SANTO DOMINGO: Sports venues and facilities will be ready for next month’s Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic, as long as there are no further construction delays, organisers said yesterday.
A delegation of the Pan American Sports Organisation visited 29 of the 35 sporting installations during a four-day trip that ended yesterday — the organisation’s final supervisory visit before the games begin Aug. 1. “All facilities will be ready for the games … if there are no interruptions,” said Michael Fennell of Jamaica, the organisation’s second vice president. The organisation must certify all facilities within the next two weeks, however, and there are still scoreboards and sporting equipment to complete and computer systems to coordinate, Fennell said. “It is going to be close, but it can be done,” he said. Fennell led the visiting delegation along with the organisation’s General Secretary Felipe Munoz of Mexico.
Though the event usually requires international certification through full-scale trial competitions, the Mexico City-based organisation has had to accept “simulated” tests with athletes going through events just to make sure equipment and facilities work properly. “There can be no substitute to test events, but if you are in the situation that time does not allow, you have to find the next best thing,” Fennel said. Funds were also a concern, though the Finance Ministry has guaranteed disbursement of the remaining 400 million pesos (US$13 million) for construction, according to local organisers.
Phantom Bidder, winner of four races from five starts is set to make a return to racing after three months on the sidelines. He is listed to run on the Arima Race Club Day 19 card at Santa Rosa Park, Arima, on Saturday
The John O’Brien-trained stayer whose sequence was interrupted by Invincibility at the backend of the last racing season returns to the main course in the Stakes and Lower Handicap over 1750 metres. The staying event which saw seven runners standing their ground is being used as a prep event enroute to the President’s Cup, which will hold the feature with the Oaks Stakes on Emancipation Day (August 1). In the tough contest, the dark bay will face off against stablemates Chanticleer, Squee Zintru, and Millenium Reign.
The balance of the make-up pencilled in to oppose trainer John O’Brien’s quartet are Outswinger, a convincing winner of the Indian Arrival Turf Handicap, the lightly raced Champagne Wager from the informed Glen Mendez barn and Golden Shufleur. The latter will be racing for the first time in the colours of Harold Chadee. The first event for babes this season will be in the spotlight on Saturday’s card. The 900 metres contest for West Indian bred maidens will see nine juveniles taking baptism, eight of which will race in the famous green and white colours of owner/trainer Maniram “Boboy’ Maharaj. There is also one from his understudy Harold Chadee, whose stable came to life last week in winning four races.
TRINIDAD and Tobago football star Stern John yesterday established himself as the only local player to have a presence in cyberspace. The Birminham City striker scored one for history when he launched his website www.sternjohn.com at the Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s yesterday. And it was described as “a comprehensive inside look into the life of one of Trinidad and Tobago’s success stories”.
Speaking at the website’s official launch a first of it’s kind here, John’s mentor and former manager of the Trinidad and Tobago national team, Richard Brathwaite stated that he was confident in what his charge represents in the national community. “Especially in a time when good reports on the youth are few and far between, John’s hard working nature and discipline is an example of the nation’s youth capabilities if given the opportunity,” Brathwaite said. He further stated that the young men in Trinidad and Tobago are capable of great things and rather than criticise, one should listen to the youth who he said should in turn strive to emulate the example of John and other ambitious individuals. After thanking all present for their support of the venture in a brief address, the man of the moment then logged on to the site which features John’s club and country record, and player news.
The site which was designed by Richard Kangalee and is managed by TT Football Federation Communications Officer, Shaun Fuentes, also features a comprehensive national scoring record from John’s debut on March 6, 1996 to the present, a total of 42 goals in 57 appearances. The site already includes a news archives and will have daily updates on John’s action on the field, his preparations for upcoming international and Premiership matches and his thoughts on other related matters. Fans can also get a profile on the striker and well as his overall international and professional scoring records. A feature of the website is information outside of John’s career, including links to other international football events and sites pertaining to Trinidad and Tobago such as www.islandevents.com and www.triniscene.com. More links of this kind will be added. A photo gallery with exclusive shots of John is also a feature of the website.
John yesterday reiterated his commitment to the national team and presented representatives of the St Mary’s and St Dominic’s Homes with tickets for the match against Venezuela today at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. Stating that he is wary of his match-fitness ahead of the fixture, having been off the field since May, John said he was confident of a positive result. He also expresed confidence in national coach, Stuart Charles-Fevrier. The St Lucia-born coach, he said, has a plan and is willing to listen to the concerns and input of the players. As a result the TT team is more structured and focused on teamwork going into the friendly international today said John.
A new edition 2004 Lancer motor car will be up for grabs, when the Readymix South Caribbean Golf Open tees off on July 11 in Tobago.
Details of the tournament were revealed at a press conference yesterday at the Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain. Tournament director Haroon Joseph said that the new Lancer will be up for grabs at the fifth hole. He also added that a door prize of Callaway X14 Irons worth $4,000 will also be on offer for the golfers. “This tournament is the latest addition to Caribbean Golf and we are going all out to make it a memorable event with the support given by the corporate sector. This tournament will be the last trial for the Hoerman Cup series, three weeks after the tournament, at the same Tobago Plantations Resort. “The national players will be taking the tournament very seriously and top local players will be on show,” said Joseph. Veteran Carlos “Sexy” Baynes as well as Deon Gonzales and Corey Hamil-Smith will tee off on July 11.
Joseph said that he would like to invite Brian Lara to take part in the tournament, as the champion batsman and West Indies captain has played in two Trinidad and Tobago Open tournaments in the past, under his directorship. The cost of running the tournament is $200,000 and Readymix West Indies Limited will be the major sponsors, forking out $40,000. John Cardenas, Marketing Manager of Readymix West Indies Limited, said his company wanted to get involved to lend support to golf and also aligned with a tournament that is fast growing, just as his company was. “We are very happy to be part of this tournament and we look forward to some great golf across in Tobago,” Cardenas said yesterday.
THE 46-member national Special Olympics team collected a total of 29 medals, including four golds, at the World Summer Games, held in Dublin, Ireland from June 20-29.
Bisa Clarke won the women’s 100m sprint, while Debra Ramnathsingh and Nisha Phillip shared gold in the women’s 50m sprint and, in artistic gymnastics, Sheldon Mascall prevailed in the men’s floor exercise.
OTHER MEDALLISTS —
Silver: Men’s five-a-side football team; women’s 4x100m relay team (track and field); Women’s equestrian team relay; Nisha Phillip (track and field) — women’s softball throw; Clint Hoyte (track and field) — men’s long jump; Yetandra Singh (track and field) — men’s 3,000m; Sheldon Mascall (gymastics) — men’s horizontal bars, men’s rings, men’s vaulting; Corene Clarke (gymnastics) — women’s all round, women’s balance beam, women’s floor exercise, women’s vaulting; Cynthia Walker (bocce) — bocce singles; Sergio Williams (powerlifting) — bench press male, combination male.
Bronze: Women’s volleyball team; men’s 4x100m relay team (track and field); Rodney Jack (track and field) — 3,000m, 5,000m; Ricall Baptiste (powerlifting) — bench press; Sue Ching Choo (equestrian) — equestrian dressage; Antonell Jackson (equestrian) — equestrian english equitation; Harriet Duke (bocce) — bocce singles; Sergio Williams (powerlifting) — deadlift male, squat male.
CARIFTA Games double champion Rhonda Watkins heads a nine-member Trinidad and Tobago team for next week’s 3rd IAAF World Youth Track and Field Championship in Canada.
Watkins, who copped the CARIFTA Under-17 long jump and high jump titles, will also have outstanding sprinter Kelly-Ann Baptiste with her on the team for the July 9-13 global Under-18 meet. Baptiste won the sprint double at last month’s Barbados Track and Field Classic (BARITAC) meet and ran a personal best 23.06 seconds as she chased the Cayman Islands’ Cydonie Mothersill (22.94) and local champion Fana Ashby (23.05) in the women’s 200 metres at the National Championship two weekend’s ago. Cory Gibbs, the 2002 CARIFTA Games Under-17 high jump champion, is also in the line-up.
Squad: Rhonda Watkins, Kelly-Ann Baptiste, Monique Cabral, Abigail David, Denelle DeVerteuil, Crystal Skeete, Jamil James, Marcus Duncan, Cory Gibbs.
ONE of the biggest snooker tournaments cues off today at The Triangle, Aranguez, San Juan.
More than 90 players have entered the contest sponsored by Mr Billiards Ltd, Pepsi Cola Ltd and Stag Ltd. Prizes total more than $16,000. In action today, Aslam Ali plays Michael Max Martin aka “Toes”; Waheeda Ali cues against Richard Sookdeo; Natalie Soo Hon comes up against Nigel St Clair; Peter Scott plays A Mohammed; Mario Ali tackles Dennis Tyson; Desmond S Nicholls plays John Eastman. Matches continue on Saturday with Terry Layne vs Ian Austin; A Bajnath vs Francis Lee Kim; Alvin Daniel vs Krshna Bridgelall; Joseph Angai vs Junior Modeste; S. Ali vs Ronnie M; C Jack vs Debra Dottin.
Matches continue next week.
The eighth season of the Republic Bank Youth Football Cup will kick off on July 13 at Presentation College, Chaguanas and will take a different format this year.
The 2003 season will be played as seven rounds and the girls section will be played as a one-day affair on the day of the grand finals. This was disclosed by Director of All Sports Promotions, Anthony Harford at a press briefing at his Scott Bushe Street office yesterday. “After running the tournament for many years we have noticed a need for change and hence we are going to zone the teams and play seven rounds of football. What we also noticed is that it was very costly to set up play for the girls with only a small number of teams taking part. To remedy this we have decided to play the girls division as a one-day affair on the same day as the boys final,” said the former airplane pilot.
Christopher Aird of Republic Bank Communications Department in-formed the gathering that the tournament has grown from 128 teams initially to over 240 teams in eight years. “This year we will see over $50,000 in prize money being offered. Through the Republic Bank Cup, the Bank helps to fulfill its commitment to youth and their development through sport,” Aird said. “The Republic Bank Cup tournament is a good learning ground for all its participants to stand them in good stead as athletes. During the 2001 Youth World Cup, 14 of the players on the national team came through the Republic Bank Youth Cup. Also a number of girls from the national youth team came through the programme,” the banker said. Christine Francois also of Republic Bank said that registration can take place at any Republic Bank outlet in Trinidad and Tobago as well as the grounds on the morning of the match. The registration fee at the bank will be $120 while at the grounds it will be $150.
The 5K Classic in aid Women Against Breast Cancer will be staged on Saturday, September 20 at King George V Park, Port-of-Spain and Scotiabank Car Park, Scarborough Tobago.
This is the fifth year that the organisation has teamed up with Scotiabank for the effort, a period during which assessment revealed a more urgent need for immediate medical attention on the disease. Due to the rate of one in every eight women having the disease, the Women Against Breast Cancer in 2001 changed their focus from the purchase of a Mobile Mammography Unit to early detection of the disease through the Breast Cancer Screening Programme. The screening programme was piloted at the Couva Health Facility in July 2001 and then introduced to health centres throughout Tobago and Port-of- Spain. The clinics were hosted at the Siparia and Indian Walk Health Centres in July 2002 and will resume in September.
The Breast Cancer Fund pays doctors and nurses to conduct the initial examination, and also stands the cost for the Mammogram or Ultrasound if needed. Should it be necessary, the fund also pays Elders Associates for psychological counseling for both the patient and family. The Scotiabank Breast Cancer Screening Programme has spent $215,000 raised from events supported by wellwishers and has helped 3,500 women on these clinics, The organizers would like to thank all who have supported this effort through the years. The 5K Classic will be organised by the Trinidad and Tobago Road Runners and is open to all ages. There will be awards for schools, athletic clubs, gyms and sports clubs, government ministries, financial, media and advertising and manufacturing and trading corporations. Registration forms are available at the starting line and all finishers will receive a medal.
DEFENCE FORCE women took a giant step toward winning this year’s Big Four title in the Royal Extra North Zone Basketball League, after a 69-47 blow-out of Courts Horizon in Game One of their best of-three series at the St Paul’s Street Multi-Purpose Facility in Port-of-Spain.
Horizon led by a solitary point at the end of the opening quarter 16-15, but the Army-Coast Guard women never trailed in Monday night’s action thereafter, leading 31-27 at the half and 52-41 at the end of three quarters. And in the final stanza, Defence Force executed a stingy defence, restricting Horizon to just six points while scoring 17 on their way to victory. Rhonda John, a selectee on the national netball squad for the World Championships in Jamaica later this month led the Army-Coast Guard charge with 16 points and 10 rebounds along with four assists, while Sojourner “Suzie” Hyles another member of the netball squad added 15 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.
Both Alicia Liverpool and Cristal George had 10 points each for the winners, who can clinch the title with victory in Game Two. National Flour Mills turned back a determined Detour Shak Attack 75-70 to take Game One of the men’s Big Four also on Monday night. The teams were all square at the end of the first session 13-13 but NFM, the seven-time winners, took a slim 31-28 half time lead and stretched it to 54-49 at the end of the third stanza. Kerry Westfield scored 17 points and hauled down four rebounds for the winners — Jason Dean 12 points and five boards, while Vibert Dean had 10 points. Terrrence Mayers led all scorers with 20 points and six rebounds for Shak Attack, while Dexter Lewis contributed 15 points.
