Jamaican Olympic synchronize diver Yona Knight-Wisdom will be in T&T as the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sport Company of T&T officially open the Aquatic Centre at Balmain, Couva this weekend.
The 21-year-old Knight-Wisdom who participated in the Men's Diving 3m Springboard at the Rio Olympics in Brazil and advanced to the semi-final after finishing 11th in the preliminaries, will be on show on Friday from 6 pm.
He will take to the diving board after a cultural ceremony featuring moko jumbies, soca and calypso music and steelpan performances and other cultural events that will follow speeches by Minister of Sports Darryl Smith and other top dignitaries. The Jamaican will provide a series of exhibition events while other synchronize divers and swimmers from Aruba and other water-polo teams from Bahamas and Puerto Rico will be on show.
Michael Phillips, chairman of SporTT, said he welcomes Knight-Wisdom as attempts are being made to create awareness of the sport to the young people in the country. He gave the assurance the SporTT will work with the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T (ASATT) to assist in the development of the sport, saying within the coming months, the public will know more on talent identification etc.
Knight-Wisdom's final point standing in Rio showed he was 416.55 after six dives, earning his highest score of 79.05 in the final round. He scored 63.00, 66.00, 76.50, 70.50 and 61.50.
He is scheduled to arrive in T&T tomorrow night.
Friday's event will give the public first-hand experience of synchronize diving and swimming, Phillips said. It will coincide with the staging of the 17th Annual October Classic which will be put on by ASATT under president Joseph Mc Leod, only days before the staging of the long-awaited Annual General Meeting and Election of Officers on October 14.
Yesterday McLeod revealed that all 24 clubs will be in action for the two-day competition that will be used a qualifier for the World Short Course Championship at the end of the month in Canada.
Participants will be asked to compete in 100 metres events and up, Mc Leod said, noting the only exception will be the 50-metre freestyle. He also confirmed that there will be swim relays and masters events. Entry for the three-day event is free but interested persons can access tickets from Kenny's Sports Centre and at the venue on the days.
Mc Leod who will contest the post of president at the elections, gave the assurance his association will place emphasis on synchronize diving and swimming should he be re-elected. He revealed his association has already sought assistance from the world body for swimming- FINA to have coaching clinics for synchronize diving and swimming.
The local swimming boss said also that his association has been liaising with ministry of sports officials to have a return of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that existed under the previous People's Partnership Government, for an exchange of swimmers and coaches from China. The memorandum will provide avenues for synchronize diving and swim coaches to conduct sessions here in T&T.
WALTER ALIBEY