THE EDITOR: Kind-ly permit me some space in your newspapers to voice my opinion.
In response to an article on Friday March 21 2003 by Lystra Lythe, Sangre Grande, re CEPEP, I wish the goodly lady would stop judging all CEPEP contractors based on her obviously limited vision. Is she Jesus Christ? Or is she wearing a new brand of blindfold named UNC. Take a drive around the country in others areas and see what CEPEP is doing — take a ride in a maxi along the Bus Route in the vicinity of the Beetham Gardens area. Do that first and then comment. I guess with a UNC blindfold what else can you see or how can you be a fair judge?
LIZZIE MORRIS
Couva
THE EDITOR: What is this thing called democracy that we fight and kill in the name of, and is it really worth the lives of innocent men, women and children?
Democracy, as defined by Aristotle is the rule for the good of the majority, and the poor and underprivileged are more often than not, the majority. As such, by Aristotle’s definition, democracy is the rule for the good of the poor and underprivileged. Can we safely say that that is what pertains in our ‘democratic’ western world? The only way we could come to any logical conclusion is by examining real examples. Out of democracy also come democratic elections. This is about installing the choice of the majority as the leader. The United States of America (that shining star of democracy), must therefore be the finest example of a nation ruled for the good of this group of people. But to begin with the majority of American citizens did not even vote for the Presidential Cowboy George W.
In addition, there are some 41 million Americans without health care. Blacks in the USA are still being stopped for driving expensive cars. Minority populations are being brutalised by the racist American police daily. The economy of the USA is in virtual tatters. Thus creating even greater suffering to the poor. So democracy does not really exist in the USA, because the USA is not governed for the benefit of the poor. In Trinidad and Tobago, the majority do not share in the country’s wealth either. Even with successive Afro-Trinidadian leaders, this group continues to lag behind the wealthy lighter skinned minority groups. So too, the East Indian population that make up a similar percentage of the population, are only marginally better off.
When the Prime Minister ignores the outcry of the majority of the population to relocate the country’s Parliament, or the cries for help by the disenfranchised, or the crime which is still out of control, or the shambolic commissions of inquiry, or the increases in ministers’ salaries, is that democratic? I do not believe that it is, as the poor remains poor. Even the so-called social programmes are so riddled with corruption that the real beneficiaries are not those who need the help most. And what of international democracy? The United Nations was set up in order to protect the world from dictators whether from the East or from the West, whether elected or inherited. It was set up to prevent war. The Security Council of the UN was specifically put in place so that consensus could be got before going to war and engaging in the decimation of countries and the taking of human lives. Countries were given a veto so that they could record their disagreement to going to war and even prevent it. It is a democratic institution!
Unfortunately, democracy comes at a high price. It means backing down when your view is outvoted. It means removing yourself from power when you are voted out. Democracy cannot be about bullying, bribing or railroading your way through because you have the biggest army. And that’s what America does not comprehend. George W neither has the moral nor legitimate authority to act as policeman, judge, juror and executioner. The world is not Texas. The US President has shown the world that democracy does not exist in so-called democratic nations. It is not the utopia that we would like to believe that it is, at least not the democracy defined by Aristotle. In its gross imperfection, it is surely not justifiable to take innocent lives over?
In fact the US President has shown himself to be a dictator who, if the war against Iraq is deemed legitimate, should be removed by the same means or be sanctioned. He will be guilty of an unprovoked attack on a State he has deemed his enemy and will be no better than Saddam. Successive US governments have backed and funded terrorist groups throughout the world. So even in ‘democratic’ States there is the issue of intimidation, bullying and high handed dictate of its citizens and its enemies.
In addition, the United States’ President is showing himself to be no more than a weapon of mass destruction himself who has manipulated the other cowardly world leaders with blatant lies, to take control of the Iraqi resources for his personal benefit. This recent controversy is yet another example of the US President’s hypocrisy and double-dealing. From very early the US President sanctioned the drilling for oil in the sensitive Arctic region even as environmental experts showed clear evidence that such action would put the global climate in great jeopardy and so cause death and devastation by the flooding of low lying countries.
In addition, history will show that it was the Americans who are the guiltiest of using weapons of mass destruction. They started life by invading the lands of North America and, with guns (then weapons of mass destruction) decimated the American Indians and stole their lands and resources. Never forget, the Americans are also the only people to have dropped an atomic bomb on innocent women and children. And now, the Americans have stated that even if Saddam and his family step down, there is no turning back. So the next time a politician tells you go die for democracy. Tell him go to … the USA.
GARVIN NICHOLAS
Attorney-at-Law
TRINIDADIAN Augustine “Gus” Logie is widely expected to be named coach of the West Indies team for the upcoming Test and One-Day International series against the touring Australians and Sri Lankans.
Logie, a former middle-order Test batsman and outstanding fielder is already under contract with the WICB. His most recent assigment was as coach of the Canadian team at the recent World Cup tournament in South Africa. An announcement of the appointment is expected next Monday, the day after the WICB directors meet in Barbados to choose a coach, manager and captain for the upcoming home series against Australia and Sri Lanka.
Meanwhile Antigua’s Minister of Sports Guy Yearwood has lashed out at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for considering an application from Bob Woolmer to coach the Caribbean side, describing those moves as “wicked”. “It is wicked that the West Indies Cricket Board would even entertain, let alone consider an application from Bob Woolmer to coach the West Indies cricket team. I have a personal problem with that,” Yearwood said, according to the Antigua Sun newspaper.
Woolmer was interviewed by a WICB selection committee — comprising chief selector Viv Richards, CEO Roger Brathwaithe and Barbados director Stephen Alleyne — during the just-concluded World Cup tournament but later said he was only interested in an advisory role instead of being a fulltime coach. Yearwood said the WICB should instead give the job to former Leewards and West Indies all-rounder Eldine Baptiste, also an Antiguan. Baptiste, who is now coaching the KwaZulu-Natal senior team, is in a shortlist of candidates to get the job.
The Antiguan sports minister called on the WICB to “stop the violence” against local coaches. “What of all our great past players who dominated the game even while Bob Woolmer was a player. Is there no recognition for those amongst us who have excelled? Do you think Brazil would recruit the services of a foreign football coach?” Yearwood declared. “Today, I ask the West Indies Cricket Board to stop the violence against our coaches and empower them to return West Indies cricket to its halcyon years. Let’s give Eldine Baptiste the job,” he added. “He (Baptiste) has the expertise and has worked successfully in England and South Africa. His track record, as a coach, speaks for him and he is fully qualified to do the job,” Yearwood added. Australia’s academy coach Bennett King is also being considered for the job but sources say the long delay in coming to a decision effectively means King was ruled out as a possibility.
BRIDGETOWN: Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn and left-arm seam bowler Ian Bradshaw have been left out of Barbados’ team for the semi-final match in the 2003 Carib Beer International Shield against Trinidad and Tobago at Kensington Oval starting tomorrow.
The lanky 21-year-old Benn is a surprise omission after capturing 27 wickets in seven matches at a commendable average of 19.14 in this year’s Cup competition which Barbados easily won with a whopping 72 points. Benn’s name has also been mentioned among the front-runners for a place on the West Indies team should the regional selectors opt for a specialist spinner in the First Test against Australia on the usually docile Bourda pitch at the Georgetown Cricket Club. Bradshaw, Barbados’ leading fast bowler over the past two seasons, is also unlucky to be omitted after following up his haul of 31 wickets last year with 28 scalps at 20.32 runs apiece in the seven Cup matches. Benn has 92 First-Class wickets in 24 matches at an average of 26.76 while Bradshaw’s 93 First-Class wickets have been taken at an average of 25.67 in 27 matches.
Both Benn and Bradshaw, who are also useful lower order batsmen, were named among the West Indies’ provisional squad of 30 players selected for the just ended 2003 World Cup in South Africa. The two “Bs” have been excluded to make way for fast bowlers Vasbert Drakes and Pedro Collins, who sat out of Barbados’ last match in the Cup competition against the West Indies Under-23 “B” team after returning to the Caribbean from the World Cup in South Africa. Another fast bowler Corey Collymore, who was also in the West Indies World Cup squad, has been named in the Barbados starting line-up as well as the fiery 21-year-old pacer Tino Best. Best is the leading bowler in the Carib Beer Series with 35 wickets at an average of just 16.60 runs for each scalp and an outstanding strike rate of a wicket every 25 balls. Middle order batsman Dwayne Smith has also been retained despite scoring just 205 runs at an average of 25.62 and failing to score a half century in seven matches.
BARBADOS SQUAD: Courtney Browne (captain), Sherwin Campbell, Philo Wallace, Ryan Hinds, Floyd Reifer, Dwayne Smith, Ryan Hurley, Courtney Browne, Vasbert Drakes, Tino Best, Corey Collymore, Pedro Collins. Reserves: Ian Bradshaw, Sulieman Benn.
Cuba defeated Guadeloupe 3-2 yesterday in the opening match of the Gold Cup Group “B” football qualifiers yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium at Mucurapo. In a closely fought encounter, Guadeloupe fought back from two goals down to equalise only to allow Cuba the winner through Maykel Galindo in the 81st minute.
Earlier Cuba had opened the scoring in the 15th minute when Galindo struck. The lead was increased ten minutes later by Lazaro Dalpourt. Guadeloupe came storming back into the match through Laurent Sarnabe on either side of half-time (43rd and 52nd munutes) but the Cubans pulled out all the stops to keep their opponents out and get the elusive winner nine minutes from regulation time. In the other match of the double-header, hosts Trinidad and Tobago took an early lead through Germany-based Evans Wise in the third minute against Antigua/Barbuda. Stern John increased the lead in the second half. The competition continues tomorrow.
GEORGETOWN: Veteran Carl Hooper, up for reappointment as West Indies cricket captain, is back home in the Caribbean to represent Guyana in their Carib Beer International Shield semi-final against Jamaica this weekend.
Hooper was due to arrive in Georgetown — from Trinidad and Tobago — yesterday afternoon to begin preparing for the final starting tomorrow at Albion in Berbice. On his physiotherapist’s recommendation, Hooper spent the past two and a half weeks at his home in Australia on a rest and rehabilitation programme for his troublesome knees, which were operated on late last year. The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) will name their 13-man squad today after injured pacer Reon King, and opening batsmen Sewnarine Chattergoon and Azeemul Haniff undergo fitness tests. Ramnaresh Sarwan is not being considered, because of a finger injury he suffered on the eve of Guyana’s seventh-round match against the Windward Islands earlier this month. Guyana are defending International Shield champions, winning the title last year when Hooper’s magnificent 149 not out guided them to first innings honours in their drawn final against Cup champions Jamaica at Sabina Park in Kingston. The undefeated Guyanese, with 48 points, finished second in the standings to runaway Cup champions Barbados (72 points), with a record of two wins and five draws.
KINGSTON: Young West Indies fast bowler Jermaine Lawson has returned to the Jamaica squad for this weekend’s Carib Beer International Shield cricket semi-final match against defending champions Guyana in Berbice.
The 21-year-old Lawson was travelling yesterday with the Jamaica squad for the match starting tomorrow at the out of town ground Albion. Clocked as the fourth fastest bowler at Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2003, Lawson missed Jamaica’s seventh-round match against India “A” two weeks ago because he was resting niggling injuries from the World Cup. Attacking middle order batsman Ricardo Powell is suffering from chicken pox and has been ruled out of the match. Left-arm spinner Ryan Cunningham, who was dropped from the eleven for the last encounter — after the influx of returning West Indies World Cup players — is in the 13. Jamaica, with a record of two wins, three draws, and two defeats, finished third in the Carib Beer Series standings with 43 points.
Jamaica Squad: Robert Samuels (captain), Chris Gayle, Leon Garrick, Brenton Parchment, Wavell Hinds, Marlon Samuels, David Bernard, Gareth Breese, Keith Hibbert, Darren Powell, Jerome Taylor, Ryan Cunningham, Jermaine Lawson.
Clico Preysal completed an emphatic win by 153 runs over PowerGen yesterday at Inshan Ali Park, Preysal to advance to the semi-finals of the Carib Cup limited overs cricket series. Chasing a mammoth 264 runs in 30 overs, PowerGen were never in the groove after the loss of early wickets and succumbed to 110 all out.
Pacer Nevin Stuart was the star of the show with five wickets for 32 runs from his six overs. Only West Indies “B” team batsman Denzil James, 21, and Ahmed Mohammed, 20, offered any resistance. Preysal will now meet First Citizen’s Clarke Road in a repeat of the Sunday League semi-finals next week. Clarke Road made light work off the 125 made by Tile It Central Sports with the loss of just four wickets. Guyanese Damodar Dasrath again caught the eye with an aggressive unbeaten 21 that included two sixes and a four. Mahadeo Bodoe got 30 runs, Gregory Mahabir scored 27 and Kenton Thompson, 28.
At Diego Martin, home team Ceramic Trinidad Merryboys humbled Endeavour Sports by 152 runs. Chasing 232 to win, the Second Division campaigners were bowled out for just 79 runs. Dale Douglas grabbed five for 21 and Ryan Best three for /20 to hustle the outcome. At Pierre Road, Charlieville in Chaguanas, Queen’s Park created a major upset by beating the home side by 18 runs. Needing 50 runs from the last 10 overs with eight wickets in hand, Comet rallied bravely but fell short at 168 for eight. Skipper Suruj Ragoonath and the impressive Imran Khan both batted beautifully but were thwarted in their efforts to take the central team into the semi-finals. Queen’s Park will now meet Ceramic Trinidad Merryboys in the other semi-final next week.
CARIB CUP CRICKET SCORES: At Inshan Ali Park: Clico Preysal 263/5 (30)(Keith Arthurton 83, Dinesh Ramdin 85, Nevin Stuart 10, Hollister Pajotte 37 n.o., Samuel Badree 2/56, Atiba Allette 2/33) def PowerGen 110 (Denzil James 21, Ahmed Mohammed 20, Nevin Stuart 5/32, Anderson Bryce 2/8, Eugene Antoine 2/36) — By 153 runs. At Diego Martin: Ceramic Trinidad Merryboys 231/2 (30)(Lincoln Roberts 133 n.o., Denis Rampersad 47 n.o., Richard Kelly 29) def Endeavour 79 (15.3)(Dale Douglas 5/21, Ryan Best 3/20, Rajindra Dhanraj 2/4) — By 152 runs. At Wilson Road: Tile It Central Sports 125/8 (30)(Michael Crowe 31, Krik Newallo 27 n.o., Mukesh Persad 4/17, Mahadeo Bodoe 3/10) lost to FCB Clarke Road 126/4 (23.5)(Gregory Mahabir 27, Mahadeo Bodoe 30, Kenton Thompson 28, Damodar Dasrath 21 n.o., Kyron Lynch 2/29) — By 6 wkts. At Pierre Road: QPCC 186/7 (30)(Jonathan Augustus 55, Brent Augustus 27) def Alescon Comet 168/8 (30)(Suruj Ragoonath 66, Imran Khan 55, Shakeel Ali 3/26, Ricardo Paty 2/26) — By 18 runs.
Reigning national champions Anil Seepaul and Sabrina Cassie have advanced to three senior finals of the Trinidad and Tobago Badminton Association Invitation tournament at the Central Regional Indoor Sports Arena (CRISA), Chaguanas.
Seepaul was due to do battle with Kerwin Pantin in the men’s singles final while Cassie will take on Zeudi Mack for the women’s crown. Three-time national champion Seepaul will return to the court together with former national champion Ronald Clarke as they tackle former senior champions pair of Daron Dasent and David Lee Kim for the men’s doubles title. Seepaul, seeking a triple title, teams up with Mack and they clash with the Clarke/Cassie tandem in the mixed doubles final. Cassie and Mack are involved in the round robin women’s doubles play-offs.
On Tuesday evening at CRISA, the experienced pair secured a comfortable 11-1 and 11-0 victory over Daysha Francis and Kimberly Lovero. The Stephanie Mitchell/Nadine Julien pair is the other team involved in the ladies’ doubles competition. Seepaul whipped Christopher Joaquim 15-1 and 15-0 in the quarter-final and then upstaged former champion David Lee Kim 15-2 and 15-2. His junior counterpart Pantin made light work of Shaun Sookdeo 15-8 and 15-0 and then turned back the challenge of Devon Kooblal 15-12 and 9-15 in the quarter-finals and improving Sarajudeen Mohammed 15-12, 9-15 and 15-11 in the semi-final. The Seepaul/Clarke duo won by default over the Patrick Cunningham/Sarajudeen Mohammed pair in the semi-final when Mohammed was unable to continue after complaining of dizziness in the second set.
Seepaul and Clarke led 15-10 and 7-2 when they gained the default victory. The experienced Dasent/Lee Kim pair proved too much for Pantin/Jeremy Lewis duo, which folded up at 15-2 and 15-7. Seepaul and Mack gained walk-over victories in their mixed doubles encounters. The semi-final against Stephanie Mitchell and Sarajudeen Mohammed was not contested because Mohammed could not finish his men’s doubles encounter. On the other hand, the Clarke/Cassie pair was on a roll. They defeated Erwin Pantin and Kimberley Lover 9-11, 11-2 and 11-6 and then held on to oust Cunningham and Nadine Julien in the “semis” 13-10 and 11-3.
KIMBERLY Janine Thornhill copped the 11-12 girls age group for her club, St Michael’s Stingray Swim Club, at the recent five-day National Short Course Swimming Championships in the Flying Fish Swim Pool, Federation Park.
Other overall age-group winners for the Stingrays included Cadell Lyons, who defeated clubmate Christian Homer to claim the boys 9-10; and Kareem Baptiste, who was the joint champ alongside Moriba De La Rosa of Blue Dolphins in the boys eight-and-under. Another Stingray, Josiah Morales was third. The south-based team, coached by ex-national swimmer and record holder Terry-Ann Evelyn, captured three first-placed trophies in addition to two second-placed and two third-placed awards during the meet. Cardesha Lyons was the runner-up in the girls eight-and-under category, ahead of teammate Khadija Thornhill. And, among the medallists were Krystal Huggins and Kerron Pierre, each claiming bronze in the 100m breaststroke; and Ryan Rigues, who took silver in the boys 9-10 50m breaststroke.
