Last Saturday, the National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT) conducted an orientation session for the athletes, parents and coaches involved in the NGC-NAAATT Youth Elite Programme (YEP) at the Ato Boldon Stadium.

YEP is a development programme designed to provide strategic support to the country's top ten, high-performing, junior athletes. Athletes in the programme benefit from a range of services, including nutritional support, medical and rehabilitation services and specialized performance analysis and technical support. The National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (NGC) has been the programme sponsor since its inception in 2017.

At last Saturday's session, YEP technical coordinator, Ian Carter, shared pertinent information and engaged in an interactive session with attendees. NAAATT president, George Comissiong, used the opportunity to remind those present of the rights and obligations of all stakeholders involved in the programme. Athletes and coaches were later presented with copies of the NGC-NAAATT YEP Handbook and packages with Puma sponsored training gear.

This is the fifth year of the YEP and numbered among its several successful graduates are Tyriq Horsford, Tyrell Edwards, Jalen Purcell, Rae Anne Serville, Jenea Spinks, and Ianna Roach.

Two other graduates, Akanni Hislop and Adell Colthrust made their Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Current athletes enrolled include: (Girls) Shaniqua Bascombe, Gianna Paul, Janae DeGannes and Aniqah Bailey; (Boys) Aaron Antoine, Avindale Smith, Savion Joseph, Jayden Scott, Shakeem McKay and Revelle Webster.

Seven of the eight athletes who were eligible to compete at the 2022 Carifta Games did so with considerable success. Some of them have already attained the qualification standards and are looking forward to representing Trinidad and Tobago at the upcoming Pan Am Under-20 Athletics

Championships in Rio De Janairo, Brazil and the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.