Spirit of Sport Award (SOSA) nominee and Trinidad & Tobago's leading cyclist Njisane Phillips has become the second rider from this country to medal at the Pan American Cycling Championships, currently underway in Mar del Plata, Argentina.

According to the Honourable Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport, Njisane is “maturing into an accomplished rider, whose strategy, tactics and confidence are reaping rewards. To beat his main rival Hersony Canelon of Venezuela in two consecutive races to capture gold in the Sprint event at the Pan Am Cycling Championships is an incredible feat”.

The Minister further stated that Njisane's accumulation of points and qualification for London 2012 as “a proud moment for Trinidad & Tobago and comes at an opportune time as construction of the National Velodrome will commence in April this year”. The $259m project is being managed by the Sports Company of Trinidad & Tobago and should be completed by 2015.

Njisane Phillips is on the Ministry's Elite Athlete Assistance Programme (EAAP) roster and his Pan Am gold means he is poised to make a debut appearance at the 2012 London Olympics, following the tracks of numerous national riders, including Gene Samuel, Roger Gibbon, the late Compton Bourne and others who all proudly represented Trinidad & Tobago at the global sporting event.

The Sports Company of Trinidad & Tobago congratulate the young cyclist on his achievement, affirm our continued support and wish him the best in his preparation for the biggest sporting stage in the world.