The good, bad and ugly of 2013

Without doubt the main national achiever, at home and abroad, of 2013, is Jehue Gordon. His triumph in the 400-metres hurdles at the World Championships was not only an outstanding performance by a young athlete loaded with discipline, self-confidence and courage (“belly”) but it was also a first for a T&T athlete in the championships, the highest level of international competition outside of the Olympic Games.

His focus on his university education after his track success, shaking off any temptation to limit his options to a career in athletics (not that such an option is without merit and potentially great financial rewards) was admirable. He and his handlers also did well to avoid being suckered into a giddy and soul-absorbing round of being used as political bait. Such a focused attitude suggests that here is a young man with great character and an appreciation of the distance and challenges ahead to the ultimate finish line.

George Bovell also displayed quite an amount of courage to keep going at a time in his career when it would be easy to relax on his Olympic bronze and the many other medals he won in competitions across the world over more than a decade in the pool.

The national electorate, more precisely, differing geopolitical parts of the whole, were the main political achievers of the year. In numbers significant to the requirements, ie, the Tobago electorate, that of Chaguanas West and St Joseph in by-elections, and at the national level in local government constituencies, the electorate came out and voted against poor government and governance.  

http://www.guardian.co.tt/digital/new-members