The Ministry of Sports issued about 200 sports awards to top sports performers in this year’s annual school sports awards. The awards are to recognize the sporting contributions and performances of students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across the country. Held under the theme “Achieving Sports Excellence through Resilience,” outstanding students were given awards in football, netball, cricket, table tennis, track and field, basketball, and volleyball among others.
Sports Coordinator Trevor Shillingford said the participating students displayed immense resilience during the school year and in related sporting activities. He said the COVID-19 pandemic made school academics and related sporting events difficult for everyone, but the students still chose to do their best to make their schools proud in many areas. He disclosed that the authorities even exposed students to how to maintain health protocols while participating in sporting activities.
I congratulate you for your efforts. You have set admirable benchmarks for others to imitate. We are happy that you our students made the decision to participate in the various sporting activities for the past academic year. I am certain that you have benefitted from the experience. We are satisfied that through sports participation our students were well equipped with the knowledge of what was required of them to bat through COVID-19.
Trevor Shillingford, Sports Coordinator
The Minister for Telecommunications and Broadcasting, Oscar George, who spoke as guest speaker during the awards ceremony, said sporting excellence and resilience in sports as codified in the theme of the ceremony underscore the importance of sports at the local and club levels. He tasked the students to balance their academic lives with their sporting ambitions, adding that it takes talent, skill, and mental discipline to become a notable figure in life.
“The current opportunities that exist in sports have increased exponentially and it has become possible to convert all your sporting dreams into realities,” George said. “But to achieve this, we have to start at the local level. We have to build resilience at the grassroots level, at the club level, in our local leagues and even in our friendly matches.”
Representative of the Minister for Sports and Community Development, Chekira Lockhart-Hypolite, also praised the awardees for their sporting contributions, saying the government is always ready to reward excellence, dedication, and outstanding performance in every area of life. She said that sports aids the physical and mental development of individuals, and that this is necessary for growing a stronger citizenry that will help move the nation forward.
“Your engagement in sports will also aid in your physical development and you would have realized that you are a lot more alert in your everyday life as a result of your participation in sports,” Lockhart-Hypolite stated.” What this boils down to is the development of stronger healthier citizens and individuals with stronger minds who are ready to contribute to national development. It is clear therefore that through support such as this awards ceremony we are ensuring that we create more holistic individuals.”
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