Nicholas Paul
file
A series of unstoppable performances on the International Cycling Union (UCI) circuits in Canada and Germany, followed by a classy display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina, a performance which complemented a gold medal win at last year’s Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Add to that another double medal-winning performance at the Pan American (PanAm) Games in Santiago, Chile.
For many, that would more than represent a successful cycling career. But for Trinidad and Tobago's Nicholas Paul, this is only the beginning. In fact, despite his many successes to date, Paul still views his career as a work in progress, possibly because he is still hunting that one prize or moment to really define things and that is the Olympic Games dream.
Much like he did at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina where he won the Sprints and Keirin, while clocking a new track record 9.349 seconds in the flying 200m, Paul once again demonstrated his qualities as one of the best track cyclists in the world when he won gold in the final of the Men’s Sprint at the 2023 Pan American Games.
The outstanding 25-year-old out-paced his rival Jair Tjon of Suriname to top the podium, while Kevin Santiago Qunitero Chavarro of Colombia bettered Canada’s Nicholas John Wammes in the race for the bronze medal.
For Paul, the win added to his Pan Am Games title won in Lima, Peru in 2019 and he rightly expressed delight at the accomplishments.
“Firstly I would like to thank God for a safe meet. I am very pleased with my performance at this stage of the season because my preparation coming into the Pan-American Games was really good, and so I knew it was all left to my execution as the key factor which would determine how things would turnout.
“Fortunately, I executed well both in the flying 200m and the Sprints achieving some excellent results. Creating a new games record is always a special moment for me and my country,” Paul told SportsMax.tv.
The modest twin island republic cyclist returned a day later to cop a silver medal in the Men’s Keirin final.
On that occasion, Paul used his electric sprint speed in the final lap to power himself to second place, after falling behind the pack with a couple of laps remaining in the six-lap event.
The event was won by Colombia's Kevin Quintero, the reigning world champion in the event, while Mexico's Juan Ruiz Teran was third.
Paul, who has been a model of consistency throughout the season, attributed his continuous improvement and, by extension, success to the time spent in training honing his craft.
“It’s means a lot to me just to know that my hard work is paying off and I’m able to show the world that Trinidad and Tobago has a lot of talent. Like I said before, my preparations for the PanAm Games have been great and so I am pleased that I was able to accomplish all my goals to an extent,” he shared.
That said, Paul hinted at the possibility of much more to come, as he intends to continue pushing the limits and discover what he is truly able to achieve –next year’s Olympic Games in Paris being his next immediate target.
“It’s all a work in progress, my plan is to build on this performance and to do so, I intend to keep putting in those hard hours to keep getting stronger and faster. My overall goal for this year and beyond is to firstly qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games and secondly, try to win a medal or medals at the Olympic Games for Trinidad and Tobago. But for now, the focus is some much-needed rest and recovery," Paul declared.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Caribbean teams face tough draws for Netball World Youth Cup
The road to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 has officially begun, as Caribbean representatives Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados now know their opponents for the tournament, which will see 20 of the world’s top under-21 netball teams vying for supremacy on the international stage.
With 10 months to go before the September 19–28 showpiece in Gibraltar, Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls, as well as the young Barbados Gems and Calypso Girls, will intensify preparations as they have tough draws to navigate.
Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls have been drawn into a competitive Pool C alongside powerhouse England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka. It’s a challenging group, but one that Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson believes they will be well-prepared for.
“We know the quality of our opponents, especially England, who are always strong at the youth level. However, we will be ensuring that the girls preparation is very thorough, as we have every intention of possibly making a deep run in this tournament. So the focus of the preparation will be on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening the team’s physical and mental readiness in the build-up to the World Cup,” Robinson told SportsMax.Tv.
While Jamaica, having established itself as a powerhouse in senior netball, aims to carry that momentum into the youth competition. For Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, this tournament represents an opportunity to showcase their developing talent and challenge more seasoned teams on the global stage.
This, as Tuesday’s draw pitted Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in Pool D, where they face an equally formidable lineup. They will go up against Fiji, South Africa, and Malawi—teams known for their athleticism and tactical prowess.
Meanwhile, Pool A will see host Gibraltar square off against defending champions New Zealand, Malaysia, the Cook Islands, and Zambia.
Australia, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, and Northern Ireland will contest Pool B.
The initial pools further highlighted the global diversity of the competition, with at least three teams from each of World Netball’s five regions—Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania—represented.
Games will be played at the Europa Point Sports Complex and Tercentenary Sports Hall in Gibraltar.
World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl, DBE, emphasized the importance of the tournament for young athletes.
“This competition is often the first time many players experience different styles of play from across the globe. The NWYC is a platform for emerging elite talent, and we are excited to see what new matchups and experiences await,” Nicholl said.
Dwight Yorke backs push for T&T’s citizenship reform to boost Soca Warriors’ World Cup bid
Soca Warriors Head coach Dwight Yorke has warmly embraced the government’s initiative to review the nation’s citizenship laws, a move that could significantly bolster his squad's depth and aspirations for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The proposed changes, currently under discussion, would allow foreign-based players with Trinidad and Tobago-born grandparents to represent the Twin Island Republic, a significant step up from the current Constitution, which states that “A person shall not become a citizen of T&T if, at the time of his birth—(a) neither of his parents is a citizen of T&T.”
This adjustment could expand the Soca Warriors player pool and, by extension, create new opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago to remain competitive on the global stage across various sports.
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis explained that steps are being taken to explore legislative reforms.
The Ministry of National Security, the Office of the Attorney General, and the TT Football Association (TTFA) are also involved in discussions about the initiative to draw insights from policies in other Caribbean nations.
“We’re starting with football. We are exploring the policies of our neighbours and the legislation to work out an arrangement suitable for T&T. So we’re at the discussion stage right now,” Cudjoe-Lewis said during Yorke’s unveiling recently.
“For the drafters of the legislation and the persons looking at the policy, it’s a little more complicated, and a proper, thorough study on policy development must be done. It’s not something you want to rush,” she added.
Although a timeline for implementation has not been established, the initiative has already sparked interest across Trinidad and Tobago’s broader sporting community, with other national sporting organizations inquiring about similar eligibility expansions for their athletes.
“As we started looking at football, many of the other sporting bodies started reaching out, saying they want to be able to use persons whose grandparents were born in T&T for them to be able to play for national teams,” Cudjoe-Lewis shared.
“You have to pass the legislation and the policy in such a way that it is fair and just. We’re starting with football, and we are just looking at and exploring the policy of our neighbours and the legislation, so we’re at the discussion stage right now,” she stressed.
Yorke, a former Soca Warriors and Manchester United stalwart, understands the potential impact such reforms could have but emphasized that any additions to the squad must be carefully considered to ensure they fit seamlessly into the team’s long-term strategy.
He referenced the success of global football powerhouses like France, England, and Germany, which have leveraged similar eligibility rules to assemble world-class teams.
“It’s been talked about, and we’ve seen over the years where other teams, predominantly big teams in world football, all have some type of inheritance. We are looking at the situation, one that we will implement at some point, but it has to be the right players to come into the equation,” Yorke said.
Yorke also praised the December restart of the TT Premier Football League, which he believes will serve as a proving ground for local talent with national team ambitions.
“For the players who have aspirations of representing T&T, it gives them additional incentive when they get out there to know what’s at stake. Any young man who is playing at that level should have aspiration to be part of the national team.
“So that’s the message. In terms of me, Russell Latapy, Derek King (assistant coaches), and the backroom staff, we’re collectively looking for the best talent in the country,” Yorke declared.
Red Force hammer Pride by nine wickets on the back of 173-run second wicket partnership from Ottley and Jangoo
Defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force comprehensively beat the Barbados Pride by nine wickets at the Queen’s Park Oval on Saturday to secure their spot in the semi-finals of the CG United Super50 Cup.
A delay to the start of proceedings due to some wet spots on the field from rain the night before meant the game was reduced to 45 overs per team.
Leniko Boucher and Raymon Reifer hit fifties to lead the Pride to 258-9 from their 45 overs after being put in to bat by the Red Force.
Boucher top scored with 81 off 72 balls including 10 fours and a six while Reifer hit 70 off 94 balls including three fours and two sixes.
Yannic Cariah took 4-53 from nine overs and was supported well by Mark Deyal who grabbed 3-32, also from nine overs.
An unbeaten 173-run second wicket partnership from Kjorn Ottley and Amir Jangoo then led the Red Force to 259-1 in 43.3 overs.
Ottley led the way with 112* off 132 balls including 11 fours and two sixes while Jangoo finished not out on 93 off 96 balls, hitting four fours and two sixes.
Tion Webster had earlier made 41.
The Red Force ended their league phase campaign with an impressive 64 points from seven games and will be one of the favorites to lift the title when all is said and done.
Despite the heavy loss, the Pride, with 46 points from their seven games, should still find themselves in the last four.
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