FCB’s Bharat dominates Urban Challenge

With only the wind holding him back, First Citizens Bank Joel Bharat has chalked up his second victory in the 2004 Carifin Cross Country “Urban Challenge.”

He blazed the opposition in a time of five minutes 23 seconds last Wednesday at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain. Bharat had previously won the series-opener One-Lap Savannah Race on February 4. Again last week he was in a dominant mood and separated himself from the field soon after the event’s five o’clock start on the sand track in front of President’s House. Central Bank’s Keston Charles finished in second with a 6.02 clocking followed closely by Miguel Mohammed of RBTT in a time of 6.05.

Central Bank’s bid for the top spot was evident as Michael Lucess and Curtis Joseph of the institution came in fourth and fifth respectively. Defending women’s champion RBTT’s Uchena Ogbue hit the tape in a time of 7.21, ahead of Central Bank’s Wendy D’Arbasie who improved on her 2003 third place finish when she came in second in 7.33. Angela Parris of Clico was third in 7.36; First Citizens Bank’s Davi Lalla-Singh came fourth in 8.13; and Mumtaz Amarali of Republic Bank rounded off the top five in 8.32. The series continues with the Botanic Cross Challenge at the Botanic Gardens, the newly introduced Think and Run and the Carifin Fitness Burnout events on March 4.