Senior Multimedia Reporter
walter.alibey@guardian.co.tt
Former Olympic cyclist Njisane Phillip is calling for things to be done differently in the sport of cycling if the country’s riders are to medal consistently at international competitions.
Phillip, once adored for his sprinting speed, which enabled him to be in the semifinals of the sprints of the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England, said the big nations are beating us at that game over and over again. “And the sad thing is that we can replicate that right here and get the results we want to get. We have to be competitive, and that could only come if there is a structure to the way the national teams are picked and the riders are prepared,” Phillip explained.
Much like what is done in football, Phillip, the winner of multiple medals at all international competitions, is proposing that a national coach be chosen to head a programme, as was done when Canadian Erin Hartwell, was the former Technical Director and head coach of the national system, a few years ago.
He explained that national riders are then chosen for the programme.
“The riders, who are normally at their respective clubs in the country, will be taken away for national sessions under the national coach, whoever he/she will be. This means that the best riders in the country will compete against the best, thereby pushing each other to go faster and faster.”
According to Phillip, “With this system, there is bound to be an improvement in time and the standard of riding; I can guarantee that.”
Phillip’s call comes on the heels of the recent Junior World Championships in China, where only his protege, Makaira Wallace, claimed two medals and said, “It is a long, hard road ahead; however, our performance at the Junior Worlds proves that we have good talent in T&T. It also proves that we have good coaches in the country to do the job, and it can happen once everyone is given a fair chance.”
“I think the problem is that there are too many egos at the top while the athletes suffer,” Phillip said.
His entry into coaching has been a welcomed one for many young budding talent, with many benefiting from his development initiatives. Since then, there have been calls for the ex-Olympian to be a national coach for the junior team.
“When Hartwell was coach of the team, all the riders benefitted by showing marked improvement. This is what happens when riders are being pushed to their limit and beyond; they improve their standard.” We have enough coaches here in T&T to do the job, but we just need to have structure, and we have to be on the same page. With this, we will be able to set the bar very high and ensure that we win medals at every Pan Am and other international events.
