Tough start for Caribbean athletes

SANTO DOMINGO: English-speaking Caribbean teams are still struggling to secure victories in volleyball and hockey after two days at the 14th Pan American Games.

Barbados and Jamaica were victims against the experienced United States teams, while Trinidad and Tobago went down in both their hockey matches. On Sunday, the USA men’s volleyball team opened pool play with an easy 3-0 win over Barbados at the Pabellon de Voleibol at Olympic Park. Fabian Cox registered 11 points to lead Barbados in the 15-25, 21-25, 15-25 loss as they fell to 0-1 in pool play. Team captain Elwin Oxley added eight points for Barbados. Brook Billings scored a match-high 14 points for the USA. “First, I would like to congratulate Barbados,” said Team USA head coach Doug Beal. “They have been working with their national team since hosting our NORCECA zone championships in 2001, and I think they are a better team than they were a few years ago. “It is not easy to develop players on a small island nation, and it is difficult to compete with teams at this level,” Beal said. Competition in Pool “A” resumes today with Barbados playing Venezuela while the United States take on the hosts Dominican Republic.

The Dominican Republic opened play on Sunday with a 3-2 loss to Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago, the reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games champions, suffered a 3-2 loss to Cuba in the men’s hockey competition, in spite of a two-goal game from Britain-based Kwandwane Browne. Browne scored in the 16th and 51st minutes, but the Cubans pushed to victory after a double strike Yoandy Blanco in the Pool “B” encounter.  TT’s women, also reigning CAC champions, crashed to a 9-0 loss to world champions Argentina in Group “A”. Meantime, the USA used five first-half penalty corner goals to down Jamaica, 5-0, in the team’s opening match. The USA got off to a quick start in the Group “B” fixture when Jill Reeve blasted the first of 22 corner opportunities into the back of the goal to give the Americans a 1-0 lead two minutes into the match. The USA added to the lead in the 22nd minute when Tracey Fuchs connected on the first of her two penalty corner goals, and the USA continued their dominance two minutes later when Reeve connected on her second score of the match. Without unveiling their full array of penalty corner plays, Kate Barber and Fuchs added additional first half goals to give the Americans their 5-0 halftime lead. The match represented a milestone for Barber, who  appeared in her 100th career international contest. The USA continued to control the match in the second half, but eight second half saves by Jamaica keeper Lorie-Ann McIntosh kept them scoreless through the final 35 minutes.