Trinbago 1st Olympic Gold Medal - Hasely Crawford

Edited by Kemet Newsletter (2014)

Hasely Joachim Crawford born August 16, 1950 is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago. In 1976, he became Trinbago first Olympic Gold champion and the first Olympic 100m champion from a Caribbean country. A stadium was renamed in his honour in 2001. Crawford was born in San Fernando Trinidad and Tobago, one of the eleven children of Lionel and Phyllis Crawford, and began pursuing athletics at the age of 17. He is a six-time Trinidad and Tobago 100 meters champion, and won the 200 meters title in 1976. He debuted internationally in 1970, winning a bronze medal in the 100 meters at the Commonwealth Games. Only two years later, he surprisingly qualified for the 100 meters final of the Olympics in Munich, but pulled his hamstring after 20 meters and failed to finish. Crawford ran for Eastern Michigan University under coach Bob Parks during his college years.

During his reign as the 100 meters Olympic champion, he also appeared on postage stamps and was awarded Trinidad and Tobago's highest honour, the Trinity Cross, in 1978. For religious reasons this award was changed to The Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

First Master of The Googly -Sonny Ramadhin

Edited by Kemet Newsletter (2014)

Sonny Ramadhin was born in Esperance Village in Trinidad and Tobago on the 1/May/1929. He was introduced to organized cricket at the Canadian Mission School in Duncan Village San Fernando. Sonny Ramadhin was the first player of East Indian descent to represent the West Indies Cricket Team. He is credited as the First Master of The Googly. Most of the cricket world says he was the inventor of the googly because he was the first practical successful performer. He could make the ball turn in either direction by a flick of his fingers or with an imperceptible turn of his wrist. His unorthodox attack was the off break spun with the middle finger down the seam: he ran, delivered and followed through in one quick whippy motion, an all-in-one type of action combined with accurate length, unerring direction and crafty variations of flight and pace.

The Barefooted Runner & Hero - Mannie Dookie

Edited by Kemet Newsletter (2014)

Mannie Albert Dookie has the honour of being the First Athlete to represent Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) at an International sports meet. In 1934, during the British Empire Games which is now called the Commonwealth games, Mannie was Trinbago lone Athlete and the 19 year old was not intimidated as he carried the Red, White and blue Union Jack representing out colonized Nation. This 19-year-old Dookie ran barefoot on a blistering cinder track which tore his feet to shreds during the three-mile and six-mile events. He became known for his preference of running without shoes and was famously coined “The Barefoot Runner.”

First Ever Medal for Trinbago -Rodney Wilkes

Edited by Kemet Newsletter (2014)

Rodney Wilkes was called ‘The Mighty Midget’. Wilkes Won the First-Ever Medal for Trinbago at any international sporting event. He accomplished that feat when he captured the Silver medal, in the Featherweight Class of the Weightlifting competition, at the London Olympics in 1948.

At Just 17 years old, Rodney became the nation’s Featherweight champion in 1942, establishing records in the ‘press’, ‘snatch’ and ‘clean and jerk’ divisions. Wilkes won Gold in his first International competition, the 1946 Caribbean and Central American (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. At the London Games Wilkes won Silver in the Featherweight class with final lifts of: 214.5lbs press, 214.5lbs snatch and 269.5lbs clean and jerk, for a combined total of 698.5lbs. Rodney’s success continued as he grabbed Gold medals in 1950 and 1951 at the CAC Games and Pan American Games in Guatemala City, Guatemala and Buenos Aires, Argentina respectively. This was followed by a Bronze medal in the Featherweight class (322.5kg) at the 1952 Summer Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland.