Baptiste—no show at First Citizens award

Kelly Ann Baptiste was noticeably absent from Wednesday’s  First Citizens Sports Foundation Sports Personality of the Year awards at Queen’s Hall. The 25-year-old was overwhelming favourite to cop the woman’s honour, after winning bronze in the 100m at the World Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Daegu, South Korea last August. In the past winners were flown in for the ceremony as was the case with 2010 winner Cleopatra Borel and 2009 awardees Josanne Lucas and Renny Quow, all of whom were based in the United States. However, on Wednesday night, neither Baptiste nor a family member appeared when her name was announced as the female nominee from the sport of track and field. Several nominees were absent and most were represented by a relative or a member of the national sporting organisation. These included spin bowler Aneesa Mohammed, hockey ace Kwan Brown and male track and field nominee Rondel Sorillo.

 

Baptiste’s mother Hazel Taylor, who lives in Tobago, said she was not informed nor was she invited to the function in which her daughter’s award was collected by Theophilus Trim of the Sports Ministry in Tobago. Sports Foundation chairman Dr Keith Clifford said the National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA) was responsible for contacting Baptiste or a family member. However, NAAA secretary Allan Baboolal acknowledged that the Foundation called the NAAA for phone contacts for Baptiste and her agent Cubie Seegobin which according to Baboolal were provided.  Baboolal said he was informed that she was contacted and indicated she was unable to attend the ceremony. Ironically, it was the NAAA which won the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award for the best governing sports body for the second consecutive year.  In 2010 the organisation took the honours with the Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association. Assistant Secretary Dexter Voisin collected the award on behalf of the Association and said it is always pleasing to receive such an honour. “We will continue to do what we do to the best of our ability and if we are rewarded then that will be an encouragement to servicing our athletes and the public.”