The first story was about the serious economic problems currently being faced by our once hugely profitable flagship State enterprise, Petrotrin.

This company is saddled with a huge debt, and it operates its massive refinery at a very low percentage of its potential capacity.

From all reports, a massive injection of capital is required to bring the refinery up to an acceptable standard, money which this Government just does not have at this time.

The other big story was about Guyana, where recent offshore exploration activities have revealed massive potential reserves of both oil and gas.

It is being predicted that within the next three years Guyana is likely to become one of the world’s major producers of oil and gas.

Guyana of course has no oil refining capacity, or gas processing facilities, and unless it invests in these it would have to continue importing all its requirements of finished fuels.

Surely, we don’t need a rocket scientist to put these two things together for us. In a few short years we will have a huge refinery, as well as gas processing facilities, but very little oil or gas. Guyana will be just the opposite: plenty of oil and gas, but no processing facilities.

Surely the time is ripe, right now, for this country to initiate discussions with Guyana, and the oil companies operating there, for future collaboration?

Gary N Voss via email

The US abolished corporal punishment in schools long before TT. By the 1960s, the failure of that policy was quite evident.

All of the disciplinary problems we are experiencing today were on display in the US in the 1960s.

We also saw evidence of those problems when children from the US, of Caribbean heritage, visited the region.

There may be countries (not the US) where corporal punishment was abolished and replaced by more effective disciplinary measures. We need to do the research.

It is quite possible there are lessons to be learnt from those countries.

Our big problem is that we abolished corporal punishment but did not put anything else in its place. Our children are, therefore, operating in an environment where there is, in effect, no consequence for bad behaviour.

That has resulted in a general breakdown of discipline, nationwide.

There is no respect for law and order, authority, other human beings etc. For this we must thank our politicians and intellectuals — “they too bright.” Some of these children are now grown men and women and are victims of vicious beatings, while in prison, by prison officers and other prisoners. How ironic. Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.

Discipline is much more than punishment. However, punishment must not be removed as an option. We stop beating the children and now the children are beating us, both literally and figuratively. The diminishing role of the extended family and neighbours in the upbringing of children and the decline in parenting skills have further exacerbated the disciplinary problems. Many children are left unsupervised for long periods of time as parents, particularly single parents, have to work long hours and do not have the traditional support mechanism of the extended family and friends.

I am recommending that the Government establishes a standing advisory board with responsibility for the formulation of measures for the enhancement of parenting skills including the training and disciplining of children, both at home and at school.

That board should, among other things, undertake a review of the history, culture, causes etc of indiscipline in TT, including effective measures adopted by other countries to combat indiscipline and facilitate the proper training of children.

I am confident that the advisory board will recommend that parenting skills be part of the secondary school curriculum. Further, teachers should be trained in effective methods of disciplining children in school. Workshops on parenting skills ought to be conducted for would-be parents (both women and men) when women attend their pre-natal clinics.

A full programme of parenting skills should be available at community centres. In this regard, the Government should also make use of the social media, radio, television and the print media. Moreover, parents should be required, by law, to attend free compulsory remedial parenting classes if their children are sanctioned for serious acts of indiscipline at school or elsewhere. Parenting responsibility legislation should also be enacted.

Louis Winston Williams St Augustine

That the former gender affairs minister in the now defunct PP Government had to choose this opportunity to make her dramatic portrayal is most revealing since one would have expected her to use her previous office to highlight this issue if she felt that strongly about the matter.

The fact that the Attorney General amended the provisions of the (Marriage) Bill 2016 for a simple majority for its passage did not seem to trouble the onetime minister.

To make a spectacle about a Bill that has already been passed yet ignore a flagrant and brazen abuse of the Constitution emphasises how ill-suited some are for holding public office.

Lystra Cuffie Maraval

Speaking to Newsday yesterday, Durity expressed shock about the award but was pleased to see more defensive players being honoured for their roles. “I was really happy and proud about it. I really wasn’t looking forward to it, I thought maybe Hashim Arcia would have gotten it. The position that I play, you don’t really win much accolades there.

I was happy that they actually acknowledged a defensive midfielder as being the best in the tournament,” he said.

At 33 years old, Durity still has a high motor, running and tackling around the field but also is someone his peers can look to for advice.

“I bring that energy and also provide that extra leadership on the park. The guys also look up to me as a senior person.

I bring that balance to the defence and the attack,” he added.

Durity, a former national youth player, somehow finds the time and zeal to give his all on the field while also pursing a Masters degree at the University of the West Indies. He explained that his academic goals forced him in the past to shift his focus temporarily. “Who would have known me, before going to Super League, I played Pro League for many years.

It was a conscious decision to go down to the Super League because I had other things going on in my life __ study wise. I’ve reached a point where I could balance it properly because I’m still doing my studies, matter of fact I’m doing my Masters but I’ve reached a place where I could balance everything better,” he explained. How difficult is pursing a Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice while playing professionally? “It’s always a challenge but I have a good support system home and I’ve gained more experience.

I’m able to cope with it and sometimes I might get a little leeway here and there to do extra studies so I won’t be involved in all the team activities per se,” he revealed.

Does he harbour ambitions of a senior call-up under new head coach Dennis Lawrence? “As a player you always wish you could get a national call-up and play for the national team, but on the realistic side of things, I’m 33 going on 34 in May so I don’t really study that.

Now is the time for more good youths to be on the national team,” he stated. With Defence Force winning two knockout titles this season (Digicel Pro Bowl and First Citizens Cup), Durity thinks it’s time the 22-time Pro League champions make it 23.

“Of course we can win the league, we’ve proved that over and over but sometimes our concentration falls and that is something we have to work on. We need to concentrate for longer periods because that is what winning a league title requires,” he declared.

This ceremony will see the announcement of the 2016 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, as well as the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Award (for the top National Governing Bodies) and the Lystra Lewis Award (for the Team/Group of the Year).

In last year’s event, which took place at Queen’s Hall in St Ann’s, Olympic 400m finalist and antional record holder Machel Cedenio and Olympic shot putter Cleopatra Borel captured the respective Sportsman and Sportsman of the Year accolades, while the Trinidad and Tobago Chess Association and the National Association of Athletic Administrations (NAAA) copped the Jeffrey Stollmeyer Awards. The men’s 4×400-metre relay team, which clinched gold at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Canada, were adjudged winners of the Lystra Lewis Award.

The Harriram “Pepsi” Gobin-trained sixyear- old gelding took control of the 1750 metres race at the halfway stage under champion jockey Ronald “Tiger” Ali, and ran away to wide-looking six length victory.

New trainer Moses Moxie kept his 100 per cent record intact when Fleet Admiral won the opener, making it three winners in three starts.

I’mmissinghighbury continued here rich vein of form, scoring for the fourth time on the trot.

Local turfites got a glimpse of the prowess of master jockey Patrick Husbands yesterday, when he cleverly landed Valorous winner by half length over a fast-finishing Lord Silver in the seventh race.

The victory saw new trainer Jake O’Brien, son of ace trainer John O’Brien, saddling his first winner. And also yesterday, young apprentice Andrew Poon landed his first winner astride Mafia Man.

But the star rider of the day was Wilmer Galviz who scored twice on the nine-race programme.

And champion trainer Glenn Mendez saddled two winners also yesterday.

The tournament excluded national players, and especially welcomed newcomers to the game. Entrants were categorised into three divisions, which aligned players proficiency in the sport. In the blue division for boys, Shaw proved the strongest player and won the category.

Shaw defeated Joshua Chin Lee 11-4, 11-1, 11-2 to claim the title. Benjamin Decle was able to overcome tough resistance from Scott–Michael Shaw to secure third place, winning in four games 11-6, 11-7, 13-15, 11-6.

In the red division for girls, Al-Rawi proved too powerful for Sigourney Williams in the final, claiming victory 11-6, 11-6, 11-4. Chelsea Lequay emerged victorious in the highly competitive consolation match against Georgia Ng Wai, winning 11-4, 10-12, 11-6, 11-7. Hinkson was the top player in the green division for boys, overcoming Kisean Constantine in the final 13-11, 11-2. Nicholas Lequay emerged the winner over Jaheem Alfred in a hard fought consolation match that ended 11-5, 6-11, 11-4.

SquashTT congratulated all the players who participated, and thanked Cole and Associates Engineered Safety Systems Limited for helping to make the event a success.

Toco Secondary won the overall crown with 172.5 points, while Sangre Grande Secondary displaced Queen’s Royal College (QRC) in second place with 113 and 91 points respectively. QRC took the top boys school category, while Bishop Anstey High snatched the top girls school. In the mixed schools category, Toco and Sangre Grande Secondary went home with trophies.

This year, Toco were dethroned in some of the girls categories, winning only the Under-16 and Under-21 age groups with 34 and 24 points respectively. Arima Central took the honours in the girls Under-14 with 16 points, while Bishop Anstey High ran away with the girls Under-18 with 36 points.

In the boys grouping, QRC took the Under-21 category with 30 points, Holy Cross College the Under-14 category with 20 points and Fatima College the Under-16 age group with 28 points. The mighty team of Sangre Grande Secondary captured the top spot in the Under-18 category with 32 points.

A special exhibition relay involving the University of Trinidad and Tobago Fast Track Team, All Stars Athletes, the University of the Southern Caribbean, the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force and St Anthony’s College interested all present. In attendance were President of Trinidad and Tobago Anthony Carmona and 1976 Olympic 100-metre gold medallist Hasely Crawford.

Many of the participating schools use the Relay Festival to prepare for the Penn Relays in Pennyslvania, USA in April.

Blue Waters was the official water for the Relay Festival, which was hosted by the Trinidad and Tobago Secondary Schools Track and Field Association. Sports- Max held the official media rights for the competition, which was broadcasted live across the Caribbean.

Nigel Paul, Trinidad and Tobago’s lone boxing representative at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, won the feature bout of the night, by a unanimous decision over Ricardo Brown.

The bout was in the super heavyweight division (91 kilogrammes and over) and, for the most part, was a scrappy affair.

The 27 year old Paul found it tough against his rival, who spent the majority of the three-round affair either holding on to the massively-built Paul or leaning on the ropes to avoid the jabs thrown his way.

This was Paul’s first competitive bout since his first round knockout by Nigeria’s Efe Ajagba in a preliminary round super heavyweight contest at Rio.

According to Paul: “Going back into the ring, I know everybody was coming out to see what I had to offer, after the Olympics. The coaching staff let me know to go out there and box, and show (the fans) particular improvements – defence and offence, and more or less showcase from then to now the transition I have been going through.” Reflecting on his performance, Paul said, “I find it was good.

My coach (Floyd Trumpet) was pleased with my performance.” As far as his immediate future is concerned, the Olympian added: “We have a couple of fighters coming in. I think I might be going up against somebody from Guyana, and then we have plans to bring down different teams in preparation for the Continental Games in June. All these fights are geared for us getting ready and prepared for this tournament.” Paul said it was a privilege to participate in the Boxing At The Castle in front a crowd estimated at 200 – including Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, Sports Minister Darryl Smith, sporting icons Dwight Yorke and Russell Latapy, Hasely Crawford, Leslie “Tiger” Stewart, Deryck Murray, Michael Phillips (current chairman of the Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago), and top national sportsmen Darren Bravo, Lendl Simmons and Andrew Lewis.

“It was a nice experience to see the support from the (dignitaries), showing their faces and giving us that encouragement,” Paul acknowledged. “We know the boxing team have a lot to offer and the young boxers coming up really appreciate (them) showing that kind of interest, especially Mr Lara, for giving us that stage to perform and showcase our talents.

“We really appreciate it. I know for a fact the younger guys on the team, the junior team was present as well, guys from the Youth Training Centre were there and, seeing these guys coming out and supporting us, it was really a pleasure having them.” The other victorious Trinidad and Tobago pugilists on the night were Michael Alexander (over Damion Williams by unanimous decision in the 69 kg weight class), Aaron Prince (over Jonathan Hansen by unanimous decision in the 75 kg) and Brendon Dennis (over Ian Darby by a split decision in the 91 kg).

Jamaican Marvin Saga, in the 60kg, defeated Mike Inniss by unanimous decision, before the TT contingent tilted the balance in their favour with four straight victories.

In earlier bouts on the night, Tyrone St Clair won via a split decision over Tyronne Thomas in the 81kg category, Jesse Beckles had a unanimous decision victory over Kyrein Ruiz (64kg) and Nyrell Hosein got the better of Kevin Ramdeo by a split decision (45kg)

The 23-year-old Boatswain joined Defence Force from Point Fortin Civic in the January transfer window and has been an immediate success for Coach Marvin Gordon’s Army/Coast Guard combination.

Boatswain exploits in front of goal in the just concluded 2016-17 truncated Pro League season saw him end with a combined 15 goals in all competitions. But it was his seven goals for Defence Force that really shot him into the spotlight.

“Once he keeps his feet in the ground, by the next couple years he could be the number one striker in Trinidad (and Tobago),” said Jorsling of Boatswain.

Boatswain scored a superb hattrick in a 4-0 win against Police FC in the semi-final round of the Digicel Pro Bowl and followed-up with a goal in a 2-2 regulation score in the final last Sunday before Jorsling scored the winning Defence Force kick to seal a 5-3 shootout win.

Who better to speak of the rising talent, Boatswain, than Jorsling? Jorsling is the Pro League’s alltime top scorer with 153 league goals—six more than current Ma Pau Stars forward Kerry Baptiste (147). He has 41 caps for Trinidad and Tobago and a ship-load of personal honours including the Toyota/Pro League Player of the Year and three Golden Boots.

“I think after being the main man for Defence Force for a very long time, I now have a good replacement,” quipped the 33-yearold Jorsling who joined Defence Force in 2002.

“He (Boatswain) possesses a skill that you can’t coach – that’s how to score goals. He knows how to score goals.” Jorsling, who was recently sidelined due to a thigh injury, finished the season with 17 goals in all competitions.

Meanwhile Boatswain’s recent performances have also earned him a place in a provisional training squad selected by new Trinidad and Tobago head coach Dennis Lawrence.

Lawrence, whose assistant coaches includes TT legend and 2006 World Cup teammate Stern John and W Connection coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier, began training sessions this week ahead of two crucial FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifiers on 24 and 28 March against Panama and Mexico, respectively, at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port-of- Spain.

Former Defence Force twotime league-winning coach and current Ma Pau Stars coach Ross Russell serves as Lawrence’s goalkeeper coach.

Lawrence’s first assignment is a friendly international against Suriname on March 10 at Andre Kamperveen Stadium in Paramaribo, Suriname where he will be joined by his first assistant coach and former England and Arsenal star Sol Campbell.