Government Ministries and Departments Praised at TRISTAR Opening Ceremony

Permanent Secretary in the Nevis Island Administration’s Ministry of Sports Mr. Alsted Pemberton

NIA-CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS (April 5TH, 2011) — TRISTAR 111 Nevis’ International Triathlon 2011, held last Saturday [Apr. 2], was “not only a sporting event,” according to Permanent Secretary in the Nevis Island Administration’s [NIA] Ministry of Sports Mr. Alsted Pemberton.

“It is also a tourism event. The event is to recruit new persons into the sports and also to identify new destinations here on Nevis,” Mr. Pemberton added during last Thursday’s [Mar. 31] opening ceremony for the triathlon events.

The opening ceremony, held on Main Street in the capital city of Charlestown, was attended by a large number of government officials including Nevis’ Premier and Minister of Tourism the Honourable Joseph Parry, Minister of Sports the Honourable Hensley Daniel and Advisor to the Ministry of Tourism Mr. Alastair Yearwood.

Following the ceremony that was punctuated with speeches and cultural presentations, the government officials met and spoke with triathletes from across the Caribbean region who had journeyed to Nevis for the “historic event.” The opening ceremony signaled the first hosting of TRISTAR in the Caribbean.

“We should be proud of this accomplishment. TRISTAR events have been held in places like Germany, Indonesia, Morocco, Estonia and Layas so we here in Nevis have been measuring up to these other countries,” Mr. Pemberton explained.

The collaborative effort between the St. Kitts-Nevis Triathlon Federation and the NIA, through its ministries and departments, received high praise when the organisation’s [St. Kitts-Nevis Triathlon Federation] president Mr. Winston Crooke and TRISTAR Representative Mr. Ben Hoehler addressed the gathering.

Last Saturday’s triathlon included a one kilometre swim, a 100 kilometre bike ride and a 10 kilometre run while the tri-tri included a 100 metre swim, a 10 kilometre bike ride and a 100 metre run.

The sporting event culminated on the Samuel Hunkins Drive in Charlestown.

TRISTAR representative Mr. Ben Hoehler	President of the St. Kitts-Nevis Triathlon Federation Mr. Winston Crooke