The National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT) is mourning the death of two-time Olympian Dr Cliff Bertrand. In a press release, on Sunday, NAAATT president Ephraim Serrette paid tribute to Bertrand.

“The athletic family in Trinidad and Tobago is deeply saddened by the loss of the founding member of the Arima based Abilene Wildcats Athletic Club, Dr Cliff Bertrand. Dr Bertrand, a former national athlete who represented this country with distinction, also participated at the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games.

“As an administrator and coach,” Serrette continued, “he was a member of the New York City Board of Education and the first Caribbean athlete to be head coach of a major institution at the NCAA Division 1 Level in Track & Field and Cross Country programme at New York University (NYU).”

Bertrand died on Sunday in New York, USA, at the age of 84. He was a standout athlete for T&T in the 1950s and 60s. At his first Olympic Games, in Rome, Italy in 1960, Bertrand represented the British West Indies. And then, at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, Japan, he competed for T&T.

The highpoint of Bertrand’s athletics career was the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where he bagged double bronze for T&T in the men’s 400m and 4x100m events.

Bertrand was also a well-respected educator.

“Through his online platforms Caribbean and American Insights on Sports and Education he shared his insights, thoughts and ideas on bridging the divide between Track & Field Sports and Education and published numerous articles in the sphere of sport administration in Trinidad and Tobago.

“On behalf of the National Association of Athletics Administrations of Trinidad and Tobago,” Serrette continued, “I wish to express our heartfelt sympathy. With affection and deep sympathy, we pray that God comfort his family both immediate, athletic and other mourners.”

Bertrand was an inductee in the First Citizens Sports Foundation Hall of Fame, here in T&T, as well as the New York University (NYU) Athletics Hall of Fame.