PAUL...the dream is possible. You just have to work hard.
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While looking ahead to possibly making another Olympic Games appearance in 2028 in Los Angeles, Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling stalwart, Nicholas Paul, is also hopeful that he will be able to share that occasion with a few more riders from the twin island republic.
Well aware of the depth of the talent that Trinidad and Tobago possesses, Paul, who relished a second-consecutive Olympic Games appearance at the just-concluded Paris showpiece, believes it is very much possible for those cyclists to also achieve their dreams of competing at the global multi-sport event.
The decorated Paul, who has numerous championship medals under his belt, and Kwesi Browne represented Trinidad and Tobago with much gusto and pride in Paris, as they gave their all on the track in both the sprint and keirin events, though both failed to make the finals.
“Team sprint, sprint, Keirin, team pursuit, I just want as many cyclists as possible to be able to make it on the Olympic stage,” Paul told the Express.
“It’s a big, big, big pool of talented young cyclists coming up. I have been trying to be a good role model for them, to let them know that they can come out here because the dream is possible. You just have to work hard. We can make a good driving force from juniors straight up to the elite,” he added.
Having contested both the Sprint and Keirin quarterfinals in Paris, Paul expressed an even deeper desire to improve his standards going forward, especially after watching Australian Matthew Richardson and Dutchman Harrie Lavreysen erase his previous world record of 9.100 in the flying 200 metres.
Lavreysen stopped the clock at 9.088 seconds, mere minutes after Richardson clocked 9.091 seconds.
“It (the quarterfinals) was not the outcome I wanted, but you live, you learn, and you come again. But I’m happy for Harrie. That was a great ride, and at the same time, it’s giving me more hunger to get back on that length to be able to break the world record and get that fast again,” Paul noted.
However, for now, the 25-year-old pointed out that the focus is on rest and recovery ahead of his next major assignment, the UCI Track World Championships scheduled for October 16-20 in Denmark.
“I think I’ll back off a bit, have a bit of a rest, and then go into Worlds. I’m really hungry, but at the same time, the build was until Paris. It was a bit stressful, so I have to ease off and then go into Worlds with as much form as possible,” Paul said.
On that note, Paul also expressed gratitude for the support from Trinidad and Tobago’s sporting enthusiasts, though some comments were not welcoming of the athletes’ overall efforts in Paris.
“I never think about the negatives because we could only work with the positives, and we have a lot of positives to work with. Moving forward, us athletes should come together and try to make Trinidad and Tobago better as a whole. Athletics, cycling, and every sport; to raise the level not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in the Caribbean,” he ended.
Jamaica tops Group B after victory over Honduras in CONCACAF Nations League
Jamaica claimed a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Honduras on Tuesday night, propelling them to the top of Group B in League A of the 2024/25 CONCACAF Nations League as the September match window concluded. The win secured Jamaica’s position as the group leader, while Nicaragua now sits in second place after their draw against Cuba.
In a tightly contested match at Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés in Tegucigalpa, the Reggae Boyz opened the scoring early in the second half when Honduras’ Denil Maldonado inadvertently scored an own goal in the 49th minute after Norman Campbell delivered a dangerous ball into the box.
However, Honduras quickly responded with an equalizer in the 50th minute, as David Ruiz finished from close range. Despite the quick turnaround, Jamaica continued to apply pressure, and in the 76th minute, Michael Antonio scored the match-winning goal from the penalty spot.
The victory puts Jamaica in first place with four points from two matches, giving them the edge in the group standings. Honduras, with one point, drops to third in the group, just one point off the top.
Elsewhere in the group, Cuba and Nicaragua played to a dramatic 1-1 draw at Estadio Antonio Maceo in Santiago de Cuba. After dominating much of the first half, Cuba took the lead in the 42nd minute through a penalty converted by Karel Espino. The hosts came close to extending their lead in stoppage time, but Karel Pérez’s strike narrowly missed the far post.
Nicaragua, however, found a late equalizer in the 90th+7 minute, with Widman Talavera salvaging a point for his team. The result keeps Nicaragua level with Jamaica on four points but in second place due to tiebreakers. Cuba, with two points from consecutive draws, sits in third place.
In the final Group B matchup of the evening, Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana played to a scoreless draw at Dwight Yorke Stadium in Scarborough, Trinidad and Tobago. Both teams created chances throughout the game, with Loïc Ball forcing a save from Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Denzil Smith in the 27th minute, while Daniel Phillips hit the woodwork with a long-range strike in the 39th minute for the hosts.
Despite the opportunities, neither team managed to score, with both goalkeepers recording clean sheets. The result gave French Guiana their second point of the campaign, while Trinidad and Tobago secured their first point.
As the September match window concluded, Jamaica leads Group B, with Nicaragua close behind in second place. Honduras, Cuba, French Guiana, and Trinidad and Tobago round out the group, as all teams look to improve their standings in the next round of matches.
T&T blanked 4-0 by Honduras as Nicaragua edge French Guiana in League A
Trinidad and Tobago started life without Angus Eve on a losing note as they were thumped 4-0 by Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A contest in Tegucigalpa on Friday.
The result dealt and early blow to the Soca Warriors and interim head coach Derek King, as they are the group’s early cellar dwellers.
Honduras, with the win, assume pole position on three points, same as Nicaragua, who edged French Guiana 1-0, while Jamaica and Cuba both have a point from their goalless stalemate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to League B.
The tournament also determines which national teams qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago
After struggling to break down Trinidad and Tobago’s defence early, Honduras eventually found the go-ahead goal when Alexander Lopez drove in a right-footer from outside the box.
Kevin Arriaga also showed his class with a well-struck right-footer in the 45+2 minute to put Honduras 2-0 up at the break.
Try as they did, Trinidad and Tobago had no response to Honduras in a hostile environment and soon found themselves further behind in the 54th minute. This, as Edwin Rodriguez was allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box to fire home from Luis Palma’s pass.
The win was then capped by David Ruiz, who slotted home in the 86th minute.
French Guiana vs. Nicaragua
The Central Americans extended their unbeaten run in the Concacaf Nations League to 13 matches by taking three points off host French Guiana at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama.
Both teams gave as good as they got in the attacking third, but it was Nicaragua that got the all-important strike through Widman Talavera in the 90+5 minute to secure the three points.
Group B action will resume on Tuesday, starting with Cuba facing Nicaragua, while Trinidad and Tobago will host French Guiana, and Jamaica will visit Honduras to close out the day.
T&T’s Hasely Crawford Stadium to be closed for repairs from September 20
Trinidad & Tobago’s Hasely Crawford Stadium will be closed to all public events and activities from September 20, the Sports Company of Trinidad & Tobago Limited (SporTT) announced in a release on Thursday.
The closure, according to the release, is to facilitate necessary repairs to the stadium’s athletic tracks for training and competition, as well as the rehabilitation of the playing field.
Trinidad & Tobago will host the 52nd edition of the CARIFTA games in 2025, 20 years after they last hosted the Caribbean age-group track and field showcase.
“SporTT apologises for any inconvenience caused to regular users of the Stadium,” the statement read.
“In the interim, sporting organisations and athlete training will be facilitated at other venues and under the ambit of SporTT.”
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