Source: www.guardian.co.tt
Written by Nicholas Clarke
Shooter Roger Daniel and shot putter Cleopatra Borel Brown were named Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively during the T&T Olympic Committee’s Annual Awards Ceremony at the National Academy for the Performing Arts in Port-of-Spain last night. Also recognised were swimmers Christian Homer (Junior Sportsman of the Year), Cherelle Thompson (Junior Sportswoman of the Year) and paralympic swimmer Shanntol Ince (Sports Personality of the Year). The Alexander B. Chapman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport went to Rainbow Sports and Cultural Club founder Rudolph Jack.
Daniel won two medals (silver and bronze) at the Commonwealth Games in India in October. First, he teamed up with Rhodney Allen to grab bronze in the 50m Standard Pistol pairs event, and returned later to just miss out on gold in the Individual Contest. Earlier in the year he won two medals at the CAC Games in Puerto Rico; a gold in the 25m Standard Pistol and bronze in the 50m. Borrel Brown was also among the medals in India, grabbing silver in the Women’s Shot Put, to become the first local woman to win more than one medal at the quadrennial Games. She also broke the national record three times during the year and won the gold medal at the CAC Games.
Homer took part in the inaugural youth Olympics in Singapore where he won a gold medal to become the first athlete from T&T to win a medal at the Games. Thompson set a new Girls 15-17 50m Freestyle record at the ASATT Open National Short Course Championships in October, was a finalist at the CAC Games, a semifinalist at the Commonwealth Games in India and represented T&T the FINA World Swimming Championships in Dubai. Ince became the first Paralympic athlete from T&T to compete at a Commonwealth Games in October. She went on to finish fifth in the Para Sport 50m Freestyle and sixth in both the Para Sport 100m Freestyle and the Para Sport 100m Butterfly.