Tuesday, December 30 2008
SPRINTERS RICHARD Thompson and Kelly Ann Baptiste copped the Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards respectively at the annual Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) yesterday evening.
The function was staged at the President’s House at St Ann’s.
The 23-year-old Thompson rose to global prominence this year as he claimed a pair of silver medals at the Beijing Olympics— the men’s 100 metres in 9.89 seconds and the 4x100m relay when the team clocked 38.06 seconds.
While competing for his US college, Louisiana State University at the NCAA Championships, Thompson won gold in both the 100m (9.93 seconds) and 4x100m relay.
The 22-year-old Baptiste advanced to the second round of the women’s 100m at the Olympics, but placed sixth in her heat with a time of 11.42 seconds.
National cricket captain Daren Ganga was adjudged the Sports Personality of the Year while the Junior Sportsman of the Year is 18- year-old long-distance runner and triathlete Gavyn Nero.
Janeil Bellille, a 19-year-old who specialises in both the 400m sprints and hurdles, was voted as the Junior Sportswoman of the Year while long-distance runner Dwight Yearwood, who suffers with a physical disability, was presented with the Alexander B Chapman Award.
Four members of the silver-medal 4x100m squad at Beijing— Thompson, Emmanuel Callender, Marc Burns and Keston Bledman, were given special Olympic pins at the function while Natalie Fonrose, a student of St Augustine Girls’ High School (SAGHS), won a special art competition organised by the TTOC.
President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago ,His Excellency Professor George Maxwell Richards gace the keynote address.Minster of Sport nd Youth Affairs Gary Hunt and TTOC president Larry Romany also addressed the audience that included members of the Diplomatic Corp and other distinguished guests .
