SCARBOROUGH, Tobago: Tobago athletes departed for Trinidad early today (April 19) for the 2016 National Secondary Schools Track and Field Championships set for the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo tomorrow (Wed April 20) and Thursday (April 30). The 190 member contingent (130 athletes and 60 teachers and officials) left Tobago at 6:30am via the TT Express Ferry for the near three hour boat ride to Trinidad in pursuit for a 26th straight natioanal zonal title. Among the athletes assembled were Carifta gold medallists Tyriq Horsford (Signal Hill Sec) and Akanni Hislop (Bishops High) and fellow Carifta medallist Ayna Akili (Bishops) and Asha James (Bishops). Among the notable absentees are former three-time Carifta Girls under 17/under 18 shot put winner Chelsea James (Signal Hill Sec) and 2014 Carifta boys under 18 high jump bronze medallist Omari Benoit (UWI Sixth Form) who are out with injuries sustained at this year's Carifta Games in Grenada in March.
The Tobago athletes will stay at the Cascadia Hotel in St. Anns and are scheduled return to Tobago on Friday. With this year's Championships falling during the CXC examination period several students will only be available for one day of the two day meet as they will have to return to Tobago either to sit examinations or complete SBA's (school-bases Assessments).
Tobago is one of the eight zones competes as close to 600 of T&T’s top junior athletes are set to battle over two days of exciting action. The Championships are the culmination of the 2016 season which began with the Schools Cross Country Run & Health Fair (October 15). The 5K (November 15), Relay Festival (February 18) were the other events.
The Championships are organized by the Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Association (TTSSTFA)…(website…www.ttsstfa.com).
On the website are the press releases and results and all the events hosted by the TTSSFA and also other schools' track and field related events.
Last year the Association introduced a theme song and a theme for the Championships. The theme song is " I Believe" by sung by Jerrod Griffith of Presentation College-Chaguanas.
The vision of the TTSSFA is to be the leader of track and field development in Trinidad and Tobago by the formulation of strategic relationships globally and in T&T, effective promotions of track and field initiatives and hosting professionally executed track and field events.
The Championships are held under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.
The members of the TTSSTFA are: Arnold Rampersad (Trustee), Andy Joseph (Public Relations Officer), Martin Edmund (Treasurer), Bernadine Hazard-Charles (Assistant Secretary), Jillian Huggins (Secretary), Joseph Brewster (2nd Vice President), Barrington Richardson (1st Vice President) and Philip Allard (President).
