SporTT opens Elite athletes gym at NRC

The Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) officially opened its new, elite gym at the National Racquet Centre, Orange Grove Road, Tacarigua on Monday.

The state-of-the-art gym will allow the country’s elite athletes to train free of charge, and to benefit from high performance services, including strength and conditioning, psychology, nutrition and analysis and testing.

Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs,Phillip Watts, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Ag.) in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs (MSYA) Gabre-Jesu McTair and SporTT Chief Executive Officer Jason Williams were among the officials attending the opening function, alongside athletes and Ministry and SporTT representatives.

This is the second high performance gym under the purview of SporTT after the gym facility at Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo which focuses on supporting T&T’s elite athletes to enhance their training and boost performance.

A third gym is scheduled to be completed next month (September 2025) at the National Cycling Velodrome in Balmain, Couva to facilitate athletes based in Central/South Trinidad.

Following the opening, the officials toured the facility and were given demonstrations of some of the equipment and technology by the Elite Athlete Wellness Unit of SporTT.

Former hockey player, Tobias Ottley, Head Elite Athlete Wellness, SporTT in his brief address said, “It is a performance environment, a space designed to support T&T’s finest talent as they meet and greet, as well as aim to beat, the world’s best. High-performance sport requires more than natural ability. It requires structure, it requires support, and it requires an environment that reflects the standards of global competition.

“These gyms are a clear investment on SporTT’s part towards empowering athletes to not just take part on the international stage, but to contend, to push for those precious podium spots. Within the Elite Athlete Wellbeing Unit, we emphasise that strength and conditioning is not simply about lifting weights. It is about building resilience, about improving efficiency, and most importantly, preventing injury.”

Williams stated, ‘No longer would someone from the east have to go down to Port of Spain, from south have to go down to Port of Spain. By September 15 we will be opening one in Couva right at the National Cycling Velodrome. So, there’s going to be access across the board.

“It’s going to be a little more convenient and everyone will have access to training. I want to remind everyone that… there’s a criteria for getting access to it… we’ll put it out on social media, how to be able to get access to use the facility.

“Outside of this, we will be looking at outfitting the Larry Gomes Stadium (Malabar), the Manny Ramjohn Stadium (Marabella), the Ato Boldon Stadium, (Couva) and as well as the Hasely Crawford and the Dwight Yorke Stadium (Bacolet, Tobago) with another arm of a gym, but it’s not as strict as an elite gym. So that’s things to look forward for and we will continue to give back and support all the athletes as best as we can and just help them in their drive towards excellence.”

Matthew Graham, a track and field athlete, “As [I’m] living in the east, it helps me with recovery, in a sense that the distance I have to travel. Most times I go to Port of Spain, I spend [time] training and have to wait long hours to do our next session. So, my recovery would cut down to be better, more efficient. Also, time. I have more time to get through different sessions. For me, I do two sessions in the morning, on the track and then at the gym.

“So, it adds a little more structure to what I can do. Not only in the gym, but to the psychological part of my training. It will help where I no longer have to think about where I have to go next or what I have to do in preparation for competition. So, the facility here will be a very good plus for athletes in the east.”

Minister Watts first recognised the hard work and dedication of the Sports Company of T&T, and its CEO, Jason Williams, and his team for making this a reality.

“This investment in you, the athletes of T&T, is part of a broader vision led by the Prime Minister, the Honourable Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The Prime Minister has been unwavering in her belief that sport is just not about medals. It’s about nation building. It’s about community. And it’s about youth development.

“When our athletes stand on podiums worldwide, the flag of Trinidad and Tobago, and when you hear the anthem playing, it is never only about individual glory. It is about the collective spirit of a small nation that continues to push above its weight. With facilities like these, with the support of dedicated coaches, and with unwavering national encouragement, we are building an environment where those moments will not only continue, but multiply.

“But let us think even bigger. Beyond regional tournaments, beyond even the Olympics, we envision an era where T&T is consistently recognised as a hub for athletes’ talent and sporting excellence across multiple disciplines. As we officially open the Elite Gym today, I want to remind you that every squat, every sprint, every weightlifting [effort] here is not only an investment in your own bodies, but in the pride of our nation.

“To our athletes, this facility goes beyond you. The facility belongs to you. Make full use of it.

“To our coaches and technical experts, continue to push our athletes with passion and precision. And to our young people watching, let this inspire you. Let this space be seen as more than a gym, but as a symbol, a symbol that dreams can be built and supported right here at home.”