ATTORNEYS for murder accused Sean Marcellin, who is charged with killing his common-law wife, yesterday made an application before a Princes Town magistrate for Marcellin to undergo a psychiatric evaluation. Marcellin reappeared in the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court after the matter was transferred from the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court. Attorneys Chateram Sinanan and Subhas Panday made their application before Magistrate Jai Narine, saying the accused appeared to be in a “daze.”
Since the defendant appears to be unable to properly liaise with his lawyers, given his alleged condition, his lawyers said they intend to put relatives on the witness stand who have communicated with the defendant, and can attest to his mental problem. Magistrate Narine said a decision could not be made without the hearing of this evidence from the defendant’s relatives. Marcellin is charged with murdering his common-law wife and mother of four, Juliet Victoria Cummings, on Saturday August 2, at the Princes Town maxi-taxi hub. He is due to re-appear in court August 26.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is moving to shut down the Shell Cricket Academy in Grenada, according to a source. Speaking to Newsday on condition of anonymity, he said: ”The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is frustrated with the running of the Shell Cricket Academy. It is moving to close down the facility. “Recently high ranking officials of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) held talks with Dr Rudi Webster, director of the Academy, on improvements at the facility. “However they got nowhere and are close to moving out of St George’s to another country.” One of the concerns is the appointment of officials from one particular country to work with the youngsters to the exclusion of the other qualified persons from the other territories.
Former West Indies coach Roger Harper of Guyana was the head coach at the facility in the last term which ended three weeks ago. Recently former Test fast bowler, Antiguan Kenneth Benjamin said in an interview that he wasn’t wanted at the Academy. Benjamin, who was tipped to be the bowling coach, was replaced by Barbadian Ezra Mosely. “The Board is fed up with the way the players are treated and they are not happy with the general conditions the players have to put up with. “The Board has no control of what goes on at the Academy during the term. All they do is select the players and pay the stipend for each player,” the source revealed. “The Board wants to take the Academy away from Grenada and at the moment the two countries highly favoured are the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Development Centre in Trinidad; and the Cave Hill Campus of the University of the West Indies in Barbados.” “Trinidad has a magnificent facility and the thinking behind the move is to re-structure the entire administrative arm of the Academy and remove Webster as the head.
Webster’s headstrong ways and total control of the Academy have also occupied the attention of the worried WICB officials,” the source added. “It is also the thinking of the Board that the Barbados or Trinidad and Tobago facilities will be better for the players,” he said. The Shell Cricket Academy was opened in 2001 as an arm of the St George’s University to assist with the development of the regional cricketers. It is heavily sponsored by Anglo-Dutch oil company, Shell. Australian coach Ashley Toot Byron, who visited the facility over a year ago, was so upset with the running of the Academy, he wrote in a report that it would not contribute to the future of West Indies Cricket unless its top adminisitrator was removed immediately.
Mali Richards, son of the great West Indian batsman and captain Viv Richards, plays his first match for the second team against Leicestershire this week. The young Richards considers himself thoroughly West Indian. An enthusiastic musician and MC, the spirit of calypso courses through his veins. Although he has modelled himself on Brian Charles, his physique is more reminiscent of another former West Indies captain, Clive Lloyd — long, languid and left-handed, suggestive of an effortless elegance. His father has been his greatest influence, though, and the pair is in constant communication across the world in an attempt to iron out any remaining technical faults.
While many would view his genetic inheritance as a hindrance, a milestone weighing heavily around the neck, Mali is grateful for his lineage. Having a famous father has certainly made him accustomed to sledging, whether from team-mates or opposing fast bowlers. He said: “My dad played a big role in my development and I wouldn’t be playing cricket if I wasn’t his son. Anything he says about cricket I listen to because it’s coming from the greatest. He can be pretty hard but he just wants to see me do well. “He’s my father so the comparisons aren’t going to end. I get lots of stick about it, all around the world. Whenever I play a bad shot or get out the abuse starts. I also put a lot of pressure on myself but I think that recently my cricket has been very good,” the young man said. Comparisons with his father are inevitable, but flawed. The 19-year-old is a silky, left-handed batsman capable of bowling at brisk fast-medium and confidently proclaims himself to be a genuine all-rounder. If his batting is as smooth as his conversation then he could become one hell of a player. Richards said: “I was born in England but learnt my cricket in the West Indies. My cricket is West Indian but comparisons with my dad end there. “First of all I’m a leftie. He’s my dad but the way we play cricket is totally different. He was the type of player that took attacks apart through sheer brute force, but I’m more of a technician and like to push the ball around. My dad’s my favourite player but Brian Lara’s my modern batting hero,” he said.
Richards arrived at his new home in Wembley on the back of a monumental innings of Lara-esque proportions. His farewell appearance on the Antiguan Recreation Ground brought a record score of 319, carefully accumulated in 420 balls and over eight hours. The opposing US and British Virgin Islands sides were not the best in the world, having been dismissed for 47 and allowing Antigua to amass a gargantuan 789, but the runs still needed to be scored. If nothing else, the innings demonstrates Richards’ confidence and concentration. He said: “I’ve been in good form for the last month and it just took a bit of application. I made up my mind that I was going to bat all day and part of the next day and came away with 300. “The bowling wasn’t good but 300 runs is 300 runs. The positive thing is that I applied myself and didn’t allow them to drag me down. I was pleased with my mental strength which should take me to the next level. I spoke to my dad afterwards and he said it was a great innings but don’t let it get to your head, keep going and get to the highest level. “His highest individual score was 322 for Somerset against Warwickshire, so now I’ve got a target to aim for and, hopefully, I can achieve it here,” he said.
Richards’ immediate goal is to force his way into a Middlesex side blessed with star names, albeit from distant generations, but he is already thinking one step ahead. He will not rule out playing for England. “Who knows what will happen?” he said. But it’s clear he craves to represent the islands in the sun. His academic career will continue when he starts a sports coaching and business management degree at Oxford Brookes University in the autumn, but it’s in the international arena that he yearns to be tested. He said: “It’s my dream to play Test cricket. Less talented players than me have played Tests, but it’s all about hard work. If I put in the work over the next couple of years then I don’t see any reason why I can’t.” His father would surely agree.
A HIGH-POWERED Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation team met with Sport and Youth Affairs Minister Roger Boynes yesterday and handed him a blueprint of local football “The World at our Feet.” Heading the TTFF delegation was president Oliver Camps. Also included were special adviser Jack Warner, a FIFA vice-president and CONCACAF boss, secretary Richard Groden, and CONCACAF Director of Development, Richard Braithwaite. Also present at yesterday’s meeting was new Director of Sport Kent Rennie. The discussion centred on a proposal for the development of national football teams.
The federation submitted their document which outlines a programme for what they called “sustained international success” of all national teams. The document was drafted by the technical development board which supervises the preparation and performance of teams. Warner, just back from officiating at the FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Finland, expressed the hope that the ministry, government and private sector would join with the federation in this new initiative, aimed at taking local football to the highest international standards. He said the federation has adopted a new philosophy for the development of national teams. Warner said this philosophy is based on two imperatives, according to the document, a systematic approach to development, maximum use of available resources (human, physical and financial).
He said a systematic approach will ensure national teams are constantly engaged in a development process, to move them forward until their full potential is realised. The technical development board comprise TTFF vice-president Rudolph Thomas chairman, Alvin Corneal, a member of the FIFA technical study team, Dr Alvin Henderson, FIFA Development officer Keith Look Loy, FIFA technical commission member Richard Braithwaite, senior economist Dennis Phillip and ex-national coach Muhammad Isa, who is currently attached to the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs. The federation also put in place a scouting programme, which is being directed by ex-national striker Bobby Sookram. Minister Boyncs expressed satisfaction with the TTFF blueprint and indicated it is in keeping with his ministry’s vision of the sport.
TRINIDAD and Tobago women yesterday earned a bronze medal at the Caribean Senior Table Tennis Championships currently underway in Kingston, Jamaica. The team comprising France-based Rae-Ann Chung, Aleena Edwards and Shelly-Ann Parris were already assured of a medal going into yesterday’s semi-final against the highly touted Dominican Republic. But despite a brave showing by Chung who beat Olga Villa 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, TT went down 1-3 at the University of Science and Technology. Edwards lost 1-11, 3-11, 2-11 to Wu Xue, a Chinese born naturalised Dominican Republic player; Parris lost to Joheny Valdez 9-11, 8-11, 6-11; and Chung went under to Xue 6-11, 4-11, 2-11. In a telephone interview yesterday from Jamaica, Stanley Hunte, president of the Table Tennis Federation, said the TT girls were up against it from the start but gave a good account of themselves nevertheless.
He said Wu Xue was a silver medallist at the recent Pan American Games and is definitely a top player in her own class. He thought that once she was taken care off, TT would have advanced to the final. Earlier the TT women had beaten Guyana 3-2 but lost 2-3 to Venezuela. However according to Hunte, Chung did herself proud with sterling victories against Venezuela’s top two players whipping Arasme at 6, 6 and 7; and Mata 11-9, 14-16, 11-9, 11-5. Hunte said the men were playing for fifth last night and up to press time held a 2-0 lead against Guyana with Reeza Burke and Anthony Brown registering victories. Curtis Humphries was leading in the other match. He said France-based Dexter St Louis was unbeaten in the tournament so far and has enhanced his credentials as a favourite for the men’s singles crown. “St Louis has been absolutely brilliant so far in the championships. Also Anthony Brown was instrumental in our victory against Jamaica who had a very strong team comprising three-time singles champion Stephen Hylton, No 14 ranked English-based Darren Blake and top promising young player Nigel Wedd,” said Hunte yesterday. He said St Louis’ match against Pan Am gold medallist Lin Xue was one of the matches of the tournament and endeared the Jamaican crowd to the TT team. Today the doubles tournament gets underway with St Louis and Brown in the men’s competition while St Louis teams up with Chung in the mixed category.
Kerston Manswell puts his loss to Cuba’s two-time world amateur heavyweight champion Odlanier Solis in the just concluded Pan-American Games to lack of experience and not being fully prepared to fight. At the reception, hosted by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs at the Piarco International Airport’s VIP lounge on Sunday evening, the lion-hearted Manswell expressed those sober sentiments. This after he brought home a silver medal. It was his third silver medal at major international competitions within the last twelve months. And although not booking his place for the 2004 Athens Olympics Games, he promised to defeat his rivals for a qualifying spot. Manswell will have to prove his class against the boxers who competed at the Pan-Am Games except the reigning Cuban champion who retained the heavyweight Pan-Am crown he gained at the 1999 Winnipeg Games.
According to the Trinidad and Tobago Olympics Committee’s chairman, Douglas Camacho, who was also at the airport to greet the Caribbean champion, the elimination bouts will be held in Mexico in February next year. In the gold medal match on Saturday evening at Carlos Teo Cruz Coliseum, the 26-year-old Tobagonian was knocked down in the first round by the hard-punching and aggressive Cuban who had demolished his other rivals with awesome power punches and top class right craft. But Manswell displayed great heart and tremendous fighting spirit to extend his much more experienced and seasoned campaigner to the full four rounds. After being decked by the power combinations, the determined TT boxer rose to his feet and withstood everything the Cuban threw at him in the other three rounds during which time he was unable to counter the classy and skilful two-time Pan Am champion.
The Dominican Republic experience was similar to that gained at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador last year. His three silver medals at those Games, make him Trinidad and Tobago’s most successful amateur boxer. Reflecting on the gold medal match and after he was sent to the canvas on all fours, Manswell said the pride of Trinidad and Tobago kept him in the fight. “It was the pride, which kept me through the fight. To get up and fight for my country and also to keep my dream of going to the Olympics,” he said. “I want to fight in the Olympics next year. I want to win a medal for my country and I will fight for that opportunity. I was the only guy in the heavyweight division at the Pan-Am Games who fought four guys; the other guys fought only three.
“And at the end, I was still strong. I was knocked down but not knocked out. As I said last year, and as you can see, nothing is wrong with my face,” Manswell said. “I was expected to get at least a silver medal based on the preparation I had here and in Cuba. Before I went to the Games, I fought in a competition in Puerto Rico and won the gold medal. But when you compare the preparation of the Cuban boxer to me, I had no chance to defeat him. “This guy lives boxing. He eats, sleeps and lives in boxing. They train all the time and have top class facilities and training programmes. They are exposed to the best in boxing. For me, I had only two months of real good preparation and was there competing with him at the very end,” Manswell said. Once given the opportunity and facilities like the Cuban boxers, Manswell promised that Trinidadians and all Caribbean peoples would be proud of him. He thanked God and the people of Trinidad and Tobago and the other Caribbean countries for their support, which he said has helped him in his career.
A STRONG contingent of 13 horses will be arriving from Barbados to compete for rich purses at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, next month. Three from the lot will compete in the Sagicor Independence Cup on September 1, and a similar number have had subscriptions paid for the Royal Oak Derby on September 24. Bajan trainer Jean Marc Cozier who will be responsible for conditioning Lion Country in the earlier of the two races arrived here to supervise preparations. He was seen early yesterday morning organising clearance for himself and his runners at the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority.
He said five horses were expected in yesterday and another eight runners will be flying over on Friday. Among the early arrivals were Lion Country and Royal Red, whom he will be supervising for trainer Naz Issa, who is hospitalised. Robin Jaisingh an Arima Race Club handicapper who flew to Barbados last month to entice owners to participate in next month’s graded races confirmed yesterday, that the Bajan five-horse vanguard arrived and said they have taken up stables at the quarantine faclities adjacent to the race track in Arima. Arriving yesterday were Royal Red, fourth placed finisher in the Barbados Derby; Lion Country who will be in the Sagicor Independence Cup line-up; Not Another Noble, a gelded American-bred three-year-old consigned to trainer Glenn Mendez; Native Love, a returning Trinidad and Tobago-bred who will race under Maniram “Boboy” Maharaj; and A Rumur, another West Indian-bred who will be joining the Anthony Serville stable.
Among those expected on Friday are other Sagicor Independence Cup runners Feet On Flames and Hard Dancer, Victoria Lea and Geisha Girl, and Royal Oak Derby entrants Ginger Beer and Sweet Dreams. The arrival of the three Barbadian runners for the Independence Cup will be good news for owners. With a three-tier purse structure put in place by the sponsors, their participation in the 1850 metres turf event guarantees a total purse of $200,000. Should only one invader compete the purse will be cut in half, and with neither participating the purse reamains at $75,000.
A GOAL by Mervyn Williams was enough to give Crab Connection full points over TSTT in the Arthur “Jap” Brown Trophy series in the Eastern Football Association. The striker found the nets midway through the second session in Sunday’s match at the San Juan Secondary School ground for his team’s 1-0 victory to keep their unbeaten tag. Now The Crabs have crawled clear at the top of the standings with a clear six-point lead overt Samba Xtra Malt East San Juan United. The San Juan team crushed BM Spurs 5-1 at the Aranguez Savannah, also on Sunday. Both Allan Sorzano and Dexter Joslyn scored doubles while Ricky Abdool got the other goal, while Kerron Mitchell got the lone goal for Spurs.
Defending champs WASA Clean and White whipped Maloney Two Touch 3-1 at their St Joseph ground, to keep their chances of keeping their title alive. Stanley Francis got a double and Sherron Mansell the other for the winners, while Vladimir Suite netted for the Maloney lads. Last season’s runners-up Carib FC got sweet revenge over Athletico Sports Institute with a 5-1 triumph at St Augustine Senior Comprehensive ground. The Institute who ousted the Brewery Boys from the President’s Cup 5-4 on penalties were no match for their opponents this time. Bernard McCall blasted home a hat-trick while Jellineau Gill and Clyde Gill got the other goals for Carib. Mario Reyes got the only goals for ASI. Newboys Hearty Food Bulls edged Joe Public 2-1 at Squasdron ground, Arouca with goals from Adrian Nunez and Ray Badall. Keseon Theodore got the goal for the Eastern Lions.
HASEEM McLEAN emerged one of the top performers at the South Cycling Organisation meeting over the weekend. McLean won the 200 metres sprint final as well as the 500 metres race. In both events he was followed to the line by Shannon Metevier in second and in third, Marc Codrington.
Metevier got his moment in the sun when he captured the Open 15-lap race defeating Bevan Luces, who was second with Marc Codrington placing third.Trevor Commissiong also had a wonderful meeting capturing the three-lap BMX Open, the one-lap and three-lap BMX for cyclists 10-12. Also winning two races were Kimberly Parris (Open and Girls Mountain Bike); and Kevin Fonrose ( One-lap and Two-lap BMX 709); and Azinga Commissiong (Girls and Open Female BMX 7-9).
THE admission of scores of suspected dengue cases on Thursday to the San Fernando General Hospital, which resulted in a “compromising of medical care” at the institution, is a reminder of the need for ongoing national preventive action on dengue by the Ministry of Health. Reports earlier this year of the drop in possible cases of dengue may have flattered to deceive and may have been responsible for what apparently led the health authorities to minimise the need for their annual assault on a problem which has troubled this country, on and off, for decades. Instead of a sustained campaign of public information on measures to be taken to avoid dengue, in conjunction with the spraying of areas, particularly with the onset of the rainy season, there was instead relative inaction.
However, one thing that the swarm of suspected dengue cases at the San Fernando General Hospital may have achieved was the realisation that accommodation for patients at the hospital, whose construction began in 1946, to replace the old one, is way below what is required. In wards designed to accommodate 25 patients, some 95 had been crowded, triggering the possibility of additional health problems. The caution by the Medical Chief at the San Fernando Hospital, Dr Austin Trinidade, who does not have a reputation of overstating a problem, that medical care at the hospital has been compromised, should not be taken lightly. We ask the questions: What would have been the position had the influx of possible dengue cases to the hospital taken place during one of the recent industrial actions taken by doctors there? Would not medical care at the hospital have been doubly compromised, and the well being of the patients placed under threat? Why did the Ministry of Health, even with the relatively recent statement by a senior doctor that public hospitals in Trinidad and Tobago could have been understaffed, not take preventive action against dengue, including a print and electronic media campaign to remind the public to be on the alert?
Householders should have been reminded of the need to place covers on drums and other receptacles of water to prevent them from becoming breeding places and to keep watercourses clear. In turn, they should have been cautioned not to have old, unused tyres and other containing vessels which could contain stagnant water and provide breeding grounds for the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, transmitters of dengue and other infections. Householders, in turn, have a responsibility to take preventive action to protect themselves and in the process their neighbourhoods. This debilitating disease has not been eradicated from our country and householders, particularly those living in rural districts and close to forested areas must understand the need to take these precautions. The Insect Vector Division of the Ministry, responsible for controlling these insect-transmitted diseases, was apparently lax, and several householders, some of them unknowingly providing breeding grounds for mosquitoes, may be in hospital as a result. We should not need to have to remind officers of the Ministry of Health that they should never relax their vigil. The price for all too many citizens is too painful, and could include not simply the inconvenience of being hospitalised, but death as well.
