media_artricles :: 2013

Southern Games pay tribute to veterans

Two of Trinidad and Tobago’s veteran sporting representatives, Thora Best-Andrews and Ian Atherly, will be paid a special tribute to at this year’s edition of the Southern Games, which races off at Guaracara Park, Point-a-Pierre, Marabella, on March 16-17.

At the annual meet, several prolific south-based sporting icons have always been highlighted for their loyal contributions to local sport. This year, the organising committee chose to honour Atherly, a former national cyclist and Mayor of San Fernando, and Best-Andrews, the first woman to cop an international medal for TT.

In 2012, the committee recognised ex-national rider Lloyd Joseph and TT’s first female Olympian, Laura Pierre.

The 2013 edition will see the event mark 49 years of annual southern sports.

Next year, the committee is anticipating a gala celebration in commemoration of the Games’ 50th consecutive year in running.

However, even though there is a lot to celebrate for the south-based competition, this year organisers were forced to scrap four major events due to a lack of financial support. The popular “Marabella Mile”, boxing, Twenty20 cricket and rifle-shooting have all been removed from the event programme. Organisers have now been forced to stick to the competition’s traditional style of mostly athletic and cycling events.

But the committee has still been able to source a number of experienced local, regional and international athletes for the 2013 meet.

So far, national athletes Jehue Gordon, Darrel Brown and Michelle Lee- Ahye have been confirmed to represent the red, white and black in various athletic disciplines. Visiting competitors such as Shrief Webb (USA), Oral Thompson (Jamaica), Shai Ann Davis (Canada), Kinkie Alexander (St Kitts) and Barnabas Kirul (Kenya) are among some of the top foreigners vying for honours in the track and field events.

A wide variety of national cyclists are also expected to do battle against international opposition at the two-day meet. Top global riders such as Fabio Masotti (Italy), David Espinoza (USA), Heener Rodel (Germany), Diego Andres Pena (Colombia), Marloe Rodman (Jamaica) and Elias Helleskov Bush (Denmark) will also be on-hand to give the locals some tight competition.

The Games’ opening event, a cycling criterium, pedals off and finishes in front of Awardy’s Hardware, Southern Main Road, Marabella, on March 14 from 7pm.

This year, the organising committee once more comprises of Games director Anthony Commissiong as well as event chairmen Jimkin Clarke and Carol Granderson. Sponsors to the event are Petrotrin, Ministry of Sport and Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago in addition to several other local businesses.

Tickets are presently priced at $50 (Stand A, B) $40 (Stand C, D) and 25$ (Grounds).

Invited Athletes

Athletics - Andretti Bain, Joshua Scott (Bahamas); Kayle Stevenson, Jeron Wims, Robert Novak, Shrief Webb, Shayala Mahan, Samantha Edwards (USA); Antoine Adams, Kinkie Alexander (St Kitts); Barnabas Kirul, Silas Kisorio (Kenya); Patricia Hall, Dominique Blake, Sheldon Mitchell, Cassandra Blake, Oral Thompson, Andre Drummonds (Jamaica); Cleveland Forde, Cleveland Thomas (Guyana); Saheed Frankie Khan, Phillip Osei, Timothy Lawrence, Thomas Coughier, Esther Akinsulie, Shai Ann Davis (Canada).

Cycling - Fabio Masotti, Alex Buttazzoni (Italy), David Espinoza, Danny Robertson, Zak Kovalcik, Dana Feiss, Erin Glover (USA), Heener Rodel, David Jansen, Elisabeth Brandau (Germany), Diego Andres Pena, Juan Davis Gutierrez, Camilo Mateus, Jamie Ramirez Bernal, Yina Carolina Duenes Gomez (Colombia), Marloe Rodman, Thailer Hill (Jamaica), Elias Helleskov Bush, Mads Bugge Andersen (Denmark), Stephanie Cossette, Gillian Carleton (Canada).

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