Footballer Theo Crovador, triathlete Matthew Wortman, and track athlete Shaniqua Bascombe were crowned Primary School Youth Champions at the 3rd annual Atlantic Youth Excellence in Sport (YES) Awards held today (Mar 10) at the Trinidad Hilton.
It was the first time in the event’s history that two Male Youth Champions were named, and also two schools chosen for the Team of the Year Award, which was bestowed upon Tobago powerhouse Bon Accord Government for football and Preysal Government for cricket.
Nigel Darlow, CEO, Atlantic said that the LNG producer remained committed to corporate social responsibility initiatives such as the YES Awards.
“That’s why Atlantic invests in sport in the way we do – because of the real possibility that the young athletes of today may become the sporting heroes of the nation, tomorrow,” Darlow said. “We try very hard to ensure that how we invest today, helps develop our young people and prepare them for tomorrow.”
The three Youth Champions were also congratulated by three of Trinidad and Tobago’s world-class Olympic athletes and Atlantic Sports Ambassadors: javelin thrower Keshorn Walcott, sprinter Richard Thompson and sailor Andrew Lewis.
Ten year old footballer Theo Crovador scored 11 goals for the 2016 season and marshalled the St. Agnes Anglican team to their first Under 12 Football League title by scoring the winning penalty kick. Theo also impressed the Manchester United Coaches at Atlantic’s annual Football Development and Life Skills Camp, and was named as the camp’s Most Valuable Player.
Dunross Prep’s Matthew Wortman placed first in all three events in the 2016 Atlantic Primary Schools Multi Sport Series: the Aquathlon, Duathlon and Triathlon. At the Massy Rainbow Cup, he came second in the Boys 10-12 age group and was second in the Flow Energy Sunday Mini Duathlon. A skilled cyclist, Matthew also placed first in the Subway River Raid Mountain Bike and second in the Northern Rangers Mountain Bike Club – Ricon Mountain Bike Race. His prowess in track and field also secured him first place in the 1500m race and also in the long jump at the Milo Games.
Female Youth Champion Shaniqua Bascombe from Maraval Girls RC accomplished even more in 2016 than she did in 2015 when she placed second to Caribbean Champion Caliyah Wallace, last year’s YES Award winner. Shaniqua was named Champion Athlete at the 2016 Atlantic National Primary School Track & Field Championships and was the Under-15 Victrix Ludorum at the Milo Games, where she won the 100m, 200m and 400m races and also anchored the winning 4x100m relay team. She also won all three of her contested events at the Port of Spain Rotary Games and produced a faster time than the Under-15 Boys in her 200m and 400m events.
Teams of the Year Bon Accord Government and Preysal Government are renowned in the annual Atlantic primary school sports competitions for the high level of their football and cricket teams respectively. Both the boys and girls football teams for Bon Accord Government excelled in the 2016 Atlantic National Primary School Football League, earning runner-up position in the Girls category and winning the boys Under-15 title. Preysal Government won the Caroni District Finals four years in a row and in 2016 became the first school in the history of the Atlantic National Primary Schools Cricket League to repeat as national winners.
Karen Araujo, President of the Trinidad & Tobago Triathlon Federation was recognized once again as Administrator of the Year for her work in enhancing the TTTF’s governance structures. San Francique Presbyterian won the Fair Play Award for their exemplary sportsmanship in defeat, while veteran coach and sports administrator Kelvin Nancoo was named the Coach of the Year for his work in helping the Port of Spain & Environs Education District to their 28th success in 30 years at the national level of primary school track and field competition.