"All my efforts to gain some sort of Government financial assistance for Hugo were futile" � Basil Ince.Sad disregard for our history.
As I sat in the Morvant Methodist Church last Saturday morning at the funeral service for 1966 Commonwealth weightlifting gold medal winner Hugo Gittens who also won a silver medal winner at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada 1967, my mind reflected on Rodney Wilkes, this country's first Olympic medalist.
The first three Olympic medals were all won by the sport of weightlifting � Rodney Wilkes and Lennox Kilgour during an era when representing T&T was purely a patriotic endeavour.
A far cry from the modern times when progress has been made and there is now elite athlete assistance, grant funding, the TTOC 10 gold medals by 2024 athlete welfare and preparation fund, and lots of empty talk about being athlete-centred.
As I looked around I saw Alexander Chapman and Dr Basil Ince, friends, family, old friends and neighbours of Hugo Gittens.
I can't properly explain the sense of anger, frustration and melancholy I felt. It was deep remorse even as the T&T Olympic Committee is celebrating 70 years and the 40th Anniversary of Hasely Crawford's historic achievement.
As an organisation, the TTOC still can't find a way to systematically reach out to past Olympians, Commonwealth, CAC and Pan Am athletes. The country's Olympic and Commonwealth, CAC and Pan Am Games achievers, achievements and history remain unheralded and disrespected.
As I left the churchyard, cultural icon Bill Trotman came up to me and with pain in his voice and eyes gave voice to his dismay at the futility of all efforts. It was a simple but plaintive and heartfelt plea: "We cant treat our heroes and heroines so."
The welfare of our athletes must be holistic. It must go beyond preparation for winning medals.There are stories that if told will probably shock many people.
More must be done if we really want to be athlete-centred. We have to get to a place where we mean what we say. I have been told that in trying to be athlete-centred I must understand that I can't solve all the problems of our athletes and past athletes; that I must not spoil athletes and that athletes must also take responsibility. I understand all of that but I refuse to hide behind such excuses.
As far as I see it there is too much hypocrisy and lipservice. More must be done. More can be done.The TTOC must see it as its duty, obligation and responsibility to address the issue of athlete centred and athlete welfare in a more holistic and significant way.
Good enough isn't good enough and yes, I am speaking to myself also.
There will be between 30-35 athletes representing Team TTO at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. But at the beginning of the 2016 Olympic cycle there would have been about 300 or so who all had aspirations of qualifying for Rio.
They did their absolute best inspite of adversity, obstacles and insufficient support. They gave it their all. They aren't failures even though most people may deem them so.Athlete-centred and athlete welfare is more than talk.
�2Brian Lewis is president of the T&TOC. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the T&TOC.
