MINISTER of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe is pleading with national governing bodies (NGBs) to ensure Tobago athletes are given the same opportunities as their Trini counterparts.

Cudjoe was speaking at a recognition ceremony at the Hilton Hotel, St Ann's on Thursday for national junior athletes who competed this year.

In a rousing feature address, Cudjoe, the Tobago West MP, commended the TT Netball Association (TTNA) for making sure that the Tobago netballers on the TT Under-16 team got the chance to attend Thursday’s ceremony.

“The Tobagonian netballers are here because TTNA made it their business to support their athletes to get here,” Cudjoe said. “I want to tell you a little bit about supporting the Tobago athlete. NGBs, it is your duty to support the Tobago athlete. It is a part of the policy. An athlete should not be punished or penalised or discriminated against or sidelined because they are from Tobago. We experience too much of that.”

Young netballer Keiko Roy, one of six Tobagonians on the national under-16 team, is the daughter of Tobago East MP Ayanna Webster-Roy. Roy was impressed at Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth Tournament, placing second in the individual shooting competition, won the prize for most accurate shooter and helped TT win the team shooting competition.

At Thursday's ceremony, the sports ministry honoured the performances of the Carifta aquatic team, the Carifta athletics team, the national under-15 boys' cricket team and the national under-16 netball team.

Both the Carifta aquatic and athletics 2023 teams won medals at their respective meets. The TT under-15 cricketers were crowned champions of the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 boys' tournament and the netballers, despite missing out on a medal, delivered quality individual performances at the Jean Pierre Caribbean Youth tournament.

All the athletes, who were accompanied by their parents and coaches, were given tokens of appreciation.

The Tobago athletes were well-represented on the national youth teams, especially on the athletics and netball teams.

Cudjoe said when a Tobagonian is chosen to represent this country, the NGBs must step in.

“When an athlete is preparing to make the national team…that expense falls on the Tobago House of Assembly, but from the day that athlete makes the national team it is the duty of that NGB to make your application to SporTT (Sport Company of TT), to the ministry for the funding to support that Tobagonian athlete.”

Cudjoe said the ministry and SporTT will ensure Tobagonians get the chance to travel to Trinidad for ceremonies or tournaments once applications for funding are handed in, but it must be done in a timely fashion.

“You submit your application on time with your necessary quotations saying I have X number of Tobagonian athletes required to travel to Trinidad…when you submit that, SporTT is not to turn their back and if they do, call me.”

Chairman of the Sport and Culture Fund of the Office of the Prime Minister Debra Coryatt-Patton and one of