W CONNECTION Under-15 and U-17 teams continue to set the pace in their respective divisions in the 2003 TT Pro League. Both teams recorded their sixth successive win, in as many matches, over CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva on Saturday morning. The Connection U-15s inflicted a 5-0 hammering over the second-placed Jabloteh while, in the U-17s, Connection replaced Joe Public atop the standings following a 4-0 trouncing over the San Juan boys. At the Palo Seco Recreation Ground, South West Institute of Football (SWIF) and Defence Force battled to a goalless draw in the U-15s and a 2-2 stalemate in the U-17s while the North East Stars-Arima Fire fixtures were postponed.

STANDINGS –
Under-15
	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
W Connection	6	6	0	0	19	4	18
San Juan Jabloteh	7	5	0	2	12	12	15
Defence Force	6	2	3	1	9	7	9
Joe Public	7	2	2	3	8	8	8
Starworld Strikers	6	2	1	3	8	8	7
SWIF	7	2	1	4	7	10	7
Arima Fire	4	1	1	2	6	7	4
North East Stars	5	0	0	5	1	14	0
Under-17
	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts
W Connection	6	6	0	0	13	1	18
Joe Public	7	5	1	1	16	5	16
SWIF	7	2	3	2	14	11	9
Starworld Strikers	6	3	0	3	7	5	9
Defence Force	6	2	2	2	7	8	8
San Juan Jabloteh	7	1	2	4	12	17	5
Arima Fire	4	0	2	2	5	10	2
North East Stars	4	0	0	4	0	14	0

THE buzz on a chilly morning yesterday was still over the commanding victory by Top Of The Class in last Saturday’s CLICO Midsummer Classic. But many trainers took the opportunity to get their charges sharp for Saturday’s Arima Race Club Day 19 programme. And stealing the spotlight were City Of Lights and From Now Until who stepped 1000 metres in company timed in 1:02.70 seconds. Speedster Kalyan showed she was rounding into her best form with a sizzling run over the same distance clocked in 1:02.88. Also flashing some speed on the track made good/fast by overnight rains was locally-bred three-year-old Hundred Percent who hustled over the trip in 1:04.48 seconds. Best run of the morning over 600 metres was produced by New Star who was timed in 36.61 seconds. But not far behind was Reign Of Fire who clocked 36.71 for the same distance. Most other horses did pace work, and are expected to do some letdown gallops on Tuesday morning.

Seen out pacing were the grey speed merchant Napoleon, nickhamed The Emperor.  He went over 1000 metres in 1:12.42 seconds, while Preffered Share went over the same trip in a shade slower — 1:12.83 seconds. Here are the gallops recorded yesterday:
400 METRES — Outburst 29.93; Regent Boy 29.97; Lady Croft and Pile Of Cash 27.95; Bite De Bullet 29.64; Dunsborough and ex-Let’s Get Cracking 28.17; Ex-Honey and ex-Guest Appearance 26.01; Alex 27.77; Indian Decision 26.02; Skye 29.96; Sheer Magic 28.13.
600 METRES — If Only 43.93; New Star 36.61; Loughranne 44.99; Richie Rich 37.47; Phantom Menace 44.99; Justice 37.95; Daurian 42.34; Reign Of Fire 36.71; Mutola and Once In A Lifetime 37.27; Cotonou 40.87; Tora Bora and Millenium Dancer 36.07; Sky Lite 40.54; Hatrick 36.70; X To Board 38.98; Seductive 36.98.
800 METRES — Francesca 58.25; Finest Gem 56.90; Golden Honour 51.780; Maracas Bay 54.13; Stormy Season 55.65; Shezabute 54.19; El Guerrouj 53.56; Affirm Decision 54.96; Splitting Image 52.41; Bold Fapp 53.25; Ula 53.29; Tricky Guy 57.75; Autrigeno Victory 52.05.
100 METRES — Napoleon 1:12.42; Hundred Percent 1:04.48; Preffered Share 1:12.83; Kalyan 1:02.88; Gaza Strip 1:05.87; Pattie’s No Anger 1:05.08; City Of Lights and From Now Until 1:02.70; Golden Shuffleur 1:08.37.

TRINIDAD AND Tobago introduce their first Olympic Youth Camp, which will be staged under the auspices of the local Olympic Committee (TTOC) from July 5-12. According to the TTOC Olympic Academy Director Brian Lewis, “the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee recognise and commit to their obligation to develop and protect the Olympic movement of Trinidad and Tobago.” “This Olympic Youth Camp is just one step towards honouring this commitment,” he added. A non-residential day camp, the programme is open for secondary school students between the ages of 12 and 16, with each TTOC affiliate asked to nominate two athletes for a nominal fee of $100 per person. While the TTOC is eager to foster the Olympic ideals of teamwork, respect and fairplay in an effort to prepare young athletes for their role as future Olympians, Lewis was quick to point out that the camp will not be like any other of its kind.

Using the model of the original Greek Gymnasium concept, the camp will encompass a variety of activities, including ballroom dancing, creative writing, exercise physiology, nutrition, goal-setting, conflict resolution, ethics, etiquette and media, while lectures will be conducted by former national Olympic representatives. In general, the camp aims to produce future TTOC Olympic Youth Campers, International Olympic Academy Youth Participants and Post Graduate Students, Olympic Scholarship Awardees, Olympians and Olympic Ambassadors. Deadline for nominating athletes for the week-long camp is June 30 while all sessions will be conducted at both the Olympic House and the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.

ST JOHN’S: Michael Hall resigned as chief operations officer of the West Indies Cricket Board, saying on Saturday he was leaving the Caribbean group with no “bitterness or acrimony.” Hall’s resignation on Friday prompted speculation among regional cricketers of a fallout among the top-level after board president Wes Hall’s announced he would not seek re-election due to health concerns that limited his ability to travel. Michael Hall on Saturday dismissed as “imaginary” allegations that he was angry over Skerritt’s remaining team manager, a post Skerritt has held since 2000. Instead, the 42-year-old Jamaican said he felt his resignation was “necessary at this time when West Indies cricket is at a crucial point in its rebuilding process.” According to his resignation letter to board CEO Roger Brathwaite, Michael Hall said he wanted to pursue other job opportunities in his native Jamaica, the Antigua-based cricket board said. “I leave the WICB with no bitterness or acrimony, and consider myself privileged, through my appointment two years ago, to have been asked to make a contribution to our great game,”  according to Saturday’s statement.

He also said he had a good working relationship with the outgoing board president, who is due to leave his post next month. Wes Hall, 65, has not given details about his health condition. The cricket body will choose a new president at their annual meeting July 12-13 in Dominica. “The passion with which Caribbean people follow our game is immeasurable, and it is important that this support never wane,” Michael Hall said. The board have given no details of how they might fill the chief operations officer position, which is responsible for setting up cricket tournaments and tours for the West Indies cricket team.                        

Trinidad and Tobago is heavily favoured to be the venue for the opening ceremony and opening match of the 2007 ICC World Cup Cricket tournament. This according to a source close to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), who also said that the final will most likely be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. “Trinidad and Tobago will make a serious bid to stage these two events, leaving the finals for Barbados where the government has approved substantial funds for improvement of the Kensington Oval,” the source stated. “A huge number of fans are expected to converge on the venue for the final and the Barbadians are going to put up a structure that will take in 50,000 fans. With the country already possessing the required infrastructure for large number of tourists, they are in the front of the line as far as that is concerned,” he said. The West Indies will host the 2007 World Cup and so far Chris Dehring, the head of the organising committee, has said that the region is two years behind on planning.

The traditional venues like Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain; Bourda in Guyana; Kensington Oval; Sabina Park in Jamaica; and the Antigua Recreation Ground all need to put in tremendous work in order to get the big matches. The Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad remains the most beautiful in the Caribbean but it is privately owned. Now with the regional governments getting involved and pumping money into upgrading their facilities, Queen’s Park will be hardpressed to compete. Barbados thrive on tourism and the government are seeing it as a tremendous investment with the eyes of the world locked in for the great event. The new Kensington Oval is expected to be a magnificent facility,” the source said. “The Trinidadians are expected to make a bid to host the opening ceremony at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo. They will also be making a serious case for the opening match to be played at the Queen’s Park Oval. Once TT is granted the opening ceremony, then they will automatically get the first match  because it’s in a package,” the source said.

Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies player Dave “Tadpole” Mohammed scored an attractive innings in the Sunshine Frosted Flakes Windball cricket series recently to lead his team to victory. Playing for X-Terminators Mohammed scored a hard-hit 45 to lead his team to 136 all out against Scrapers. The San Fernando team replied with 91 all out — losing the match by 45 runs. In other matches, last year’s champions San Juan Sports sounded an early warning with a big 10-wicket victory over second place PowerGen Kings in the North Zone. Kings batting first made 122 all out with Vishnu David getting 24, San Juan Sports romped home to a 10-wicket victory reaching 128 for no loss with Dave Baboolal, 62 not out, and Collins Britto, 54 not out, the main architects of victory.

SUNSHINE WINDBALL CRICKET SCORES
Audio Xpertz 111 def Ramsingh Savi 79 —- By 32 runs. Ramsingh Savi 131 def Special Brew 64/9 —- By 67 runs.
New Recruits 118 (Joey Persad 28) lost to Penal Specialist 124/6 (P Adjodha 49) —-By 4 wkts.
Flames 136 (Jason Edwards 4/14) lost to Scrapers 140/9 —- By one wkt.
King’s XI 122 (Clarence Holder 3/16) lost to San Juan Sports 130/0 (Dave Baboolal 62, Collins Britto 54) —- By 10 wkts.
TopSport 138 (C Guevara 44) lost to Demolition 140/7 (J Lewis 27) —- By 3 wkts.
Old Road Spts 118/8 (Steve Bachan 32) lost to Base Boys 120/7 —- By 3 wkts.
X-Terminators 136 (Dave Mohammed 45, Roshan Sooknanan 29) def Scrapers 91 (Rossi Ramsaroop 3/27) —- By 45 runs.

WOMEN
Juniors 87/9 (Celina Simon 27, Jennelle Duntin 3/24) lost to Burning Flames 90/6 (Abigail Joseph 42, Alicia Emmanuel 24, Pauline Alleyne 3/16) —- By 4 wkts.
Drifters 88/8 (Sharon Millard 18, Lorna Ramlogan 3/17, Neacher Pascall 3/18) def Flames 34 (Simone Pascall 4/7) —- By 54 runs.
Flames 68 (Clara Samlal 3/13) lost to Juniors 70/3 (Carol Lynch 23, Shakila Ramlogan 2/12) —-By 7 wkts.
Hill Piece Ladies 57 lost to Burning Flames 59/9 —- By 1wkt.
Slammers 84 def Hillpiece Ladies 39 —- By 45 runs.
Drifters 53 lost to Slammers 56/3 —- By 7 wkts.