St Fort, an Olympian at the 2016 Games in Brazil, breezed to victory in 23.64 seconds yesterday to win the Girls Under-20 200m final ahead of Shikyla Walcott of Simplex (24.48) and Sarah Wollaston (24.87).

St Fort, who is coached by legendary TT sprinter Ato Boldon, had on Saturday blown away the field to take first place in the 100m final in 11.30 seconds.

Rounding out the top three were Walcott (11.92) and Akeera Esdelle of Point Fortin New Jets (11.94).

Winning the Boys Under-200m final yesterday was Memphis Pioneers’ David Pierce who was trailed by Abilene’s Jahi Hernandez (21.82) and Point Fortin New Jets’ Kashief King (21.47).

Zenith’s youth sensation Tyriq Horsford, who broke the Carifta record in 2016, easily won the Boys Under-18 javelin final yesterday with a 70.94m throw.

In a distant second was club-mate Kareem Peters (53.46m), followed by Selvon Rochford of Five Rivers Secondary.

In yesterday’s Boys U-18 200m final, it was 1-2-3 for Abilene Wildcats with Avindale Smith (21.24), Adell Colthrust (21.69) and Che Lara (21.88) sweeping the podium.

In the female equivalent, Zenith’s Ayla Stanisclaus crossed the line first in 24.48 ahead of Concorde’s Akilah Lewis (24.52) and Deleth Charles of Memphis Pioneers (25.00).

In one of their best days of the campaign, the bottom-of-the-table Red Force produced a strong batting display to convert their overnight position of 23 for one into 203 for five declared.

Hope, unbeaten on 10 at the start, finished on 105 not out while first innings century-maker Yannic Cariah got 47 and Isaiah Rajah, 30.

Set 375 for victory, Volcanoes ended the day on 68 for one – requiring a further 307 runs on today’s final day to pull off an unlikely win.

The hosts lost opener Tyrone Theophile cheaply for two in the second over but veteran lefthander Devon Smith struck an unbeaten 41 in a 66-run second wicket stand with rookie Taryck Gabriel who finished 24 not out.

Smith has so far faced 114 balls in 127 minutes at the crease and struck a single four.

Earlier, Hope produced his career- best as he batted Red Force into a potential match-winning position.

All told, the Barbadian righthander struck six fours in an innings spanning 212 deliveries in just under five hours at the crease.

More significantly, he anchored two productive stands to propel the innings. Firstly, he put on 73 for the second wicket with Rajah who hit four boundaries in a 56- ball knock.

When Rajah and Nicholas Alexis (0) perished in the space of 33 balls with just four runs added to leave Red Force on 87 for three, Hope controlled an 88-run fourth wicket partnership with Cariah who counted two fours in an 89-ball knock that lasted 127 minutes.

In a match where they were behind for close to two days, it was Narine who starred with bat and then ball to swing the match in the Parkites’ favour.

Batting at No 7, a topscore of 48 from Narine in Queen’s Park’s second innings proved vital, pushing them to 185 all out after their last five wickets fell for 41 runs. It left their hosts a victory target of just 172 on the last day.

But the Narine factor proved insurmountable. The wily 28 year old destroyed the Powergen top order, accounting for Cephas Cooper (17), Vedesh Sookhai (5), Ewart Nicholson (12) and Mark Deyal (26) as Powergen slipped to 105 for six in their victory chase. Spinners Marlon Barclay (3/2) and Darren Deonarine (2/30) along with Kevon Cooper’s early strike did the rest.

Meanwhile, Merry Boys picked up an easy win against Victoria. Resuming their second innings on 42 for one, with a first innings lead of 105 runs, Merry Boys declared on 167 for six to give their rivals 273 for victory. Merry Boys opener Mario Belcon provided the impetus with a brisk 62 from 76 balls.

In reply, Victoria were all out for 163, undermined by the bowling of Keon Isaac (3/23), Ricky Jaipaul (3/38), Rishaad Harris (2/27) and Aneil Kanhai (1/29). Tableland were comfortable winners over Clarke Road United by eight wickets.

Batting at 28 for one in their second innings, it was a tall order for Clarke Road who had earlier conceded a 162-run deficit. They were dismissed for 192 despite a battling knock of 80 from Sean Siloch and contributions by Clevon Kalawan (39) and Adrian Ali (33).

Negus Carthy (3/54), Daniel St Clair (2/31) and Al Small (2/22) did the damage for Tableland with the ball. Needing just 31 for an outright result, Tableland reached their victory target for the loss of a couple wickets.

The TT team underwent a recovery session on Saturday morning following the 2-0 victory over Barbados on Friday night and Lawrence gave the players yesterday off before resuming today.

The TT head coach is expected to name his final squad later this week for the qualifiers.

“I think the most important thing is understanding that we’ve still got the boys to come from abroad. The idea is for them to come in and improve what we have at the moment,” Lawrence said.

“Hopefully with the experience and the ability that these guys are going to bring, it is going to enhance the group. I think it’s all about execution on the day. If we are going to talk about this local group going to play Panama obviously we still got some way to go in terms of our technical ability and fitness levels but with the boys coming in, I think they are going to add to the group and it’s going to put us on par to compete against Panama,” Lawrence stated.

“We’ve had 13 sessions and one game so far. In terms of the Panama game, I think a lot of them didn’t do themselves any harm with the performance against Barbados and I will be assessing them over the next couple of days to then be able to make a decision,” Lawrence added.

San Juan Jabloteh duo Tyrone Charles and Nathan Lewis will rejoin the squad this week following their appearance for the club in Caribbean Football Union Club Championship fixtures.

Oftentimes I want a similar book to the one I just read, but it must be equally good. It must complete the experience of the first book. Below, please find some of my favourite choices for books to read in pairs.

To the Ends of the Land by David Grossman and Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas –The novel of an Israeli woman who flees her home and travels around Israel as she tries to hide from possible bad news about her re-enlisted son and the story of the Cuban writer Arenas, who hid from Cuban authorities and wrote in trees are two fascinating books that will make you appreciate freedom more than ever.

Both books deal with the inescapable reality of facing bad news. Both books deal with political issues.

Zaremba, or Love and the Rule of Law by Michelle Granas and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes – On a lighter note, these two love stories will make you swoon. Zaremba is a little known novel set in Poland.

It borders on corny, but I found it to be an enjoyable read. Jojo Moyes novel about a woman who falls in love with a paraplegic man is a heartwrench love story. Both will renew your faith in love.

The Mind-Gut Connection: How the Astonishing Dialogue Taking Place in Our Bodies Impacts Health, Weight, and Mood by Emeran Mayer and Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics is Fueling Our Modern Plagues by Martin Blaser – Both of these books are interesting and practical looks at how antibiotics are affecting our health. Both books are an important read.

Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery and Following Atticus: Forty- Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan – You might not enjoy hiking, but you’ll enjoy these two inspirational books that offer many lessons about the human spirit.

You’re never too old or out of shape to get your life back together again.

Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of the Black Athlete by William C Rhoden and Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Philip H Knight – Sports, shoes, success and big business: these are some of the themes tackled by Rhoden and Knight.

Together, they will make you think about how we view sports and success.

Doll Bones by Holly Black and The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner – Both of these upper elementary or lower secondary school level books deals with issues of growing up that all children from ten to 14 face.

How do you know when you have outgrown your childhood games or friends? How do you cope with fear and stress? These two books tackle those issues.

I know the feeling when you just don’t want a good book to end or that feeling when you wish you had another book similar to the one you’re reading, and these books don’t disappoint.

Next week: Does This Beach Make Me Look Fat? More great books to read in pairs.

But in the manner of International Women’s Day, celebrated on March 8 annually, I ask that you spare a thought for those invisible women for whom the street is their home.

International Women’s Day 2017 saw a number of seminars, workshops, and activities geared towards achieving gender parity, but there is a group of women who because of their circumstances are inevitably left out of the matrix.

Female street dwellers or vagrants – as they are commonly referred to, are often perceived as dishevelled, mentally ill people in filthy rags with the potential towards violent tendencies, and as such there are not many opportunities afforded them where they can have their voices heard.

So, who is championing their cause? Whenever there is a focussed discussion on disability it goes without saying that persons with disabilities would be in attendance, but if you are invisible who is going to provide that expert-by-experience viewpoint on the issues that impact upon your life. Who offers the expert opinion that will be the basis for formulating evidence-based interventions? Let us not forget the attempts by the then Portof- Spain Mayor Louis Lee Sing to remove street dwellers from the city which psychiatrists described as “cruel” and “inhumane”.

For the most part, female street dwellers are ignored and treated as bits of discarded garbage except when charitable volunteers provide some meals or items of clothing. They are some of the most marginalised and vulnerable in society, so is it not time for some emotion and sensitivity to be applied to understanding and alleviating the problem of homelessness? There is no denying that their needs are quite complex, as they have vulnerable health care needs – they experience reproductive cycles of menstruation, ovulation, pregnancy and menopause, are susceptible to increased episodes of mental ill health, and high morbidity.

There are a myriad reasons why these women who are wives, daughters, mothers and grandmothers end up on the streets, but it is never a decision that they take lightly. It is due to traumatic life experiences: domestic violence, emotional breakdown, intellectual impairments, substance abuse, eviction, and poverty.

And as if those experiences are not distressing enough, the majority will then go on to be victims of physical violence, threats, sexual abuse and exploitation, which is why many intentionally make themselves invisible – hiding from view as a means of protecting themselves.

The UK’s Channel 4 TV show Dispatches reporting on a survey of 458 recent or current rough sleepers in England and Wales, noted that: Nearly one in four female street dwellers has been sexually assaulted in the past year.

Three in ten female street dwellers have experienced sexual violence at some point while homeless.

Nearly six in ten have been intimidated or threatened with violence in the past year (compared to four out of ten male street dwellers).

Understanding the complex needs of female street dwellers is challenging, but surely as a civilised society the answer is not to ignore their lived experiences and hope that they will mysteriously disappear from the city streets.

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is Be Bold for Change – so in addition to championing the State for systems reform and policy interventions to address gender disparity, how about undertaking some responsibility for spearheading pragmatic actions that will initiate sustainable change for those invisible females who hardly ever get their voices heard.

To quote the Los Angeles DownTown Women’s Centre, USA, “it is not inevitable, but it is a societal problem that bears especially hard on women. And it can be ended.” #BeBoldForChange If you have a comment, suggestion, want to share an experience or offer support Dr Yansie Rolston can be contacted at yr@ efficacyeva.com.

When Anthony Peardew loses a cherished token given to him by his soon-to-be wife Therese, he is beside himself. Grief overwhelms him later that day when he learns his fiancee has died. Anthony vows to be the keeper of lost things. He takes great pride in gathering any random object left behind, wherever he may be, meticulously listing specific details about the lost item’s whereabouts on a label. Slowly over a period of 40 years, misplaced gloves, worn-out buttons, strayed puzzle pieces and wayward umbrellas make their way onto the massive shelves in his study. With the weight of Therese’s lost keepsake still reeling in his soul, Anthony is determined to reconcile any item he can with its rightful owner.

Anthony has kept his collective habit a secret for many years.

But when he senses his own end is near, he leaves everything to his assistant Laura, who has been faithfully caring for his estate for six years. Laura is surprised to learn upon Anthony’s death that along with the gorgeous mansion, she has inherited all of Anthony’s lost things, including the ghost of his young fiancee.

Armed with a letter from Anthony begging Laura to do her best to reunite the lost items with their owners, Laura is determined to make him proud.

Broken and lost herself, Laura takes on the challenge with the help of a few friends. The Keeper of Lost Things takes a unique approach to storytelling. With each introduction of the lost items, the plot moves along in unexpected twists and turns. Laura eventually realises that working in the midst of a mountain of missing treasures, she just might find hersel

Valdez work features a collection of personal stories told from the perspective of people with autism and their families. As the co-ordinator of a support group for parents who have adult children with autism, Valdez embarked on interviewing, compiling and writing anecdotes and poetry, which relate intimate experiences of the people she met.

One of the sponsors of the book, Dr Robin Maraj of the School of Business and Computer Studies expressed his best wishes. The launch was also attended by representatives from the Ministries of Health and Community Development, the North Central Regional Health Authority, Life Centre, Soroptimist International of San Fernando, Arima Santa Rosa Lions Club, Parenting TT , UK Women’s Club, Airport Authority, and Dr I Cambridge of the University of the West Indies, Disability Studies Unit, in addition to ASTT ’s families and volunteers.

ASTT also celebrated the opening of a new extension at Autism Place. Built on land donated by the Trestrail family, Autism Place functions as the headquarters of ASTT and is utilised daily to provide services to people with autism and their families.

The extension was blessed during an inter- faith ceremony by representatives of the Muslim, Hindu and Christian faiths and held in conjunction with the book launch.

We Live and Love Too – Meet Some Persons with Autism is available at Autism Place in D’Abadie for a donation of $60.

Proceeds go toward ASTT . For more info: 646-5506/225-6808 or email autismtt@gmail.

com.

But the champ needed all the urgings of jockey Wilmer Galviz to secure a 3/4 length victory over a determined Takeoneforjoey in the three-horse race.

Galviz sent his mount into the lead , passing early leader Big Five O 800 metres out and was swiftly tracked by Takeoneforjoey.

Entering the final 300 metres, Control Unit held a clear lead, gbut ex-champion rider Brian Boodramsingh conjured up enough from the John O’Brien-trained runner to be just held foof by the winner.

Mirkana scored a massive upset when taking the handicap for three-year-olds and over rated 30-0 winning at the huge odds of 80/1, rewarding backers with a tote payout of $90.o5 and $13.70 on a $1 wager.

And the superfecta dividend with Mischief Maker, Always Ready and Saynomore following in that order, was a very rewarding $12, 214.30.

Galviz was the star rider of the day with a bulging bag of four winning rides.

But champion trainer Glenn Mendez had to share the day’s honours with Terrance Thomas and Rohit Dube, the trio saddling two winners each.

Next day’s racing is on Saturday when the ARC will will be conduction a livestream test.

However, he was quick to admit that there are areas that needs to be worked on by the squad, before they engage in a pair of 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers at home to Panama and Mexico, on March 24 and 28 respectively.

“I was quite pleased with a lot of the things and then I was also displeased with a lot of the things,” Lawrence admitted.

“The boys tried to implement some of the things that we’ve worked on, one in particular trying to maintain possession of the ball.” Lawrence, who made his international debut as a coach, continued, “I think in the last 25-30 minutes we lost a bit of direction with regards to keeping the ball with purpose and we started to keep the ball for keeping the ball sake. But that would come with time. It’s a young group.

“In general, I was pleased with the attitude of the boys, I was pleased with the effort that they tried to do the things that we asked them to do and I think it was a good night’s exercise for the boys. Most importantly it was working towards something because we’re working towards the Panama game. That’s the most important thing.” As far as the Panama fixture is concerned, Lawrence pointed out, “I think a lot of (the players) didn’t do themselves any harm and I’ll be assessing them in the next couple of days before I make any decision.” Lawrence clarified the use of his strikers, with Jameel Perry, Jamille Boatswain (who scored both goals against the Barbadians) and Akeem Roach all used in 30-minute intervals.

“The idea was I wanted all three of the strikers to play equal minutes,” he said. “I spoke to them before the game and I let them know they were all going to play 30 minutes and the only thing I asked of them was to give me 30 minutes of hard work. Don’t think of anything else.” English-born midfielder John Bostock was highly sought after by previous coach Stephen Hart but Lawrence admitted that he would not be under consideration for the forthcoming qualifiers.

“The John Bostock situation is I had numerous conversations with (him),” Lawrence said.

“John is very enthusiastic about representing Trinidad and Tobago. Unfortunately, at the moment, he’s not in a position to commit himself internationally.

“I have to accept John’s decision and I have to think about the group that I’m going to work with.”