PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Trinidad and Tobago’s sports minister Darryl Smith has demanded an end to what he termed ‘nasty’ comments being made on social media, attacking the country’s athletes participating in the Rio Olympic Games.
Gymnast Marisa Dick and boxer Nigel Paul are reported to be among athletes who have been targeted for negative comments on social media.
Dick was quoted in an interview with an ESPN reporter as saying she was heartbroken by the comments.
“We are seeing some really nasty things being said about Marisa Dick and even young Paul and people have to remember that this is somebody’ daughter, this is somebody’s sister , this is some-body’s granddaughter,” Smith pointed out.
“They choose to represent Trinidad and Tobago as amateurs, they are not getting any money, most of us work and have our jobs, they do this 24 hours a day and we have to respect that effort.”
The sports minister said that T&T has sent its largest contingent of 32 athletes to the games including three members for the Paralympics.
Although the country is yet to medal, two athletes- swimmer Dylan Carter and quarter-miler Machel Cedenio- also broke national records while Cleopatra Borel placed sixth in the world in the women’s shot put, her personal achievement.
“We all have an opinion but just not be nasty with it. Trinidadians sometimes are bandwagonists. If we had won gold, we would have been singing high praise to them and I think it is really unfortunate that we have a few people that are immature with regards to that,” the T&T sports minister said.
“I really want to reach out to those to stop and the right thinking citizens to not allow the few bad apples to say that. I think people are caught up in the emotions of the whole thing.”
