The media release quoted Central FC’s goalkeeper Jan-Michael Williams as refuting statements he allegedly made in a club media release on Friday – in which the national keeper claimed that the team was yet to receive a letter of congratulations from the Minister of Sports Darryl Smith.

According to the TTFA, Williams was quoted as saying, “I am not one to play politics with the game that I love nor do I have interest in either attacking the Ministry of Sport or the Sport Minister.

My statements obviously were incorrectly interpreted.” However, Sancho yesterday wondered why the rebuttal came via a TTFA media release, when Williams is still a member of Central FC.

“I find it very strange that the TTFA will release such a (media) release at this time,” said Sancho.

“How is this inclusive of the TTFA? Jan is a Central FC player.

“I don’t think it’s about the statement,” continued Sancho. “I don’t think anything that was said was not true. I’ve had personal experience where I’ve been blacklisted for standing up for the rights of the players. I understand his position.

“Central FC is the only club to achieve anything in football regionally (in the past couple years).

I think it’s a club which should be lauded. I stand by my statement, not even a congratulatory statement was made (by the Minister).” Sancho, the ex-Trinidad and Tobago defender, pointed out, “at the end of the day, if it’s against Brent Sancho and whatever perceived political alliances, that’s something completely different. But, as far as I’m concerned, sports comes first. That’s how I see it.” Asked if the media release from the TTFA highlights a hidden agenda, Sancho replied, “it has to be. How is it that, after all we’ve achieved, that the first statement coming out of the (TTFA) is not even a word of congratulations but to try and antagonise a situation.” Concerning any feedback from the Pro League about the outstanding prize monies for winning the past three league titles, Sancho noted, “the last statement told you that they’re trying to set up a meeting with the Minister and I think that’s where the energy should be flowed, not trying to make something out of nothing.

The energy should be put in towards making sure that the prize monies, making sure that the League continues and making sure that we have the support going through.”

Needing three runs of the last ball, Lara struck a six to get the Lara XI the victory over the (Dinanath) Ramnarine XI. Lara slammed eight fours and two sixes to lead his team to 112 for three off their 15 overs.

Earlier the Ramnarine XI scored 108/4 batting first. The match was reduced to a 15-overs-per-team affair due to rain.

Among the participants were Philo Wallace, Lendl Simmons, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Rajendra Dhanraj, Kevon Cooper, William Perkins, Nicholas Pooran and Darren Bravo.

Bravo and 13-year-old Barbadian Jacob Bethel started the pursuit of 109 for the Lara XI. Bravo showed some aggression, while Bethel showed composure at the wicket impressing the hundreds that turned out at the Barataria Oval. After Bravo was caught and bowled, Lara came to the middle and thrilled the crowd with an array of shots. Bethel fell for 13 and received a huge applause from the supporters when leaving the field.

Former West Indies spinner Ramnarine grabbed two for 22.

Batting first, the Ramnarine XI posted 108/4 with Ryan Rampersad top scoring with 22. Also making contributions were Wallace (21), Simmons (19) and Pooran (18).

Yesterday’s match was dedicated to Lara’s friends John Sabga and Scott Anderson who both passed away from cancer.

During her junior years of competition, she saw numerous successes at the national level, including taking the top spots at the Chaguanas Junior Calypso Monarch (2013), St. Joseph Junior Calypso Monarch (2014), and the National Emancipation Calypso Competition (2012-2014).

Her NWAC Calypso Queen crown is the second title she has won this year, the first being the Stars of Tomorrow 2017 title.

Her winning song this year, “The Main Witness”, “entails the struggles and trials of state witnesses [due to our fractured justice system]. I’m calling for a change in the way they are treated and for more efficiency in the justice system!” she elaborates. In true calypso fashion, the song offers glaring social and political commentary. The opening of her prize-winning performance last Monday included a dramatic enactment in which Sasha and a cousin witness a crime.

“I started off singing soca at a young age and, like any other 12-year-old, I used to think Calypso is ‘old people thing’; boring and most definitely not for me,” she recalls of her early views on the genre that has birthed her current success. “But when I actually got into calypso, it took over me.” She credits this classic genre for allowing her to spread necessary messages of social plights throughout our nation. “Calypso continues to deliver stories on relevant issues,” she notes, adding that the genre is as pertinent now as it was during its genesis. It is calypso’s knack of calling the public to introspect on social issues that draws Sasha most to singing and performing.

She also reiterates that calypso music is the foundation for all other genres and says, “I don’t understand how people could love soca and hate calypso; without calypso there would be no soca.” Apart from calypso music inspiring and driving her creative work, Sasha says her experiences as a performer have also taught her valuable lessons in life such as patience and perseverance, as well as breaking out of her shy shell into a charismatic young woman with improved self-esteem. “Being a performer has taught me how to have hope in everything you do, which has helped me tremendously with my studies! Those times when I feel to give up, I’ve learnt that there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.” Academically, she is a first year student of Law at the UWI, St. Augustine. She says life as a performer and a student go hand-in-hand for her, and while sometimes the two clash in terms of her commitments, they often complement each other “because I learn how to handle tough situations in both.” The undeniable link between her academic pursuits and the themes touched on in “The Main Witness” is proof of how her studies inform her art – and vice versa.

Her greatest artistic inspiration is Calypso Rose (McArtha Lewis), the proclaimed “Calypso Queen of the World”, who has been reigning in the arena of calypso for decades with no indication on slowing down. “She has never sold out herself and has stuck to her calypso music and is taking it to the world,” praises Sasha. “For a lady of her age, she has been handling herself like she never aged!” Sasha hopes to have a longstanding career such as Rose’s and stay true to the art form of calypso that has given her a winning platform. However, calypso and soca aren’t Sasha’s only main stays. During the year, she performs as a frontline singer for local musical group, Mayaro 2.0, a Trinidadian band that focuses on renditions across all genres and boasts its own brass section, which adds depth to their performances. “The 2017 soca ‘My Song’ is about when someone hears their favourite song on the radio or the street and no matter what they’re going through, it can always make them get up and dance,” she divulges of the band’s soca offering this year.

Of her strengths, she says the greatest she possesses, as a performer, is her ability to shock an audience and leave them in amazement – which she loves.

She jokes that before her performances people are sometimes fooled by her physical appearance. “Persons would watch me and say, ‘I don’t believe that she can perform like that or that she can accomplish that.’ I pride myself on seeing the shocked emotion on people’s faces,” she laughs playfully. In fact, proving people wrong is perhaps one of her life’s mantras. “There are always challenges,” she says of the obstacles she has come up against, “I’ve experienced persons constantly telling me no you can’t do it. The way to overcome is to simply prove them wrong; don’t ever give them the satisfaction of believing they were right all along.” It is with this fiery fighting spirit that Sasha enters her sure-to-be successful days, months, and years to come. The Calypso Queen 2017 title is one she holds dear and appreciates more than words can express, but in her mind’s eye she knows there are bigger fish to fry as her career continues to ascend. “Every journey teaches you new things so I’m always learning and growing,” she says of the constant lessons life as a young woman, a performer, and a student teaches her. She continues, “I wish to accomplish wining the Calypso Monarch Crown, touring the world with my Trinidad and Tobago music, complete my education in the field of Law, and continue to spread positive vibes wherever I go.”

In 2005, she was asked to join The Request Band, a soca-band based in New York. She recounts the story of meeting the band’s leader, Rayzor, at a party and being invited to audition as a front liner: “I didn’t know I was auditioning for a show, the headliner of which was Denise Belfon. That’s how it all started.” She says becoming an artiste required her also learning the dynamics of band culture as opposed to being an individual act. “I’m actually still growing and still nurturing my craft,” she adds of the never-ending learning curve of being a performer.

Known for her vocal techniques and style, she recounts a story of Machel Montano once congratulating her on a rendition of Destra Garcia’s “Lucy” at a Six Flags Great Adventure show. “I’ve been told I sound like her,” she says shyly, “but personally I don’t think I sing like her, because she have vocals to kill; she does belt.” She says her performance techniques are also high energy: “I doh play when I go on the stage, I’m not a high heel shoes type of artist; I move around a lot. It’s very explosive, myself and Rayzor are known for energetic and highpowered performances.” She says a significant difference in performing in TT for the Carnival season and back in the US where she lives, is the longevity of the carnival season stateside. “There’s no on and off button,” she says of the season in the States, pointing out that the immigrant populations are diverse in nationalities and therefore have countless yearlong carnival celebrations respectively. “But the Trini audience is more receptive to new artistes,” she acknowledges, citing younger generations of soca fans welcoming new and even foreign soca artistes who “know what they’re about” in their delivery.

To date, Leonce’s soca release for 2016 “Warn Dem” has garnered nearly 200,000 views on YouTube. This year, her release titled “Addicted” (Island Life Riddim, Optimus Productions) is a departure from her usually edgy, raw, Ragga-Soca style. “This one, I sing a little bit more in it, it’s groovier than normal.” For the season this year, she decided to slow down her pace a bit; still visible but taking a lighter approach.

“The business of soca and the soca business are two different things. The business itself is very tricky but loving the music and the atmosphere of the music, that is what drives me,” she says of what motivates the work she puts into her career as an artiste. “The love I have for the music, the adrenaline it has; it’s such a loving type of music. And what it [derives] from: the artists and calypsonians from before that displayed so many aspects and layers of the music is what I grew up on. It’s all I know.” She says while the genre continues to evolve she will move with the times but never forget the foundation put down by calypso greats before her (she cites McArtha “Calypso Rose” Lewis as an inspiration and describes Ella Andall’s voice as “sick”).

She explains that living as a soca performer in the US means being surrounded by soca 365 days a year. “Some people say the whole atmosphere of the soca industry is based on Carnival, the mas playing, the rum drinking, the fetes. It’s not like that for us, we live it and breathe it everyday,” she explains. She also gains inspiration from old tapes of calypso and soca performances from years past.

“We get our inspiration from looking at the tapes and the elders singing … to mould what we do better.” As for the women in the local soca industry currently, she gushes there are countless names that she reveres and looks up to, including Destra and Fay-Ann Lyons who are both mothers and take the time for both their careers and their families. “Yes, it’s a man’s world and men dominate the business but they don’t worry as we do. We maintain houses, homes, families, and still come out and work. It’s harder [as a woman],” she voices of the respect female artistes garner for their constant work and sacrifices.

As a whole, she believes in all women being independent and staying on track with aspirations and meeting goals. “Channel your energies into what you need to do so it can manifest into something great and big. That’s woman power!” she encourages.

She’s already thinking about her year ahead. She’s been in touch with St. Lucian producers and has also been speaking with local songwriters about next year’s Trinidad Carnival soca song. Although much of her career and performance takes place overseas, she represents TT proudly.

“Anywhere the band goes, when I’m performing I carry the TT flag on my back.

Soca is Trinidad born and this is our culture.

The Request Band is overwhelmingly proud. I think most Trinidadians are,” she describes the patriotism both she and her band mates feel and display.

Her greatest praise goes out to the fans of soca music, without who she knows her talents would not thrive. “The most fullling part is moving old and young people alike. The best part of it is if your audience loves you. Every time you go on the stage, you have to remember the audience.” As for the soca music she holds so dearly, which inspires her to continue creating, working, and bringing joy to others, she says, “It’s a great feeling to know you’re a part of it and doing something to make the business better.” 7

There are several components of your makeup look that you can focus on to create drama. However, it’s about finding balance (and not doing all at once!) You can choose to play up your eyes, face or lips. How dramatic you make each feature will determine how much you should do to another. For example, if you do a colourful, cut-crease eye look with glitter and big lashes, you probably shouldn’t also do a glitter-ombre lip: it will be overkill. Keep the focus on your beautiful eyes by pairing them with a simpler lip.

Some components that can individually create a dramatic look are: • Bold eyes, which can consist of graphic lines, dark smokey shades, bright colours, glitter and lashes.

• Bold lips which can be bright or dark statement colours, ombre, glittery, ultra glossy or matte.

• A dramatic face, which could mean bold highlight and contour, intense glow, glitter or gems.

This year, the most popular colours seem to be turquoise and magenta. Even if you’re not wearing those colours, try using them as your pop of colour on your eyes or lips for a trendy look.

Last week, we learned how to create bold, glittery lips, so this week, lets learn how to do 3 dramatic eye looks.

Smokey Eye: After priming your eyes, apply your darkest eyeshadow at your lashes and blend it upwards and into your outer “V” with a fluffy brush. Blend a mid toned colour into your crease to create a nice transition. You can optionally apply your lightest colour on the inner part of the lid, although this will lessen the smokey effect, but I recommend doing this if you have a smaller eyelid and want it to appear larger.

Finish with eyeliner, glitter, and either mascara or lashes if you desire.

Cut Crease: After priming your eyes, roughly etch out the shape of the cut crease you want using a medium shade of eyeshadow and an angled brush. Then, blend a lighter eyeshadow shade right above it with a small pencil brush to create a gradient. Take some liquid concealer on a small, flat concealer brush and carve out the underside of the cut crease you created. Using feathery strokes, blend the concealer down until it fades seamlessly into your eyelid.

You’re sharpening and perfecting your “cut”.

Now you can apply your lid colour from the inner corner of your eye, fading outwards as you go towards the wing.

You can also use multiple colours on the lid for a rainbow effect. Just be sure to blend between each colour you place so they fade seamlessly into one another. Finish your look with eyeliner (I prefer to do winged eyeliner since it enhances the shape of the cut crease) glitter, mascara or false lashes.

Double Winged Cut Crease: Following the same steps as the regular cut crease, simply add a thin wing under the cut crease. I like to match my winged eyeliner to the second wing under the cut crease for a more cohesive look. It also helps if you lid colour is light enough to contrast the wings so you can clearly see the details. Finish your look with eyeliner on the waterline if you desire and mascara or false lashes.

Drink more water It may seem contradictory to try to lose water by consuming water. But staying hydrated is essential to helping your body release fluids (including water) and cleanse your body of any food that may be causing bloating. If your body is dehydrated, it will store water to compensate, leading to more water weight.

Ensure you have at least eight glasses of water a day.

Try to sip, rather than chug, water. Sipping water allows your body to digest food properly. Guzzling down water can actually make your belly swell up.

Reduce your salt intake Our local cuisine in general is big on the use of sodium.

Eating high amounts of sodium can cause your body to store water and lead to bloating. Your diet should include no more than 2000-2500mg or 1 ? teaspoons of sodium a day to allow your metabolism to function properly without leading to water retention.

Avoid canned soups and processed meats like sausages, as well as other preserved foods. Go for fresh meat from the butcher over deli meats, which are full of sodium.

Use table salt sparingly in your cooking and use less spices in your food to cut back on sodium.

Avoid pre-made salad dressings and sauces, as these are often high in sodium. Cheese is also a high sodium food, so cut back on cheese if possible.

Consume more coffee, tea, or cranberry juice Coffee and tea are known diuretics, which help to release fluids from your body. Always balance your coffee and tea consumption with glasses of water to prevent dehydration.

You can also drink cranberry juice, a natural diuretic that will help to flush toxins and fluids from your body.

Spend time in a sauna or a steam room Sweating out water is one of the quickest ways to drop water weight. If you have access to a sauna or a steam room, take a 30 minute soak to sweat out the fluids and toxins in your body.

Spend only 30 minutes at a time in the sauna to avoid dehydration. You will likely gain the water weight back after drinking or eating, but this is a good way to temporarily shed water weight overnight. There are many local spas and gyms that have saunas.

Adjust your exercise routine for the week Get your heart pounding to pump fresh blood and oxygen to all your tissues, increasing circulation of body fluid and helping the excretory system get rid of waste. Increase the frequency and intensity of your workout for the week to encourage your body to release water weight through sweat. Exercise also elevates your cortisol levels to a healthy level, which helps you work through stress and tension. Plus the extra cardio will give you more stamina for the fetes and the road.

Dandelion herb supplements Dandelion is used in alternative medicine to treat water retention. In recent years, it has also become popular among bodybuilders and athletes who need to drop water for aesthetic purposes or to meet a weight category. Dandelion supplements may help you lose water weight by signaling the kidneys to expel more urine and additional salt or sodium. In human studies, dandelion intake increases the frequency of urination over a five-hour period. But remember it is always best to consult with your doctor before taking any supplements.

Prescription diuretics Prescription diuretics and water pills are sometimes prescribed to treat excess water retention. They work by activating your kidneys to flush out excess water and salt through urine. These diuretic pills are often prescribed to those with heart or lung issues and to help with blood pressure, prevent fluid buildup and reduce swelling.

It’s important to note the difference between prescription diuretics and over-the-counter or online water pills. Prescription pills have been clinically tested for long-term safety, whereas over-the-counter pills may lack clinical research and have not always been tested for safety. Either type may help combat medically diagnosed edema or excess water weight. Make sure you consult your doctor before trying these.

Bottom Line: When looking into diuretic medication or pills, consult with a medical practitioner and take prescribed drugs under supervision. Remember, your good health is more important than looking good for Carnival.

Be safe and enjoy!

According to a recent article in Nature by the Stanford microbiologist Justin Sonnenburg, “Consumption of hyper-hygienic, mass-produced, highly-processed and calorie-dense foods is testing how rapidly the microbiota of individuals in industrialised countries can adapt.” Sonnenburg notes that as the diversity in the microbiome declines, various genes are becoming harder to find.

The result is that we are passing on a decreased microbiome in each generation to our children and children’s children.

Although the microbiome can adapt to change, a loss of balance in gut microbiota may arise in some specific situations. This is called dysbiosis. Dysbiosis may be linked to health problems such as functional bowel disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, obesity and diabetes imply because you ate badly and imbalanced your gut bacteria! Think about the last two days of meals that you ingested – and don’t forget what you washed it down with.

Shockingly most Trinis don’t factor in the ‘sweet drink’ that it takes to get that entire roti down. We eat too much of a badly balanced meal and then top it off with piles of sugar for good measure. The phrase you are what you eat has never been more true.

But there’s another aspect to the decimation of the western microbiome. Research based in two separate countries (a randomised, placebocontrolled clinical trial in the UK and Sweden) analysed the effects of four commonly prescribed antibiotics on the human gut in phases of one, two, four and 12 months following antibiotic treatment. The antibiotics indicated were clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, minocycline, and amoxicillin. The results, compared to a baseline taken before prescribed drugs, showed that the oral (mouth) microbiome responded fairly quickly but bacteria in the gut in some instances suffered a crushing blow – literally a punch to the gut. Those on clindamycin and ciprofloxacin saw a decrease in types of bacteria that produce butyrate, which is responsible for lowering ageing stress and inflammation in the gut. We’re not advocating for you to cease all antibiotics. But carefully consider whether you actually do need it. And if you are going to take antibiotics, or not ready to make big changes to your diet just yet, please consider two words: Prebiotics and Probiotics.

There are dozens of studies that show the beneficial effects of prebiotics and probiotics on our gut microbiota. Serving as “food” for beneficial bacteria, prebiotics help improve the functioning of microbiota while allowing the growth and activity of some “good” bacteria. Meanwhile, adding some natural products like yoghurt can help the gut microbiota keep its balance.

More on antibiotics and the gut next week – this is gonna’ be inflammatory! This advice is culled from dozens of books, medical studies, discussions with professionals and experience. Always consult your doctor, your nutritionist or preferred health advisor before making any health changes. Most of all, listen to your body.

Perhaps he should not have placed his comments in the context of the bedroom and therefore, unfortunately, it took some of the women’s group off the true message the PM was trying to convey.

Interestingly, members of the Police Service are often lambasted for not being sensitive enough in dealing with abuse complaints from women. However, the same officers, having intervened, are faced with situations where the very victims return to abusive situations and even defend the abusers and blame the very police for pursing matters before the court.

Unfortunately, for many of these victims, these cases end tragically — and sometimes the abuser as well.

Diana Mahabir-Wyatt, who has championed the cause of women in TT , has pleaded for the education system to include in the school curriculum topics that would speak to, inter alia, the building of self-esteem and selfworth so that young people leaving school will not only graduate with the five GCE passes but the required life skills that would help them to make healthy decisions as they navigate through the many challenges they will have to face in this life.

No one should ever blame a victim for being the cause of his or her own death, but anyone, whether politician, church leader, civic group official, educator or parent, who has a responsibility and the opportunity to make a difference and does not do what is required of him/her, must ask, “What could I have done so that victims would not feel so powerless that they cannot recognise danger and have the confidence and strength in themselves to move away” Or that perpetrators of violence should feel so trapped that they cannot see any other options for dealing with difficult situations other than killing someone, especially the person they profess to love.

It is time we rethink how we prepare our young people to face a changing and stressful world.

Joan Gower de Chabert Justice of the Peac

However, I must agree with the National Parent Teacher Association’s (NPTA) president, Zena Ramatali, that such reports lack credibility because principals may be inclined to protect their interests (Newsday, February 14).

The Minister of Education made it clear that school principals are obliged “to ensure the safety of all students.” I support the NPTA’s call for an independent investigation of this particular issue. This can be a first step towards reversal of the bullying culture that pervades many schools in this country, where many students are fearful of attending schools where extortion and savage attacks are the norm.

There has been some research into bullying in TT ’s schools.

The Global School-based Student Health Survey on TT noted in 2007 that 57.3 male and 26.6 percent female respondents reported being bullied, most often by being hit, kicked, pushed, shoved around, or locked indoors.

The researchers observed that this was a worrying trend which required urgent action. In addition, Vidya Lall reported in the Caribbean Journal of Criminology and Social Psychology, vol 12, 2007, that 20 percent of the respondents in her research reported that they did not feel safe at school because they were fearful of bullying. The bullying situation led to the formation of the Anti-Bullying Association of TT by Jeromy Rodriguez in 2014.

The Ministry of Education, on behalf of the Citizen Security Programme, engaged respected criminologist Dr Randy Seepersad to conduct research into bullying in primary schools in north Trinidad.

The 2014 report found that there was growing recognition that bullying and violence are reaching critical levels in the nation’s schools, with 94 percent of respondents reporting that within the past term they had experienced one or more forms of bullying, and 40.4 percent reported that bullies had tried to take money from them.

The first report of a joint select committee of Parliament revealed that in 2015 there were 1,650 cases of assaults with a weapon, without weapons and extorting taxes in secondary schools of TT .

Psychology lecturer Dr Margaret Nakid-Chatoor told the JSC that taxing or extortion of money is one of the most pressing types of bullying in secondary schools (Newsday, April 30, 2016, p 9).

Although there are some who wish to conceal bullying, I am of the view that bullying in schools provides training for future bandits and killers, and I demand that decisive action be taken by the ministry in eradicating this scourge. All law-breaking activities in schools should be taken to the police; principals should be held accountable for bullying in their schools; the curriculum should place more emphasis on peaceful living, and learning activities should be designed to make students aware of the consequences of lawlessness.

In an address at the Magdelena Grand Resort in Tobago on February 22, 2016, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley stated that TT ’s education system is failing students.

Here is an opportunity for Rowley to change this horrendous state of affairs.

David Subran via email

That cannot be a bad thing.

The stronger the spotlight on the hidden dealings of people who have something to hide, the better for the ordinary people who struggle to make ends meet while some people take the cake, and the oven too.

Some people in public life who have cocoa in the sun may never be known but the legislation reduces the chances of them getting away with it. Uncle Sam does not make joke when his money is involved and has a history of going after people who try to make bobol with it.

So let’s get cracking on putting things in place to support this laudable initiative, and if later on US President Donald Trump decides against it we will deal with it then.

The US is right. For too long money has been allowed to disappear from our small country with no control and the country continues to suffer the consequences of our failure to take action to protect our interests.

Go for it and let the chips fall where they may.

Karan Mahabirsingh Carapichaima