Phillip queries: Why did Sellier give up CAC ride?

By WALTER ALIBEY Wednesday, July 28 2010

MICHAEL PHILLIPS, president of the Beacon Cycling Club is demanding answers on why Match Sprint Christopher Sellier did not compete for TT at the Central American and Caribbean Games in the sprint at the weekend.

Newsday learnt that Sellier who had been down to ride, gave up his spot to Pan Ameircan junior champion Njisane Phillip to compete instead.

Phillip, the first and only Trinidadian cyclist to have won three gold medals at the Junior Pan American Games in Mexico last year won the gold medal in the final.

However former national cyclist and cycling president Phillip (M) is contending that there could have been two medals for TT instead of one.

He is asking why Phillip (N) was not initially chosen to ride in the sprint as he is a silver medallist at the Pan Am Senior Cycling Championship.

“Why did Sellier, who is the national sprint champion, step aside for the talented Phillip when he (Sellier) himself could have been in a position to win a medal from the event. We could have had a gold and a silver medal,” said Phillip (M).

Phillip (M) is questioning what went wrong and what was the criteria for being selected on the team at the CAC Games.

Sellier, a member of his team Beacon, had been down to contest the sprint at the CAC along with Azikwe Kellar. He wants to find out why Phillip (N) being among the top two best sprinters in the country had been excluded.

He made it clear that since the National Cycling Championship which was held at the Arima Velodrome was not a criteria for the selection of the team, then why was Phillip (N) not in the team. Members of his Team Beacon, as well as the parents of Sellier have been baffled over the Sellier’s decision to give up his spot for Phillip (N) to ride in the sprint.

They are asking, “Why wasn’t Kellar the one to sit out of the sprint instead of the country’s two best cyclists.”

They feel that these questions are needed to be answered to prevent a re-occurrence of such a problem in the future.

However president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) Robert Farrier said yesterday that such a decision was made by the team’s managers, Joseph Charles-Walcott and Gregory Dandrade, who are both at the CAC Games. He however gave the assurance that officials will present a report on why such a decision was made when they return.

Yesterday the local cycling boss pointed out that it was public knowledge that the national championship was a criteria for selection on the team.

But he made it clear however that the cycling team was expected to engage in a trial before the actual competition at the Central American and Caribbean Games.

“There were no trials and for this the team officials will also be asked to hand in a report on why as well,” Farrier said.

Interview with (M) Phillips concerning the controversy.