分类： sports

The inaugural East-West Corridor Football League prepares to resume action on January 3 with several clubs aiming to preserve their flawless records. Legacy FC, Orange Field Firehouse, Tinto Academy, Trippy FC, and Wallerfield United all enter the new year with perfect winning streaks intact across the league’s various divisions.

In the Central division, Orange Field and Tinto currently occupy the top two positions, while Wallerfield United has dominated the East division with consecutive victories—including a decisive 3-0 triumph against FC Porto Arima during the league’s December 6 opening night.

The Southern division sees Legacy and Trippy FC leading the standings, both having secured two victories each. Trippy currently tops the six-team table with an impressive +7 goal differential following their match-day two win against South Stars.

The Tobago division presents a tightly contested race with Blue Nation and Kings United tied at the summit with four points each. Their opening match ended in a 2-2 draw, with both teams securing victories in their subsequent fixtures.

Most competitive appears to be the 11-team North division, where four clubs—Sheriff Angels Belmont, Simeon Road FC, Trendsetter Hawks, and United Brotherhood—are deadlocked at four points each. The division witnessed one of the most lopsided results thus far when Cruzeiro FC delivered a spectacular 6-0 victory against Tinto’s northern outfit.

The league represents the brainchild of former national team captain David Nakhid, now serving as parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, operating through his David Nakhid Academy (DNA).

Trinidad and Tobago’s premier track cyclist Nicholas Paul has unveiled a meticulously planned competitive schedule for 2026, marking the commencement of his qualification journey for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The strategic roadmap features multiple elite international competitions designed to optimize his performance ahead of the crucial World Track Championships in October.

Paul’s campaign begins with the Pan American Track Championships in Chile (February 16-22), followed by consecutive UCI Nations Cup rounds in Hong Kong (April 17-19) and Malaysia (April 24-26). The cyclist will then compete at either the Commonwealth Games in Scotland (July 23-August 2) or the Central American and Caribbean Games in Dominican Republic (July 24-August 8) before heading to Shanghai for the World Championships (October 14-18) – his first official Olympic qualifier.

The accomplished athlete identifies tactical execution and marginal gains as critical focus areas for improvement. “I have to still work on my tactics in racing, that’s a big part of it now,” Paul emphasized. “Being able to actually get the marginal gains now, because that’s where I’m losing. I need to get the marginal gains on the track, in the gym, maybe equipment-wise.”

Paul approaches 2026 as a pivotal year in his career, noting that strong early performances could alleviate pressure during later qualification stages. Seeking his third Olympic appearance, the cyclist aims to secure Trinidad and Tobago’s first Olympic cycling podium after consistently ranking among top contenders in both the 2020 and 2024 Games.

Reflecting on his 2025 season, Paul described it as productive though less intense than previous Olympic years. His achievements included triple gold (team sprint, sprint, 1K time trial) and silver (keirin) at the Pan American Championships, plus fourth and seventh place finishes respectively in sprint and keirin events at the World Championships. The cyclist also claimed sprint gold and keirin silver at the Bolivarian Games during Trinidad and Tobago’s debut appearance.

Currently enjoying a period of recovery in his homeland, Paul is balancing rest with preparation for upcoming challenges. His exceptional 2025 performance earned him the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation’s Male International Cyclist of the Year award in December, further cementing his status as a national sporting icon.

The 2025 cycling season proved exceptionally successful for Trinidad and Tobago, marked by outstanding international achievements, regional supremacy, and promising junior development, despite concluding under the cloud of ongoing litigation between the national federation and several elite athletes.

Throughout the year, Trinidad and Tobago cyclists demonstrated remarkable prowess across both track and road disciplines, securing medals and achieving breakthrough performances at various international competitions.

Nicholas Paul emerged as the nation’s track cycling standard-bearer, delivering a spectacular performance at the Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Asunción, Paraguay. The two-time World Championships medalist claimed three gold medals in the men’s sprint, team sprint, and 1K time trial, supplemented by a silver in the keirin. Paul continued his winning streak with sprint gold at California’s Summer Slam event, though he narrowly missed the podium at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Chile. He concluded his season with additional gold and silver medals at the historic Bolivarian Games debut, earning him Male International Cyclist of the Year honors.

On the road, endurance specialist Teniel Campbell dominated the Caribbean Elite Road Cycling Championships in Belize, securing dual gold in both the individual time trial and road race events. Her Pan American track medals earlier in the season, combined with a respectable 23rd place finish at the UCI Road World Championships in Rwanda, earned her Female International Cyclist of the Year recognition.

The season’s most remarkable breakthrough came from sprint sensation Makaira Wallace, who skyrocketed from 86th to 23rd in the UCI world rankings. Wallace established a new national record in sprint qualifying at the UCI Track Nations Cup in Turkey, made history as Trinidad and Tobago’s first female sprint qualifier at the World Championships, and set another national record in the 500m time trial. Her triple-bronze performance at the Junior Pan Am Games, coupled with silver and bronze at the Bolivarian Games, earned her both Junior Sportswoman of the Year and People’s Choice awards.

Endurance prospect Akil Campbell showed promise with strong performances at the Caribbean Road Championships, while junior cyclists including Danell James, Jelani Nedd, and Ryan D’Abreau contributed to team sprint bronze at the Pan Am Games. Jadian Neaves impressed at the Easter International Grand Prix and claimed bronze in the Under-23 road race at the Caribbean Championships.

Despite these achievements, the season concluded with unresolved legal proceedings between the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation and three cyclists—Njisane Phillip, Makaira Wallace, and Alexi Ramirez—regarding contested selection trials for the upcoming Pan Am Track Championships. The matter remains pending after a December 30 virtual hearing before Justice James.

Cricket superstar Nicholas Pooran is investing in the future of West Indies cricket through his burgeoning developmental academy. The third installment of the bmobile Nicky P Batting Academy concluded successfully at Kumar Rampat Cricket Academy in Point Lisas, attracting 60 promising young athletes from across Trinidad and Tobago.

The initiative, launched in 2023 with 50 participants, has demonstrated consistent growth and expanded its reach to include young female cricketers for the first time. Eight girls joined this year’s program, including emerging talent Brianna Harricharan from the Windies Under-19 women’s team. The 17-year-old described the experience as transformative, noting that ‘interacting with a legend like Nicky P was truly motivating’ for refining her technical skills and competitive mindset.

Under Pooran’s leadership and the coaching expertise of Kumar and Vasu Rampat, the two-day intensive camp provided elite batting instruction while emphasizing mental conditioning and technical development. The program’s most exceptional performers—approximately 10-15 participants—will advance to an exclusive six-month scholarship program offering approximately 256 hours of high-performance training.

The academy attracted additional cricket royalty, with T20 icons Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard making appearances alongside government official Barry Padarath. Bravo praised the initiative’s role in identifying and nurturing future talent, emphasizing its importance for Caribbean cricket development.

Participants demonstrated their skills in various challenges, with Declan Manswell claiming victory in the power-hitting competition. Other recognitions included Angel Bishop and Levi Burke as Best Teammates, Savad Koon Koon as Most Enthusiastic, and Jannah Mohammed as Most Disciplined.

Anjanie Ramesar-Soom, bmobile’s corporate social responsibility specialist, highlighted Pooran’s consistent commitment as the program’s distinguishing factor. ‘By creating structured access to elite coaching and mentorship,’ she noted, ‘Pooran is equipping young cricketers with the tools required to progress beyond talent alone.’

The camp concluded with selected participants receiving authentic Pooran jerseys from international franchises and gifts from sponsors including bmobile, Powerade, and the Unit Trust Corporation.

In a powerful address at the 31st annual TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) awards ceremony in Port of Spain, West Indies women’s cricket star Karishma Ramharack delivered a compelling plea for the professionalization of women’s sports across Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean region.

The accomplished off-spinner, recipient of both the 2024 First Citizens Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year and 2025 TTCB Female International Cricketer of the Year awards, drew from her six years of international experience to challenge prevailing attitudes toward female athletics. Speaking before an audience at Queen’s Hall on December 29, 2025, Ramharack emphasized that women’s sports should not be treated as recreational pastimes but as serious professional pursuits.

‘Women’s sports is not a side story. It’s not a phase. It’s not something young girls should try before choosing something practical,’ declared Ramharack, whose cricketing credentials include 90 international appearances across ODI and T20 formats. ‘What I see every day are women who are disciplined, strategic, resilient, and capable of excellence under pressure.’

The athlete provided concrete examples of professional commitment, describing the rigorous discipline required at elite levels: ‘The early mornings and getting my workouts in regardless of where I am in the world… Cutting sugar completely out of my diet and sticking to it, even when cravings hit… Choosing discipline over comfort, purpose over pleasure, every single day.’

Addressing parents and guardians directly, Ramharack urged a paradigm shift in how young female athletes are encouraged: ‘When your daughter shows interest in cricket, athletics, football, cycling, or any sport, don’t ask her how long it will last. Ask her how far she wants to go.’ She positioned sports as a viable career path that builds character and creates opportunities, emphasizing that ‘the next Olympian, medallist or the next leader in sport might be sitting in a classroom right now waiting for someone to take her seriously.’

Ramharack’s advocacy comes amid a successful competitive period for Trinidad and Tobago athletes. Following the men’s and women’s teams claiming silver at the recent Bolivarian Games in Peru, Ramharack and her colleagues are now focused on qualifying for the LA 2028 Olympic Games through increased competition under the TTOC banner.

In a significant development for Trinidad and Tobago cycling, elite sprinters Njisane Phillip and Makaira Wallace of JLD Cycling Academy, alongside professional enduro rider Alexi Costa-Ramirez, have received a High Court directive to present a settlement proposal to the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF). This judicial instruction emerged from a virtual hearing presided over by Justice Westmin James on December 30, focusing on the federation’s controversial scheduling of national selection trials for the Pan American Track Championships.

The court-mandated proposal aims to resolve the dispute surrounding the TTCF’s announcement of mandatory trials scheduled for January 17—a date that falls fewer than 12 weeks before the prestigious continental championships. The athletes, represented by attorney Dr. Emir Crowne, previously sought an injunction against the trials, asserting that the timing contravenes the federation’s constitutional provisions and established selection protocols.

Central to the cyclists’ legal challenge is their claim that the TTCF’s own policies explicitly require national trials to be conducted at least 12 weeks prior to international competitions. They further argue that this abrupt scheduling departure from established practices could potentially jeopardize Olympic qualification opportunities, which frequently depend on meticulously planned continental championship timelines.

TTCF president Rowena Williams acknowledged that no definitive decisions were reached during the hearing but expressed optimism regarding reaching a mutual agreement by January 2. The federation maintains that trials represent a legitimate selection methodology, noting that previous team selections have incorporated both competitive trials and discretionary choices. The TTCF additionally asserts that the January trial date received proper authorization through a council meeting attended by all three athletes involved in the current dispute.

Should the settlement negotiations prove unsuccessful, Justice James indicated the High Court stands prepared to issue a prompt ruling on the matter, potentially setting a significant precedent for athlete-federation relations in Trinidad and Tobago sports governance.