Sunday 19th^h, Toronto, Canada – Trinidad and Tobago’s athletics team will go into action tomorrow at the Pan Am Games. Track and Field has long been Trinidad & Tobago’s strength at international events. This year’s Games are no different, with several of our stars such as Keshorn Walcott, Machel Cedenio, Keston Bledman, Semoy Hackett and Kelly Ann Baptiste putting in strong performances in the lead up to this event.

Coming into this year’s games Baptiste was first at the NGC-Sagicor NAAA Open Track and Field Championship in 10.84, equalling her national record and breaking the championship record. Hackett was fourth in that race. Both women will face the starter in tomorrow’s women’s 100m heats. Over on the men’s side Keston Bledman ran a scorching 9.86 at the Championships to equal his personal best. Marcus Duncan was second in 10.15, and will face the starter in tomorrow’s 100m heats as well. All four are expected to feature when relay action begins later this week.

In today’s events, the men’s beach volleyball duo of Whitfield and Williams won their 9^th -10^th round match against Venezuela this morning, and will end the tournament in 9^th place. The women’s team ended the tournament ranked 14^th. Both teams will be staying in Toronto following the games to compete in the 3^rd leg of the NORCECA tour. Coming into Pan Am the men were training in San Diego courtesy TTOC and Sport Company and will continue to prepare for the next round of Olympic qualifiers following the NORCECA tour. They also plan to attend the world tour in August.  Manager David Thomas also credits the physical training that Williams and Whitfield have been doing with Caribbean Cross training for their improved fitness levels saying “their fitness levels are definitely higher. El Salvador would have beaten them for CAC and they were able to beat them here at Pan AM.”

In the ring, boxer Chimere Taylor lost her rematch against Guillen Benitez of the Dominic Republic in a technical knock out in the second round this afternoon and will not advance. Taylor got off to a good start, but was unable to match her opponents roughhousing tactics. Manager Ria Ramnarine said despite the defeat Taylor showed improvement over her last fight. In Taekwondo, 2014 CAC bronze medal holder Dorian Alexander suffered a similar fate as he lost his first found fight against Columbian Miguel Trejos in the men’s 68kg Contest.

The medal hunt for Trinidad and Tobago will continue tomorrow in the men and women’s 100m events and the men’s long jump. In field hockey, our men face Canada in the quarterfinals while the male footballers face Mexico.

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Lima wants to stage as many international events as possible over the next few years to prepare for a bid to host to the Olympics and Paralympics, Peruvian Olympic Committee President José Quiñones has claimed.

The city has already been awarded the 2019 Pan American Games and been chosen to host the 130th edition of the International Olympic Committees (IOC) Session in 2017, an event that will attract worldwide attention as it is where the host for the 2024 Games is due to be chosen.

"If we host a good 2019 Pan American Games, I can suggest we will," Quiñones told insidethegames here.

"I think hosting an Olympic Games would be possible and would bring a benefit to our population and with Agenda 2020 it would be easier, particularly with many venues already in place.

"But there will be no decision until after 2019."

The next event Lima could be interested in hosting is the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) World Beach Games, which is due to launch in 2017.

Quiñones admitted, however, they will probably focus on the second, rather than the first, edition of the Games in order to avoid a clash with preparations for the 2017 IOC Session.

ANOC opened the application process last month for the inaugural event.

Earlier this year Lima relinquished its hosting rights for the 2017 SportAccord World Combat Games in response to the withdrawal of many key sports.

Taekwondo, boxing and wrestling all pulled out, while fencing, weightlifting and others were poised to follow suit as part of the backlash by International Federations against SportAccord President Marius Vizer following his controversial criticism of the IOC and its President, Thomas Bach.

Given the circumstances, Lima were in an "impossible situation", Quiñones claimed, with sponsors faced with financing a project which had been irretrievably weakened.

With Vizer since having resigned, it remains possible the Combat Games could be revived, and if it is with all the initial sports included, Quiñones confirmed that they would still be interested.

As it stands, though, no replacement President has been appointed by SportAccord and there is a desire to downscale the activity of the organisation, meaning the Combat Games appear unlikely to be resurrected.

The Beach Games, originally a project between SportAccord and ANOC but now being orchestrated solely by the latter, would be a good replacement at some stage.

"We will always be interested in projects, like Beach Games, because we want to bring more events to our country, to improve the practice of sport and to promote the Olympic values," Quiñones told insidethegames.

"So for us it is important, and also because it is good to show our country.

"Every opportunity will be studied with the Government and if it is good for the country we will bid."

Countries are currently being asked to submit interest in order to receive more detailed information in a short bidding process, which is expected to be completed at October's ANOC General Assembly in Washington D.C.

"We sent a letter one year ago [about the Beach Games], saying we are interested and I think we will send the letters in time to receive the package," Quiñones said.

"We are not so sure if we can be a good opportunity for 2017.

"It is soon and we have the IOC Session and the PASO (Pan American Sports Organization) Congress, plus all the other international events.

"Maybe we will ask for information, consider a proposal and if not, will bid for the next edition."

Quiñones added that, with Lima consisting of 150 kilometres of beaches, it would be the perfect host.

In 2012, 10 countries in South and Central America competed across 13 sports in the Bolivarian Beach Games there, while the fourth edition of the South American Beach Games is scheduled for Pimentel, 660 kilometres to the north of Lima, this December.

Last year's World Surfing Games also took place on Punta Rocas Beach within the city, while other major events building up to the 2019 Pan American Games include this year's World Junior Badminton Championships.

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The Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC)Good Sport Governance Code will be a Roadmap for Olympic Sport Governance in Trinidad and Tobago.
A TTOC Governance Commission to be established by TTOC President Brian Lewis will comprise of five individuals who have no known official affliation to any local Olympic Sport organisation.
Among the five individuals- four are from Trinidad and Tobago and the fifth  is well known Olympic Sport Governance expert Professor Leigh Robinson Head of Sport Studies at the University of Stirling in Scotland.
The intention is to put together a Sport Governance Code that meets international benchmarks in relation to good governance.
Discussions with the proposed members of the Commission will conclude by the end of July.
The Commission will begin work on the Code in August says Lewis.
Lewis who was elected a  member of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committee  (CANOC ) Executive Board in October 2014 is also  Chairman of the CANOC International and National Olympic Committees Relations Commission will be pushing to have the Good Sport Governance Code included in the TTOC Consitution at next year's Annual General Meeting.

Fresh off his Pan American Games silver medal in the Sprint on Saturday, Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Njisane Phillip was in action again yesterday, this time reaching the Men’s Keirin final after placing second in the first round heat behind sprint gold medallist Hugo Barrette.

On Saturday, Phillip went down in straight rides to Canadian Barrette, in the match sprint final, bagging T&T’s second medal (a silver) at the Toronto games and earning a US$2,000 bonus as part of the T&T Olympic Committee’s (TTOC) medal bonus programme.

Swimmer George Bovell earned T&T’s first medal at the games, a bronze, in the 50m freestyle and also received a medal bonus of US$1,000.

Phillip was scheduled to come up against Barrette in the Keirin final late yesterday. The other finalists were Hersony Canelon Vera, Jair Tjon En Fa, Lea Bottasso and Fabian Puerta Zapata.

Meanwhile, veteran swimmer and Olympic medallist Bovell, became the first athlete to benefit from the programme. The medal bonus programme is an essential component of “TenGolds24,” the ten or more Olympic Gold medals by 2024 Athlete Welfare and Preparation Fund launched by the TTOC last year.

In an e-mail on Saturday, TTOC president Brian Lewis said “It is fitting that he became the first athlete to benefit from the fund launched by TTOC president Brian Lewis last year. As a four-time Olympian, Bovell is the Caribbean’s most successful swimmer, the holder of multiple world championship medals, a former world record holder and Sportsman of the year 2014. He embodies sporting excellence and the Olympic values of respect, excellence and friendship.”

“Few athletes have worked as hard as he has and given so much inside and outside of the pool. Most recently Bovell has partnered with Atlantic and other local organisations, to host successful several swim clinics in Trinidad and Tobago. The clinics, which were designed to enhance the technical abilities of young athletes, while providing them with strategies for use daily in training, have been hugely successful,” Lewis added.

Lewis also wished Bovell a happy birthday saying: “Bovell has already qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympics, and thus has another opportunity to add precious metal to his extensive medal collection. He represents the best of us. Happy Birthday.”

In other results in Canada yesterday, the T&T women volleyball team of Malika Davidson and Ayana Dyette lost 21-15, 21-16 to Guatemala in the Women’s Beach Volleyball playoff of the 13th-14th spots.

In golf, T&T’s Christina Ferreira finished ten-over par, She was in a three-way tie for 26th place in the women’s individual competition while Monifa Sealy finish 11-over par to finish 29th after round four.

Talin Rajendranath shot two over par in the Men’s Individual competition to tie with three other players for 18th place while Sachin Kumar hit three over par to finish tied for 22nd place with two other players. Together the T&T golfers combined for a score of 156 in the mixed team event, placing them last.

Today, Chemere Taylor will hit the ring for the women’s middle weight (69 - 75kg) quarter-final bout against Yenebier Guillen Benitez. The T&T men’s beach volleyball team of Daniel Williams and Fabien Whitfield will also be in action today against Venezuela in the playoff for 9th place.

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"Khalifa is fearless in a way that I've never seen a young female sprinter, so she goes out there and has fun and truly enjoys it. That's championship pedigree."

Ato Boldon was high in praise for Khalifa St Fort, the 17-year-old sprinter he steered to girls' 100 metres silver at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

Boldon is no stranger to the global stage. He has four Olympic medals, and is the 1997 200m world champion. But on Thursday night, the retired track star experienced a global final as a coach for the very first time.

"New territory for me man," Boldon told the Express.

"I was nervous for that first round like never before, but she was so calm and assured she reassured me. Plus she was waving and smiling and talking to people before the race, so I said ok if she is that calm I should be too."

Boldon was very proud of his young charge.

"To be quite honest I am getting way too much credit for her progress. She is that good. She just needed someone to see it, believe In her and stop making her feel like she wasn't good enough compared to other athletes who were better known or higher rated. For me to be able to contribute to what she has done is amazing, because it's so unexpected. I never planned to be here, but I'm glad God put me here, because she has made my year!"

In Thursday's final, American-born St Fort clocked 11.19 seconds, her third T&T under-18 record in the space of nine hours. She clocked 11.39 in the first round, and then bettered her national standard with an 11.24 run in the semis. It took an 11.08 seconds Championship record run from American world youth record holder Candace Hill to deny St Fort the global title.

"Khalifa has been under-appreciated, under-coached, under-valued and under-rated for the past two years, so my surprise is not the times. I told her father she would run 11.2 when we started training last year. In practice I can see she is actually on course to run 11.0. She has had awful luck with no tailwinds at all in any of her big races since she has been ready to roll. The 11.19 was with no wind whatsoever.

"My plan," Boldon declared, "doesn't involve getting her ready for April or May. It involves getting her ready for July and August. The surprise for me was how well she performs under pressure. At 17!? She was up against the fastest girl in history, and her attitude was she will have to run her best race ever to beat me, which is what happened. Candace's time with no wind is superior to her 10.98 with a 2.0."

St Fort's 11.19 scorcher is 14-hundredths of a second faster than the 11.33 IAAF World Championship qualifying standard. Boldon said he wants the talented teen to represent the Red, White and Black at the August 22-30 World Champs in Beijing, China.

"I am going to officially ask Monday that she be sent to Beijing, even though it will be a little complicated with school. I don't think she should go just because of the times she ran and because only Kelly-Ann Baptiste and Michelle-Lee Ahye have run faster. I think she should go because it's an investment in arguably the best young female sprinter we have ever had.

"She is ready," Coach Ato continued, "her confidence is sky high and she is hungry. I had to tell her she could not practice today (Saturday), but we are back to work on Sunday (yesterday). She can run 11.0 with a tailwind and she has nothing to lose and everything to gain by being in Beijing in terms of experience and big stage reps."

Boldon added that St Fort will enhance T&T's chances in the women's 4x100m relay.

"As people saw from Colombia she will not be overwhelmed by the occasion. The women have done well in semi-finals and not so much in finals. I would like to be given a chance to fix that. They'll be medal contenders in Beijing, Khalifa or not, but Khalifa can make that team better. Khalifa on that relay is an investment in the country's future, and the start of ending our Olympic drought on the women's side."

No female athlete from T&T has ever achieved a podium finish at the Olympic Games. Boldon believes that statistic could change at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"Next year might be a bit early for an individual Olympic medal (from Khalifa) at 18, but relay definitely. I think Kelly-Ann and Michelle are capable of ending the Olympic female drought individually, but if not, Khalifa is the one, in Tokyo 2020 when she will be 22. I was that age," Boldon ended, "when I ended the drought from 1976-96."

St Fort's silver was T&T's only medal at the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships. It ended a 10-year drought at the global under-18 meet, and earned the country joint-26th spot on the medal table, with Austria, Norway, Poland and Turkey.

United States finished first with eight gold medals, five silver and six bronze, while Kenya (five gold, four silver, four bronze) and Japan (three gold, one silver, one bronze) were second and third, respectively. Jamaica, with one gold medal, were joint-16th, with Ecuador, Moldova, Romania and Switzerland.

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Sunday 19th^h, Toronto, Canada– Cyclist, reigning Pan Am record holder, and silver medallist in last nights Sprint event, Njisane Phillips just missed out on the chance to add to Trinidad and Tobago’s medal haul at this year’s PanAm Games. Phillips finished 5^th in the men’s Kierin event. His training partner and Men’s Sprint gold medallist Canadian Hugo Barett claimed bronze, while Columbian Fabian Puerto took the gold, with silver going to Venezuelan Hersony Canelon. Phillips will now turn his focus onto qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Over in Beach Volleyball, the women’s duo of Davidson and Dyette lost their 13^th-14^th round matchup against Guatemala in straight sets.  The men’s duo Whitfield and Williams will be back in action against Venezuela tomorrow in the 9^th -10^th round match.

Golf competition ended today with Monifa Sealy placing 22^nd and Christina Ferreira placing 26^th out of thirty competitors. On the men’s side, Talin Rajendranath and Sachin Kumar placed 24th and 25^th respectively out of thirty-one competitors. In the mixed team event featuring all four golfers, Trinidad and Tobago placed 15^th out of sixteen teams.

The medal hunt for Trinidad and Tobago will continue on Monday in Boxing and Taekwondo. In boxing, Chimere Taylor will face Guillen Benitez of the Dominic Republic. Taylor has faced Benitez before and this will be a rematch of one of her qualifying bouts but she will need to win to continue advancing.

In Taekwondo, 2014 CAC bronze medal holder Dorian Alexander will face Columbian Miguel Trejos in the men’s 68kg Contest. Alexander is also a doctor and describes his life growing up as “school, study and train.” Despite working 12-30 hours days in New York where he’s based, Alexander trains anywhere from two to four hours a day, six days a week with former Olympian Lenn Hypolite. Alexander says he wants the gold medal and credits his faith with sustaining him thus far.

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