Trinidad and Tobago’s local and foreign-based track and field stars are set to climax their 2024 Olympic Games qualification quest at the National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAATT) Junior and Senior National Championships. The event will take place at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo from June 28-30.
For the majority of this nation’s Olympic hopefuls, this weekend’s events serve as the final hurdle towards securing a coveted spot at the Paris Games, which commence from July 26 to August 11. Once again, Trinidad and Tobago’s local communications solutions provider, bmobile, has renewed their commitment to helping athletes reach their peak potential by providing crucial support to the National Track and Field Championships.
bmobile has been a longstanding supporter of the annual meet and remains a catalyst in setting the stage for athletic excellence. Reza Hosein, Acting General Manager of Customer Experience and Marketing, believes their commitment to the nation’s youth through sport is key to getting the best out of our athletes. The championships also serve as a platform for athletes to compete among the world’s best and fly the red, white, and black on the globe’s biggest sporting stage.
At bmobile, we are committed to providing young people with the opportunities they need to achieve Olympic qualification and reach the podium. Our nation’s history at the Games speaks volumes, and we at bmobile remain dedicated to fostering more success while playing an essential role in developing goal-oriented and well-rounded citizens,” Hosein said.
One of the premier athletes on show this weekend is two-time Olympic men’s javelin medallist, Keshorn Walcott. The 31-year-old thrower, who is also a bmobile ambassador, will be using the championships to achieve the qualification standard of 85.50m.
“This weekend I’ll get the distance,” Walcott said in a short chat on Thursday. Walcott recently returned to the competitive circuit after sustaining an injury last year and has already notched two gold medals on the European circuit in the past month.
Also chasing qualification for Paris at this weekend’s event is US-based long jumper Tyra Gittens, who made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games. Seasoned sprinter and three-time Olympic 100m sprint finalist Michelle-Lee Ahye remains in the hunt for her fourth Olympic stint. Joining her is two-time national champion Leah Bertrand, who is hoping to make her debut at the Summer Games.
Male sprinters Devin Augustine and Omari Lewis are the two closest to attaining qualification in the men's 100m, while the men’s 4x100m relay team chase their final chance at qualification. Additionally, all of Trinidad and Tobago’s athletes who performed at the 2024 Carifta Games will also attempt to seal a spot in Paris.
NAAATT president George Comissiong rallied behind the nation’s Olympic hopefuls and acknowledged the stalwart contributions of bmobile.
“NAAATT is happy to count bmobile among our regular sponsors and to acknowledge their presence again at our upcoming Junior and Senior Championships. At a technical officiating course over the weekend, I shared with the participants the very important role played by corporate sponsors in the sporting ecosystem. Without such support, it would not be possible to host many events. TSTT has always responded positively to our appeals, and we look forward to their continued partnership,” Comissiong said.
Both the junior and senior championships are being held together for the first time to reduce the period between the Junior Championship, usually held in mid-June, and the World Athletics U20 Championships at the end of August. The planned closure of the Hasely Crawford Stadium on July 1 for the relaying of the track and upgrade of the football field also influenced this decision.
A NAAATT statement noted, “The start-up date for the planned works has since been pushed back, and the athletes selected on both national teams will now be allowed to continue their training and preparation for the big international events. Participating athletes will be focused on becoming national champions in their respective events as well as attaining the qualification standards for the World Athletics U20 Championships and the Paris Olympics.”
On Friday (June 28), the action starts at 4pm and continues on Saturday and Sunday from 2pm on both days.