SWIMMER GEORGE Bovell last night added a silver medal in the 100-metre freestyle to his 200m freestyle gold, as the 14th Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, continued. At the Juan Pablo Duarte Aquatic Centre, the lanky Bovell, who won the 200m free on Monday night, finished behind Argentinian Jose Meolans, who touched the wall in 49.27 seconds, with Bovell close behind in 49.61 and Gustavo Borges of Brazil third. Bovell was in fourth spot after the half-way stage and gained good ground on Meolans, who led from the get-go, but could not overcome the speed of the Argentinian. Bovell had earlier won heat six of the 100m freestyle in 49.97 seconds with head coach of the national swim contingent Anil Roberts optimistic of the 20-year-old’s chances of victory. “He was not tired (after the 200m “free” final) and is confident that he will return to the medal podium,” said Roberts. And boxer Kerston Manswell was expected to trade punches against American Devin Miles Vargas at the Carlos Teo Cruz Coliseum for a spot in tomorrow’s heavyweight final, where he will face the winner of the Odlanier Solis (Cuba) —- Jason Douglas (Canada) battle.

Bovell’s younger brother Nicholas had the ninth fastest overall time of 2:06.04 seconds in the men’s 200m backstroke at yesterday’s heats, and was listed in the “B” final, which was due to take place last night. Ayeisha Collymore was eliminated in the women’s 100m backstroke but the Piranha Aquatics swimmer teamed up with Katherine Lee Ha, Linda McEachrane and Sharntelle McLean in last night’s 4x100m freestyle relay final. Shannon Duval gained a consolation victory in the “B” final in the women’s 200m breaststroke on Tuesday night. The Marlins swimmer, competing in lane five, was fourth after the first turn but stormed ahead of her six challengers and remained in front until the end. Duval clocked two minutes 41.56 seconds, with Brazilian Patricia Silva claiming silver in 2:41.75 and Margoth Escalante bronze in 2:44.87. The national men’s hockey team fought valiantly against the United States in their fifth-place playoff but fell 3-2 in dubious circumstances late into extra time yesterday. The Americans led 1-0 at the halftime interval but Kwandwane Browne equalised for TT in the 45th minute. The USA squad regained the lead shortly thereafter before Browne levelled the scores again in the 67th. But a controversial goal by the Americans, late into extra time, consigned TT to sixth spot, similar to the women’s squad.

World junior sprint champion Darrel Brown and Olympic and world 100-metre bronze medallist Ato Jabari Boldon will spearhead Trinidad and Tobago’s challenge at the 9th IAAF World Outdoor Championships, which will be held at the Stade de France, Paris, from August 18 to 22. Brown and Boldon as well as Marc Burns and Nicconor Alexander who together collected the Pan-American 4×100 metres relay bronze medal in Santo Domingo last Saturday, will be given the opportunity to improve their newly-established national record (38.53 secs). TT, with the speedy foursome of Burns, Jacey Harper, Boldon and Brown in that order, collected the sprint relay bronze in Montreal, Canada, two years ago. Reigning national sprint champion Harper missed out on the Pan-Am final because of a slight niggling injury but he will be fit again to strengthen the quartet going for gold. The immensely-talented Brown finished second and clocked a new personal 100-metre best of 10.08 secs in his first professional outing at the Pre-Fontaine Classic in Oregon, USA. He followed up with a victory and a third place in his next two pro-races before the Pan-American Games where he ran two blistering final lengths (semifinals and final) to ensure that TT bestride the medal podium.

This will be his first major outing to prove himself with his senior counterparts. Having claimed the world junior title at the Jamaica National Stadium last year August, Brown who is still under 19, will be racing among the world’s greatest collection of top class sprinters and it will definitely be a big test of his potential and character. Boldon and Julien Raeburn are entered for the 200 metres. However, TT’s new sporting heroine Candice Scott who picked the Pan-American Games hammer bronze medal will also be on show. Her national record of 69.79 placed her among the leading 20 throwers in the world for the 2003 season. Having eclipsed the former 1999 Pan-Am record of 65.36 m with the 4kg implement along with the current Cuban world leader and new Games gold medallist Yipsi Morena (74.25m) and Cuba’s Yunaika Crawford (69.57), the 22-year-old will be fighting to hurl the hammer beyond 70 metres to reach the final.

Ken Doldron, president of the National Amateur Athletics Association (NAAA) indicated that long jumper Onika James and shot put specialist Cleopatra Borel who achieved the “B” grade qualifying standards were shortlisted for the World Championships. However they will not be making the final team. National female sprint champion Fana Ashby who copped the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) gold medal in the 100 metres and also reached the Pan-Am Games 100 final will be the lone female entrant at the world’s premier athletics meeting.
NAAA’s senior vice-president George Commissiong is the team’s manager while Dr Ian Hypolite is the coach.

Venezuelan jockeys Larry Munoz and Wilmer Galviz have been suspended by the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority for a whip passing incident during a race. Both riders were fined $100 each by the Arima Race Club Stewards for the incident during the running of Race 9/Day 21 on July 12. They were aboard Lady Rossie and Affirm Decision respectively and will begin their suspension after tomorrow’s ”Friday Lime” card. A release from the TTRA stated that due consideration was given to the evidence of both jockeys, including the admission of their action. And having viewed the replay of the incident in their presence, the Board agreed that it was improper riding by both jockeys. Munoz, who passed  his whip to Galviz approximately 500 metres to the finish in the event on July 12,  was found to be in breach of Rule 51 (2) of the Rules of racing and was suspended from race riding for the next two scheduled racedays, while Galviz will sit out one day. Their bans become effective August 23. At Tuesday’s meeting the TTRA also heard an appeal by Rajpaul Rajkumar against a $250 fine imposed on him by the stewards for irresponsible action aboard Hatrick, which was withdrawn out of Race 7/Day 19.
 
The TTRA also sat on an application for use of Lasix by Lion Country, a Barbadian entrant in the Sagicor Independence Cup, and renewal of jockey’s licence of Andrew Gray. After hearing evidence of Rajkumar, as well as that of Winston Govia, stewards of the ARC, Anthony Serville, trainer of Hatrick and Lennox Conliffe, starter, the Authority was of the view that there was merit in the ground of Rajkumar’s appeal. Accordingly, the appeal was upheld, Rakumar’s fine was revoked and the $500 deposit lodged for his appeal refunded. In the matter pertaining the use of Lasix with Lion Country in the event on September 1, despite Barbados not having a bleeder medication programme, the TTRA suspended Rule 100 (f) (6) of the Rules of Racing. The matter was discussed at length, and several situations from other recognised jurisdications compared, giving the all-clear for the use of Lasix subject to the animal being confirmed a bleeder on the bleeder certificate form, by a government veterinerian in Barbados. In the case of Andrew Gray, the Board granted his renewal, after he duly complied to a criteria geared towards peak fitness. Gray won two editions of the Easter Guineas aboard Royal Colours and Barbarosa, both of which were were trained by the legendary Eric “Colt’ Durant, now deceased.

JACK NOREIGA has gone but he will certainly not be forgotten. In fact, I owe my success on the cricket field to Jack Noreiga, to date the only West Indian bowler to take nine wickets in an innings in a Test match. I remember Noreiga watching me bowl left arm medium pace for Sporting Club at the Queen’s Park Savannah in 1980. After a practice stint, Noreiga approached me and asked bluntly, “Why don’t you bowl spin? You will be more successful.” I wondered who was this man offering me such advice. After hearing it was Jack Noreiga, I listened attentively. I remember telling him that I was about to move out of North Zone cricket to the Championship Division with Crompton being the likely club. At the time there were big names like Phil Simmons and Harold Joseph, another mystery spinner. To Noreiga, that was great news. So between seasons, Noreiga showed me how to grip the ball, although he was a right hand off-spinner. He said I had the natural movement being a left-hander to spin the ball both ways. Well, I went to Crompton and after playing on the second team, finally got the chance in the top league. I remember going to Cunjal to play against Yorkshire and nearing the end of the first day’s play, which was just two overs into the innings. I was handed the ball by skipper Lawrence Trim. In the space of three balls, the turn was so much that Yorkshire closed on two for two runs, both victims falling to my bowling. I spent three years with Crompton before realising that fete match cricket was better. I had a change of heart in 1998 when former Trinidad and Tobago batsman Gregory Asgarali asked me to join Invincible Club in the North Zone.

I told Noreiga that I was returning to competitive cricket at age 38. He said, “You are a spin bowler, so you can bowl whole day.” How right he was! The rest is now history. I bowled Invincible to victory over Ebony in the kockout final that year winning the “Man of the Match Award”. In 2001, I grabbed eight for 43 against Silver Mill in a three-day match and one of the first persons to call was Jack Noreiga. “Well done, my boy, but you are yet to get nine (wickets)”. That year, I topped the bowling averages in the North Zone and Noreiga was pleased as punch as I was finally getting on top of the batsman. Earlier this year, Noreiga called me again, this time after reading that I got eight for 22 against Carenage United in a limited overs match. “What happen to you, you can’t get nine wickets?” he teased. I never got the chance to tell Jack that this was another good season for me as I made the North team in the Courts Inter-Zone series. Jack was also well-known in the horseracing circles, having owned horses. When I became a member of the Betting Levy Board (BLB), we often met at the Santa Rosa track at Arima where he would ask for my board’s help in saving racing. But there will be no more Jack Noreiga, having succumbed to stomach cancer at age 67. He was cremated yesterday after a moving funeral service at the Santa Rosa RC Church, Arima. May he rest in peace.

Trinidad and Tobago chess champion Christo Cave is expected to face FIDE Master Ryan Harper at the annual Paladins Open Chess Tournament at ALGICO Plaza, St Vincent Street, Port-of-Spain on Saturday. First move on the chess board is 2 pm with the National Flour Mills (NFM) trophy at stake for the tournament’s champ. One of the oldest chess clubs in Trinidad, Paladins has staged the contest for the past 35 years, which will see a seven-round Swiss-style format with matches on Saturdays and Sundays. Fellow FIDE Master Frank Yee, national blitz champ Michael Pouchet and Cesar Ramos, winner of the national veterans’ title, are among the main challengers for the Paladins title while Dr Eddison Chang will be making a comeback after a year-long absence. National 2003 women’s champ Desiree Derrick and runner-up Aditi Soondarsingh will go against the best in Trinidad and Tobago, including Margaret Thairu, Sinead Furlong and Camille Chung while Paladins’ members Sean Perryman and Alan Munro are vying for the junior crown. For further information call Andrew Bowles at 637-4084, Michael Pouchet at 640-9402 or David Jones at 667-8574.