Outstanding performances from Jordan Pope, 12, of Richmond Street Boys Anglican Primary and Caliyah Wallace, 13, of Diamond Vale Government Primary School earned them the prestigious Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year titles respectively at the Port-of-Spain and Environs Sports Council Sports Awards 2015 held on Wednesday at the VIP Lounge at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Woodbrook.
The athletes who were attached to the Cougars Track and Field Club were lauded for their consistent performances at the Games this season.Pope, the champion U-13 athlete in the 400m and 800m respectively, was also victorious at last weekend's NGC/NAAA Combined Championships held at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of-Spain.
He emerged victor ludorum at the Central Port-of-Spain Games and repeated his breathtaking performances with similar accolades at the Port-of-Spain Rotary Games and the Atlantic-sponsored National Games.But Wallace was not to be outdone, clinching the honour of victrix ludorum.The sprinter also specialises in the 200 and 400m events.
Hailed as T&T's top U-14 female athlete, she also delivered memorable victories against her seniors.Other individual prizes bestowed were Spirit of Port-of-Spain to Shaniqua Bascombe of Maraval RC; Coach of the Year, Clint Charles of Lower Morvant Anglican Primary School; and Anthony Whiskey, the Most Improved Coach.Krystan Ali of Petit Valley Girls was named the Champion Goal Shooter at the Games for the sport of netball.
Team accolades went to Nelson Street Boys RC and St Agnes Anglican in football, while the young ladies under the banner of Diamond Vale Government Primary School walked away with the first prize for netball. The school also received the Champion Shooting Award, in that sport.Meanwhile, Newtown Boys RC and Eastern Girls Government rose to the top of the table in cricket in the boys' and girls' categories respectively.
Sport Minister Brent Sancho in delivering the feature address did not allow the opportunity to educate parents on the power of sports in nurturing their children to become better citizens to pass.Using his experiences as a former captain of the national senior football team, he declared that sport taught him how to prepare physically and mentally, as well as, instilled lifelong values and character building, which have turned athletes into pioneering men and women.
"From my personal experience I can tell you first hand that sport is wonderful. It can bring you comfort and pleasure, as it teaches you so much about yourself, your emotions and character; how to be resolute in moments of crisis and how to fight back from the brink of defeat. In this respect, the lessons of sport cannot be easily duplicated; you quickly discover your limits, but you can also build self-confidence and a positive sense of yourself," said Sancho.
Honour Roll
Sportsman of the Year:
Jordan Pope
Sportswoman of the Year:
Caliyah Wallace
Football Champions
Boys: Nelson Street Boys RC
Girls: St Agnes Anglican
Cricket Champions
Boys: Newtown Boys RC
Girls: Eastern Girls Government
Netball
Diamond Vale Government Primary School
Champion Shooting Team:
Diamond Vale Government Primary School
Champion Goal Shooter:
Krystan Ali (Petit Valley Girls)
Spirit of Port-of-Spain
Shaniqua Bascombe (Maraval RC)
Most Improved Coach
Anthony Whiskey
Coach of the Year
Clint Charles