The Lalonde Gordon Sports Fund

Double Olympic bronze medalist, Lalonde Gordon.

The Lalonde Gordon Sports Fund will be launched next month. The foundation was established to honour the 2012 double Olympic bronze medalist, Tobago born Lalonde Gordon.

"We're now in Tobago at a state where we have to create programmes to ensure that we develop our athletes and our young people," Secretary of the Division of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport (DEYAS) Councillor Gary Melville disclosed at Wednesday's Post Executive Council media briefing (February 13, 2013).

"Today the Executive Council would have processed the mechanism to operationalise the Fund," Melville said.

In August, following the 2012 London Olympics, THA Chief Secretary Orville London made the commitment to establish the Fund. It was created in honour of Gordon's double bronze achievement in the men's 400 metres and 4x400 metres relay during the Olympics.

Melville said the THA would provide $1million each year to the Fund and was hoping that corporate citizens and those who would have benefited from sports awards would make cash contributions. The Fund would be used to develop coaches, athletes and athletes.

"The primary purpose of the fund if to develop athletes, coaches, officials and volunteer administrators," Melville said. "We want to enhance the development of sport participation in Tobago, especially at the elite level."

Melville said the Fund is an opportunity for all major participants in sports in Tobago "to access training and further development."

Melville indicated that DEYAS was working to set up a Funding Request Assessment Committee and launch the Fund next month. The programme will incorporate a centralised funding effort that provides support to sport organizations and individual athletes. "We will contact Mr Gordon as to his availability and various members of the private sector for support."

DEYAS Secretary said the THA would contribute $1 million annually to the Fund.

SOURCE: tha.gov.tt

Lalonde Gordon Visits Chief Secretary

Double Olympics Bronze Medalist
Lalonde Gordon &
Chief Secretary, Orville London

Double bronze medalist, and first ever Olympics medalist for Tobago, Lalonde Gordon paid a courtesy call on THA Chief Secretary Orville London yesterday (Wednesday 19th September 2012) almost a month after it was originally scheduled to take place.

The Tobago-born athlete was unable to make the call then because he was part of a motorcade that ended late into the night of August 21. He also did not attend a special reception in his honour to receive his award from Chief Secretary London.

As a result his grandmother Yvonne Gordon accepted the envelopes with $200,000 worth of Units from the Unit Trust Corporation and $100,000 in cash plus a first day cover of postage stamps on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the nation's Independence and $50,000 reimbursement to his family who attended the London Olympics.

Lalonde will be the first to own a plot of land next year at the Courland Estate and the establishment of the Lalonde Gordon Sport Development Fund with the main purpose of assisting Tobago's sportsmen and women. London said the THA will open the Fund with $1 million and will continue to make an annual contribution of $1 million. In addition the THA will match contributions dollar for dollar made by corporate organisations. London said he has already received pledges from three private sector organisations.

Lalonde who migrated to the United States at the age of 8 years in 1996 said he has always kept in touch with Tobago and was thankful to God for a successful season and to London and the Assembly for their contribution to his future development.

His advice to young Tobago athletes was to listen to their parents and coach, train hard and have faith in God.

Lalonde said he was on a break from school in New York and planned to pursue a course in sports management on his return.

London told Lalonde that the Assembly and all of Tobago were proud of his achievement and those of the other athletes. The Tobago Chief Secretary assured the young Tobago athlete that when he was no longer on the track the Fund will continue in his name. "This means that when you are no longer on the track you will still be remembered in Tobago as the person who would have been the catalyst for this Fund which I hope will facilitate other outstanding Tobagonians as they try to develop their potential," London added.

Secretary of Education, Youth Affairs and Sport Whitney Alfred and Assistant Secretary in charge of Youth Affairs and Sport Huey Cadette who were present at the meeting also extended best wishes to Lalonde in his future development.

Cadette who was present at the Olympics to see Lalonde's participation in the 400 metres and relay said the Division will continue to support the athletes.

Information gained from THA news