JOE PUBLIC head the standings in both the Under-17 “A” and Under-15 “A” groups in the Eastern Football Association Youth League. Also heading their groups are Trincity Nationals — Under-20; Creek Under-17 “B’; Best Warriors 2000 Under-15 “B”; National Flour Mills Under-13 “A” and Arima United Under-13 “B”. Winners of each sub-divided age-group and runners-up will meet in a play-off for the title. But the Under-20 age-group will be a straight league winner, with Trincity Nationals holding a comfortable four-point lead with two more games to play. Here are the current standings:
PROLIFIC striker Warren Butler fired in a hat-trick for Crab Connection to whip Samba Xtra Malt East San Juan United 4-2 and crawl to the top of the Eastern Football Association Arthur “Jap” Brown League.
Irvin Trim got the other goal for The Crabs in Saturday’s game at Constantine Park, Tunapuna. Brend Edwards and Sheldon Hernandez scored for the San Juan lads. Defending champions WASA Clean & White kept pace with the leaders with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over newcomers Hearty Food Bulls at the Arima Municipal Stadium. Darren Modeste scored both goals for the champs, while Adrian Nunez hit back for the Bulls. Last season’s runners-up Carib FC were held to a 3-3 draw by Joe Public at St Augustine Senior Comprehensive ground. Bernard McCall grabbed a double and Lynton Jones got the other for the Brewery Boys, while Aaron Rapper scored twice and Marvin Bagoo for the Eastern Lions.
Other scores: DELTA GLASS YOUNG HEARTS (1) Shaka Bourns vs BM SPURS (1) Britto Reyes; EAST/WEST COACHING SCHOOL (0) vs ATHLETICO SPORTS INSTITUTE (0); TSTT (3) Kwesi Thomas, Joel Penco, Joel Gibbons vs MALONEY TWO TOUCH (0).
PHANTOM BIDDER and Sugar Mike the leading fancies to lift Friday’s President’s Cup will line-up as neighbours in the 1900 metres contest, which shares top billing with the Oaks Stakes on the Arima Race Club Day 23 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima.
The Indian Charlie/Bolina colt who swept all before him this term until his colours were lowered by stable-companion Millenium Reign earlier this month, was drawn to race from the number three slot in the Graded One race yesterday. This staying event will be run off on the main course with all seven runners for whom final subscriptions were paid. Weights were also allotted for both major events, with Sugar Mike, a dominant force in the sprints racing out gate four in the event worth $75,000 in purses. Friday’s race will mark Sugar Mike’s first attempt around two turns since finishing runner-up to Adawar in last year’s Gold Cup. Millenium Reign, who will be going after a hat-trick of wins was drawn in gate five, and will have leading rider, Venezuelan Wilmer Galviz astride. Dottie’s Way was drawn nearest the rails, while Invincibility, the second entrant of trainer Grant Lourenco, will race from the outside draw.
Carnival Messiah who has found a new lease on life since returning home from a poor stint in the Unites States, will compete from the number two hole, with Golden Shufleur who will be having his first start for owner-trainer Harold Chadee in gate six. The draw for post positions for the Oaks Stakes told a similar tale with leading contenders Golden Honour, Sweet Tempo and Firestorm drawn close to each other. The trio will line up in gates seven, eight and nine in the 2000 metres event for West Indian-bred three-year-old fillies. The long grind will see Joan Of Arc racing from the window spot with Larry Munoz aboard. Rest of the draw: 2. Wild Life; 3. Cornerstone; 4. Full Of Promises; 5. My Aphrodite; 6. Millenium Dancer; 7. Golden Honour, 8. Sweet Tempo; 9. Firestorm; 10. Reign Of Fire.
Following are the declared runners, weights and jockeys: PRESIDENT’S CUP (GRADE 1) HANDICAP – W I BRED AND IMPORTED 3 Y.O & OVER – PURSE $75,000 – 1900 METRES. 1. DOTTIE’S WAY 48 R. Thomas; 2. CARNIVAL MESSIAH 46 R. Jadoo; 3. PHANTOM BIDDER 53.5 N. Abrego; 4. SUGAR MIKE 56.5 B. Harding; 5. MILLENIUM REIGN 50.5 W. Galviz; 6. GOLDEN SHUFLEUR 50 L. Munoz; 7. INVINCIBILITY 52 H. Emamalie.
OAKS STAKES – W I BRED 3 Y.O FILLIES – PURSE $75,000 – 2000 METRES. 1. JOAN OF ARC 55 L. Munoz; 2. WILD LIFE 55 R. Freeman; 3. CORNERSTONE 55 N. Abrego; 4. FULL OF PROMISES 55 S. Rodrigo; 5. MY APHRODITE 55 H. Emamalie; 6. MILLENIUM DANCER 55 B. Harding; 7. GOLDEN HONOUR 55 V. Charles; 8. SWEET TEMPO 55 W. Galviz; 9. FIRESTORM 55 R. Jadoo; 10. REIGN OF FIRE 55 J. Arneaud.
BEAUTIFUL MIND signalled that he is still on the upgrade by showing off his blinding speed on the gallop course at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, yesterday morning.
The Glenn Mendez-trained West Indian bred three-year-old sent out warning signals to his opponents in Friday’s 1200 metres sprint, that speed will be his forte, with a scorching run over the last 600 metres of the main course in 34.43 seconds. His time was best over the trip and was more than a full second better than stablemates and nearest rivals Hollywood Star and Bonus Point , who clocked 35.86. Phantom Bidder showed his fitness for Friday’s President’s Cup with a 47.17 seconds clocking over 800 metres. Teased into making a comment by a member of Clockers Corner after the impressive display, trainer John O’Brien would only smile. He said: “That was only a guarantee that no one will be allowed to bridle out front.”
Punto A Punto and Ring Dang Do came out minutes before the gates were pulled between breaks to also show their well being. The Douglas Bennett pair, working the 1000 metres route hung to each other throughout to register 59.78 seconds on the clock. Also showing they were ready for battle over the shortest trip were a number of trainer Maniram ‘Boboy” Maharaj runners. Man of Class was timed in 24.15 and Sweet Laura Lee clocked 24.33 seconds for their run from the top of the stretch (400 metres). His juveniles Java In Fligh, Music Man and Java In Style, working out the boxes, sped between the 1200 and 800 metre markers in 22.85 seconds. They were followed soon after by Sunday Jewel, Laura’s Boy and Salsa Moves who were slightly slower in 23.04.
Following are gallops recorded yesterday:
400 METRES: Java Takeover, Music Man and Java In Style – 22,85, good (Boxes). Sunday Jewel, Laura’s Boy and Salsa Moves – 23.04, good (Boxes). Return To Glory – 24.12, good. Man Of Class – 24.15, good. Sweet Laura Lee – 24.33, good. Soca Tempo – 28.99, pacing. Top Of The Class – 29.87, pacing. Alibi Iki – 26.31, handily. Indian Game – 29.93, pacing. Super Grey – 25.05, handily. Ula – 27.93, handily. Shezabute – 29.94, pacing. Dealer’s Choice and Billy Button – 27.28, handily. Copy Cat – 25.03, handily. Juan Is The Man and Serah’s Trick – 27.19, easy (Boxes.).
600 METRES: Beautiful Mind – 34.43, good. Hollywood Star and Bonus Point – 35.86, good. Cat Woman – 43.37, pacing. Richie Rich – 43.21, pacing. Bon Voyage – 38.48, handily. Kay Gee Bee – 39.39, handily. Politics – 41.90, pacing. Creme Caramel – 44.59, pacing. Mandela – 43.73, pacing. Alize – 39.97, handily.
800 METRES: Phantom Bidder – 47.17, good. Ex Willsheorwon’tshe – 55.52, handily. Living In Hope – 58.06, pacing.
1000 METRES: Punto A Punto and Ring Dang Do – 59.78, good.Trying Something – 1:14.95, pacing. New Star – 1:09.71, handily.
President of the Clarke Road Cricket Club and national coaching director Baldath Mahabir is stoutly defending the fact that the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Cricket Board of Control (TTWCBC) should be allowed to vote at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) elections.
Mahabir’s call comes amidst an article in the local press that called for women not to be able to vote at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) elections. According to Mahabir the journalist made mention that only a handful of women play cricket and they only play a handful of matches. This he said should disqualify them from voting at the TTCB’s election carded for October 29. The TTWCBC headed by Gayle Daniel-Worrell has two votes at the TTCB annual general elections that is held every two years. However Mahabir took a stand for the women saying: “Those comments are really chauvinistic and should not be made without the proper facts. What is this man really trying to say, that women’s cricket is a dying sport? He must have missed the fact that recently we had a 14 year old girl from Trinidad and Tobago being chosen on a West Indies team. Women’s cricket is on the upswing in this country and to make such comments is really out of place and improper.”
“The West Indies women coach Ann Browne is an executive member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board and she is also on the West Indies Cricket Board development committee. In fact I think that the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board should be commended for having her and Donna Cox (no longer an executive member) serve at the top bracket of local cricket administration. The local Board had Ann Browne serve on the executive even before she was chosen by the West Indies Board to serve on the development committee.” “Women have demanded their place in society and now the sky’s the limit for them. They must be encouraged and not scorned. The gentleman apparently thinks that the women should be left to cater lunches and tea and not be involved at the playing and administrating level. What I would like to let him know is that we at the Cricket Board recognise and support women’s involvement in cricket and this will not change.”
POLICE locked up champions Defence Force 48-35 as action in the Pearl Francis Championship Division of the Port-of-Spain Netball League resumed after a two-week break for the Cable & Wireless 11th World Netball Championships in Jamaica.
The Army-Coast Guard women were ahead 10-9 at the end of the opening stanza in Thursday’s game at the Jean Pierre Sports Complex. But then, the policewomen put the handcuffs on their opponents and went into the half-time interval ahead with a 20-18 score, outscoring their rivals 11-8 in the quarter. The teams battled to a 12-12 stalemate in the third quarter of a very intense match, which ended 32-30. And the policewomen further imprisoned the Defence Force in the final quarter scoring 16 goals to a mere five for the final scoreline. Goal-shoot Beverly Hernandez had an excellent match for Police, scoring 33 goals from 34 attempts, while goal-attack Beverly Rodgers got four of six before being replaced by Euphemia Huggins, scorer of 11 goals from her 12 attempts.
For the match, Police scored 48 goals of their 52 attempts, while the Defence Force scored 35 of 43 attempts. Goal-attack Stacey Sparks, one of four Calypso Girls netballers returning from the world championships in the Defence Force squad, scored 23 of 32 attempts, Carlette Nurse who replaced Rhonda John (one from one) at goal-shoot had a perfect five from five, and Kern Maloney was also deadeyed with five goals from five attempts. Despite this defeat however, the first this season for the Army-Coast Guard women, they remain on track to retain their title.
PRESIDENT of Basketball Worldwide Phil Henderson will head a powerful team of local and United States coaches to conduct two five-day Millennium Basketball Academy camps.
First camp will be held at the Maloney Indoor Arena, Maloney Gardens, D’Abadie from August 11-15, between 9 am and 4 pm. And the second is scheduled for the Jean Pierre Sports Complex between August 18 and 22 during the same hours. The camp’s target group are boys and girls between seven and 17 years old, and a fee of $200 for one week or $350 for both, including training vests.
Henderson is an ex-Duke University collegiate and NBA point guard for the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. Among other US coaches are Shonta Tabourn, an ex-Duke assistant coach who is technical director of Basketball Worldwide, and George Freebersyer, a director of athletics and coaching and also of the Sport2Sport Basketball Academy. Andre Webb, an ex-North Carolina collegiate completes the US coaching crew.
Heading the locals is Joseph “Lenny” Guy, a former national star and coach, who is technical director of the Millennium Basketball Academy. Added to Guy will be Albert Lee Young, Learie Sandy, Anthony Tannis, Peter Lewis and ex-national standout Patrick “KK” Joseph. Interested parties can call 686-5759, 626-2884, 684-9640, 793-5925 or 642-6844 for further registration information.
FIRM action should be taken by the Police against owners of vehicles with heavily tinted glass windows. Not only are such windows against the law, but all too often they make it difficult for witnesses to kidnappings and other serious crimes, who may have been standing some distance away, to identify persons in the getaway vehicles.
The anti-crime plan announced by Minister of National Security Howard Chin Lee and acting Commissioner of Police Everard Snaggs at a Press briefing at Police Headquarters last Wednesday should take into account that heavily tinted glass would effectively shield the identities of criminals. Witnesses to a kidnapping, standing at the side of the road along which the car is driving, are prevented from seeing who the culprits are by the heavy tint. In turn, persons who may become suspicious through observing a vehicle being driven slowly along a roadway, or around an area several times, and who may wish to take a note of the occupants are prevented by the tint from later identifying the occupants to the Police in the event a crime is committed.
While persons on spot while a kidnapping is taking place by armed bandits may scamper away too scared to have a good look at the criminals, persons lower down the road, reasonably unaffected by fear of being shot at, may be able to identify the kidnappers. The law prohibiting the use of heavily tinted vehicles, or those with one-way windows, has been on the Statute books for many years, yet Police officers, whose duty it is to uphold the law, including officers in police cars or on motorcycles, all too often turn the proverbial blind eye to the offending cars etc, apparently preferring not to be bothered. Admittedly, not every owner or operator of a car with tinted glass above the legal limit is a potential criminal. But potential criminal or not, the fact is he or she is flouting the law and should be pulled aside and either warned or charged. If the motorist is warned, either the tint material should be ordered removed at once, or if this is not practicable then a time given within which the offender must bring in the vehicle to demonstrate that the order has been complied with.
A law breaker, whether his or her offence is considered major or minor, should be dealt with, even by way of a warning, and a police officer, whether on duty or not, should not take it upon himself to decide that the owner or operator of a vehicle with heavily tinted windows is merely committing a minor offence, too trivial to be bothered about. An alert officer may very well discover that the driver of the tinted vehicle is a wanted bandit. Most policemen seem reluctant to take action against persons committing minor offences, such as not wearing their seat belts or using obscene language in public, because they consider them as time-wasting nuisances, but the law is the law and this attitude only serves to encourage a more indisciplined society. A thousand police officers on the streets may turn out to be a good plan, but one which can easily be undermined by the indifferent attitude of one officer. Also, with the crime situation as it is, we should not be making the operations of offenders any easier.
The question of “identity” of one sort or another will, I suppose, continue to be a complex as well as a contentious one. It’s been said that people are strengthened by a knowledge and appreciation of their cultures. And the word “culture” is used here in its broadest, if not fully definable sense.
Especially where there has been a cultural hiatus of one sort or another, there appears to be something of an imperative to attempt that nostalgic journey down memory lane — presumably in the hope that, “Memory retrieved could result in paradise regained.” In the case of societies where history has decreed that different strands of humanity — (including “those divided at the vein”) with their different cultural backgrounds, affinities and, indeed, aspirations — occupy the same geographical space, it’s incumbent on the different groups to develop a healthy respect for the “cultural baggages” of others. It’s advisable that the evolutionary process be allowed to produce mutually acceptable modus vivendi which could result in a “melding” rather than “melting” of cultures. African-American journalist Keith B Richburg spent three years travelling in Africa, seeking answers to “the chaos sweeping the continent of his ancestors.” To cut a long story short, Richburg appeared to have experienced some sort of “cultural shock,” which led him to affirm with a rhetorical question, “Is this my country and are they my people?” Naturally, he drew the fire of the Afrocentrics. But that’s another story, another time.
Voicing a somewhat different perspective the charismatic African-American minister Rev Leon Sullivan cried out at an “African-American Summit” to encourage investments in Africa, “This is a call for African-Americans to wake up and help our homeland (Africa), as the Poles help Poland, the Irish help Ireland and the Jews help Israel.” Rev Sullivan further admonished, “It is time that African-Americans stop talking about black pride, black power and shaking fists. It’s time to get together to help ourselves at home and to help in Africa. We complain too much.” This “black identity” and identification with “Mother Africa” probably goes as far back as Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier, who was stolen from Africa and has, since arrival, been striving for survival.” Understandably, there is this yearning for “a home, sweet home” to replace the haunted void and darkness of the experience of slavery. More than that, the quest for an African Utopia must be the corollary to refurbishing “a besmirched and tainted” image, reclaiming an erstwhile dignity and locating the African psyche outside the ambit of self-diminution and self-contempt. There appears to be a need in the so-called African Diaspora to reverse the tormented feelings of inferiority that have been, wittingly or otherwise, associated with things that are identifiably African.
The pursuit of “an African identity” should not be seen as a threat to anyone or a catalyst for divisiveness in a multicultural setting. In fact, it can be seen as a way of dealing with the “memories”, without being consumed by them. Ironically, in Africa itself the tribal identity seems to supersede the elusive “African identity.” Mayo Angelo averred that, “… the descendants of slaves are filled with self-loathing and doubt.” The shackles may be off but psychologically, some still remain as “caged birds.” According to Bob Marley, “Only you can emancipate yourself from mental slavery.” Marley’s exhortation is akin to the local version, “Children of the darkness, come out into the light.” The quest for an African identity is not so much a question of “colour” per se but “a return” to ancestral roots and arguably, a “spiritual recrudescence.” The popular notion that the slaves were just a bunch of primitive people or savages with no culture or value systems appears to have been grossly mistaken and probably fabricated to justify the inhuman treatment meted out to the slaves by their masters and, on occasion, mistresses. Interestingly, the institution of slavery dehumanised the masters and mistresses as well. According to Gad Heuman, “All through the Americas, slaves resisted the imposition of European culture or incorporated it within their traditional African practices. In the process, they retained significant parts of their African heritage.
The African influences in language, song, dance and religion are manifestations of the survival of African patterns of thought and behaviour and evidence that the slaves did not supinely accept the white man’s view of the world but clung to aspects of their own African culture or adapted to the demands of their current situation. Their folk tales and songs constituted significant parts of the slave’s culture. According to Neuman and others, they helped the slaves develop survival strategies, as well as provided them with metaphorical victories over their white masters. John Blassingame suggested that their folk tale heroes were usually depicted as the small tricksters (weaker animals equated with the slaves) who occasionally defeated the largest animals (representative of the masters). Both American President Abraham Lincoln and Jamaican political activist and Black Power advocate Marcus Garvey favoured the mass physical repatriation of blacks to Africa. Lincoln thought that it might be a possible solution to the slavery problem in the US. Garvey had his own ambitious dream of establishing a “Black empire.” Liberia, I believe, represents the partial implementation of this experiment. That probably explains why Liberians feel a certain kinship with America and welcome US intervention, waving US flags. They’re clearly not “African-Americans,” although they see themselves as “American-Africans.”
BRIDGETOWN: Four West Indies cricketers will be the first players inducted into the “Walk of Fame” at a stadium in western Barbados this week, officials said yesterday.
Barbadian fast bowlers Fidel Edward and Cory Collymore, Jamaican batsman Wavell Hinds and Trinidadian batsman Brian Lara will be honoured with plaques at the 3Ws Oval in a ceremony on Wednesday, said Hilary Beckles of the University of the West Indies. A batsman must score a century in a single innings while a bowler must take five or more wickets in order to qualify for the Walk of Fame. Lara, the West Indies captain, scored 209 and Hinds, 133, in the opening Test against Sri Lanka at St Lucia’s Beausejour Stadium. Edward took five for 36 and Collymore seven for 57 in the Second Test at Jamaica’s Sabina Park. In addition to the four cricketers being honoured, other cricket players and government ministers are expected to attend the ceremony. The Walk of Fame and 3Ws Oval, owned and operated by the University of the West Indies in Barbados, was officially opened earlier this year. The cricket facility is located on the university’s campus in St Michael parish.
