicable way where all parties can agree to and work with.” However, the former national rider pleaded with corporate Trinidad and Tobago to show more interest in the nation’s developing athletes. The TT CF boss stated that this nation’s cycling prospects have been working diligently on both the local and international circuit, and are indeed deserving of assistance and support from the business community.
“Our issue is that we are still trying to brand our athletes as a product so we can attract more corporate sponsorship.
But really and truly, corporate sponsors should come on board. These athletes are dedicated to the sport and we can’t expect the Government to do everything all the time. There is only so much funding available,” he continued.
Farrier also questioned whether the tax incentives allotted to local businesses in TT with regards to sponsorship, played any motivational factor.
“This year alone, every Championships that the Government has invested in us, we have proved that we add value to the funds allocated to us. The Government has set a tax break that no one seems to be interested in. The $3 million with 150 percent tax break, it doesn’t seem to attract corporate sponsors so we have to find another way to get sponsors on board,” Farrier concluded. The 12 cyclists selected to fly the red, white and black in Chile are London Olympic Men’s Sprint fourth-placed Njisane Phillip, Quincy Alexander, Kwesi Browne, Jude Codrington, Justin Roberts, Varun Maharajh, Akil Campbell, Gavyn Nero, Jovian Gomez and females Jodi Goodridge, Aziza Browne and Teneil Campbell.
Borel leads T&T bid in Beijing
Shot putter Cleopatra Borel, will begin T&T’s bid for medals at the 15th IAAF World Championships in Beijing, China, when she competes in the qualifying round of her event tonight at 10.10 pm (T&T time).
It will mark Borel’s sixth appearance at the World Championships. Her best performance to date came in Daegu, South Korea in 2011 when she finished 13th overall. That year was her best ever as she improved her national outdoor record to 19.42m at the IAAF Diamond League in Paris, France. In Berlin, Germany in 2009, she narrowly missed the finals by 11 cm. Annie Alexander was T&T’s second representative in the event when she joined Borel in Berlin and placed 27th in the qualifying round with a mark of 16.01m.
At 35, Borel is the oldest of the eight female and 11 male competitors for team T&T and will be competing against 68 other international athletes. No male athlete has yet competed for T&T at the World Champs in the shot put.
This year has been a stellar year for Borel as she won gold at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada after bronze in 2007 (Rio de Janeiro) and silver in 2011(Guadalajara). Of all the athletes registered to compete in Beijing, Borel has the fourth best throw this year (19.26m) so the prospect of a medal is real. The NAAA wishes Borel and the team all the best on their quest for precious metal.
T&T suffered a major blow to its medal chances when Pan American bronze medallists Rondell Sorrillo and Dan-Neil Telesford were both forced out of the Championships, after coming down with injuries. With less than 36 hours before the start, team doctor Anyl Goopesingh indicated that Sorrillo had suffered a grade two strain of the quadriceps, a re-injury of the quads that first occurred during the IAAF World Relays in Bahamas three months ago, while Telesford had a loose body in his left knee.
Sorrillo was scheduled to run in tomorrow's 100m heats, while Telesford was part of the Men’s 4x100m relay pool. Both athletes were part of T&T’s Pan Am 4x100m bronze medal winning team in Toronto last month. With their departure, the team has been depleted to a bare four (Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender, Kyle Greaux, Mikel Thomas).
2013 World 400m hurdles champion Jehue Gordon will start the defense of his title at 6:35am (T&T time) tomorrow morning. The event is one of two in which T&T has medaled in both the male and female categories with the 100m being the other. The semifinals are set for Sunday at 6.40 am with the finals carded for Tuesday at 8.25 am.
Team T&T has earned one gold medal through Gordon, who won the one lap hurdles title in Moscow, Russia in a national record of 47.69 seconds two years ago. He became the second senior World Champion for T&T following Ato Boldon’s success in the 200m in 1997 in Athens, Greece. It also marked his second global title after capturing the 2010 World Junior crown in Moncton, Canada.
With his victory in Moscow, Gordon became the youngest ever winner of the Men’s 400m hurdles at 21 years, 243 days. He also set the record as the youngest finalist when he was fourth in the event in 2009, Berlin, Germany at 17 years, 246 days with a time of 48.26 (a then national record and the fastest ever time by a 17-year-old). He improved on the 48.66 set in the heats.
It will mark Gordon’s fourth World Championships. Following his stunning performance in Berlin, much was expected two years later in Daegu, South Korea but he bowed out in the semifinals, missing the final by 0.01 seconds.
As the reigning champion, he received an automatic spot into the championships though his 2015 season has been interrupted with injuries, which prevented him from competing at the Pan American Games in Toronto in July. He also had a spill on the IAAF Diamond League circuit, which slowed down his progress. His season’s best of 49.22 ranks him at 23rd among the athletes entered to compete. However, the UWI, QRC and Belmont Boys Secondary graduate will be determined to put in a good fight to defend his title.
Power Rangers TV star in T&T for World Martial Arts festival
Power Rangers Super Mega Force star Azim Rizk will be the guest of honour when the North American Federation of Martial Artists stages its World Martial Arts Festival and Championships at the Hyatt Regency on Wrightson Road this weekend. This was revealed during a press conference at the T&T Olympic Committee House on Abercrombie Street yesterday.
The 24-year-old American actor, who plays the Green Power Ranger on the popular Nickelodeon series, will take part in a VIP meet and greet in full costume at the hotel from 8-10 pm tonight and will later attend an after party following the tournament on Saturday. An avid martial artist, he will be imparting his years of knowledge with the competitors and will also spend quality time with fans.
“I love T&T. I’m really glad to be a part of this,” he said yesterday. Over 300 athletes from Mexico, USA, Canada, St Lucia, Guyana, Suriname and T&T will take part in the tournament, which is being held at the Hyatt from 9 am to 5 pm tomorrow. It will mark the second time the event is being held in T&T after a successful staging in 2013.
Tournament director Master Jose Torres said he was expecting some exciting competition over the weekend. “The event was a great success two years ago and that’s why we’re back in T&T,” he said. The NAFMA Worlds Martial Arts Festival and Championships will be celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and will move on to St Lucia for its next staging.
The 25 members of the American team were present at yesterday’s launch, including 11-year-old prodigy AJ Torres. “I’m grateful to be here. I’ve always dreamed to be a Power Ranger so getting to meet Azim is really cool,” he said.
Borel in the hunt
Cleopatra Borel will throw second in Group “A” in the women's shot put qualifying competition, at the IAAF World Championships here in Beijing, China tonight (TT time). The Trinidad and Tobago field athlete will see action shortly after the event begins at 10.10.
Borel's first target is 18.30 metres, the automatic qualifying distance for tomorrow's 8.05am final. She has bettered that mark 10 times in 11 outings this season, and should have no problems doing it again and advancing to her second final at the global outdoor meet.
On her only previous appearance in a World Championship final, at the 2011 edition in Daegu, Korea, Borel finished 13th with a 17.62 metres effort. She currently holds fourth spot on the 2015 world outdoor performance list at 19.26m, and will go into the competition as a genuine medal contender.
Germany's Christina Schwanitz is the world leader at 20.77m, and will carry the favourite's mantle. China's Lijiao Gong and American Michelle Carter are also challengers for the title.
Borel enjoyed a rest day yesterday, and seemed at peace with herself during an interview with the Express at the team hotel.
“I feel as though I've done everything I could possibly do. I feel relaxed because I'm going to do my best. That's all I can do. My confidence is in the knowledge that I've done the work.”
The 36-year-old field athlete said she is not focused on any particular distance, nor is she thinking about the colour of precious metal she would like to wear around her neck.
“I'm not chasing medals or anything like that because I've done that in the past and it has really stressed me out and put me in a bad position. All I can do is my very best. I can't affect how my competitors compete. If I have a good performance and it leads to a medal, I'd be grateful for that. But if I have a good performance and it doesn't lead to a medal, I'd be grateful for that as well.
“I'm taking things one step at a time. I'm looking at the qualifying, then getting into the top eight. When I start thinking about distance, that stuff just stresses me out. I'm focused on my technique, and just being relaxed and executing.”
In 28 of her 30 outings over the past two seasons, Borel has bettered the 18-metre mark, and in five of those competitions she has thrown more than 19 metres. The 2015 Pan American Games champion said the chemistry she enjoys with her Cuban coach, Ismael Lopez Mastrapa has a lot to do with her level of consistency.
“He's a good coach for me. He has a lot of knowledge, but he also respects the experience that I have. He allows me to incorporate what I know with what his training philosophy is. We can both find a happy place in the middle.”
Borel and Coach Ismael would be extremely happy if the veteran thrower is able to produce a podium finish in her sixth World Championship appearance.