Cyclists who are not on the path to Olympic qualification will have to pay their way to the Elite Pan American Continental Championships in Bolivia, September 4-9.
The interim president of the T&T Cycling Federation (TTCF) Joseph Roberts made this revelation yesterday, less than a month after the T&T cycling team produced its best performance and medal haul ever at the Pan Am Games in Lima Peru, last month with two gold medals and three silver.
Roberts, who took over the top spot from his name-sake Robert Farrier who resigned in June, said the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has made it clear, it could only fund athletes who have a realistic chance of qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo Japan next year.
As such three endurance riders selected on the T&T team- Maurice Burnette, Jovian Gomez and Kemp Orosco have already made up their minds they will remain at home and continue preparation for other events, either later this year or next year.
For them to compete in the upcoming championships, they will each have to come up with $15,000 to cover expenses relating to airfare, accommodation and meals.
The trio, Burnette, Gomez and Orosco, was scheduled to compete in the Team Pursuit, and the Scratch Race.
Meanwhile, Tyler Cole, the rider who clinched the national championship titles in both the Time Trial and the Road Race at the weekend, was also selected on the team for the Pan Am Championship, but has opted to compete at the World Road Championship in England at the end of August, at his own expense.
However, another selected endurance rider Akile Campbell has decided to raise funds to compete at the championships, as he faces an unrealistic chance of qualifying.
Teniel Campbell, Akile's sister, was also chosen on the star-studded TT team but has opted to skip the championships in favour of the World Road Championships which will comprise the Time Trial and a Road Race. She will be accompanied by Alexi Costa, who will be her lone teammate for the road race event.
The T&T team for the Pan American continental championship will be sprinters, Olympian Njisane Phillips, Nicholas Paul, Keron Bramble, Kwesi Brown and Quincy Alexander, along with Campbell (Teniel) and Costa.
At the recently concluded Pan Am Games in Peru, the medals came from sprinters Njisane Philips (gold in the team sprint and silver in the match sprint), Nicholas Paul (gold in the team sprint and in the match sprint), and Teniel Campbell (silver medal in both the Time Trial and the Road Race).