Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar was among the country’s leaders who praised the Trinbago Knight Riders’ Hero CPL title win, saying their “unbeaten run” had offered “great inspiration” to citizens.
In a message following TKR’s eight-wicket win over the St Lucia Zouks, Persad-Bissessar said, “Well done TKR! Congratulations to the Trinbago Knight Riders on an amazing, unbeaten campaign which ensured that they captured their fourth Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title today.”
She described the victory as inspiration, particularly during this pandemic period.
“TKR’s unbeaten run in this year’s CPL offered great inspiration to us as citizens because it demonstrated the reward of teamwork, the value of never giving up and the courage of being determined even when the going gets tough.”
She said the team had also given the fans “more than just entertainment and national pride, but they have instilled qualities which we all should live by in these uncertain times.”
Persad-Bissessar also praised the various achievements of the TKR team during the tournament.
“The masterful innings of 72 from skipper Pollard off only 28 balls against the Tridents to pull off an amazing victory some weeks ago, Bravo’s 500th T20 wicket earlier in the tournament and Lendl Simmons becoming the leading run-scorer in CPL history during his elegant knock in the finals, were all moments in the tournament which exemplified the world-class talent that hails from our nation and more so the dynamic unit that is the Trinidad Knight Riders. As a country we are also grateful for the talent from other nations which joined our franchise to deliver victory in this year’s tournament,” she said.
Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell also congratulated the team, adding that the successful staging of the event underscores T&T’s ability to host a major sporting tournament even in the face of COVID-19 restrictions. He congratulated the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of National Security in providing the support necessary to ensure a smooth and safely executed tournament.
He said the unprecedented twelve-match winning performance of TKR, coupled with the successful staging of the CPL, which was viewed by millions around the globe, can only augur well for positioning Destination T&T at the pinnacle of sport tourism worldwide.