CYCLIST Nicholas Paul and sprinter Michelle-Lee Ahye copped the senior sportsman and sportswoman of the year awards, respectively, when the 61st edition of the First Citizens Sports Foundation Sports Awards and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony was held at Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain on Saturday night.
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis congratulated all the athletes for their efforts.
[caption id="attachment_1070751" align="alignnone" width="683"] Track and field athlete Jane De Gannes, right, was awarded Youth Female Sportsperson of the Year by First Citizens Group CEO Karen Darbasie, during the First Citizens Sports Foundation 2023 Sports Awards at Hyatt Regency on Saturday in Port of Spain. - Photo by Daniel Prentice[/caption]
She said, “We acknowledge your strength, we admire your passion, we commend your courage, and we remain inspired by your greatness…for your exemplary focus; your perseverance; your grit; and your willpower to truly conquer your sporting disciplines.”
Cudjoe-Lewis thanked First Citizens for recognising the athletes.
Paul, 25, had a decorated 2023 with the highlight being at the 2023 International Cycling Union World Track Championships in Glasgow, Scotland in August.
Paul, who is the world record holder in the flying 200m, earned a historic silver medal.
[caption id="attachment_1070752" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Badminton athlete Vishal Ramsubhag collects his top ten nominee award from hockey legend Sandra Charles-Montano, during the First Citizens Sports Foundation 2023 Sports Awards and 2024 Hall of Fame Induction at Hyatt Regency on Saturday. - Photo by Daniel Prentice[/caption]
It was Paul's second World Championship silver after medalling in the 1K time trial event in 2021.
Later in 2023, Paul showed his class at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
He defended the sprint title he won at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru and also bagged silver in the men's keirin.
One of the best moments of 2023 for Ahye was at the Pan American Games where she grabbed bronze in the women's 100-metre event in 11.53 seconds. Ahye was the only TT track and field athlete to win a medal in Chile.
It was Ahye's second Pan Am medal after copping silver at the 2019 edition in Lima, Peru.
Ahye is still TT's most elite women's sprinter and has continued to dominate in local meets.
Ahye and Paul also copped the 2023 TT Olympic Committee senior awards in December.
Winning the youth sportsman of the year prize was swimmer Nikoli Blackman and earning the youth sportswoman of the year award was track and field’s Janae De Gannes.
Blackman and De Gannes both delivered outstanding performances at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, held in TT.
Blackman copped three gold medals and De Gannes bagged a silver medal in the women’s long jump.
In 2023, De Gannes also broke the North American, Central American and Caribbean Games Under-18 meet record with a 6.11-metre effort.
Blackman also shone on the world stage, winning the 50-metre free
