Background
Crawford was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, one of the eleven children of Lionel Crawford and Phyllis Holder, and began pursuing athletics at the age of 17.
Crawford was born in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, one of the eleven children of Lionel Crawford and Phyllis Holder, and began pursuing athletics at the age of 17.
A stadium was renamed in his honour in 2001. He debuted internationally in 1970, winning a bronze medal in the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Games. Only two years later, he surprisingly qualified for the 100 metres final of the Olympics in Munich, but pulled his hamstring after 20 metres and failed to finish.
Crawford ran for Eastern Michigan University under coach Bob Parks during his college years.
After finishing as the runner up at the 1975 Pan American Games in the 100 metres, Crawford was added to the team of American coach Bob Parks. His new coach prepared him for the 100 metres and 200 metres events at the 1976 Summer Olympics with a strategy of only allowing him to run in a few races during the season.
He had also qualified for the 200 metres final, but was forced to pull out mid-race after injuring his groin. After these Games, Crawford met with further success, winning the 100 metres event at the Central American and Caribbean Championships in 1977.
On returning home, Hasely "Raj Paul" Crawford had both a jet and a stadium named after him.
This award was changed to the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Crawford went on to compete in a total of four Olympic Games as he also represented T&T at both the Moscow and Los Angeles editions in 1980 and 1984, but was unable to qualify for another final. In 2000, he was named the Trinidad & Tobago Athlete of the Millennium.
He is a member of the Caribbean Hall of Fame, along with Ato Boldon and Artur Wint, one of only three track and field athletes to be inducted.