N Touch

A revolutionary called woman


 


Early in the game, the husband proudly proclaims, “I am the head of this marriage!”


But soon the poor guy finds out that his bride is out-shouting him: “I am the neck that turns the head!” From then he must carefully declare his status: “I am the boss in this house…and I have my wife’s permission to say so!”


The biblical record tells us that God created man. He (God) then observed that man was inadequate for the task, so He proceeded to create woman. This second act of human creation has since brought a revolution to the human race, and the world by extension.


In woman, was a “help meet” for man and the possibility and power of procreation. The woman also created the possibility for man to become a father. Motherhood too, was introduced with womanhood. Both fatherhood and motherhood were announced when the Creator instructed, “Be fruitful and multiply…” (Gen 1:22).


And, of course, the whole episode regarding eating of the forbidden fruit and the enormous consequences, centrally involved the woman. But the woman was to also take centre stage in God’s redemptive plan for man: “The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent…” (Gen 3:15). It would seem that with the entrance of woman on life’s stage, came a massive change in status, position and paradigm for all of humanity. A revolutionary had arrived! A new map and compass had come and the world would never be the same again.


The fact is, women carry an awesome power to effect revolutionary change. This peculiar ability appears to be intrinsic in the woman. It permeates her aura and influences places and personalities.


It can be used for the good or the evil. Its use can be noble or insidious. A check through history would find the influence of a woman at the heart of many a great event or exploit.


However, because of the tradition of the so-called male dominance practice, the role of the male is usually given the prominence, when the time comes for the applause, accolades or rewards.


Almost every important thing a man does he is conscious of how it impacts his opposite sex. His ego, macho image and general esteem depend upon the impression he creates in her eyes. His self-esteem relies a whole lot upon her response to his attempts at creating an impact.


There is hardly any source or resource which can inflate or deflate a man’s ego, or simulate his will to accomplish more than the one whom the Creator sovereignly assigned to be his “help meet.”


In courtship she practically reforms him emotionally, socially and psychologically. In marriage “a man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife.” (Gen. 2:24).


In this union, she takes his name. In so doing, she takes his authority. Whatever he owns now belongs to her. She can now sign his documents, do his business transactions and…surely (in most cases) invade his bank account! His friends — both male and female — now have a new “force” to contend with.


Most times if they did not get this message by the “bachelor’s night” or the wedding day, her keen sense of discernment will waste no time in picking up this serious blunder on their part.


Just as swiftly, her keen sense of speech and clever body language would unambiguously communicate this urgent and important message to all concerned parties. A new “boss” is on the scene — nice, charming but assertive and virtuously possessive. She’ll usually keep an eagle’s eye on the in-laws (or is it outlaws?) For any unlawful intrusion.


Her reminders that “a man must leave father and mother and cleave to wife” will always be present for her mate. Sometimes subtle, sometime less than subtle.


She may even become a virtual life-long nemesis to her mother-in-law. In caring for her husband, she has now effectively replaced his mama, who may find it quite difficult to adjust to the after-effects of this “coup.” Whether the husband is alive or dead, the law of the land no longer deals with mama, or papa, on behalf of son. It deals with the Mrs! The daughter-in-law has taken over…and there is a revolutionary change in the family.


Early in the game, the hussie (husband) is proud to proclaim, “I am the head of this marriage!” But very soon the poor guy finds out that his tantalising bride is out-shouting him at the other end of the room: “I am the neck that turns the head!”


It also does not take him long to discover that in declaring his status in the marriage, he must carefully word it: “I am the boss in this house…and I have my wife’s permission to say so!”


The goodly gentleman realises that the fairest of all God’s creation may also be the most peculiar of all His creation — you can’t live with her, but you can’t live without her!


All in all, womanhood, marriage and motherhood are all God’s wonderful design for the enrichment and enhancement of the human race. The Christ-centred family remains God’s most treasured unit, with motherhood at the very heart.


This weekend we must heartily celebrate all mothers — biological and otherwise. Have a holy, blessed Mother’s Day!

Lara in role of
father figure

Double world record holder and current West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara who celebrated his 34th birthday two Fridays ago is a changed man.


He now looks to the future of the game in the West Indies on an optistic note despite the run of poor results against the touring Australians.


“I think I know exactly what my responsibilities are and see they have given me a 22- year-old vice-captain so its somewhat of an interim job that I want to make a success of. But I see it as an opportunity to take some of the young players.. …I think the disparity in age at present between a couple of the guys in their thirties and a lot of guys in their early 20s is quite huge and we need to bridge that gap,” Lara said in an interview with I95.5FM.


“Maybe we need to get some of the younger players a lot more experience and a lot more tutorship from someone. I think the board trusts that I am capable of doing this,” he said. The new West Indies captain believes in allowing players an opportunity to express themselves. He feels they have accepted the new management committee established by the West Indies Cricket Board.


“I think it is great. There are a lot of young players on the team first of all and they make up the majority of the team. First of all you must have an open-door policy if young players control your team and they control the majority. So we have this open-door policy,” Lara said.


 “I do not know what it was in the past. I will not comment on that but I think now we understand that it is their game. It is a game for them to take forward and we just have to facilitate them with what is necessary at present so that they mature and so that can carry the baton for a few years to come,” he said.


Lara was reflective on  his previous stint as West Indies captain.


“I mean first of all you know, no excuses made. You know I had my way of leading games. I led all the different groups in Trinidad up to the national team, West Indies Under-23 and even the West Indies ‘B’ team and I had a style of captaincy that was working.


“But captaining a West Indies team on a world stage under that microscope is a different story. Different cultures, different backgrounds, different players to deal with, and of course you are under the scope of the media all the time. So it was something new to me and when I realised after two or three years in charge, I was not fully equipped to deal with such a position,”Lara confessed.


“I think it is one of the highest positions in the Caribbean. Not only in sports in the Caribbean…..but in the Caribbean to be leader and captain of the West Indies cricket team is something what six million people plus six million West Indians away ……look up to and respect and I really did not see myself fulfilling it as I should have at that period.


‘What I have now is a diversity that I have learnt under Jimmy Adams, under Carl Hooper and a bit of introspection. I realise that now I am a better person and I have better capabilities to do the job,” Lara said.


“I…. first of all, in the past I was looking at results, results. Now it is not necessarily results. Now it is more of a father figure. Now it is more of a person who wants to see the young team grow into a team that is maybe not invincible, but maybe a team that can win but also a team that can represent us as ambassadors and that has been lacking in the last ten or 12 years or at least since I have started my international tour,” he remarked.


“That ambassadorial role that we really play in the world for West Indies people and I want to see more of that come about.


I want to see our youngsters being able to go away and really replicate the careers of the guys in the 50s and 60s, the great cricketers, the great West Indies, the three Ws, Sir Garfield and all those guys who were known not just for their cricket but for their way of life,” added Lara.

Regional football kicks off May 18

A TRINIDAD and Tobago select eleven and W Connection will clash in the feature encounter at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on May 18 from 3.30 pm.


That fixture will kick-start the 2003 Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation (TTFF) Regional Association tournament, which will follow a gala opening ceremony at 2 pm when Prime Minister Patrick Manning is expected to declare the event open.


The ceremony will feature a parade of queen’s representing the respective clubs of the Regional Associations — North, East, Central, South and Tobago Associations as well as the Eastern Counties.

Ato runs in Modesto Relays

MODESTO: Trinidadian sprint star Ato Boldon tries again today to get his 2003 season started when he races at the Modesto Relays.


Boldon, a quadruple Olympic medallist, suffered a thigh strain while competing at his first scheduled meet last month, the Mount SAC Relays, aborting his 100-metre effort after leading out of the blocks.


He missed subsequent meets in Martinique and Mexico and now joins a host Caribbean athletes — including Kittitian Kim Collins — for the meet at the Modesto Junior College Stadium.


The 29-year-old Boldon, who won double bronze in Atlanta and silver and bronze in Sydney, faces Americans Jon Drummond and Joshua Johnson, Britain’s Dwain Chambers, and Jamaican Llewellyn Bredwood in the 100 metres.


Boldon is also on the 200-metre start list that includes Drummond, Collins, the 2001 World Championship silver medallist in the event, and Bahamian Dominic Demeritte, who at the Brazil Grand Prix last weekend.


Jamaicans Ricardo Williams, Elston Cawley and Lancford Davis are also in the field.


In form Bahamian Chris Brown, who collected three wins in the South Africa Engen Series last month tackles Jamaica’s Davian Clarke in the men’s 400 metres. In the women’s sprints, Jamaicans Bev McDonald and Merlene Frazer appear on the start lists for the 100 and 200 metres, respectively.


Jamaicans Tanya Jarrett and Debbie-Ann Parris will go in the women’s 400 hurdles, with Astia Walker in the 100-hurdles and Claudine Williams in the 400 metres. In the women’s 800 metres, Trinidadian Melissa DeLeon and Michelle Ballentine of Jamaica are listed.


The Cayman Islands’ Kareem Streete-Thompson has entered the men’s long jump.

Showdown in North/East Aerobics

GERARD RICHARDS will face a tough challenge from Ceemoy Murray when fitness buffs take to the floor at the Woodbrook Youth Facility from 2 pm today.


This is  in the North/East Aerobics final, one of the qualifiers for the finals of the Caribbean Aerobics Championships 2.


The South/Central Zone finals were held last Saturday in Chaguanas.


One of the most consistent performers on the local circuit, Richards won the North Zone crown last year while the improving Murray was the runner-up to the eventual Caribbean champ, Gerard Ford, in the 2002 East Zone contest.


Judges will be kept busy selecting from a high quality bunch of competitors at the combined North and East final, with qualifiers booking their places for the Caribbean Aerobic Championships at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo on May 31.


Forty-six fitness enthusiasts have already advanced to the regional final following the South/Central finals.

Jabloteh down Horizon netballers

San Juan Jabloteh whipped Horizon 31-19 in Lady Erna Reece Intermediate Division One in recent action in the Port-of-Spain Netball League.


After a close first quarter which ended 7-5, the winners held a 15-9 halftime lead only for Horizon to battle back to trail 22-14 at the end of the three-quarter stage of Thursday’s match at Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo. Jabloteh added nine more goals to their opponents’ five for the final score.


Joycelyn Marcelle scored 21goals from 28 attempts, Melissa Young six from 13 and Aisha Stevenson, four from eight, for Jabloteh; and Erica John, 14, Crystal Palmer, three, and Kimberly Britto, two for Horizon.


Goal-attack Rhonessa Williams scored 11 goals, Denyse Gibbs had six and Cassie Ann James made five to lead Chips to a 22-16 victory over Mucurapo Ex-Pupils in the same division. Ansrina Eve had nine and Sherneika Noel, seven, for the Ex-Pupils.


Other results: Lady Erna Reece Intermediate One Division —- ARIMA BALL MASTERS (32) Marissa Williams 14, Camille Huggins 8 vs TRENDSETTERS (26) Stacey Pierre 22, Giselle Barrow 4.


Barbara Chandleur “B1” Division —- UPPERS (18) Samantha Huggins 15, Sherneika Williams 3 vs SOUL CITY (14) Jasmine Kirton 10, Jenille King 4; LAS LOMAS (13) Emily De Leon 11, Kelly Ann James 1, Sarah Romeo 1 vs ZENITH (11) Petal Wilkins 9, Rachael Williams 2.

Shell Cricket Academy go with local coaches

The Chief Cricket Development Officer at the Shell Cricket Academy is putting his faith in homegrown talent.


Guyana-born Dr Michael Seepersaud said earlier this week that the region need not look outside for qualified coaches to chart the future course of the youngsters attending the elite St George’s, Grenada-based academy.


He made the comments on Tuesday at a media conference at the Kapok Hotel, port-of-Spain to announce the names of 25 young, promising players who will attend the academy from May 16 to August 7.


Head coach is Roger Harper, who most recently held that position with the West Indies Test team.


Director of the Academy is Dr Rudi Webster, a former professional cricketer who specialises in sports psychology and is a best selling author.


The former West Indies manager and team psychologist, who has lived many years in Australia will handle training in mental skills.


The coaching staff also includes former Test pacer Kenny Benjamin from Antigua and Barbuda, ex-Barbados player Darnley Boxhill, and fitness and conditioning trainer Chris Parke of Grenada.


Dr Seepersaud said after a couple years with foreigners at the helm of the coaching programme, the administrators of the academy were willing to give regional coaches the opportunity to make their input.


And in an effort to address problems identified with key players and emerging talent, the board of the once-indomitable West Indies is looking to give them remedial training.


“The proposal from the senior selectors is that we should look at the 17 players for specific purposes — bring them together in one place and work on them,” Seepersaud said.


He said details have yet to be worked out but training for the team, currently 0-3 down in the Cable and Wireless Test series  against the touring Australians, would take place at the academy before or after the latest term ends Aug, 7.


Captain and star batsman Brian Lara has said that his players, the youngest ever fielded by the West Indies with an average age just under 25, have been batting well but need to improve their bowling.


The newest batch of players entering the Shell Academy, comprise seven Jamaicans, five from Barbados, four Trinidad and Tobago, four Guyanese, three from the Windward Islands and two from the Leeward Islands. Academy director Rudi Webster urged participants to take advantage of the 12-week course.


“If I can change the way you think about yourselves, your abilities, teammates, your future, spiritual and social as well as your academic life by the end of the programme, I would be the happiest man around,” he told the news conference.


Seepersad said they had “demonstrated that they have what it takes to be high-class players.”


The academy, created three years ago in response to the failing fortunes of the West Indies, has graduated 47 regional players and four from outside the Caribbean.


Also attending the media conference were Nick Shorthose, the Barbados-based Shell Regional Country Manager; Andrew Hart, Shell Country Representative stationed in Port-of-Spain and Kurtis Rudd, Brands and Communication Manager.

Time to make better
use of Third Umpire

THE SPORTS EDITOR: The appointed panel of the world’s most competent umpires continue to make terrible errors of judgment in Test and One-Day International matches, seemingly without complaint from appropriate quarters.


Too often such errors tend to influence the result of a match, not to mention the feeling of disgust in the minds of the captain and affected batsman of bowler. Clearly these umpires need assistance which can be provided by the Third (TV) umpire.


The ICC may wish to consider a review of the system and introduce measures to extend the use of the existing technology.


I suggest that such a move will be welcomed by all concerned, and the changes will be much less controversial than the complicated, incongruous Duckworth/Lewis system currently employed to determine results of weather affected One-Day international matches.


To give the presiding umpire the authority to call upon the Third Umpire for assistance in the case of problematic appeals for caught behind, bat/pad catch, leg before wicket, tumbling catches, and any other, will not necessarily involve a waste of time.


Since the umpires involved are regarded as the best in the world I cannot see them abusing the privilege, and more often than not it would take merely a few seconds to secure the third umpire’s decision.


Perhaps a few relevant quotes from my recently published handbook Captaincy in Cricket would be useful:


“Up to the time of writing (2001), available technology has not been utilised to the extent possible and perhaps necessary…has the time come for a review of the system and for a revision of the Laws of Cricket?


“In the meantime the ICC may direct and encourage the presiding umpire to call upon the Third Umpire in every case in which the former thinks an appeal deserves such consideration.


“For example as recently as during the West Indies 2000/01 tour of Australia, instant TV replays convinced me, before the end of the Third Test match, that at least 12 significant errors of judgment were made resulting in various degrees of reaction by the affected players.


“These errors or most of them could have possibly been avoided if the presiding umpire(s) had called upon the Third Umpire for assistance.


“The alternative may well be pressure from international bodies for the senior batsman at the wicket or the fielding captain (as the case may be) to be allowed to request such a call in appropriate cases.” I hope that the ICC will consider the above suggestions to the benefit of cricket worldwide.


In the meantime, the ICC may find it useful to withdraw the services of those umpires who are guilty of errors of judgment too frequently for the good of the game.


Remembering that, “An umpire is the only single person who can make or ruin a game of cricket” — John Arlott in his foreword to Tom Smith’s Cricket Umpiring and Scoring.


Fyzul Hassanali
Santa Cruz

Badminton juniors earn bronze

Trinidad and Tobago’s junior badminton champions have returned from South America with bronze medals earned at the Peru Open Junior Championships.


The team was led by triple-crown champions Rahul Rampersad (Under-19) and Justin Siu (Under-17). Both collected bronze medals in doubles play, which featured top juniors from Guatemala, the Dominican Republic and hosts Peru. According to team manager/coach Zeudi Mack, Rampersad was the most outstanding Trinidadian as he combined with Guatemalan G Garcia to overpower the Dominican Republic’s Javier and Pea in the quarter-finals. They won 15-10, 15-10.


But they succumbed to the Guatemalans Danny Lopez and Cordon who were the second  seeds. Rampersad/Garcia lost a fiercely contested two-setter at 12-15,12-15.


“Rampersad was without doubt the most outstanding TT player in the tournament.  He showed good form in the singles but lost his match to Peru’s A Chueca who teamed up with Belindo to take the Boys Under-19 doubles title. Rahul lost 8-15, 11-15 and the major difference was that the Peruvian was able to sustain the rallies much longer and scored important points that way,” Mack said.


The Central Smashers and Presentation College player also teamed up with C De La Flor of Peru in the mixed doubles competition.


Together they defeated Javier and F de Oleo of the Republic of Dominica 15-13, 15-3 in their quarter-finals but lost in the “semis” to top pair Lopez and Jimeno 15-6, 15-6.


Siu and his Cri-Stars Badminton Club partner Earnesto Dean gained a free draw in the Boys Under-17 semi-finals round. But they lost 0-15, 8-15 to Peru’s DeVinata and DeValle (the number one seeds).


Siu lost his singles match to Guatemala’s number one David Lopez 15-5 and 15-6 while Dean bowed to DeVinata 4-15 and 6-15.


Under-15 champion Mitra Ramcharran put up strong resistance but lost his singles to Peru’s D Vasquez 9-15, 7-15 while doubles partner Insaf Hosein was beaten by Peru’s V de La Flor 15-4, 15-2.


In the doubles competition, they gained a free draw into the “semis” and were up against Peru’s dominant tandem of Sebastian Salazar and Rivero. They  had to settle for the bronze medal after losing 5-15, 3-15.


On the distaff side, Peru’s D Cuba and Blanco in their semi-final encounters outclassed double-crown champion Vikie Singh and her partner Nichesha Blake. The Peruvians won easily 15-0, 15-1.  Singh also lost her singles match 0-11, 1-11 to Cuba while Blake suffered similar fate going down to DeSlava 4-11, 3-11.


In the mixed doubles quarter-finals; the Dean/Vikie Singh tandem lost to Peru’s DelValle/Calderon pair 1-15, 1-15 while Siu and Blake were no match for Lopez (Guatemala) and Blanco (Peru) pair giving up at 3-15, 5-15.

Glamorgan ready for
Black City women v-ballers

TRINIDAD and Tobago triple-crown champions Glamorgan women are ready to continue their dominance when they play Point Fortin Slammers in the opening Grand Champions Cup today at the Tacarigua Indoor Sports Arena from 5 pm.


Glamorgan are led by national senior stars Aisha Sealy (captain and setter), power smasher Kelly-Ann Billingy (outside hitter), Madonna Bedenoch (outside hitter), Melissa Tang (blocker/outside hitter), Danya Augustus (middle blocker), Jenna Ferguson (libero) and Marina Camps (universal).


They are  all members of the TT team which collected silver medals at the ninth  Caribbean Volleyball Championships held here last year July and will make Glamorgan  unstoppable in their pursuit of the first major title in the new season.


Coached by Macsood Ali and his son Saleem Ali, Glamorgan copped the unique triple crown last year—- winning the women’s national senior league title, “Big Four” and Knockout competition in convincing fashion.


National senior player Elke Phillip and her “Black City Girls” must show vast improvement in their overall game strategy to stop the Glamorgan, which has been strengthened with the inclusion of promising players Ayana Dyer, Karina Moore, Qwando Gloudon, Kemba Noel-London and Aisling Camps.


Southern United, led by veteran star Nigel Purcell, are the defending champions of the “Big Four” title and although the name has been changed to the Peter Mungal Grand Champions Cup, the southerners will be seeking to retain bragging rights.


Purcell is very confident of inscribing their name on the new trophy especially with the inclusion of two players — Greg Ouditt and Mark Honore of Starlings who are appearing as guest players.


Honore is a middle blocker and he will team up with Adrian Ayers who copped the “Best Blocker” award at the CVC championships last year.


Ouditt was the most outstanding in the trials but was inexplicably omitted from the national team. He is definitely one of the better all-round players and playing as an opposite hitter will add real power to the Southern force marshalled by Purcell and Kesley Romain with Kerish Maharaj as the libero.


National vice-captain Nolan Tash, his brother Gideon Dixon and David Camacho, will lead SEPOS.