The judges could not separate footballer Crovador and triathlete Wortman, as the two were voted as joint winners of the Youth Champion Male award. Bascombe was unequivocally the female Youth Champion.

Crovador, who is 12 years old, thanked his parents and God for achieving the award. The footballer, whose favourite player is Messi, said his dream is to play for Barcelona and TT.

Crovador led St Agnes Anglican to their first Under-12 2016 Atlantic National Primary Schools Football League title by scoring the winning penalty kick.

Wortman, who is also 12 years old, said local triathlete Jason Costelloe is someone he looks up to. Wortman said it was an “amazing” feeling to win the award, revealing he prefers the cycling and running segments of triathlons (run/ride/swim).

The Dunross Preparatory student finished first in all three events at the 2016 Atlantic Primary Schools Multi Sport Series; the aquathlon, duathlon and triathlon.

Bascombe, 13, who has aspirations of competing in the Olympics, enjoys participating in the 100-metre and 200m sprint events.

Bascombe explained she was happy to win the award but was not expecting it.

The sprinter said the award has given her the drive to achieve more. Bascombe of Maraval Girls RC was acclaimed Champion Athlete at the 2016 Atlantic National Primary School Track and Field Championships.

Chief executive officer of Atlantic, Nigel Darlow, in his address, said developing young people is important to the company.

Darlow said, “Atlantic is in a strong position to help facilitate programmes that build the future – our youth. We see it as our corporate responsibility. We try very hard to ensure that how we invest today, helps develop our young people and prepare them for tomorrow.” Also addressing the young athletes were curriculum officer at the Ministry of Education Euclid Nicholas- Sammy and TT Olympians Richard Thompson and Keshorn Walcott, who are Atlantic brand ambassadors. Fellow TT Olympian and Atlantic brand ambassador Andrew Lewis also attended.

HONOUR ROLL: Female Youth Champion Nominees Diamond Arthur – Football Maria La Foucade – Cricket Savannah Ayoung – Triathlon Isabella Mendoza – Swimming Shanique Bascombe – Track and Field (winner) Male Youth Champion Nominees David Kissoondath – Cricket Jeremiah Joseph – Track and Field Nikoli Blackman – Swimming Theo Crovador – Football (joint winner) Matthew Wortman – Triathlon (joint winner) Administrator of the Year Nominees Gregory Johnson – Football Shazad Khan – Cricket Karen Araujo – Triathlon (winner) Fair Play Award San Francique Presbyterian Primary School – Cricket Coach of the Year Nominees Theophilus Boyce – Football Robert Mahabir – Cricket Angelo Clark – Triathlon Lorraine van Druten – Swimming Kelvin Nancoo – Track and Field (winner) Team of the Year Nominees Port of Spain and Environs District – Track and Field Dunross Preparatory School – Triathlon Bishop Anstey Junior School – Swimming Bon Accord Government Primary School – Football (joint winner) Preysal Government Primary School – Cricket (joint winner)

The Glenn Mendez- trained son of Discreetly Mine/Code Of Ethics have been well galloped, and his only opposition should come from stablemate Swept Away and Thisoneforjoey.

Today’s nine-race programme offers turfites a glorious chance of cashing in on some upsets, especially with the large fields in races.

And cash in they shoule with the popular Hi5 offering a single winner bonus of over $17,000, the Superfecta single winner bonus has balloned to over $59,000 while the Place 8 carryover has reached $10,000 plus.

Meanwhile, the Arima Race Club will be conducting livestream test of horse racing from Saturday next week.

And are seeking feedback and recommendations about the tests.

The action today is set to go to post at 12.30 pm.

Captain Dwayne Bravo, his brother Darren, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and Sunil Narine – all Trinidadians with West Indies experience, have been retained by the Knight Riders.

Other players who were retained were the overseas quartet of former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum is the marquee player in the 2017 line-up, veteran South Africa batsman Hashim Amla, New Zealand strokemaker Colin Munro and Canada wicketkeeper Hamza Tariq. Batsman William Perkins, fast bowler Ronsford Beaton, and the all-round pair of Kevon Cooper and Javon Searles are back again. Surprisingly, left-arm Jamaican spinner Nikita Miller, who failed to make an impact last year, was picked again.

Two more left-arm spinners were included in the 2017 bunch – the orthodox Khary Pierre, who had an impressive debut with the Red Force at the Regional Super50 last month, and 46-yearold left-arm chinaman bowler Brad Hogg of Australia.

However, the biggest surprise was the selection of 18-year-old Pakistan leg-spinner Shadab Khan, who is yet to feature at the international level but performed creditably for Islamabad United in the recently-concluded Pakistan Super League.

Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan, the famed Indian actor, said on Twitter, “All the best boys for a happy season. Welcome aboard.” Trinidadian opening batsman Lendl Simmons was a big winner in the Draft, snapped up as a franchise player for US$160,000 by the Jamaica Tallawahs who will be playing for the first time without Chris Gayle who shifted to St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

Trinbago Knight Riders 2017 team: (base value in brackets) – Dwayne Bravo (US$160,000); Brendon McCullum (US$130,000); Sunil Narine (US$110,000); Hashim Amla (US$90,000); Darren Bravo (US$70,000); Denesh Ramdin (US$60,000); Colin Munro (US$40,000); Shadab Khan (US$30,000); Khary Pierre (US$15,000); Ronsford Beaton (US$10,000); Javon Searles (US$7,500); Nikita Miller (US$7,500); William Perkins (US$5,000); Kevon Cooper (US$5,000); Brad Hogg (US$4,000).

BARBADOS TRIDENTS: Kieron Pollard, Kane Williamson, Shoaib Malik, Dwayne Smith, Nicholas Pooran, Wayne Parnell, Ravi Rampaul, Wahab Riaz, Raymond Reifer, Christopher Barnwell, Imran Khan, Damion Jacobs, Akeal Hosein, Ryan Wiggins, Tino Best, Shamar Springer, Akeem Dobson

GUYANA AMAZON WARRIORS: Sohail Tanvir, Martin Guptill, Chadwick Walton, Chris Lynn, Rayad Emrit, Rashid Khan, Jason Mohammed, Steven Taylor, Veerasammy Permaul, Roshon Primus, Gajanand Singh, Assad Fudadin, Keon Joseph, Steven Jacobs, Steven Katwaroo, Shimron Hetmyer, Muhammad Ali Khan.

JAMAICA TALLAWAHS: Lendl Simmons, Kumar Sangakkara, Shakib Al Hasan, Imad Wasim, Muhammad Sami, Rovman Powell, Gidron Pope, Kesrick Williams, Garey Mathurin, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Krishmar Santokie, Jonathan Foo, Kennar Lewis, Andre McCarthy, Odean Smith, O’Shane Thomas, Timroy Allen.

ST KITTS & NEVIS PATRIOTS: Chris Gayle, Chris Morris, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Nabi, Evin Lewis, Samuel Badree, Jonathan Carter, Tabraiz Shamsi, Brandon King, Devon Thomas, Sheldon Cotterell, Kieran Powell, Fabian Allen, Shamarh Brooks, Jeremiah Louis, Alzarri Joseph, Nikhil Dutta, Carlos Brathwaite.

ST LUCIA STARS: David Miller, Lasith Malinga, Shane Watson, Daren Sammy, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Jerome Taylor, Marlon Samuels, Kamran Akmal, Rakheem Cornwall, Kyle Mayers, Shane Shillingford, Eddie Leie, Keddy Lesporis, Sunil Ambris, Obed McCoy, Timil Patel.

According to reports, the 19-year-old Nikela suffered a seizure and died at her home in Cunupia. It is still unclear though what is the actual cause of her death.

Stern John is part of Dennis Lawrence’s technical staff and the death of his daughter occurred virtually 24 hours before yesterday’s friendly international against Barbados at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva.

Ironically, this is the second time that Stern John had to deal with the death of a loved one before an international match. On September 2 2011, his mother Janet Burns passed away but, the following day, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, he played for 53 minutes as Trinidad and Tobago defeated Bermuda 1-0 in a 2012 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

The TT FA media release stated, “John was on his way to a national team practice session at (the) Ato Boldon Stadium when he received a phone call that his daughter was not well. He was excused from the session and rushed to the scene at her home.

She was pronounced dead later (on Thursday) evening.

“Nikela was born in Trinidad but lived with John during his playing time in Birmingham from a tender age before returning to Trinidad,” the media release continued. “She was a student of Holy Name Convent and (was) in her final year at COST AATT .” Offering condolences to the John family was David John-Williams, president of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TT FA).

“My thoughts and prayers are with Stern today,” said John-Williams.

“This is indeed a difficult time for him and his family, as well as our TT FA family. As (TT FA) president, I will like to urge Stern to stay strong.” Lawrence also gave words of comfort to his former TT teammate.

“We want to extend our condolences to Stern and his family, and also let him know that we have him in our thoughts and we share in this time of grief with him.

“We know that no amount of words can really help to ease the pain he is bearing but we pray that the comfort of God helps him and his family through this difficult time,” he added. “Stern is one of us and we give him the time and support he needs right now and welcome him back at the appropriate time.” Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Darryl Smith, in a brief statement yesterday, commented, “Being a father of three daughters I cannot imagine what it feels like if I were to lose any of them. At this time, words may not console but may God bring you and your family solace. Stay strong Stern.” Stern John is also an assistant coach with three-time Digicel Pro League champions Central FC and its owner Brent Sancho who played alongside John for several years said: “Outside of Central FC, he’s one of my very close friends and I spent most of my afternoon yesterday (Thursday) trying to comfort him. He knows as a human being I am there to give every support I can.

It’s really shocking,” Stern’s oldest son, 19 year old Tyrik, is currently a player at Central FC and is said to be very close to his sister.

Elite, junior, juvenile, youth development and masters will all compete today as they prepare for the Easter International Cycling Grand Prix UCI (International Cycling Union) Class One and Two event which takes place in mid April.

Tomorrow, a Criterium Keep Fit event will be held at the Diego Martin Highway from 8 am.

According to reports, the man invited the teen to his home and after several telephone conversations, she agreed to meet him.

On January 13, she asked relatives to take her to the Eric Williams Medical Complex to be treated for asthma, but after being warded there, she removed three louvres from the ward, made her way out of the hospital and was picked up by the man.

The girl later contacted relatives and told them she was all right and they should not look for her.

Relatives immediately filed a report with the police and the girl’s father, who lives in the United States, returned to Trinidad and began searching for her.

Last Sunday, the girl contacted her father and he coaxed her into believing that he had some money for her and she should visit him at Wallerfield to collect the money.

When the girl arrived at her father’s home, he told her to stay indoors and called the Valencia police, who nabbed the 42-yearold suspect who was waiting in his car, parked nearby. On Monday the schoolgirl was medically examined and tests revealed she was sexually active.

The man is expected to appear in the Sangre Grande Magistrates Court on Monday.

The Cricket Fiesta is played under lights at Guaracara Park and has attracted tremendous attention from the public.

X-Men scored a respectable 122 for six wickets in their allotted 20 overs with good knocks coming from Sylvester Subrattee (61) and Darren Neeranjan (23).

Marlon Partapsingh took two for 19 and R. Mootilal two for 18.

Satesh Mahase scored a brilliant 67 including four sixes and five fours, while Alvarado Bryce got 36 to gallop Secret Storm to 123 for the loss of just one wicket in the 16th over. Secret Storm will now play Golconda United in the semi-final at Guaracara Park on March 17 from 7:30 pm. In another quarter-final, another Penal team, Metronomes ‘B’ Sports cruised to a six-wicket victory over Apollo XII of Barrackpore, despite a good allround performance by ex-West Indies opening batsman and Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga.

When Apollo XII batted, Ganga scored 17 and returned to bag two wickets for just five runs. Apollo XII made a modest 109 for five to which Metronomes Sports replied with 111 for four.

Metronomes ‘B’ will now meet Green Arrow in the semi-final round from 4:30 pm also on March 17.

Winners of the intermediate division will collect a cheque for $10,000.

The final of this Fiesta will be played on March 24 from 7:30 pm. Meanwhile, quarter- final action in the Championship Division with a winner’s prize of $12,000 will be contested today and tomorrow.

Semi-finals in this division are scheduled for March 18 and the final March 25.

Summarised scores: X-MEN 122/6 – Sylvester Subrattee 61, Darren Neeranjan 23, Shiva Durbal 15, R. Mootilal 2/18, Marlon Partapsingh 2/19 vs SECRET STORM 123/1 – Satesh Mahase 67, Alvarado Bryce 36.

APOLLO XII 109/5 – Sheldon Ganga 25, Daren Ganga 17, Devon Balram 2/16, Ravindra Bachu 2/28 vs METRONOMES ‘B’ 111/4 – Vikash Ramsawak 37, Devon Balram 24, Daren Ganga 2/5, Stephon Ganga 2/16.

P U N I S H E R S SPORTS 100/7 – Aeron Maingot 26, Jason Jennings 14, Kevin Seepaul 3/14, Sookdeo Samaroo 2/22 vs GOLCONDA UNITED 101/5 – Jonathon Boysie 34, Kyle Gookool 20, Ritesh Ramlochan 2/15.

GREEN ARROW SPORTS 129 – Arnold Suphal, 33, Lyndell Singh 23, Junior Abdool 3/27, Munesh Beepath 2/19 vs LINX XI 99 – Pooran Katwaroo 25, Vashisht Ramlakhan 18,Arnold Suphal 2/24, Vishnu Narine 3/30, Vashisht Ramlakhan 3/25.

TT head coach Dennis Lawrence oversaw a final training session at the Couva venue yesterday and expects to have a squad of players eager to face their opponents as preparations continue for the all important 2018 World Cup qualifiers against Panama and Mexico on March 24 and 28.

Assistant coach Sol Campbell was scheduled to arrive last night and is expected to be with Lawrence and his staff for the encounter with the Bajans.

“Like I said it will be exciting for the players as they get the chance to show us that they are worthy of selection for the two World Cup qualifiers. From a commitment point, they have given enough focus and attention to the work that we have tried to do.

Now it’s just about execution and it’s for the players to go out and concentrate on the work that we’ve done, also go out there and deliver,” Lawrence said.

Central FC midfielder Leston Paul is expecting the TT side to step up to the call.

“Things have been fantastic for the past couple of weeks.

We’ve put in a great load of work and having the new technology with the GPRS means we can now see where are at physically.

Coach has simplified his game so the guys have gotten a good hold of it,” Paul told TT FA Media.

“The sessions have been well planned and great all-round. It has been just enough to get us ready for international football,” he added.

As to how much the game today will play its part in the buildup to Panama and Mexico, the ex-national under-17 captain said: “I think every game is important.

It’s a new group of guys so everyone is ready to go to show themselves for selection.

“We know how important these two games are with regards to our qualifying chances and the players realise that and they all would like to be part of the effort. The coach has emphasised how important it is for us to be on top of our game at all times and to stay focused and ready at all times,” Paul added.

One woman was beaten, thrown down a precipice and left for dead while the other was chopped repeatedly.

In the first incident, at 6.30 pm, Melissa Valley was at her Kingdom Avenue, Arima home when she was accosted by a male relative during a heated argument.

The angry man grabbed cutlass and began chopping the screaming 36-year-old woman.

Valley managed to escape when the man lost his grip of her arm which became soaked in her blood and she ran out of the house.

The woman ran to the nearby home of her sister Ria, who locked the house and contacted the police. Valley was later taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mt Hope where she underwent emergency surgery and remains warded in serious but stable condition. Police, meanwhile, arrested a suspect who up to press time, was in custody.

In the second incident, a 33-year-unemployed woman of John Lane, D’Abadie is today thanking her lucky y thanking her lucky stars after surviving a most horrendous attack at the hands of her boyfriend who is 11 years her junior. Sterla Yorke remains warded in excruciating pain at the EWMSC where she is receiving treatment for injuries to her head and neck.

Yorke told police she began a relationship with a 22-yearold Lopinot man some months ago. On Wednesday the suspect picked up Yorke at her home telling her he wanted company as he goes to Blanchisseuse Road in Arima to look for someone. Yorke told police everything appeared well as they chatted in the car.

On reaching Blanchisseuse Road at 9 pm, the young man stopped the vehicle in a dark area, alighted from the vehicle and began choking Yorke. She was struck to the back of the head and lost consciousness.

When Yorke regained consciousness, she found herself alone at the bottom of a ten-foot deep precipice. Her boyfriend was gone.

Bleeding from injuries, Yorke slowly and painfully climbed back to the the roadway and while walking aimlessly along Blanchisseause Road, was helped by a passer-by who contacted Arima police. She was taken in an ambulance to the EWMSC and warded. Police sources told Newsday that a manhunt had been launched for the suspect who is believed to have gone into hiding.

Yesterday, Yorke was visited at the Accident Emergency Ward by her mother Gail who told Newsday that she was too distraught to say anything about the incident but was happy that her daughter was alive.

The attack of these two women was discussed in depth on Wednesday as this country joined the world in observing International Women’s Day and making a call for equality for women and protection of girls and women from domestic violence, sexual violence and discrimination on the basis of gender.

Immigrant activist Ravi Ragbir, who emigrated from Trinidad to the US in 1991 had the support of a crowd of demonstrators as he headed to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) New York City office yesterday ahead of a mandatory annual check-in — a meeting which he and his followers feared would result in his deportation to his native land given the new aggressive immigration policies of the Trump administration.

According to a report from New York’s Observer Media, dozens of advocates and elected officials joined Ragbir, an organizer for the New Sanctuary Coalition of New York City— an interfaith organization that helps undocumented individuals fight detention and deportation— near the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building in Lower Manhattan before his yearly conference with authorities.

Ragbir came to the US from Trinidad on a visitor’s visa in 1991 and obtained a green card in 1994. He was convicted of wire fraud in 2001, served five years in prison and was ordered deported in 2006. The Observer Media reported that Ragbir received a stay-of-removal in 2011 and has since been subject to prosecutorial discretion, which permits an agency or officer to decide how to pursue individual cases on a year-to-year basis — and which spared him from expulsion again yesterday.

“You would think that I would be happy coming back out and I am happy to be back here with my family, to sit with you, to sing with you, to talk to you…

yes, I am,” an emotional Ragbir, whose wife and daughter are US citizens, was quoted by the Observer as saying afterwards. “But I have to go through this again.” Addressing reporters after the post-appointment press conference in Foley Square, Ragbir said that this check-in differed from last year’s, as ICE did not allow his wife or ministers to sit in on the appointment. Ragbir’s lawyer, Alina Das, said her client would have to go back in one month in order to attempt to secure a travel document.

“To see the tears streaming down her (Ragbir’s wife) face as we exited to know what it means—both that Ravi was able to come out but that he has to go right back in again in one month just demonstrates how horrific the system can be,” Das said.

“And that we still hope that people will do the right thing, that people will be given discretion, that there will be due process and that people like Ravi will be allowed to remain with us.” Ragbir said the election of President Donald Trump indicated the worst is to come for immigrants and said that if nothing was changing for him, then he “shouldn’t be checking in next month.” He voiced sympathy for less prominent immigrants who might face deportation under the new administration’s aggressive enforcement agenda.

“I have support, I have you guys, I met you guys, I have been with you guys,” Ragbir told his supporters. “But imagine those who do not.” Ragbir’s wife, Anna Gottlieb thanked Das and other lawyers—and vowed she and her husband would “take back control” of their lives. Activists in attendance voiced outrage that Ragbir and his family should fear his deportation.

“It is a travesty of justice and we as the New York Immigration Coalition are committed to doing everything that we can to stop the detaining and deportation of people like Ravi Ragbir and we will commit to do that,” Steve Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition, said. “To fighting back against all of the deportations that are tearing families apart, that are ripping our communities apart.” Several politicians entered the center with Ragbir, while protesters marched around the building through the hour-long appointment, carrying signs bearing slogans such as “Refugees are welcome!,” “This Rabbi Rallies With Immigrants” and “Not one more deportation.”