Trinidad and Tobago

The Caribbean island Trinidad and Tobago will participate with 16 Floor Hockey players, ten male and six female, in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria 2017. “We expect a safe well run Games, proper housing, transportation, and adherence to Special Olympics Rules,” says Candilla Berment-Harper, Head of Delegation (HOD). The 16 participants will compete, meet new friends, explore the about nearly 9,000 kilometres distant Austria and hopefully win a medal. They will get support from four coaches, two officials and about two or three relatives. “It is very expensive to get to Austria,” explains Ms Berment-Harper.

The Floor Hockey team of Trinidad and Tobago have been training on weekends for the Games since 2015. “We select a long list of athletes after our 2015 Local Floor Hockey Competition and then the final list,” explicates Berment-Harper the selection process for the Floor Hockey team. No one of the team have never been in Austria. “Only our assistant HOD accompanied the team as a coach at the Winter Games 1993 in Austria, but this is my first visit,” adds Candilla Berment-Harper.

written by Patrick Kaiser (University of Applied Sciences)

Infos to the athletes from Trinidad and Tobago