On Monday 1st July, The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Process Plant Operations student Nkozsi Gray along with Senior Sport Officer Ian Pritchard will represent Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) at the World University Games in Napoli, Italy. 

 

Mr. Gray, the second ranked national Taekwondo athlete will be participating at this prestigious international event for the first time and has his eyes set on returning with valuable silverware. He had this to say: "I know it will be a tough time in Italy since the best Taekwondo student-athletes from over 100 countries will be vying for precious metal. I have come up against a few of them before at other international tournaments while representing Trinidad and Tobago and have a good idea what I will be up against. I have done the hard work with weeks and months of preparation and feel confident that Nkozsi Gray will give an excellent showing at these games." 

 

World renowned Hall of Famer Wonderland Grandmaster JRun Young Jung of Seoul, South Korea believes that Nkozsi has tremendous ability and will even win gold at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. This is what Jin Young Jung had to say: "Ever so often a student comes along that possesses the right combination of talent, passion, discipline, work ethic and hunger for immortal greatness, this is Nkozsi Gray. I am absolute in my belief he can and will go all the way to the gold medal podium in Tokyo."

 

This is the second World University Games for UTT’s Senior Sport Officer and President of the Tertiary Sport Association of Trinidad and Tobago (TSATT), Ian Pritchard. Pritchard has once again been selected as the Head of Delegation and will lead the contingent of 17 persons representing Trinidad and Tobago at these games. Pritchard indicated that he has a quiet confidence that team TTO will return to Trinidad with silverware this time around. 

"We have had representation at these games from as far back as 2013, when Trinidad and Tobago was represented by 2 track athletes (both of UTT) and UTT's Track & Field Coach Lester Osouna. Again, in 2015, a duo of UTT athletes represented the Red, White and Black in Gwangju, Korea, with one of the athletes reaching the semi-final round of the men 200m. In 2017, in Taipei, Taiwan UTT’s then Scholarship Athlete Darren Alfred, became the first Trinidadian to get to the finals at these Games. This year team TTO intends to go one step further and have a podium finish", said Pritchard. 

 

Darren, who is now on Scholarship at the Saint Augustine University in North Carolina, will again be part of the national contingent heading to Italy and is excited of his chances this year. Darren gives all praises to UTT and Coach Osouna for the guidance, mentoring, training and preparation, which has allowed him to be performing at the highest level. He said he would highly recommend UTT’s High Performance programme to any young and potential national athlete. 

 

Join us in wishing, Ian, Nkozsi and past UTT athlete Darren all the best in Italy. 

 

Nkozsi Gray