The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) territorial development officer noted that two of the inductees, Kelon Lynch and Daniel Williams, were called to the TT Red Force trials and this has served to motivate their colleagues to earn similar rewards for their hard work.

In giving an overview of the unique holistic development programme, a finishing school for young cricketers hoping to break into the Red Force team, Rampat said the academy commenced on October 14 and ran for nine weekends.

“As is common knowledge by now, the weekend programme starts at 5 pm on Friday afternoons and ends at 5 pm on Sunday evenings. During this 48- hour period, the inductees are in camp and are involved in a series of personal development activities delivered through a carefully planned programme. The physical fitness exercises and practice of cricket skills continue to be very intense and demanding,” he said.

He said 18 of the most talented young cricketers in the nation were selected for the NGC/TTCB Academy but unfortunately not all were able to accept the offer due to the fact that three of the selectees were attending university, two outside of Trinidad and Tobago and another here at home.

“Several selectees were also attending school and were in Form Six so were not available to participate.

Their academic obligations precluded them from accepting the offer to join the academy,” he lamented.

He also advised that Justyn Gangoo, a talented left-hand spinner in the Under-17 national team was very unfortunate to incur a broken left thumb in a privately run T10 tournament after just his first week into the academy and had to withdraw upon medical advice.

“Replacements for these guys had to be found and after due diligence the academy arrived at a total of 16 participants to ensure that the quality of the inductees remained high,” he said.

In preparation for the start of the programme, two meetings were held with parents of the inductees and the objectives of these meetings were to inform about the philosophy of the academy; provide an insight into the challenges of the curriculum and how these would impact upon their child; and present an opportunity to ask questions, and voice concerns.

He said inductees expressed great satisfaction with their accommodation at the refurbished SFWDC at Balmain as each room was air-conditioned and outfitted with Cable TV.

The programme director said meals were provided buffet-style and inductees were encouraged to have their fill. Co-ordinator Naushad Mohammed was also always on hand to ensure that all those who wanted seconds were able to fulfil their request.

He said the programme continues to be very varied, catering to the personal differences of the inductees. This year, since the intake comprised a number of secondary and tertiary level students, Saturday evenings (after 7 pm) was set aside for academic pursuits and project work. “This arrangement was largely appreciated by the inductees and parents alike,” he said.

The physical fitness sessions, conducted by Gregory Haynes and Adarayll John were enormously challenging; the series of lectures by various presenters, and the cricket activities were largely appealing to the inductees who by their own admission benefitted tremendously.

2016 NGC/TTCB National Academy Inductees – Avinash Mahabirsingh, Christian Thurton, Daniel Williams, David Williams Jr, Emilio Gopaul, Iqwe Craig, Jabari Mills, James Duncan, Jayden Seales, Keagan Simmons, Kelon Lynch, Leonardo Julien, Navin Bidaise, Shaaron Anthony Lewis, Shatrughan Rambaran, Te-Shawn Alleyne.

The Children’s Home, which houses over 25 children aged between six months to 19 years, has been a frequent recipient of “The Sharks” generosity since the club was formed in 2012.

“One of our intial priorities when the club was formed was to interact with the Central community,” said Sancho.

“And while, admittedly, due to staff cuts, we haven’t been as busy as usual with community projects, we could not let Christmas pass without giving to the kids in the home.” Sancho said that the club first visited the Childrens Home back in December 2012.

“It was our first Christmas in existence and we could not then have imagined the success we have achieved over the last four years.” The Sharks have lifted two succesive Caribbean Club Championships as well as succesive Digicel Pro League titles as well as numerous domestic trophies.

“Our policy from the outset was to play with a mainly Trinibagonian squad and prove that the trend at the time of importing legions of foreign players was not productive for the national team. We believed in the local talent and 95 percent of our players have been TT nationals.” Sancho said it was a proud moment to win a Caribbean Club Championship with a 100 percent Trini team.

“It sent a message that not only is the Pro League a strong product, but TT still produces the best players in the region.” Sancho said that the clubs belief in supporting the national team has proved dividends.

“We convinced fogotten national team players like Yohance Marshall to come home and force their way back into the national team.” Central have continued with their tradition of binging back national team players by recently announcing the signing of Julius James.

The 31-year-old James, who has won 16 caps for TT, has spent his career in the United States with the likes of Fort Lauderdale Strikers, DC United and Houston Dynamo, and has never played professionally in TT.

The TT squad arrived in Managua just before midnight on Sunday before checking into the Hotel Barcelo in the capital.

Coach Tom Saintfiet was scheduled to conduct a training session last evening at the match venue, on artificial surface of which the two games will be played.

India-based forward Cornell Glen, a member of this country’s 2006 World Cup squad, joined the team on Sunday and travelled with the contingent to Managua.

US-based midfielder Kevan George will arrive here today.

Saintfiet spoke ahead of today’s game.

“It’s always special and it’s an honour to be national team coach of any country and Trinidad and Tobago is naturally a big football nation. So it’s now a new start, a fresh start and we are going to use these two matches against Nicaragua to prepare our team for the Gold Cup and later on for the World Cup qualifiers,” Saintfiet said in an interview on the TT FA (TT Football Association) website yesterday.

“It won’t be easy matches. Nicaragua is also a strong football country. In the last games of the World Cup qualifiers they beat Jamaica at home 3-2 and in the last year they also won friendly matches against Cuba 5-0 and Panama 1-0. They have a strong selection at this moment in time.

It won’t be easy for us but I’m going to use it and we are going to try and get a decent result,” he added.

“Naturally you wants always a good result but I don’t think at the moment that’s the most important thing,” Saintfiet said.

“We could win both matches against Nicaragua and lose in the qualifiers for the Gold Cup and World Cup so I would prefer to win the World Cup qualifiers and if possible the Gold Cup qualifiers but on the other side if you play a game, you play to win.

“Most important for me is to see (today) a team which understands the tactical concept that I want, which can implement it on the pitch, which can play disciplined and which can have both offensive and defensive tasks of what I request. If that results in a good result I will be happy coach and if that doesn’t result in a good result I will be still satisfied if I see what we did in practice,” Saintfiet added.

Former Sunderland player Carlos Edwards, another member of the 2006 World Cup squad, has been named as the team captain for these pair of matches. He is expecting Nicaragua to be strong test for the current TT squad. “So far things have been really productive.

We’ve been put through our paces. He’s started off on the right foot, making sure the players are fit and ready for the game and also to have a nice little bond. He called the camp in the right time so that the players can get to know each other,” Edwards said.

“It’s a big privilege to wear the captain’s armband. Yes I will have a bit of responsibility.

I think he has chosen me because of the experience and to have me put my arms around the younger guys and lead them in the right direction. At the end of the day everyone has to pull their weight. They just can’t look up to me and think I will orchestrate everything. I am here for one reason which is to make the country and the team successful once again,” Edwards added.

But for Mexican-based midfielder Jomal Williams has embraced the last couple weeks under recently installed national men’s team coach Tom Saintfiet.

Williams, formerly of W Connection and now based in Mexico with Murcielagos, said he has enjoyed the training with Saintfiet and his staff.

“For me it’s been a really good period so far under the new coach. He has his philosophy and his way of managing the team and the training sessions have been very organised and intense at times which is something really good for us,” Williams said ahead of the friendlies versus Nicaragua today and Friday.. He arrived with the squad in Managua on Saturday night.

“We are very focused at this time with the four matches coming up.

These are important ones for us because we are getting ready for the Gold Cup qualifiers and the two World Cup qualifiers in March against Panama and Mexico,” Williams added.

Speaking to Newsday in terms of the development of water polo within the country, Navarro stated that Trinidad and Tobago has become one of the Caribbean Islands to have a strong water polo team especially in the younger age groups. “As for the technical part of Water Polo, I see very good things happening.

There are a lot of players and kids involved in the game and surrounding the sport. The focus should be on these young ages and help them practice to become future professionals within the sport.” He elaborated that while it is important to have these athletes training for the sport, they need to play more water polo at a professional level.

Navarro continued: “Organised competitions are needed for the development of these kids and for sustainable growth in the sport. Play more organised matches and practice games, get schools involved and introduce kids to market the sport but also use these resources to schedule international games and proper training camps.” From what he has seen, the Cuban referee believes this country has immense potential.

“I believe this country can be not only good, but very good at promoting Water Polo and Aquatic Sports throughout the Caribbean as water polo can slowly become one of the top sports in this country as the kids really seem to like it.” Giving his insight about the newly established Aquatic Centre facility being opened to a National Championship for the first time, he stated, “We know for sure that Trinidad (and Tobago) would be a great host for tournaments in the future as this facility is unbelievable. It is one of, if not the best facilities in the Americas and this is a safe haven for facilitating the development of the sport in the region. He further expressed, “We believe that the federation is working really hard and doing its part as Trinidad have already qualified for the Junior World Championship so you can see the coach and the federation doing a great job on the field along with keeping the young girls and boys off of the streets and doing something good for their life.” Navarro detailed that he would be promoting the facility when he gets back to his home country as, he stated, “I’ve already talked to the federation in terms of implementing a plan and a package to offer this facility to the wider countries so they would come in and make use of this establishment.

This facility have all the equipment, all the technology and technical aspects to become one of the training centres for national teams in water polo and many clubs may even have the opportunity to have training camps.”

Speaking with reporters at Mt Hope, Deyalsingh said, “I am grateful for my doctors and for my nurses who go beyond the call of duty to work on Christmas Day and to give excellent service. That is what we are trying to do __ to turn around the service delivery end.” Deyalsingh also thanked and congratulated the private sector, especially Dr Ronnie Bhola and Dr Vijay Naraynsingh, who provided free services this Christmas, saying that it showed that there was much goodness in Trinidad and Tobago regardless of all the bad news.

“I am grateful that all of Trinidad and Tobago could participate in this season of cheer and goodwill to bring relief to all our citizens of TT, whether it is in the private sector or the public sector,” he said.

Ayana Thompson-George of Sangre Grande delivered one of the first babies yesterday at the Sangre Grande Hospital. The baby girl was born at 12.30 am, weighing seven pounds. Director of the Eastern Regional Health Authority, Indra Sinanan Ojah-Maharaj, congratulated Thompson-George and presented her with a hamper of baby products.

At the Port-of-Spain General, three baby girls were delivered yesterday morning. Sian-Rose Fournillier delivered her daughter, weighing six pounds, 14 ounces, at 3.48 am. Janee Constance’s baby was born at 8.15 am weighing in at seven pounds, eight ounces; and Shanice St Cyr’s daughter, who was four pounds, ten ounces, was born at 9.10 am.

At the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, Yolande Clark from Arima delivered her fifth child, Jeremiah, at 1.02 am. He weighed six pounds, eight ounces. She said she did not want the newest addition to her family to be born on Christmas Day because she wanted to be home with her family.

However, she praised the doctors and nurses for their excellent service, saying that they “didn’t stick” but “checked on her and her son “every minute.” She added that she had three of her children at Mt Hope and so was personally aware of how much the service had improved.

Pettlyn Patrick, 23, of Enterprise delivered her six pounds, 14 ounce baby girl at 4.12 am; and Tricia Dindial, 28, of Couva had her six pound, 13 ounce son at 8.26 am.

The mothers received hampers of baby products from the respective Regional Health Authorities as well as the Ministry of Health.

Deyalsingh stated that this year the Ministry of Health worked very hard to reduce maternal mortality and succeeded.

Asha, 34, agonises everyday as she relives the pain knowing she would never get the opportunity to share another Christmas with her brother Keston ‘Pookie’ Jeffery, 23, and mother, Theresa Liverpool, 52.

On October 3, Jeffery, a private for hire (PH) driver was beaten and stabbed to death while driving his car.

Two weeks later, Asha’s mother collapsed at the family home and subsequently died at the Point Fortin Area Hospital.

An autopsy revealed her death was due to a “saddle pulmonary embolism” — separation of the main artery of the lung.

Despite the emotional pain she suffers, Asha’s only hope is to continue to be a mother-figure to her younger brothers, Theon, 12, and Kellon Liverpool, 17, and also her own children, daughter Kiara, four, and nineyear- old Keeshawn.

Asha along with her husband Keegan Samlalsingh, 34, now share the responsibility of providing and caring for her siblings at the family’s home in Egypt Village, Point Fortin.

“People always tell me to be strong, and I really do appreciate their words of comfort, but my heart bleeds everyday knowing that I will never be able to get justice for my brother’s murder which has caused my mother to grieve to death.

I am so angry and hurt,” Asha told Sunday Newsday during an interview at the family home.

In the living room, two large portraits of her brother and mother hang on the wall.

“I look at these photographs everyday and I cry, but I try to be strong and wipe my tears because I don’t want my brothers to see me crying.

I want them to know that I am strong and I would always be a shoulder they can lean on always,” said Asha.

Through her tears she smiled as she recalled fond memories with her mother and brother on Christmas holidays.

“My mother was Christmas I would say.

She loved Christmas so much and everything that came with the holidays.

She was always excited about the last minute rush such as the baking, cooking and decorating,” Asha recalled.

One of the most cherished traditions for the family was assembling and decorating the Christmas tree.

She said it was difficult to perform the tradition without the presence of her brother and mother.

But the young mother found the strength to purchase a new Christmas tree which her mother had planned to buy this season.

“My brothers and my children helped decorate and assemble the tree. I don’t know how I would continue to cope in the years to come, and experience many more Christmas days without her, but I don’t want to deny my brothers and children the experience of Christmas,” she related. Investigators had said Asha’s brother was plying his Nissan B14 car for hire, when a group of men hijacked and ordered him to drive to Cap-de-Ville, near Point Fortin where they stabbed him repeatedly to the chest.

Police found the car crashed on the roadside in a forested area. His money and a gold chain were missing.

“There are nights I would wake up and look at my brothers asleep and cry because I know it is hard for them. I always ask them how they are feeling because I want them to communicate their feelings with me because I know they are hurting and I have to be strong for them,” Asha adding her strength to continue comes from prayer.

“Prayer is the only thing that is keeping me alive and going. I cannot explain how hurt I am. I am really really hurt,” she said.

Also standing strong with her is her husband.

“I thank God for my husband who is always at my side.

He takes care of my brothers like his own children, because my brothers are now like my children,” she said. But she admitted the family now struggles to make ends meet because of the additional expenses.

“I am not working and my husband is the sole breadwinner, it is hard on him and it would be nice to get some extra assistance from the Government, but we are not getting that at the moment and we are doing the best we could do with what we have,” she said.

Police are yet to arrest and charge anyone for her brother’s murder and investigations are continuing.

John spent a quiet Christmas Day at her Cascade home yesterday, claiming that she was in a lot of joint pains and had only discovered yesterday that she had received cuts to her abdomen and other parts of her body from climbing walls with barbed wire.

She told Newsday she was still traumatised and shaken up over the incident but insists that she will not cower in fear and become a recluse as a result.

John said she will continue her life as normal but will take the necessary precautions for her own safety.

She noted that the police indicated that the incident was perpetrated by two persons throwing scratch bombs and not any hired gunmen.

However, she believes that the persons who carried out the act using scratch bombs should be found and brought to justice.

John said she was leaving the entire matter in the hands of police and believe that they would continue with the probe in a professional manner.

“I am at home today just taking it easy, grateful to be alive but I want to reiterate that the police service should be highly commended for their sense of professionalism in how they treated me and my sister on Saturday,” she said.

In July, John reported a threat to her life to officers of the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit.

While making the report she was informed by police that they were also in receipt of information that persons were threatening to cause her harm. She was advised to take necessary precautions, and to desist from jogging up the Lady Chancellor Hill, which she usually did.

On Saturday, at about 4 am, John and her sister Jacqueline, who is vacationing in Trinidad for the Christmas season, were jogging around the Savannah near Marli Street when they heard someone in a black SUV shout, “Look them, look them.

Shoot,” then heard several loud explosions.

John and her sister ran behind some trees and hid, ran across to Marli Street where they jumped two walls with barbed wire, knocking on doors and asking for help thinking they were being pursued by hired hit men. After climbing the walls, John and her sister reached Woodford Street where they contacted the St Clair Police.

They were interviewed by officers and returned to the scene of the incident where officers found traces of scratch bomb residue.

Officers also viewed camera footage which showed two men in an SUV throwing scratch bombs at John and her sister. The two suspects who carried out the act remained at large yesterday.

And Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie has reiterated the need for citizens to be “even more vigilant about the purchase, sale and use of scratch bombs,” following the attack on John and her sister.

In a release, Cuffie said he had “read the report where the police confirmed that scratch bombs were thrown at two joggers.” He said, “this latest incident only further underscores the need for the campaign, but more so the need for us to be even more vigilant about the purchase, sale and use of scratch bombs.” Cuffie said the police have committed to doing their part, and “we as members of the public need to remember that we also have a part to play.”

According to reports, the victim, Jovica George, was walking along Chootoo Lane, El Socorro near the Muslim cemetery at about 3.25 pm on Saturday when he was approached by two men in a Tiida motor car. They reportedly bundled him inside the vehicle and sped away. Eyewitnesses to the incident reported the matter to officers of the Barataria Police Station, however searches for the abducted teen proved futile on Saturday.

Newsday understands that someone telephoned a relative and demanded a $300,000 ransom for George’s safe return. Officers from the AKU, acting on information received, went to a house in Laventille where they rescued the teenager.

No arrests were made and the boy was returned to his relatives who were anxiously praying for his safe return. Newsday understands that a relative of the teen was recently threatened by someone over a financial transaction.

Police believe the kidnapping was linked to that incident

According to reports, the 62-yearold proprietress at Solow Supermarket, was conducting sales at about 8am on Saturday when she observed the man casually walk into the supermarket, pick up the alcohol and then place it in the trunk of his car.

The businesswoman, Manwarie Ramdial, raised an alarm but the man had already fled the scene.

The victim was able to get the number plate of the vehicle and police believe they may be able to trace the owner of the vehicle.