Saturday, August 11, 2012
First Gold Medal since 1976
Keshorn Walcott broke the national javelin record twice and it was 84.58 that won the gold medal for trinidad and tobago. First gold since 1976! Congrats Keshorn
The Power of Languages
SPORTS: OLYMPIC JOURNAL
----- THE POWER OF LANGUAGES !!!!----
By Andre E Baptiste
There are several languages at these London Olympics and some of them are a version of English , which even Trinidad and Tobago citizens have trouble understanding despite the fact that we can speak fast . Several of the workers in London, are not from london , so there are some Geordie accents , that would leave you still guessing , at what was said , much less to understand , what directional route they are advising you on .
The Scottish though have to be the worst, they seem to speak so that only Scotsmen can understand , even the Englishmen are struggling to understand what was being said by them, but then the Scots and the English do not seem generally to be the best of friends.
As we talk best of friends , the Jamaicans are not making too many friends with their boastful nature,before , during and after the mens and women's 100 metres finals . It is sad that the journalists from Jamaica can make themselves so disliked by not only many from Europe and Africa , but also from some in the Caribbean , with their constant taunting , while most of us , may accept it as a joke . I am not very certain, that in particular proud Barbadians are too happy with all the suggestions , about what has happened to most of their Olympic athletes since Obadele Thompson married Marion Jones. Just the inference , can cause a conflict in most cases.
What was particularly interesting was the fact , that whatever the language spoken, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, German or Dutch , there was a general sense of competitiveness among the journalists , in particular , the Eastern Block of Europe , were very much against the Westerners , and while one may not understand their spoken word ( language) , it was their body language , that many times exposed their true feelings and thoughts.
I understand a little Spanish, French and some Japanese words, so it was much more clear cut in dealing with them, but it does lead to the question of people stigmatizing you , just as is done in the Olympics , with the Swimming events , there was a belief , that preference was given to white coloured skin media as not many black persons are involved in swimming and while this might be in the minority , it is certainly another aspect of the games that the London Organizing Committee , needs to address
For the most parts , it has been extremely interesting sharing discussions on sports with journalists from all over the world . In particularly , once you are revealed as a West Indian and especially a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, a number of the Indian media gravitate to you , to talk cricket . It is they say , India’s greatest passion, and they cannot wait for its introduction into the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee , have already given its approval to the ICC , to introduce cricket most likely from 2020 Olympics and that should be rather interesting .
These olympics have certainly been able as well to draw spectators from all over the world and that is why young La Londe Gordon’s bronze medal on Monday night in the 400 metres, was very significant , as it allowed the world to hear , another Caribbean island name besides Jamaica . And for this , we have to thank sports for providing the powerful backdrop to this sort of promotion.
As , we looked at the many persons from around the world , it was rather interesting , that a lot of the journalists thought , I was either from Turkey , Spain or Morocco . Similarly , when I examined the looks of the public , it was hard to positively tell their country of birth . The one thing was certain, that a lot of Pakistan / Indian persons ran most of the small shops/ groceries in London , and they employed mainly their families in the said business.
This sort of stereotyping , while not always good is what may have caused many of the Americans journalists during the interviewing of La Londe Gordon , Kirani James ( Grenada) and Luguelin Santos ( Dominican Republic), to wonder if “ All of you guys are friends being from the Caribbean, and is this is a plan to take over 400 metres running from the United States ,”
What he did not say , was - That the USA had won the last seven 400 metres and this was the first time an American had not qualified for a 400 metres final since 1896 ( except for 1980 when they boycotted the Olympics).
It is this sort of paranoid , that is not good in life and sports, but unfortunately it still exists , and if the USA want to be afraid of the Caribbean now in the 400 metres after the fear the region has imposed in the 100 and 200 metres , so be it.
:: AB
----- THE POWER OF LANGUAGES !!!!----
By Andre E Baptiste
There are several languages at these London Olympics and some of them are a version of English , which even Trinidad and Tobago citizens have trouble understanding despite the fact that we can speak fast . Several of the workers in London, are not from london , so there are some Geordie accents , that would leave you still guessing , at what was said , much less to understand , what directional route they are advising you on .
The Scottish though have to be the worst, they seem to speak so that only Scotsmen can understand , even the Englishmen are struggling to understand what was being said by them, but then the Scots and the English do not seem generally to be the best of friends.
As we talk best of friends , the Jamaicans are not making too many friends with their boastful nature,before , during and after the mens and women's 100 metres finals . It is sad that the journalists from Jamaica can make themselves so disliked by not only many from Europe and Africa , but also from some in the Caribbean , with their constant taunting , while most of us , may accept it as a joke . I am not very certain, that in particular proud Barbadians are too happy with all the suggestions , about what has happened to most of their Olympic athletes since Obadele Thompson married Marion Jones. Just the inference , can cause a conflict in most cases.
What was particularly interesting was the fact , that whatever the language spoken, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Russian, German or Dutch , there was a general sense of competitiveness among the journalists , in particular , the Eastern Block of Europe , were very much against the Westerners , and while one may not understand their spoken word ( language) , it was their body language , that many times exposed their true feelings and thoughts.
I understand a little Spanish, French and some Japanese words, so it was much more clear cut in dealing with them, but it does lead to the question of people stigmatizing you , just as is done in the Olympics , with the Swimming events , there was a belief , that preference was given to white coloured skin media as not many black persons are involved in swimming and while this might be in the minority , it is certainly another aspect of the games that the London Organizing Committee , needs to address
For the most parts , it has been extremely interesting sharing discussions on sports with journalists from all over the world . In particularly , once you are revealed as a West Indian and especially a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, a number of the Indian media gravitate to you , to talk cricket . It is they say , India’s greatest passion, and they cannot wait for its introduction into the Olympics. The International Olympic Committee , have already given its approval to the ICC , to introduce cricket most likely from 2020 Olympics and that should be rather interesting .
These olympics have certainly been able as well to draw spectators from all over the world and that is why young La Londe Gordon’s bronze medal on Monday night in the 400 metres, was very significant , as it allowed the world to hear , another Caribbean island name besides Jamaica . And for this , we have to thank sports for providing the powerful backdrop to this sort of promotion.
As , we looked at the many persons from around the world , it was rather interesting , that a lot of the journalists thought , I was either from Turkey , Spain or Morocco . Similarly , when I examined the looks of the public , it was hard to positively tell their country of birth . The one thing was certain, that a lot of Pakistan / Indian persons ran most of the small shops/ groceries in London , and they employed mainly their families in the said business.
This sort of stereotyping , while not always good is what may have caused many of the Americans journalists during the interviewing of La Londe Gordon , Kirani James ( Grenada) and Luguelin Santos ( Dominican Republic), to wonder if “ All of you guys are friends being from the Caribbean, and is this is a plan to take over 400 metres running from the United States ,”
What he did not say , was - That the USA had won the last seven 400 metres and this was the first time an American had not qualified for a 400 metres final since 1896 ( except for 1980 when they boycotted the Olympics).
It is this sort of paranoid , that is not good in life and sports, but unfortunately it still exists , and if the USA want to be afraid of the Caribbean now in the 400 metres after the fear the region has imposed in the 100 and 200 metres , so be it.
:: AB
Samuels says media needs balance in Olympics
SPORTS: SAMUELS SAYS MEDIA NEEDS BALANCE IN OLYMPICS
By Andre E Baptiste
On Saturday , a nineteen year old Trinidad and Tobago citizen- Keshorn Walcott , will seek further history , when he competes in the Mens Javelin final at 2.20pm ( Trinidad and Tobago time), having already become the first man ever from this country to reach so far . In fact , of the list of twelve finalists in the Javelin, Walcott is the only one from the Pan American region ( which includes the USA and Canada).
However , Executive member of the NAAA , and former Public Relations Officer - Peter Samuel - is not happy with the media coverage from Trinidad and Tobago , citing instances where he believes the media has gone wrong ,” The media in this country , like to build up athletes and then break them down , how can they be saying Keshorn goes for Gold ....yes we all want him to get gold or any medal, but we have to be realistic in the messages we send,” stated a clearly upset Samuel
“ If one examines the field of twelve , there are two men who have thrown 91 ,one who has thrown 88 and two more who have done 86 , these are the points which need to be put in context , Keshorn just broke the national record at 83 in the World Junior Championships , about a month and a half ago when he won the World title ...how can we then be putting all this pressure on him, and when he does not achieve a medal, people say , he has failed,” added Samuel
“ Of course , he is in the final and anything can happen and he can produce a herculean effort and be in the top three, but the media need to check their statistics and what they are saying , they should not just be looking for headlines at the expense of our young athletes....what we need to do is highlight what a great achievement this is and continue to support him, so that he and the sport can grow,” declared Samuels
Samuels drew reference to one media house , that had a headline -Semoy Hacket fails to impress -,” How can they say that , she has done her personal best in the 100 metes and 200 metres and become the first woman from this country to reach a 200 metres final , she has run over seven races so far , why are we doing this to her , it is just crazy.”
Samuels would like the media in Trinidad and Tobago to pay more attention to the achievements and not always be looking to just getting gold , silver and bronze ,” That is an ideal, but you cannot be asking our athletes , like those in Swimming - George Bovell - or those in Cycling - Njisane Phillips , - questions , like - what went wrong or what they did wrong , have we thought that our competitors are just doing a lot more things right , like better support in all areas/”
“The problem, is that many times, the public will listen to what was said and they would react to media saying this sort of poor comments about our athletes ,” said Samuels
:: AB
By Andre E Baptiste
On Saturday , a nineteen year old Trinidad and Tobago citizen- Keshorn Walcott , will seek further history , when he competes in the Mens Javelin final at 2.20pm ( Trinidad and Tobago time), having already become the first man ever from this country to reach so far . In fact , of the list of twelve finalists in the Javelin, Walcott is the only one from the Pan American region ( which includes the USA and Canada).
However , Executive member of the NAAA , and former Public Relations Officer - Peter Samuel - is not happy with the media coverage from Trinidad and Tobago , citing instances where he believes the media has gone wrong ,” The media in this country , like to build up athletes and then break them down , how can they be saying Keshorn goes for Gold ....yes we all want him to get gold or any medal, but we have to be realistic in the messages we send,” stated a clearly upset Samuel
“ If one examines the field of twelve , there are two men who have thrown 91 ,one who has thrown 88 and two more who have done 86 , these are the points which need to be put in context , Keshorn just broke the national record at 83 in the World Junior Championships , about a month and a half ago when he won the World title ...how can we then be putting all this pressure on him, and when he does not achieve a medal, people say , he has failed,” added Samuel
“ Of course , he is in the final and anything can happen and he can produce a herculean effort and be in the top three, but the media need to check their statistics and what they are saying , they should not just be looking for headlines at the expense of our young athletes....what we need to do is highlight what a great achievement this is and continue to support him, so that he and the sport can grow,” declared Samuels
Samuels drew reference to one media house , that had a headline -Semoy Hacket fails to impress -,” How can they say that , she has done her personal best in the 100 metes and 200 metres and become the first woman from this country to reach a 200 metres final , she has run over seven races so far , why are we doing this to her , it is just crazy.”
Samuels would like the media in Trinidad and Tobago to pay more attention to the achievements and not always be looking to just getting gold , silver and bronze ,” That is an ideal, but you cannot be asking our athletes , like those in Swimming - George Bovell - or those in Cycling - Njisane Phillips , - questions , like - what went wrong or what they did wrong , have we thought that our competitors are just doing a lot more things right , like better support in all areas/”
“The problem, is that many times, the public will listen to what was said and they would react to media saying this sort of poor comments about our athletes ,” said Samuels
:: AB
Friday, August 10, 2012
Bronze for Tdad in 4x400 men's relay
LaLonde Gordon picks up his second bronze medal in the men's 4x400 relay!
Thursday, August 9, 2012
friday's schedule
FRIDAY 10TH AUGUST , 2012
Trinidad and Tobago go after medals again
3.40pm ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Time - Womens 4 x100 metres relay final
4.20pm ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Time - Mens 4 x400 metros relay final
EARLIER ON AT
2.45PM ( Trinidad and Tobago Time ) - Mens 4 x100 metros RELAY semi final
TUNE IN TO I95.5FM , for all the action
Trinidad and Tobago go after medals again
3.40pm ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Time - Womens 4 x100 metres relay final
4.20pm ( Trinidad and Tobago ) Time - Mens 4 x400 metros relay final
EARLIER ON AT
2.45PM ( Trinidad and Tobago Time ) - Mens 4 x100 metros RELAY semi final
TUNE IN TO I95.5FM , for all the action
Jamaica sweeps 200m - Bolt, Blake and Weir
Jamaica sweeps 200m - Bolt, Blake and Weir
Bolt is unstoppable!
Unfazed at start
Doing pushups at end of race
Taking photos of photographers as he walked around track doing a lap of with hs t other countrymen Blake and Weir who won silver and bronze respectivelly
Then a second lap of honor!
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Oh my Gord.... it is bronze!
SPORTS: OH MY GORD.....IT IS BRONZE
By Andre E Baptiste
Everybody wants a piece of him, and after his tremendous performance on Monday in the Mens 400 metres, the pieces that make up the part of La Londe Gordon will be worth even more.
La Londe Gordon is 23years old and this Sagittarius born ,Trinidad and Tobago citizen made history for himself at these games winning Trinidad and Tobago’s first medal with a spectacular finish in the mens 400 metres , to grab third and almost snatch second in a personal best time of 44.52
“If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!”
Those are the words from “ If “ , the last line of the famous Rudyard Kipling poem, and they apply to our new Olympic Bronze medallist - La Londe Gordon - , who stormed down the straight at 4.31pm ( Trinidad and Tobago time) , and almost caught second place finisher Luguelin Santos.
And when asked by the media , why the 400 metres , is so popular , a clearly overjoyed Gordon , said “ It is a Man’s race , it is a Man’s race ...” . It seems this Tobago born athlete who also runs the 200 metres , has been doing extra reading in his spare time and reading poetry at that.
Gordon was born in Lowlands , Tobago and left for the United States at the age of ten with his family , he now resides in Queens New York and some members of the American media looking for a saviour in the sport , given their previous dominance , asked him about that , but he quickly said ,” This is for Trinidad and Tobago , this is for all the support , I have received from the people of Trinidad and Tobago and all my team members,”
No one expected this , where did this young man come from ? He even said as much ,” I know , people may not know me , but I want to continue to improve in this sport, it is just a wonderful feeling .”
His teammates , describe him as crazy , Richard Thompson saying ,” He is a crazy character, he can either run a sub 44 or 45 plus, he is just so different and says all kind of things, but with good intentions, He is very talented, we are not surprised by his performances”
Gordon laughed when told this ,” I agree , I am still crazy ...”
His Manager , Dexter Voisin was not surprised , saying the night before , everyone was talking about where this Trinidadian came from ,” After the semi finals on Sunday , all of the other 400 metres runners, were talking about him, who is this Trini Man in red , at the dinner table , Kirani James was sitting not far from s , but he was only staring at him,”
“ What makes La Londe so dangerous , is that , he is not one of those athletes , that thinks long and hard about anything , he just goes out and does his stuff” added Voisin
Perhaps what makes him so good , is his dedication, his desire to succeed and the fact, that he runs a pretty fast 200 metres, as evidenced by his time early this year in boston, where he ran a personal best of 20.58 in Boston on the 28th of January, 2012
Gordon first represented Trinidad and Tobago at the CAC Games in 2010 , but did not make it to the World Championships.Gordon ran track and field at Mohawk Valley in 2009 and now runs for the Zenith Velocity Club team of Jersey City.
After winning the 400 metres at the national trials in June , when he beat Renny Quow with a storming late surge , Gordon’s time of 45.40 , was still not good enough to secure a place on the 400 metres individual team for London as it was outside of the qualification time of 45.30.
However , again in the face of adversity and Doubt , this tall elegant runner responded like a “ man”Two weeks later in July, Gordon ran at a United States meet in Omaha , Nebraska and won in a time of 45.02 to book his place in the team.
The rest is now history , he has become a household name with immediate effect in Trinidad and Tobago, and he deserves it for his great spirit and openness,
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