SporTT says Cycling Federation was not compliant to get funding

WALTER ALIBEY

Senior Multimedia Reporter

[email protected]

A combination of lack of funds, non-compliance or both is being blamed for the heart of a nation being broken due to the inability of the country’s cycling team to participate at the Junior Pan American Cycling Championships.

The championships got underway in Veracruz, Mexico, yesterday; however, a five-member junior team of Cristian Nelson, Kafele Desormeaux, Zion Lucas, Shameka Hoyte, and Kylee Young cannot be there. The trio of Desormeaux, Nelson, and Lucas was expected to defend the title in the team sprint after T&T’s threesome of Jelani Nedd, Javon Ramroop, and Judah Neverson won the gold medal by beating Colombia’s trio of Martin Gomez, Juan Jose Palacio, and Camilo Yara Juan in the final, clocking a nippy 46.061 seconds in 2025.

The T&T team was scheduled to leave local shores on Saturday, but upon hearing word of the non-approval of funds by the Sports Company of T&T (SporTT) for their travel, the members took to social media to vent their disappointment. This led to the criticism of SporTT and the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs and its minister, Phillip Watts.

Gregory Dandrade, chairman of the Racing Committee of the T&T Cycling Federation, was appointed coach of the team, alongside Sheryl Leacock (manager) and Sheldon Ramjit, the mechanic. Dandrade told Guardian Media Sport, “We submitted our request for the funding of the team of five cyclists and three officials almost four months ago, with the figure being close to $200,000, so our budget was sent to Sport well in advance of the event as part of submitting criteria for all our major competitions for national teams.”

However, yesterday, SporTT in a notice to National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of which the TTCF is a part, sought to clear the air in a release that stated, “SporTT advises that, pursuant to a Board directive, all National Governing Bodies (NGBs) under its purview were formally notified by the Sport Development Unit (SDU) in February 2026 that funding approvals were placed on hold indefinitely, pending administrative and financial review processes.”

“This position was communicated to the T&T Cycling Federation (TTCF) more than three months ago, at a 29 January 2026 virtual meeting. The decision to place subventions on hold was not taken lightly and was in part necessary due to persistent compliance challenges across several NGBs, especially in light of ongoing funding constraints. Outstanding Compliance Obligations in relation to the TTCF, SporTT, confirmed that there are currently eight (8) outstanding expense reports spanning the current and previous financial years. Five (5) of these reports are presently under review by the SDU, pending additional supporting documentation from the TTCF to complete the reconciliation process.”

According to the SporTT, “The remaining three (3) reports have not yet been submitted by the TTCF. In line with governance and accountability best practices, these outstanding matters must be resolved before further funding requests can be considered. SporTT communicated these requirements to the TTCF through established channels well in advance of the Championships, allowing sufficient time for alternative arrangements to be explored.”

Attempts to reach Rowena Williams, the cycling federation president, for a response on the matter via phone and What’sApp message proved futile. Guardian Media Sports then contacted Patricia Le Blanch, secretary of the TTCF, but she said she could not offer a response at this time.

Attempt were also made to contact Claire Orr, the TTCF treasurer, via phone and WhatsApp message, but up to Press time there was no response.

Meanwhile, SporTT made it clear in its statement that “As a state enterprise, SporTT aims to ensure that all funding disbursements are managed in accordance with established governance, accountability, and financial compliance procedures. SporTT continues to demonstrate its commitment to sport development and performance; however, it also has a responsibility to maintain best practice in accountability and governance in the management of public funds.”

“These measures help safeguard the integrity and sustainability of public investment in sport and must be applied consistently across all NGBs.”

Under the headline, Acknowledgement, the SporTT said it acknowledges the disappointment experienced by the athletes, their families, and the wider cycling community regarding the circumstances surrounding the team’s participation and will continue to work with NGBs in the best interest of national sport.