Perennial champions of the Port-of-Spain Rotary Games West Zone B will be seeking to reverse last year’s results with defending champion zone Central A, when the 28th Rotary Games begins at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Thursday. A very large crowd is expected to converge on the facility for the 54-event programme.
Host, the Ministry of Education, is catering for the biggest games in Port-of-Spain and schools have been asked to transfer activities to the stadium, which will be tranformed into a battlefield. Eighty-one primary schools throughout Port-of-Spain and environs will bid for athletic supremacy from eight zones.
The schools include last year’s champions Central A which upstaged the West B Zone. This year, the former champions are bent on regaining the title of Champions and are set to dethrone the one-time winners. West B will also have to withstand challenge from East A, winners of the Rotary Games six years ago, and training partners of West A which is powered by Carenage Girls Government, Dunross Prep School and Maraval RC.
This year, the games’ theme is Champions which is in honour of Port-of-Spain and environs district which has dominated these games for many years. The district will honour athletes and administrators who have served the Port-of-Spain region for the past two decades. The honorees this year include school supervisor III—Olson Oliver and principal of Hokett Baptist—Stanley Mahase.
Athletes who have won titles at the Port-of-Spain games and have gone on to represent the country have been invited to attend. The list includes Jehue Gordon, Marc Burns, Fana Ashby, Michelle-Lee Ahye, Pilar McShine, Edwin Hill, Simon Pierre, Kareem Taylor, Honore McDonald, Cleavon Dillon, Renee Clarke, Zwede Hewitt, Jovon Toppin, Kervin Morgan, Kernesha Spann and Dion Rodriguez.
The West B Zone, powered by Diamond Vale Government, Diego Martin Government, Patna River Estate Government and La Puerta Government, will be seeking to register another lien on the Rotary Challenge Trophy. But arch-rivals West A will be aiming to upstage last year’s winners and the West B Zone.
During the history of the games West B has captured 22 titles in 27 years.
Among the athletes expected to shine today are West zones’ Shaniqua Bascombe, Reneisha McEachnie, Central’s, Makealon Woods, Janika Jordan, Kianna Llewellyn, Karissa Kirton, and Kyrell Thomas and East’s Reyshawn Andrews, Reneisha Andrews, along with North’s Keone John and Andel Timothy.
The Minister of Education Anthony Garcia and the Minister of Sport Darryl Smith are expected to stand at the podium for the opening ceremony before addressing the Rotary Club Luncheon at midday.
The march past will see Patna River Estate Government, Cocorite Government, St Catherine’s AC, Mucurapo Boys, St Margarets Boys AC, Gloster Lodge Moravian, Morvant Anglican School and Nelson Street Boys RC parading before the judges and marching to the music of the T&T Police Service Band.
The march past is scheduled to begin at 9 am and the games will be streamed live.