Relatives of O’Shea Charles, eight, said when he was pulled from the water he had a faint pulse although he was unconscious.

They said two nurses tried to help the boy and was doing a good job but when two lifeguards arrived, they stopped the women saying the women were not known to them.

Charles was taken to Scarborough General Hospital were further attempts to resuscitate him were futile. He was pronounced dead on arrival. Relatives claimed that at the beach the emergency medical technicians “strolled” onto the scene with no urgency, and believed if both the life guards and emergency personnel had been more professional, Charles would have survived.

But his mission serves a much grander purpose: De Freitas wants to use football as a means through which young people avoid turning to a life of crime.

“I grew up here and for the past few years I have realised that things are going in the wrong direction,” De Freitas told Sunday Newsday during a recent training session at ‘Old Trafford’ ground on Foster Road.

“We have had three murders right up here and whenever I come to visit my sister and I look at what is happening, I realised that I have to come back and make a contribution.” A certified coach and teacher, De Freitas says as a young man, football set him on the straight path.

“While everybody else used to be on all kinds of things, I was on the football field. So, I feel that this could make a contribution to take the children away from simply being in the block.” “Nowadays, by the time many young people reach 13 or 14, they on the block smoking weed and selling drugs because that seems to be the only thing they could do at this point. This is my way of trying to make this kind of intervention and give back to my community.” Football, he says, has the potential to reach many young people bent on a life of delinquency.

De Freitas, along with a nephew and friend, decided to revive football in the area last year.

They started with just eight children and within two weeks, that figure rose to 40. The Express FC Soccer School now has a membership of about 75 registered players, ranging in ages from five to 16.

And while not all the players attend the two-hour Sunday morning training sessions, interest is growing among youths and their parents.

Although football is the primary focus, efforts are also being made to teach the players elements of civics, moral values and social interaction.

Last month, manager of TT Pro League club Morvant Caledonia United, Jamaal Shabazz, was invited to talk to parents and the players.

The former TT and Guyana head coach’s message was well-received, says De Freitas.

“He really reached the parents in getting them to understand that if they invest in their children, through sport, football could carry them to places, which is really what we are trying to do – get the children away from the negative influences.” Some players have already begun to show potential, observes De Freitas, who is also the youth coach at Santa Rosa FC.

“Some of them, I will take with me to Santa Rosa FC and they will get the opportunity to see play (time) and see where it will go.” One of his gifted girls is being sought for national trials which he says will raise the profile of the club. .

De Freitas, who now lives in Trincity, says the club has not had any major problems with indiscipline.

“When we started, there was one boy who could not behave.

We spoke to him and he stopped coming.” The Express Football Club began in 1978 and quickly became a household name in Sangre Grande and environs.

“From 1978 to 1980, all of the players came from Foster Road and we had a policy that we are not bring anybody (from outside) on the team, no matter who you know, who your friends are who could play. We were not bringing anybody to play for Express.

“All the other teams in Grande used to bring four or five players.

We used to say we totally local and compete against the so-called big players.” However, De Freitas explains there was an exodus of men from the Foster Road area in 1981.

“A lot of them who were rastafarians went up to Toco after they were convinced to leave,” he recalls.

“We literally lost three-quarter of the football team and so the rest of the guys had to get players to come and play with us.” The club rebuilt itself and between 1983 to 1986, dominated all of the leagues in Sangre Grande.

“Garth Pollonais, Marlon Wiltshire (former players) and others came to bolster the team but by that time, the younger generation of boys started to come in. And so we had a nice combination of the older boys and younger ones.” De Freitas says as the players grew older the team dissolved.

“So, when we decided to restart the club, we said is only one name we could call it – Express Football Club Soccer School.” Apart from unearthing the talents of the youths, the club, which is registered with the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts, has plans to construct an activity centre near the site of the recreation ground.

“We trying to get HDC (Housing Development Corporation) to give us permission. We will raise funds through the Commission for Self-Help where children could come and do their homework and where single mothers in the area could pursue courses.

This is a long term plan.” De Freitas praised the parents for embracing the idea and for assisting with fundraising ventures, such as sno-cone and pholourie sales during training sessions.

The club also visited the popular Harry’s Water Park, Rio Claro, before the Easter season. De Freitas also wants the club to participate in a tournament in Tobago during the July-August vacation.

“Whether we win or lose it does not matter. It is about participation.”

According to reports Surujnarine, 21, from Penal, escaped from the Golden Grove Prison, Arouca on Friday. No details were provided on how or when he escaped.

Surujnarine had been charged with house breaking and larceny.

Three calls were made to the cellphone of Prisons Commissioner Sterling Stewart but they

Chasing 218 to win, Central Sports opener Kamil Pooran gave them a solid start with a knock of 71 but with wickets falling around him, Babwah arrived to stroke 52 from 79 to steer them to the target for the loss of eight wickets. Jovan Ali (3/19) and Ansil Bhaggan (3/5) had threatened the Central Sports batsmen but Babwah and Pooran’s knock shifted the tie.

At Wilson Road Recreation Ground in Penal, Merry Boys are fighting to stay in the match with their openers looking solid at 71 without loss in their second innings against First Citizens Clarke Road United Resuming on 167 for six in reply to Merry Boys’ 152 all out first inninsg score, Clarke Road were dismissed for 213 with Yannick Ottley reaching 74. Merry Boys, batting a second time, erased the 61-run deficit by the close of play with Mario Belcon (34 not out) and Rishaad Harris (33 not out) looking at ease.

Summarised Scores: QUEEN’S PARK 437/8 declared (Daron Cruickshank 127, Justin Guillen 72, Terrance Hinds 70, Nicholas Alexis 59; Vikash Mohan 4/82 vs ALESCON COMETS 117 (Steven Katwaroo 26, Vikash Mohan 25; Darren Deonarine 4/18, Kevon Cooper 3/37) and 239/3 (A Gobin 96, Vikash Mohan 74, Steven Katwaroo 36 not out).

MERRY BOYS 152 AND 71/0 (Mario Belcon 34 not out, Rishaad Harris 33 not out) vs CLARKE ROAD 213 (Yannick ottley 74, Adrian Ali 73; Amir Khan 6/65).

POWERGEN 183 and 166 (Jeron Maniram 38; Shazan Babwah 6/65, Rakesh Maharaj 3/40) vs CENTRAL SPORTS 132/9 and 220/8 (Kamil Pooran 71, Shazan Babwah 52; Jovan Ali 3/19, Ansil Bhaggan 3/50.

The right-handed Aguilleira controlled the defending champions’ run chase with an unbeaten 30 as they overhauled a paltry target of 83.

When TT slumped to 41 for four in the 15th over, Aguilleira anchored a match-winning, unbroken fifth wicket stand of 43 with Felicia Walters (15 not out) to deny Guyana.

Aguilleira faced 50 deliveries and counted four boundaries.

Caneisha Isaac had earlier taken four for 22 from eight overs to wreck Guyana for 83 all out off 42.4 overs.

She was supported by West Indies Women off-spinner Anisa Mohammed who collected three for 15. Meanwhile, teenaged West Indies batting star Hayley Matthews made her presence felt, stroking an unbeaten half-century to fire Barbados to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Jamaica.

Set a meagre 88 for victory at the Arnos Vale Stadium, Barbados romped home in the 24th over with the right-handed Matthews carving out a delighful 56 not out.

Kycia Knight fell cheaply for five in the fifth over with the score on 20 but the 19-yearold Matthews partnered with Reshelle Griffith (14) to add 40 for the second wicket and take Barbados to the brink of victory.

Matthews struck 10 fours in her 73-ball knock.

There was no such enterprise from West Indies Women’s skipper, Stafanie Taylor, who was dismissed without scoring as Jamaica, sent in, were bowled out for 87 off 34.1 overs.

Her Windies teammate Chedean Nation top-scored with 17 but it was medium pacer Deandra Dottin who shone, ripping through the innings with a spell of four for 22.

Fast bowler Shakera Selman, who has also played for West Indies, claimed two for 17.

In the other game at Park Hill, Twenty20 World Cup star Afy Fletcher produced a solid all-rounder performance to help Windward Islands brush aside Leeward Islands by 75 runs.

She struck 29 in the Windwards’ 179 all out off 41.1 overs and returned to take three for 23 as the Leewards were bowled out for 104 off 36.2 overs.

At Sion Hill: Trinidad and Tobago won by six wickets.

GUYANA 83 all out off 42.4 overs (Caniesha Isaac 4-22, Anisa Mohammed 3-15) vs TRINIDAD & TOBAGO 84 for four off 29.3 overs (Merissa Aguilleira 30 not out; Subrina Munroe 2-17, Erva Giddings 2-25).

This game was part of a triple- header at the Jean Pierre Sports Complex, Mucurapo .

Fatima, who had a huge 31-12 lead at the halftime interval, were rewarded with 17 points from Luke Darwent while Adam Tang-Nian contributed 15. Jamali Chandler led the scoring for West Mucurapo with 12 .

There was another lopsided result on the day with Belmont Boys Secondary breezing past South East Port of Spain Secondary 56-34 .

The leading scorers for Belmont Boys were Israel Daniel with 21 points and Nkosi Corbin with 15, while Kevin Williams notched 12 for South East Port of Spain, who were down 21-12 at the half .

And, in the last contest, Jadi Antoine netted 21 points as East Mucurapo Secondary School blanked Woodbrook Secondary School 34-18 .

The 19-year-old stopped the clock at 11.56 seconds to win the 100-metre final last Saturday and, two days later, ran 23.99 seconds to take the 200m gold medal.

During a welcome ceremony at the VIP Lounge, Piarco International Airport on Tuesday, St Fort reflected on her successful weekend at the CARIFTA Games and said she will continue strive to improve and seek to dip below 11 seconds in the 100m and 23 seconds in the half-lap. St Fort has a 100m personal best of 11.19 achieved in 2015 and has stopped the clock at 23.55 in the 200m in 2014.

“I’m definitely looking forward to breaking 11 (seconds) and breaking 23 (seconds). Those have been my biggest goals since last year and I wouldn’t stop until I get it,” she declared.

St Fort, who is currently competing at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas, has her eyes set on more gold medals and in particular the 2017 Pan Am Jr Championships title.

“Pan Am Juniors, of course, defending my 100 metres title, and that’s about it,” she said, when asked about her goals for this year. The Pan Am Jr Championships will be staged in Lima, Peru from July 21-23 and St Fort will have fond memories of crossing the line first in 11.31 seconds in the 2015 edition at Edmonton, Canada.

Discussing her 2017 CARIFTA Games she said: “The experience was really (good). My teammates made it so much better. They were encouraging us, and that definitely got me through the double this year.” Asked to elaborate on the forms of encouragement, on and off the track, she said, “On the track, they were all there, always there, as much athletes as possible.

Off the track, they (technical staff) made sure and kept everybody focused and also kept the energy very light, so we all had the ability to do our best.” While indicating that she was not at 100 percent physically, St Fort said she makes no excuses.

“I was a bit under the weather and my voice was (somewhat) gone. I want to prove that, even under any circumstances, I’ll still compete and that’s exactly what I did,” she said.

St Fort has been under the guidance of sprint legend Ato Boldon since 2015 and expounded on their relationship.

“Being trained by Ato Boldon is a great experience. It’s very easy because he relates to us as athletes, because he did everything that we’ve done already. So anything I may feel or anything that may be (discussed), I can always consult with him. I’m constantly consulting with him,” she said.

Does she look up to him as a coach or as one of TT’s greatest ever sprinters? “Both,” she responded. “He’s a coach and an athlete. At present, it really doesn’t matter. We all go through the same trials, the same upsand- downs.” However, she was quick to point out, “if I don’t do anything for the sport, I hope to be the best role model I can be.” St Fort has a Trinidadian mother and she noted she had little or no aspiration of representing any other nation than the red, white and black.

“(My dad) definitely knew I was going to represent Trinidad from small because I used to watch the Olympics and I would say ‘mummy I’m going to represent Trinidad and Tobago’.

And my roots are here. My father knows my roots are here and he was like ‘this is the perfect choice.’” She said she frequently visits her relatives who are based in Couva.

“This is the best choice for me and the perfect choice. Trinidad and Tobago is the best country and I’m glad I’m representing the best country,” she declared.

We look forward to the wonders of new life being formed and grown. The gentle movements and tiny footprints leaving little impressions on our stomachs while filling our hearts with love. But how many of us wonder what we would look like after pregnancy? A lucky few can bounce back and reclaim their former look. In my lifetime, I have known two such persons, who, in my opinion won the genetic lottery.

Unfortunately, the rest of us had to work very hard to reclaim the body we once knew.

My journey took me a year to gradually return to an image of me I could recognise. The hardest part is dealing with the mean comments that friends and family will make intentionally or unintentionally. We have all heard them at one time or the other. How many times have you heard, “after the baby my stomach never looked as big as yours,” or “Oh my, you have gotten so fat!”? These are just some of the insensitive comments that people make, that if internalised can erode your self-confidence.

But you can rise above their clouds of negativity and reclaim your self-confidence and body while being an awesome mother. A healthy diet coupled with exercise will give you the results you require. Please note that I stated diet before exercise, as your body after pregnancy must heal and therefore requires the correct fuel for healing, and for breastfeeding the baby.

Breastfeeding according to dietitians allows a woman to burn 300-500 calories a day. This will account for the rapid weight loss some women have after pregnancy.

However, one must remember that everything must be done in moderation and under-nourishing one’s body, especially while breast feeding, can lead to ugly consequences such as hair and tooth loss. Consuming a balanced diet can aid in weight loss and assist the body to heal. A health practitioner can guide you or recommend someone who can.

Exercise after the baby is important. Walking is considered an acceptable method of exercise that can be undertaken before your postnatal check-up, six to eight weeks after the baby. If you had a C-section, extensive vaginal repair or a complicated birth, talk to your doctor about when to start an exercise programme.

Before exercising you should consider the following guidelines:

· Take time to warm up and cool down.

· Begin slowly and increase your pace gradually.

· Drink plenty of fluids.

Wear a supportive bra and, if you’re breastfeeding, nursing pads in case your breasts leak.

Stop exercising if you feel pain

Exercises you can safely try:

Strolling or walking is an excellent low impact exercise that will provide an excellent yet gentle cardiovascular workout. This workout can be done with the baby and is often considered as bonding time for baby and mother.

Kegel exercise. Use this exercise to tone your pelvic floor muscles, which support the uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum.

Contract your pelvic floor muscles, as if you’re attempting to stop urinating midstream. Hold for up to ten seconds and release, relaxing for ten seconds between contractions. Aim for at least three sets of ten repetitions a day.

Pelvic tilt. Try the pelvic tilt a few times a day to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent. Flatten your back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and bending your pelvis up slightly. Hold for up to ten seconds. Repeat five times and work up to ten to 20 repetitions.

It is important to note that strenuous abdominal activity is ill advised. The pelvic floor muscles, which are located between your legs and run from your pubic bone at the front to the base of your spine at the back, are weak after childbirth.

Doing exercises like crunches, Pilates or general ab work can put too much pressure on the pelvic floor and inhibit healing or even lead to a chance of organ prolapse. It is difficult at times for a new mother to exercise as a result of sleep-depravation, postpartumdepression and chronic tiredness. However, doing a little exercise like strolling with the baby not only assist in calming the baby but also aids in relaxing your body while providing you with a little quiet time.

Studies show that exercise may be just as effective as medication when it comes to treating depression, so the sooner you get back up and moving, the better.

Lewis, who has been president since 2013, will serve as president of the TTOC from 2017 to 2021. The other elected officers are Dr Terry Ali (vice-president), Diane Henderson (vice-president), Ephraim Serrette (vice-president), Annette Knott (secretary general), Nadine Khan (assistant secretary general), Curtis Nero (treasurer), Giselle La Ronde-West (executive member), Reyah Richardson (executive member), Wendell Constantine (executive member), Dave Williams (trustee) and Racquel Moses (trustee).

Established in 1946 for the first time in its 70-year history, the TTOC Executive Committee will comprise an equal number of women and men.

The attainment of a 50-50 gender balance was an objective of Lewis in seeking re- election .

First elected in May 2013, Lewis was also influential in the election of the TTOC’s first ever female secretary general, Annette Knott.

Lewis said that sport in Trinidad and Tobago is still perceived as a male-centred space with a misogynistic culture and as part of the female is future initiative, the national Olympic committee will champion, advocate and take the lead on gender balanced board/executive committee representation.

“The walls of misogyny in local sport is not a perception,” he said.

If you have extremely dry skin and opt for a matte foundation, you can end up with extremely lacklustre, dehydrated-looking skin, which can appear ashen.

Today, we will be learning how to combat all of these issues. Unfortunately, a lot of drugstore lines lack adequate foundation shades for very fair and very deep complexions. You’ll also find that with higher end makeup, you might be able to get your shade, but you won’t be able to get your exact undertone. Thus, I know we can accidentally buy the wrong shade due to lack of testers, and more likely than not, we can’t return our purchases.

Luckily, there are some steps you can take to create a balanced complexion, or correct the tone of your mismatched foundation.

Let’s say that you have a foundation that matches you perfectly, but you have dark spots, or discolouration in certain areas, such as around the mouth, under the eyes or on the forehead. You can neutralise and brighten those areas with a product such as LA Girl HD Pro Conceal Corrector. Apply a layer of colour corrector to these areas, blending it out so you have the sheerest possible layer: Less is more. You don’t want it to be too thick, otherwise it will mix into your foundation throughout the day and show through.

Pink colour correctors will neutralise blue undertones and under eye circles on very fair skin tones, peach will brighten discolouration on medium skin tones, and orange will cancel out dark spots on deep skin tones. Give your colour corrector a few minutes to set on your skin before applying a medium coverage foundation. You will want to stipple rather than smear the foundation on, so as to not disturb the colour corrector. Be sure to set your face makeup with a powder to keep it locked down all day.

If your foundation is the wrong shade or undertone, there are a few different things you can do. Now, I know a lot of people will think, “Just stop using that foundation,” or “If it doesn’t work, just buy a different foundation.” Makeup can be quite expensive. Sometimes, you might really love the formula, ingredients or finish of a foundation, but just can’t seem to get your colour. This can be combatted by adjusting it. This will be particularly useful for people who frequent the beach or spend lots of time outdoors. Your skin tone is always changing, so having that darker colour to adjust your foundation shade will help you year round.

You can either buy another foundation that’s slightly darker and closer to your undertone to mix into your mismatched foundation, or purchase a shade adjuster such as NYX Pro Foundation Mixer or Face Atelier Ultra Foundation Pro Adjusters.

If your foundation is too pink, add a drop of yellow adjuster to neutralise it. If your foundation is too ashy, add a drop of orange adjuster to add warmth. Start with a small amount on a mixing surface. Add your foundation or adjustor as necessary in small increments, testing the shade on your face as you go, until you are satisfied with the colour. It should deepen the foundation, correct the tone and alleviate any ashiness. If it’s still slightly ashy, you can use a powder foundation that matches your complexion to diffuse the ashiness.

Alternately, you can use a tinted translucent powder. If you have medium to deep skin and a yellow undertone, Sacha’s Buttercup powder should help to brighten up foundation that’s too pink or ashy. If you have deeper skin and a warmer undertone, Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder in the shade Medium Deep should help to mask ashiness. Be sure to push the powder into your skin with a large, fluffy brush to set your makeup. Once your whole face is set, you can dust off any excess powder. Sometimes, when you have too much powder or product sitting on your skin, a spritz of setting spray can help to settle the powder and meld the products together, further alleviating ashiness.