THE EDITOR: If the press report is correct, Prof Ramesh Deosaran is in dreamland in suggesting “that the Ministry review the policy on corporal punishment in view of teacher and parent concerns.” It is astonishing that a criminologist should be unaware of the criminological and psychological research connecting childhood abuse (for that is what corporal punishment is) to criminal bahaviour. It is simply astounding how often childhood physical/sexual abuse crops up in the lives of murders and rapists (all heterosexual, by the way).
As the European Network of Ombudsmen for Children sad in 1998: “We believe that eliminating violent and humiliating forms of discipline is a vital strategy for improving children’s status as people, and reducing child abuse and all other forms of violence in European societies.” Corporal punishment has already been banned in several states in the US and in several school districts. Its elimination from all schools is supported by the US National Mental Health Association which points out that scientific research has concluded that the effects of corporal punishment are detrimental to the emotional and educational needs of children. While corporal punishment is still possible in Canadian schools, it is practically absent from them.
Hit a child or student and you face a criminal charge of assault as well as a lawsuit. Some reported effects of corporal punishment are loss of self-esteem, increased anxiety and fear, feelings of helplessness and humiliation, stifled relationships with others, aggressive and self-destructive behaviour and limited attention span, all of which may lead to deficient academic performance and subsequent indiscipline and/or violence. Non-corporal punishment such as ridicule, name-calling and destructive criticism also have similar psychological effects. Is this what we want in our schools and in TT? Those who freak out and give licks to children do so to satisfy their anger, not to effect change in behaviour. It testifies to an ignorance of alternative and rational strategies for producing behavioural change, and reflects a socialisation in which licks played a leading part. “Beat him every day, an’ he sure to learn!” Learn what?
There are many effective means of discipline which promote self-control and the development of appropriate socially adaptive behaviours in constructive, non-harmful ways. Show respect for the rights of the child, explain, listen, discuss, be rational, be fair, be consistent, be empathic. Give licks to a child and be sure that he will later take it out on others. Might it be the absence of constructive methods of discipline which might be a cause of the school indiscipline which is causing so much current concern? The government should realise that they are there to lead, innovate, and inspire, not simply to adhere to traditional and ineffective practices.
KENNETH AQUAN-ASSEE
Port-of-Spain
THE EDITOR: While the PNM is celebrating a victory at the polls (and rightly so) I don’t see it as a victory for there was no significant trend in traditional voting for the PNM especially in what is deemed to be UNC strongholds, however, there was a significant drop in the number of people who voted for the UNC.
This is just my humble opinion and everyone is free to disagree with me. The results of this election was not a victory for the PNM, but clearly it is a message to Mr Panday telling him that his time in the sun is over, his sun has set and it’s time for him to step down and ride into the sunset and enjoy the rest of his life with his family. With this being the lowest voter turnout in the Local Government Elections, it is also a clear message to Mr Manning. Given there was no significant increase in votes for the PNM, means there is a lot of disenchantment among your own supporters in terms of the government’s performance in handling crime and other matters that are critical to their everyday life. Those supporters in all good conscience preferred to withhold their votes for by not doing so would have been a vote of confidence in the PNM.
I hold firm in my belief that this was not a victory for the PNM, for it was because of the loss of confidence in the leadership resulting in low voter turn out on behalf of the UNC was the reason for the PNM gaining control of two more corporations than they did in 1999. Mr Manning will be well advised not to get too cocky or arrogant and to see this for exactly what it is, a loss of confidence in the UNC leadership and not a vote of confidence in the PNM or there could very well be a repeat of 1986 and 1995.
The fact is, Trinidad and Tobago is neither PNM nor UNC country, for the peaceful and loving people of Trinidad and Tobago are much wiser than the people of yesteryear, and have no fear of voices being heard in their casted votes, which is very admirable and sets a high standard for other countries plagued by election day violence. When it matters most, the people have learnt to transcend the barriers of race and party affiliation, and vote the political party they believe will serve the country best. So pardon me for reserving my congratulations to the PNM.
ANGELA NELSON
North Carolina
USA
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Alloy Lequay, is not interested in contesting the post of West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president.
This was revealed by a source close to the TTCB yesterday. “Alloy is not going up for the elections and as a matter of fact he wishes not to be nominated by the TTCB or anybody else,” the high-placed source indicated. There were calls from prominent citizens for the evergreen Lequay to enter the race in order to provide some much-needed stability at the top level of regional cricket administration. TT team manager Omar Khan as well as the Chief Executive Officer of PowerGen, Garth Chatoor, were among those who made calls for the administrative maestro to enter the fold. But Lequay has come under severe criticisms from certain sections of the media for his board’s stance in not supporting Trinidadian Willie Rodriguez for the post.
The TTCB had decided to support Chetram Singh of Guyana in the aborted elections last weekend in St Lucia. However, Rodriguez pulled out of the race after realising that his nomination, by the Jamaican authorities, and his rejection by the TT Board was causing divisiveness at the regional level. The way was then paved for Singh to be formalised as the president of the WICB. But he withdrew at the last minute after it was reported that the International Cricket Council (ICC) would have debarred him from attending their meetings because of his links to gambling. Singh is the licenced owner of a betting operation in Georgetown. The directors at the WI Board then met and decided that they were going to convene a special meeting soon to pick a replacement of the outgoing Wes Hall.
Nominations have been opened again and it was rumoured that Lequay would be a leading candidate. The veteran, who is highly respected in his country, said on Thursday that he was thinking about the proposition. However, it is now apparent that he will be staying clear of the affairs of the WICB and will be concentrating his energies on the development of his brainchild, the National Cricket Centre (NCC) at Balmain, Couva.
DESPITE A poor turnout of supporters at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo yesterday, CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh maintained their superiority over the rest in the T&T Pro League, crushing North East Stars by a 5-2 margin.
Jabloteh expected their lead over W Connection to eight points, while the Sangre Grande-based Stars stay in fourth spot with 17 points. To the surprise of many, referee John Danouse awarded a penalty to North East Stars in the 18th minute when striker Randolph Jerome was bundled over by defender Ansil Elcock. Jerome, who was noticeably offside, redeemed himself and buried his spotkick past Jabloteh goalkeeper and captain Kelvin Jack. Jabloteh equalised in the 34th, with Cornell Glen tapping home from close range after Otis Seaton’s shot ricocheted off defender Charles Pollard. Glen missed a chance to second goal ten minutes later, when his right-footed shot was pushed wide by veteran goalie Trevor Nottingham.
On the subsequent play, North East Stars regained the lead when a freekick from Glenton Wolffe was flicked on by brother Anthony with an unmarked Jerome diverting his header past a stranded Jack. But Jerome was lacking in support up front and, with Jabloteh displaying a renewed sense of purpose, North East Stars crumbled in the second half. From a quickly-taken Seaton freekick, in the 53rd minute, national defender Nigel Daniel whipped his left-side centre to the six-yard box where an onrushing Kerry Baptiste boomed his header past Nottingham. Twelve minutes later, Glen blew past defender Wilfred Joseph on the left and, in the penalty box, saw his left-footed centre hit Pollard’s right arm. Pollard protested in vain as Danouse pointed to the spot, with Seaton blasting his penalty past Nottingham. The Jabloteh squad went for the kill, with Glen speeding past Joseph and shooting against the uprights in the 67th. From another counter-attack, right-winger Josh Johnson found Kerry Noray who shot home from ten metres out. And Noray registered his second goal three minutes later, with Noray tapping into the open net after Glen left Joseph for dead, again on the left flank.
In the earlier match of the doubleheader, Irvin Reyes and Kenwyn Matthews were on target as the Stars edged Jabloteh 2-1. Andre Alexis netted the lone item for Jabloteh, who remain top of the table with South Starworld Strikers on 19 points. W Connection can reduce Jabloteh’s lead to five points with victory over the cellar-placed Tobago United at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva from 4 pm. Starworld Strikers will host the struggling Caledonia AIA at the Manny Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella while, in the clash of the mid-table teams, Joe Public will square off against South West Institute of Football (SWIF) at the Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya. But the encounter between the third-placed Defence Force and Arima Fire, scheduled for the Larry Gomes Stadium, Malabar, Arima has been postponed.
A JACKPOT of $1,500 is at stake for the winner of the League competition in the Central Football Association (CFA) this year.
The season kicks off today with an opening ceremony and parade of teams at 2 pm at Woodford Lodge Football Ground, Chaguanas. The league, which will be sponsored by Super Industrial Services Limited of Couva, will see the tournament’s runner-up collecting $1,000 and $500 for the third-placed team. Today’s opening will feature an eight-team knock-out competition. Yesterday, Ainsworth Martinez, of the SIS Marketing Department said the new central season promises to be very exciting.
MEXICO CITY: A Mexican national football team that has shown little flair and enjoys even less fan support faces Jamaica today in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup football tournament.
Thursday’s scoreless drawn against Honduras earned the Mexican team first place in Group “A” with four points, leaving Brazil in second place with three points. Honduras were eliminated from the tournament that features nations from the Americas. Jamaica will face Mexico at Azteca Stadium, where Mexican fans on Thursday jeered at the home team for not scoring. Tens of thousands of seats were left empty during the match against Honduras, a result of the fans’ growing impatience with coach Ricardo Lavolpe’s team. Mexico’s 1-0 Gold Cup victory against Brazil was played before 80,000 fans at the 105,000-seat Azteca Stadium. Fewer than 15,000 fans attended the Honduras match. Lavolpe had promised the fans a victory against Honduras but acknowledged after the match that his team is not playing well.
The win against Brazil snapped Mexico’s losing streak that included a 2-1 defeat to El Salvador two weeks ago. Jamaica lost their opening Gold Cup match 1-0 to Colombia but advanced to the quarterfinals after beating Guatemala 2-0. The victory gave the “Reggae Boyz,” as the team is known at home, second place in Group “B”, behind Colombia. Jamaica coach Carl Brown predicts the semifinal against Mexico will be no walkover. “It is going to be tough. It is always tough to play there,” Brown said, referring to Azteca Stadium. “But it is part of the game, and we realise that throughout CONCACAF at some time you will have to go to Mexico.”
BRIDGETOWN: Jamaica, hosts Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago shared in the opening day medal rush as sprint hurdler Kenneth Ferguson stole the spotlight with a record run to lead an imposing start for the Americans at the XII Pan American Junior Track and Field Championships on Friday.
Ferguson broke away from the 110-metre hurdles field in the last 40 metres to post a new championship time of 13.60 seconds, erasing a 23-year-old record. St Lucian Lavern Spencer, Barbadians Shernell Nichols and Jessie King, Trinidad and Tobago’s Wanda Hutson, and Jamaicans Keisha Brown and Sherone Simpson all landed medals on day one, which saw the USA winning seven of the 12 gold medals on offer. In the men’s sprint hurdles, Ferguson smashed Rodney Wilson’s 1980 mark of 13.71 seconds. King (14.46) copped the bronze for the first Barbados medal, as Dexter Faulk (13.82) ensured a one-two finishing for the USA.
In the women’s 100 hurdles, the USA also secured the top two positions with Dawn Harper (13.42) and Alandra Sherman (13.80). Jamaica’s Brown won the bronze at 13.86 seconds.
Nicholls collected the home team’s second medal as she won bronze in the women’s discus throw with a distance of 40.64 metres, behind the American pair of Amarachi Ukabam (52.05 metres) and Beth Mallory (50.91 metres). The USA’s authoritative start was emphasised in the night’s last track event when their national junior champion Shalonda Soloman took the women’s 100 metres in 11.35 seconds, ahead of Jamaica’s Simpson (11.44) and TT’s Wanda Hutson (11.58).
In the absence of Trinidad and Tobago’s world junior champion Darrel Brown, Daniel Bailey of Antigua and Barbuda is the leading contender for the English-speaking Caribbean in the men’s 100 metres. He had the fastest qualifying time in the men’s 100-metre preliminaries of 10.65 seconds. Other top qualifiers are Chu-randy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles (10.66), Carlos Moore of the USA (10.67) and Jamaican Tesfa Latty (10.67). Brown is missing the meet because of commitments in Europe. St Lucian Spencer, the 2001 World Youth bronze medallist, copped the final medal of day one for the Caribbean when she posted 1.83 metres for second in the women’s high jump. With the event concluding at approximately midnight, Sharon Day of the USA (1.85 metres) won the gold, and Chaunte Howard, also of the USA (1.81) secured the bronze.
Medal table |
|
|
|
|
Team |
G |
S |
B |
Total |
United States |
7 |
7 |
3 |
17 |
Argentina |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Cuba |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
Brazil |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
Peru |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
Jamaica |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
Mexico |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
St Lucia |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Barbados |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
TT |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Columbia |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Dominica |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Canada |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
With two teams in the finals of the Eastern Community Basketball League’s Knock-out finals Unit Trust Maloney Pacers had to get it right at least once. However, Second Division campaigners Veterans stood in their way in their final squeezing out a 59-56 victory on Friday night.
The match was played at the Maloney Indoor Sport Facility in front of an electric crowd and the two top Second Division teams did not disappoint with a down to the wire performance. Pacers, the home team on the night put up a good bid for the title with Jeffrey Bourne scoring a match-high 21 points with six steals and four rebounds. Also to his credit, teammate Kenrick Bernard put in 16 points and dominated the boards with 20 rebounds and two steals. Barry Stewart led the Vets scorers on the night with a solid 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Chris Huddlin lent ten points, ten rebounds and two blocks to the final tally. Pacers refused to lay down however and in the First Division final against Marabella Raptors came up with the right combination of defensive and offensive pressure, fighting off their determined opponents, winning comfortably 85-63.
Raptors’ Ako Pascal scored a match-high 23 points, with eight rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Kibwe Joseph and Louis Davis both put in 11. Damian Caton contributed 13 points, three assists, four steals and two blocks to his team’s effort but nothing could help them recover. Having led 50-29 at the half, Pacers were not about to let the odds change and held on to their huge lead to the end eventually winning by 22 points. Derrick Boxhill with 18 points, three assists and three steals was supported by Miguel Williams (17 points) and a defensive card which saw him register 12 rebounds and five steals. Junior Harper was also defensively instrumental scoring 12 points and taking ten rebounds. The stage is now set for the start of the Men’s Big Four today at 4 pm between Pacers and Colours followed by the Women’s Knock-out final between Police and the Brian Chase Academy at 5.30 pm.
POPULAR long distance runner Lynette “Granny” Lucess captured a gold medal in the women’s 10,000 metres, in the 75-79 age group, at the World Masters Athletic Cham-pionship in Puerto Rico recently.
The 15-member national team brought home a tally of nine medals, which included four gold, three silver and two bronze. Ralph Romain, competing in the 70-74 age group, set a new world record in the men’s 400 metres, crossing the finish line in one minute 1.01 seconds. He also copped gold in the half-lap (200 metres) in 26.96 seconds. Joyce Thomas retained her shot put crown, which she won at the 2001 event in Brisbane, Australia, with a best recorded throw of 11.67 metres and followed up with a bronze in the javelin.
The silver medals were awarded to two athletes in the 65-69 age bracket — Monica Tang Wing in the heptathlon and 300 metres hurdles as well as quartermiler Oswald Rogers while debutant Susannah Joefield took bronze in the mara-thon. A number of athletes were struck by the injury bug, with Kenrick Prime being sidelined after advancing from the first round in the 100 metres. Rogers participated in the 100 metres and 200 metres despite not being fully fit while Yvonne Mitchell, after competing in the discus and shot put, had to opt out of the javelin. And Clem Jubrajsingh was a total spectator at the meet, unable to show off his wares due to injury. Curtis Johnson recorded a personal best time of two minutes 9.79 seconds in the 800 metres, but failed to book a place in the final while Wesley Thorne finished sixth in the 20-kilometre walk and eighth in the 5 kilometres walk. Also making up the TT party were Ruth Fraser-Munroe, Ruby Jackson, Irma Riley and Alfred Romain.
With all the talk about strikes in local horse racing, from the owners, jockeys, grooms and trainers to other staff in the racing offices, listen in to this conversation between Dancing Brave and a chap called —The Clapper (who claps loudly no matter who wins, but still leaves Arima with pockets empty and tongue loose).
Dancing Brave: Hey Clapper!!! Here it is in July, and I go to the racetrack in Arima today and it was empty.
Clapper: Strike.
Dancing Brave: Strike? What are you talking about, strike? This is not baseball, there are no strikes or a ball or a single or a home run. I went to see horses run and nobody was there.
Clapper: Oh, and did you introduce yourself to the new President of the Arima Race Club and his new committee ?
Dancing Brave: Committee and new president? How could I say hello to the commission if nobody was there?
Clapper: Because I’m sure they would have been happy to meet you.
Dancing Brave: Who?
Clapper: No, he’s on the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority Committee. Or at least he used to be before the strike. But I am not sure the members of the ARC would have said hello to you.
Brave: What?
Clapper: The Betting Levy Board.
Brave: Wait a minute. Who were we talking about?
Clapper: Nobody, until you brought up the Trinidad and Tobago Racing Authority and the Betting Levy Board.
Brave: That’s right. Nobody. I went to the racetrack and saw nobody.
Clapper: Exactly, the New Arima Race Club committee.
Brave: Nobody is the New Arima Race Club committee?
Clapper: Now you’re starting to make some sense.
Brave: Make sense? I don’t even know what I’m talking about. You must think I’m dizzy.
Clapper: No, I already know Dizzy. He was at the beach yesterday. He runs one of the striking bodies. He says it does not matter if the punters are taken for a ride day in day out, they deserve their money on time, and he is even looking for an increase.
Brave: You mean they are really doing that and he stops their services? Is he goofy?
Clapper: No, I already told you he’s Dizzy. But Goofy is the guy who made Dizzy do it. Goofy works for all the striking bodies. He’s their chief negotiator. Not a bad guy. Here’s a picture of him.
Brave: What kind of hat is that?
Clapper: Salary cap. That’s what all this is about. That’s why there’s no more horseracing and there may not be for a long time.
Brave: But isn’t somebody in charge to stop the strike?
Clapper: I thought I told you that Nobody was in charge. Somebody will be brought in, probably from Jamaica, to take over for Nobody. But it isn’t a job for anybody now, so Nobody is going to do it until Goofy and Dizzy get the strike settled.
Brave: Amazing
Clapper: Oh, he’s out of it now. Amazing was involved in this new plant in Arima, but he beat up on the owners, trainers, and jockeys like a rug so often, he retired and turned it over to Dizzy. Have you got it all figured out now?
Brave: I don’t know
Clapper: As you have reminded me, by the way we are due to have dinner with the Bookmakers Associ-ation shortly. When are you free?
Bravest: As soon as the coast is clear and the children are asleep.
Clapper: Next year, then.
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