Ato Boldon, Trinidad and Tobago’s greatest-ever sprinter and a globally respected broadcaster, has delivered a blistering critique of the nation’s track and field program, warning that the sport is at its lowest ebb in history.
Speaking on iSports Saturday with Andre Errol Baptiste on i95.5FM, the four-time Olympic medallist declared bluntly:
“I have never seen it this bad.”
He placed responsibility squarely on the shoulders of the National Association of Athletic Administrations (NAAA), urging its leadership to take accountability for a steep decline that has seen the once-proud sprinting nation fade from regular podium contention to “almost a decade of nothing.”
Sponsorship fallout and relay collapse
Boldon said it was no surprise that the National Gas Company (NGC) recently pulled the plug on its sponsorship of the NAAA, pointing to poor global results as the inevitable cause.
But it was the decline of the relays—long a hallmark of T&T success—that drew his sharpest condemnation.
“T&T women’s relays are completely irrelevant and men’s relays non-existent,” he charged.
He contrasted Trinidad and Tobago’s disorganization with the systematic preparation of other nations.
“Other countries have cohesion among four, five, six or seven athletes, and for them it’s a question of plug and play,” he explained. “We got away with doing it the old way for years during the Richard Thompson and Mark Burns era, when the relays were at their peak. But those days are over.”
In one of his most vivid analogies, Boldon likened the current state of affairs to trying to compete with outdated tools:
“It’s now like we are trying to run a 100-meter dash or play basketball in Converse or Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers.”
Call for a national policy
Boldon insisted that only a bold, structured approach can reverse the slide.
“The NAAA needs a national policy that will help to get the nation’s track and field back on track,” he asserted.
While unsparing in his criticism, Boldon made it clear he is not ready to abandon hope. He pledged that if the NAAA demonstrates a genuine appetite for reform, he would be open to returning in an advisory role.
“If things change, I will consider giving my services to the Association to help rebuild track and field in Trinidad,” he said.
A flicker of success amid struggles
Trinidad and Tobago ended the recent World Championships with two medals—Keshorn Walcott claiming gold in the men’s javelin and Jereem Richards earning silver in the 400m. But for Boldon, these isolated triumphs cannot obscure the wider systemic decline.
