PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Legendary sprinter and world-renowned broadcaster Ato Boldon has issued a scathing evaluation of the state of observe and area in Trinidad and Tobago, declaring he has “by no means seen it this unhealthy” and laying the blame squarely on the ft of the game’s governing physique.
Boldon, who received T&T’s first-ever World Championship gold medal within the 200m in Athens 1997, made his highly effective feedback throughout an look on the iSports Saturday program with Andre Errol Baptiste on i95.5FM right here on Saturday.
The previous Olympic medallist didn’t mince phrases, stating that the Nationwide Affiliation of Athletic Administrations (NAAA) must take a protracted, laborious look within the mirror if the game is to be saved from its present decline.
He pointed to a stark fall from grace, noting the nation has gone from common podium finishes to “nearly a decade of nothing” beneath the present administration.
“The NAAA wants a nationwide coverage that can assist to get the nation’s observe and area again on observe,” Boldon asserted.
He expressed no shock that the Nationwide Fuel Firm of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) had just lately ended its sponsorship cope with the NAAA, citing the dismal efficiency on the world stage as an obvious motive for the withdrawal.
The four-time Olympic medallist saved specific criticism for the relay applications, as soon as a proud supply of nationwide satisfaction and medals. “T&T ladies’s relays are utterly irrelevant and males’s relays non-existent,” he acknowledged bluntly.
Contrasting T&T’s present struggles with the success of different nations, Boldon highlighted a essential lack of preparation and cohesion.
“Different nations have cohesion amongst 4, 5, six, or seven athletes, and for them it’s a query of plug and play. We managed to get away with doing it the previous manner for years through the Richard Thompson and Mark Burns period, when the relays had been at their peak. However these days are over.”
In a vivid analogy that underscored how far behind T&T has fallen, Boldon added, “It’s now like we try to run a 100-meter sprint or play basketball in Converse or Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers.”
Nevertheless, his message was not solely one among criticism. Boldon, who has turn into one of the vital revered voices in worldwide observe and area broadcasting, supplied a glimmer of hope.
He confirmed that if the NAAA demonstrates a real dedication to vary, he would think about a proposal to return and lend his experience to assist rebuild the game.
“If issues change,” Boldon stated, “I’ll think about giving my providers to the Affiliation to assist rebuild observe and area in Trinidad.”
Trinidad and Tobago ended the just-concluded World Championships with two medals, after Keshorn Walcott took gold within the Males’s Javelin and Jereem Richards received silver within the 400m.
