Latest Caribbean News

Monday, June 11, 2001

Dwight Yorke's no show upsets T&T officials

Kittitian Kim Collins wins showdown

Jamaica's Beckford posts 2001 world best

Barbadian jockey now joint leader at Assiniboia

Barbadian Suki King taking part in Curacao Open

Dwight Yorke's no show upsets T&T officials

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - The failure of Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke to join the Trinidad and Tobago team in Panama City for a friendly international yesterday has left several football officials here disappointed and upset. Yorke was scheduled to link up with the team in Miami, USA but reportedly missed the flight and returned home instead. This was confirmed to CANA by Shaun Fuentes, communications officer of the T&T Football Federation. Fuentes said senior coach Ian Porterfield has expressed disappointment that his star player had not turned up. The Trinidad Guardian also reported that T&T Football Federation president Oliver Camps was dissatisfied with the latest developments.

Kittitian Kim Collins wins showdown

Nassau, Bahamas, - Kittitian Kim Collins won his showdown with improving Jamaican sprinter Patrick Jarrett in the feature men's 100 metres race of the Bahamas Top Athletes Classic at the Thomas Robinson Stadium at the weekend. Collins, who created history for St Kitts when he reached the 100 metres finals at the Sydney Olympics, raced home in 10.19 seconds to bring Jarrett back down to earth. Jarrett, still on a high after upset victories last month over Barbadian 100-metre Olympic bronze medallist Obadele Thompson and Maurice Greene, the world record holder and reigning Olympic 100m champion, clocked 10.20 seconds for second place.

Jamaica's Beckford posts 2001 world best

Torino, Italy, - Jamaican James Beckford posted a 2001 world best 8.41 metres to win the long jump at the Primo Nebiola Memorial meeting on Saturday night. Beckford, the 1996 Olympic silver medallist, achieved the mark with his final effort, while Lorraine Graham took the women's 400 metres for another Jamaica win. Russia's Tatyana Kotova also had a world-leading effort, winning the women's long jump at 7.12 metres, while Jamaicans Llewellyn Bredwood and Trecia Smith claimed runner-up spots in their events.

Barbadian jockey now joint leader at Assiniboia

Winnipeg, Manitoba, - Barbadian jockey Andy Ward continued his fine form at the Assiniboia Downs with five wins in two days, which moved him to joint top of the riders' standings. Ward, a former Barbados champion jockey, rode two winners Saturday, after booting home a three-timer on Friday to reach 20 wins in the month-old season. He shares the lead with Alan Cuthbertson and Danny Vergara, who also have 20 wins. Ward, who had seven wins the previous weekend, including a four-timer on the Friday, topped favourites ridden by reigning champion jockey Rohan Singh in both his wins on Saturday.

Barbadian Suki King taking part in Curacao Open

Curacao, - World draughts champion Barbadian Ronald "Suki" King will wrap up a visit to Curacao today after participating in the Curacao Open Draughts Championship yesterday. King, the World title holder in both the Go As You Please (GAYP) and Three Move Restriction (TMR) style of draughts contested the tourney which was played in the 10 X 10 style (20 pieces). Though this style is not played in Barbados, King, who has participated in 10 X 10 style tournaments before in Grenada and St. Lucia with creditable performances is hoping to form closer links with the draughts playing Caribbean Community in an effort to form a Caribbean Draughts Federation.

Sunday, June 10, 2001

Official speaks out on WICB resignations

Poor results showing up West Indies Cricket Board

Jamaica's Chris Williams wins at US Open

Results of OECS U23 netball champs

Nevis beat Montserrat by five wickets in cricket match

Antigua & Barbuda beat Anguilla in cricket match

Official speaks out on WICB resignations

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Lennox John, president of the Windward Islands Cricket Association, has alleged that former West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau and vice-president Clarvis Joseph operated at their own pace. John has been the only director of the WICB to speak out publicly about the resignations of Rousseau and Joseph after the WICB chose to overturn their decision to terminate team manager Ricky Skerritt. "They were way ahead of anybody and never kept anybody informed. Imagine they and the chief executive conducted debriefings at the end of the England, Australia and South Africa tours with the manager, coach and captains, but never told the board what was coming out of these debriefings," John told 92.9 VOB-FM radio. John asserted the directors could not leave all the power in the hands of three individuals because, "if that is the kind of executive power they want attributed to them, it would have been difficult for us to sit behind and allow it".

Poor results showing up West Indies Cricket Board

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Female international cricket broadcaster Donna Symmonds believes the declining fortunes of the West Indies team has brought greater focus on the West Indies Cricket Board and its management policies. Symmonds, a Barbadian attorney-at-law, was speaking against the backdrop of last weekend's resignations of WICB president Pat Rousseau and vice-president Clarvis Joseph after the directors overturned their decision to terminate team manager Ricky Skerritt. Symmonds, whose voice has been heard on regional broadcasts of the game as well as BBC World Service Test Match Special, was of the opinion that the problems facing West Indies cricket were nothing new, but the team's poor results magnified the shortcomings of the WICB. "I do not think many people would be worried about WICB changes if it weren't for the fact that the West Indies cricket team is doing so badly," Symmonds told 92.9 VOB-FM radio on Saturday. She added: "In the 1950s and 1960s, there were the same problems about how many people from one island were in a team, what the WICB was doing about it, the way the WICB was constituted.....

Jamaica's Chris Williams wins at US Open

Palo Alto, California, - Jamaica's Chris Williams won the men's 200 metres at the IAAF US Open Grand Prix athletics meet where American Stacy Dragila twice broke her own world pole vault record yesterday. Williams, the reigning Central American and Caribbean (CAC) champion over the distance, won in 20.52 seconds and now leads the Grand Prix 200-metre men's standings. Jamaica also had top-three finishes from Mardrea Hyman in the women's 1,500 metres, and Juliet Campbell, who chased Olympic champion Marion Jones in the women's 200 metres. Campbell, who won the World Indoor title in Portugal three months ago, followed Jones home in a repeat of last month's Prefontaine finish. Jones won in 22.70 seconds, beating Campbell (22.97).

Results of OECS U23 netball champs

St John's, Antigua, - Results of matches in the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Under-23 Netball Tournament at the YMCA Complex yesterday.

MORNING:

Nevis beat Antigua and Barbuda 47-36

Scorers:

Nevis - GS-Latasha Isles 39/42, GA-Rhonda Thompson 8/10

Antigua - GS-Renee Joshua 8/13, GA-Semone Parks 28/34

Grenada bt Dominica 35-26

Grenada - GS-Sheri St Louis 28/40, GA-Prudence Lewis 1/5, GS-Carmita Devonish 6/18

Dominica - GS-Shana Durand 7/10, GA-Philisha George 14/24, Karana Thomas 5/11

St Vincent & the Grenadines bt St Kitts 67-33

SVG - GS-Gailene Gordon 49/57, GA-Geshell Peters 13/8

St Kitts - GS-Genesta Rawlins 25/33, GA-Shanicia Dyer 6/9, GA-Chantel Mitchum 2/6.

EVENING:

SVG beat Nevis 49-37

SVG - GS-Gailene Gordon 41/50, GA-Gershell Peter 8/16

Nevis - Latasha Isles 35/43, GA-Rhonda Thompson 2/9

St Lucia beat St Kitts 46-36

St Lucia - GS-Melissa John 40/49, Melissa Alfred 6/9

St Kitts - GS-Genesta Rawlins 26/33, GA-Shanicia Dyer 3/4, GA-Chantel Mitchum 7/11

Grenada beat Antigua and Barbuda 44-31

Grenada - GS-Sheri St Louis 42/56, GA-Prudence Lewis 2/4

Antigua & Barbuda - GS-Renee Joshua 19/22, GA-Semone Parks 12/23.

Nevis beat Montserrat by five wickets in cricket match

Salem, Montserrat, - Nevis completed a five-wicket triumph over Montserrat on the third and final day of their Leeward Islands Cricket Association match at Salem Park yesterday. Summarised scores:- At Salem Park: Nevis won by five wickets. NEVIS 459 all out (Ronald Powell 184, Burnett Thompson 126, Mickey Mills 57; Sammy Kirnon 3-78, McPherson Meade 3-83, Lionel Baker 2-83) and 165 for five (Burnett Thompson 42, Sherwin Woodley 42, Tonito Willett 38). MONTSERRAT 280 (Darren Sweeney 73, Trevor Semper 47, McPherson Meade 42; Frank Monzac 4-60, Warrington Phillip 4-71) and 343 (MacPherson mead 83, Trevor Semper 70, David Lane 65, Devon Williams 39; Warrington Phillip 4-135, Frank Monzac 2-78).

Antigua & Barbuda beat Anguilla in cricket match

The Valley, Anguilla, - Antigua & Barbuda completed an innings and 41 runs win over Anguilla on the third and final day of their Leeward Islands Cricket Association match at the Ronald Webster Park yesterday.

Summarised scores:-

ANGUILLA 220 (Leon Lake 78, Girdon Connor 27; Curtis Roberts 4-44, Earl Waldron 2-17, Anthony Lake 2-45, Adam Sandford 2-60) and 143 (Terrance Adams 69 not out, Rudolph Procter 33; Anthony Lake 4-42, Dane Weston 3-53, Adam Stanford 2-31). ANTIGUA & BARBUDA 404 (Dave Joseph 146, Ian Tittle 105, Amwah Prince 47; Dillon Skellekie 4-84, Pauliver Rogers 3-101, Eversley Brown 2-63).

Saturday, June 9, 2001

WINDIES squad for Zimbabwe tour

King recalled for Zimbabwe

Jamaicans Haughton, Ennis-London win in Seville

T&T gearing up for CCCAN champs

Hemmings wins, Boldon unplaced in Poland

Greenidge knocks Windies development approach

WINDIES squad for Zimbabwe tour

St John's, Antigua,- West Indies squad for triangular limited overs cricket series with hosts Zimbabwe and India from June 23 to July 7, 2001 was announced Friday. The squad: Carl Hooper (captain), Ridley Jacobs, Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga, Brian Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Wavell Hinds, Cameron Cuffy, Mervyn Dillon, Reon King, Corey Collymore, Kerry Jeremy, Neil McGarrell, Mahendra Nagamootoo. For the two Test matches against Zimbabwe, July 19-23, and July 27-31, Hinds, Jeremy and Nagamootoo will be replaced by Leon Garrick, Colin Stuart and Dinanath Ramnarine.

King recalled for Zimbabwe

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Embarking on the their first cricket tour in more than a decade without either Curtly Ambrose or Courtney Walsh in their arsenal, West Indies have recalled fast bowler Reon King to their side for its visit to Zimbabwe, starting later this month. Ambrose and Walsh, the spearheads of the West Indies attack for much of the last decade, have retired making way for a number of young bucks to make a name for themselves on a tour that comprises two Tests and a minimum four limited-overs matches in a tri-nation series involving the hosts and India. Ambrose called it quits at the end of last summer's visit to England with a tally of 405 wickets in 98 Tests under his belt, but Walsh carried on until the last of the five Tests against South Africa in the recent home series to finish with 517 wickets in 132 Tests.

Jamaicans Haughton, Ennis-London win in Seville

Seville, Spain, - Jamaican Olympians Gregory Haughton and Deloreen Ennis-London scored superb wins in personal season-best times at the IAAF Grand Prix II meet Friday night. Haughton captured the men's 400 metres in a near personal best 44.58 seconds, and Ennis-London topped the 100-metre hurdles field in 12.57 seconds. The Caribbean secured another top-three finish when Suriname's Letitia Vriesde got second in the women's 800 metres.

T&T gearing up for CCCAN champs

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Trinidad and Tobago's swimmers, crowned Caribbean champions earlier this year, will get their sternest competition at the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Championships (CCCAN). This is the view of Al Roberts, president of the Amateur Swimming Association of T&T. Roberts, an attorney-at-law, told CANA on Friday that the CCCAN Championships from July 1-9 in the Dominican Republic will be T&T's hardest contest to date before the World Championships later this year.

Hemmings wins, Boldon unplaced in Poland

Poznan, Poland, - Jamaica's 1996 Olympic champion Deon Hemmings was in winning form, but Trinidadian star Ato Boldon was unplaced in the 200 metres at the Zywiec SA Cup athletics meeting on Friday night. Hemmings won the 400-metre hurdles in a moderate 56.14 seconds, and Boldon's early season struggle continued when he ended fourth in the men's half-lap sprint. Bahamian Debbie Ferguson secured a top-three finish for the Caribbean when she placed second in the women's 100 metres.

Greenidge knocks Windies development approach

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Gordon Greenidge, the former great West Indies opening batsman, has severely criticised the diversity of cricket development programmes in the region. The Barbadian, batting coach for the 22-man West Indies squad preparing for the forthcoming tour of Zimbabwe and Kenya said that unless something is done urgently, the West Indies will continue to be the "laughing stock" of the cricket world. "It seems that everybody coming into the West Indies team has a different view. "Nobody is in harmony with each other. So it makes it difficult," said Greenidge on Friday on Radio 104.

Friday, June 8, 2001

I did it my way - Pat Rousseau

QPR captain Ready fined for assault

WINDIES sixth in world rankings

Nunes returns as TT captain

Anguilla v Antigua/Barbuda in cricket

New chairman of horse racing body

I did it my way - Pat Rousseau

Kingston, Jamaica, - Pat Rousseau has no regrets about his five-year tenure at the helm of the West Indies Cricket Board, but suspects he was undermined by some members. Rousseau and vice-president Clarvis Joseph announced their resignations on Saturday after the directors of the WICB overturned their decision to terminate team manager Ricky Skerritt. "I think I have tried to do things in the best interest of West Indies cricket," Rousseau said. "There may have been disagreements over some of the approaches, but that is to be expected and I have no quarrel with anybody.

QPR captain Ready fined for assault

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Karl Matthew Ready, captain of English Premiership side Queen's Park Rangers, has landed in trouble in Barbados after punching a taxi-driver. When he appeared in court on Wednesday, the 28-year-old professional footballer pleaded guilty to assault and admitted to Magistrate Pamela Beckles that he punched taxi-driver Barry Brathwaite in the face. Ready was ordered to pay 1,000 United States dollars to the court and granted bail with a 750 US dollar surety to reappear in court on Friday.

WINDIES sixth in world rankings

London, - West Indies are ranked far down the road in a new International Cricket Council listing. They are sixth, behind Australia, South Africa, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand. However, behind the Caribbean side are India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh.

Nunes returns as TT captain

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Maria Nunes, a former world champion, has forced her way back into the Trinidad and Tobago team for the Caribbean Golf Championships slated for August in St Croix. Nunes, who leads the women's team for the August 5-11 tournament told CANA on Thursday she was glad to be back in the game after a long hiatus. She said that her immediate objective was to achieve a level of competitiveness that can only be achieved at the Caribbean level and help Trinidad and Tobago win the George Teale Cup which they last won in 1997 at home.

Anguilla v Antigua/Barbuda in cricket

The Valley, Anguilla, - Antigua and Barbuda were 48 without loss replying to Anguilla's first innings score of 220 all out on the opening day of their three-day Leeward Islands cricket match at the Ronald Webster Park on Thursday. Scores:: Anguilla 220 (Leon Lake 78, Girdon Connor 27; Curtis Roberts 4-44, Earl Waldron 2-17, Anthony lake 2-45, Adam Sandford 2-60). Antigua and Barbados 48-0.

New chairman of horse racing body

Kingston, Jamaica, - Businessman Howard Hamilton has been appointed the new chairman of the Board of Caymanas Track Ltd, the company that operates horse racing here. Hamilton's appointment is effective June 1. He replaces another businessman, Danny Melville, whose term of office had expired and who was not included on the new board. Melville, a former Member of Parliament (MP), fell out with the present political administration after he decided to end his three-year career as an MP.

Thursday, June 7, 2001

West Indies Cricket Board elections in July

WICB confirms India, New Zealand tours

T&T footballers suffer warm-up setback

Grenada's PM wants governments to address Windies crisis

Jamaica's Under-20 footballers leave for Argentina

Lloyd to play for Barbados in basketball tournament

West Indies Cricket Board elections in July

Bridgetown, Barbados, - A new president and a new vice-president for the embattled West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will be elected on Saturday at a venue to be determined later. This is one of the main decisions taken by directors of the WICB at a three-hour long, extraordinary general meeting that ended close to midnight Tuesday and was chaired by Guyana Cricket Board President Chetram Singh. The post of president and vice-president became vacant when Jamaican attorney-at-law Pat Rousseau and Antiguan business executive Clarvis Joseph quit their respective posts last Saturday. Rousseau and Joseph indicated their decision to resign was based on the "unacceptable position" in which they found themselves after the WICB's directors overturned their decision to terminate Ricky Skerritt as West Indies manager. Prior to the directors' meeting on Tuesday, there had been conflicting reports about the appointment of an interim president to direct the affairs of the WICB in the weeks prior to the elections. "An interim management committee has been formed to manage the WICB over the next couple of weeks," Andrew Sealy, the executive secretary of the WICB, told reporters in the wee hours of Wednesday morning. The management committee comprises three directors along with chief executive Gregory Shillingford and chief finance officer Richard Jodhan.

WICB confirms India, New Zealand tours

Bridgetown, Barbados, - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has confirmed next year's tour of the Caribbean by India and New Zealand. In a news release late yesterday, the WICB said it "confirmed the 2002 tours of the Caribbean by India for five Test matches and seven One-Day Internationals and by New Zealand for two Tests and three One-Day Internationals." This was one of the decisions taken at the contentious meeting of the Board of Directors and the annual general meeting of the WICB Inc. last Friday and Saturday at the Accra Beach Resort here. The Board has also confirmed Guyana as the venue for this year's regional under-19 tournament which will be held in August and said an itinerary will be issued next week.

T&T footballers suffer warm-up setback

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Trinidad and Tobago's preparations for their crucial CONCACAF World Cup qualifying home match against Honduras on June 16 suffered a setback yesterday when one of two warm-up matches against Panama was hastily called off. Shaun Fuentes, the Communications Officer of the T&T Football Federation, confirmed to that Panamanian officials had cancelled the Friday match claiming they could not accommodate the T&T team. However, for a game on Sunday, the 20-member T&T squad will leave as scheduled for Panama on Thursday via Miami, USA under deputy skipper Marvin Andrews hoping to regain their momentum after a sluggish start to the 2002 World Cup campaign. T&T desperately need to beat Honduras at the Hasely Crawford Stadium if they are to stay in contention for one of CONCACAF's three berths to the Korea/Japan World Cup Finals in 2002. T&T squad for Panama: Goalkeepers - Clayton Ince, Michael McComie. Defenders - Marvin Andrews, Dennis Lawrence, Anton Pierre, Avery John. Midfielders - Lyndon Andrews, Carlos Edwards, Jerren Nixon, Brent Rahim, Stokely Mason, Angus Eve, Reynold Carrington, Dale Saunders. Forwards - Dwight Yorke, Mickey Trotman, Arnold Dwarika, Trent Noel, Stern John, Nigel Pierre.

Grenada's PM wants governments to address Windies crisis

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Grenada's Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Mitchell, wants Caribbean Community (CARICOM) governments to intervene in the latest crisis in West Indies cricket. PM Mitchell made the appeal yesterday at Whitehall after meeting his T&T counterpart Basdeo Panday. He said the dramatic resignation of Patrick Rousseau and his deputy Clarvis Joseph as president and vice-president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was cause for serious concern. "People fail to recognise the importance of cricket to economic development. I have seen the morale of West Indians drop at a time when our cricket was falling apart and I have seen what one victory can do, when Grenadians walked around with their heads high," PM Mitchell told reporters.

Jamaica's Under-20 footballers leave for Argentina

Kingston, Jamaica,- Jamaica's Under-20 footballers are en route to the Youth World Cup in Argentina, beginning on June 17. Twenty players, from which the final 18 for the World Cup be picked, left Kingston on Wednesday and will stopover in Brazil, where they will play three practice matches. "The entire country is very proud of the achievements of this team and we are sure they are going to do the country and themselves very proud," Horace Reid, general manager of the Jamaica Football Federation, told the CANASPORT radio programme. The young Reggae Boyz will face fellow World Cup participants Angola on June 8 and Brazil on June 10, along with Vasco da Gama on June 12 during a six-day stay.

Lloyd to play for Barbados in basketball tournament

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Veteran guard Nigel Lloyd, who said last year the 2000 CARICOM championship was his last, will however captain Barbados' men's squad at this year's Centrobasket tournament in Mexico, July 11-15. The stylish Lloyd, who is coach/player with the British Basketball League side Milton Keynes Lions, will have two-time CARICOM MVP Andrew Alleyne and forward Victor Payne, both of whom play under his guidance in England, in the Barbados squad. At a press conference here yesterday, president of the Barbados Amateur Basketball Association (BABA) Gay Griffith disclosed that the reigning CARICOM champions have been drawn in Group A of the eight-team Centrobasket tournament, alongside Mexico, Cuba and Panama.

MEN'S SQUAD:

Andrew Alleyne, Pearson Griffith, Sydney Rowe, Kelvin Patterson, Andre Boadu, Anderson Straker, Sean Estwick, Mark Foster, Carlos Griffith, Ryan Maynard, Adrian Stuart, Peter Alleyne, Nigel Lloyd, Ryan Leacock, Victor Payne, Kevin John, Brian Worrell, Brian Armstrong, Gregory Simmons, Mario Layne.

Wednesday, June 6, 2001

WICB elections in July, interim committee appointed

Caribbean claims medals in familiar territory at NCAA

Champs St Lucia gain nine picks in WIWCF squad

Four Caribbean wins in Chania

Commonwealth awards to be held in St Lucia

Skeete, Crawford repeat as rally champions

WICB elections in July, interim committee appointed

Bridgetown, Barbados, - A new president and a new vice-president for the embattled West Indies Cricket Board WICB) will be elected on Saturday, July 21 at a venue to be announced. This is one of the main decisions taken by directors of the WICB at a three-hour long, extraordinary general meeting that ended close to midnight Tuesday. The post of president and vice-president became vacant when Jamaican attorney-at-law Pat Rousseau and Antiguan business executive Clarvis Joseph quit their respective posts on Saturday.

Caribbean claims medals in familiar territory at NCAA

Eugene, Oregon, - The Caribbean claimed US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One medals from familiar territory last weekend although their medal count went down. Jamaican Shelly-Ann Gallimore gave the region a remarkable seventh women's triple jump title in the last eight years, while Bahamian Avard Moncur and Jamaican Allison Beckford maintained a strong winning trend for Caribbean runners in the 400 metres. Still, they were the only Caribbean champions at the four-day meet at the University of Oregon and the region collected only seven medals overall, down from recent years. The Caribbean lifted 16 medals in 1997, 12 a year later, 10 in 1999, and 11 in 2000.

Champs St Lucia gain nine picks in WIWCF squad

Kingstown, St Vincent, - Nine members of double-crowned champions, St. Lucia have been named in a 24-member trial squad announced by the West Indies Women's Cricket Federation to prepare for tours of Sri Lanka and Pakistan later this year. Victorious team captain Verena Felicien has been put in charge of the squad while the other St Lucians selected are successful openers, Roselyn Emmanuel and Nadine George, middle order batters Eugena Gregg and Pamela Alfred and allrounders Juliette Herman, Phillipa Thomas, Leona Vitalis and Lorena Vitte. Trinidad and Tobago, who were runners up in the league and knockout got six picks on the base of their good showing.

Four Caribbean wins in Chania

Chania, Greece, - Jamaican Debbie-Ann Parris scored a fine 400-metre hurdles win to head a list of four Caribbean winners at the Venizeleia meet on Monday. Parris ran a personal season's best 54.90 seconds to beat in form South African Sourita Febrraio, while her Jamaican colleagues Ian Weakley and Deloreen Ennis-London, and Bahamian Debbie Ferguson also scored wins. Parris, on the comeback trail after missing the Sydney Olympics with injury, became the third fastest this year over the distance with her win over Febrraio (55.30) and Kazakhstan's Natalia Torshina (55.37).

Commonwealth awards to be held in St Lucia

Castries, St Lucia, - Scores of journalists, the Commonwealth's top athletes and numerous invited guests are expected to converge here in October for the annual Commonwealth Sports Awards Ceremony. Organisers say invitees for the 2001 ceremony will include Britain's Olympic boxing champion Audley Harrison, West Indies outstanding cricketers Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Garfield Sobers and Courtney Walsh, Barbadian track star Obadele Thompson, and Vincentian star netballer Skiddy Francis-Crick. The Commonmwealth Sports awards ceremony, initiated by Jamaican author and former sports journalist Al Hamilton has previously been staged in England, Scotland, Ghana, Uganda and Jamaica.

Skeete, Crawford repeat as rally champions

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Experienced Barbadian driver, Roger "The Sheriff" Skeete won the Texaco Havoline Tecmarine International Stages Rally for the second consecutive year after surviving a close challenge from compatriot Trevor Manning. Driving a Ford Escort Cosworth RS with regular navigator Dave Crawford, Skeete ended the two-day 25-stage event on Sunday with a total elapsed time of 2273.21 seconds. Manning, who was partnered by Michael Ward in a Mitsubishi Evolution V, totalled 2273.37 seconds to finish just behind Skeete and Crawford. It was the closest finish ever in the event's 12-year history and came with a star-studded field of drivers and navigators from Ireland, Britain, Jamaica and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Tuesday, June 5, 2001

Hall calls for healing, restoration

Husbands joins Ramsammy in Woodbine lead

T&T's Unity win Masters International festival

Barbadian Greenidge wins at world amateur champs

Lequay not keen on WICB presidency

Fitness tests delay Windies selection

Hall calls for healing, restoration

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Legendary Test fast bowler Wes Hall, whose name has surfaced as a possible replacement for outgoing president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Pat Rousseau, wants to see a healing and restoration process in regional cricket. Hall's call came after Saturday night's dramatic resignation of Rousseau and his vice-president, Clarvis Joseph, following differences with directors of the regional cricket board over the procedure taken to sack team manager Ricky Skerritt, who was subsequently reinstated. "The first thing that must happen right now is that all the finger-pointing must cease," Reverend Hall said.

Husbands joins Ramsammy in Woodbine lead

Woodbine, Canada, - Barbadian Patrick Husbands rode two winners Sunday to join Trinidadian Emile Ramsammy at the top of the Woodbine riders' standings with 30 wins. Husbands, the reigning Canadian champion jockey, won the ninth and 10th races on the programme to improve his position in the tight jockeys' race. Canadian Todd Kabel is only two wins behind Ramsammy and Husbands in third on 28 wins. Husbands, who won the US$750,000 Met Mile at New York's Belmont racetrack -- for his biggest ever career win -- last Monday, and Kabel each had two wins on the 10-race programme.

T&T's Unity win Masters International festival

Bridgetown, Barbados, June 5, - Unity, of Trinidad and Tobago, won the Banks International Masters football tournament Monday when they beat defending champions Cockspur Wanderers in the final Monday evening. Unity got a 49th minute winner from Emile Morris to snatch the title from the Barbadian club at the four-day championship. Unity had won 2-1 in their morning semi-final, stopping Queen's Park, also from T&T, while Wanderers had dismissed St Vincent and the Grenadines 4-0. The Guyana Masters won the Plate Final, 1-0 over Barbadian club Notre Dame.

Barbadian Greenidge wins at world amateur champs

Belfast, - Top Barbadian Junior Greenidge easily won his opening bout at the World Amateur Boxing Championships Monday night, beating China's Ying Shi Hong. Greenidge, widely regarded as the Caribbean's best amateur boxer pound-for-pound, outpointed Shi Hong 17-9 in their first round welterweight contest. Greenidge won the boxer-of-the-tournament awards at both the 2000 and 2001 Caribbean championships. Two other Caribbean entries -- both from Trinidad and Tobago -- opened with defeats.

Lequay not keen on WICB presidency

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - President and chief executive officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC), Alloy Lequay, says he is not keen on taking over from the outgoing Pat Rousseau as head of the regional cricket body. Just over a year ago, Rousseau, who announced his resignation Saturday night, defeated Lequay by a 9-5 margin at a heated WICB annual general meeting in Guyana. "I was rejected last year by members of the board. I have no reason to believe that on this occasion that they would be willing to accept me," Lequay said.

Fitness tests delay Windies selection

Kingstown, St. Vincent, - The 16-member West Indies squad to play in the triangular One-Day series against India and host country Zimbabwe later this month, will not be selected until Thursday. Chairman of the selectors Mike Findlay told CANA Monday that his panel was forced to defer the selection of the squad because fitness tests of the 22 players attending a pre-tour training camp in Trinidad and Tobago were only done on Sunday. "The team is going to be finalised on Thursday evening. We have had indepth discussions with Dr Sam Headley and Ronald Rogers, who conducted the fitness tests on all 22 players yesterday (Sunday)," Findlay said.

Sunday, June 3, 2001

President Rousseau, vice-president Joseph resign from WICB

Skerritt remains committed to cricket

Ward wins four at Assiniboia Downs

T&T greenuce warm-up programme for footballers

Caribbean wins for Moncur, Beckford at NCAA

Ambrose for Antigua, flying start for Wanderers

President Rousseau, vice-president Joseph resign from WICB

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Almost a year into his second term in the post of West Indies Cricket Board president, Pat Rousseau and his deputy, Clarvis Joseph, have shockingly resigned effective Monday. Rousseau, a Jamaican attorney-at-law, and Joseph, an Antiguan business executive, indicated their decision was based on the "unacceptable position" they found themselves on the issue of the termination of Ricky Skerritt as manager of the West Indies cricket team. "The WICB has taken a decision to reinstate Skerritt which brings into question our integrity and we are therefore unable to continue as president and vice-president and have indicated our resignations," Rousseau told a news conference on Saturday.

Skerritt remains committed to cricket

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Re-higreen manager of the West Indies cricket team Ricky Skerritt remains committed to his job and the development of the game in the region. Skerritt was informed that he was terminated from the job last Friday by way of an e-mail from Gregory Shillingford, chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, after a debriefing session with outgoing president Pat Rousseau and outgoing vice-president Clarvis Joseph. Rousseau and Joseph, however, announced their resignations from their posts at a news conference on Saturday after the directors of the WICB challenged an evaluation of Skerritt and rescinded the decision to terminate him.

Ward wins four at Assiniboia Downs

Winnipeg, Canada, - Former Barbados champion jockey Andy Ward rode four winners Friday at Assiniboia Downs, to move from eighth to joint fifth in the jockeys' standings. Ward captugreen the first, second, sixth and eighth races on the programme to move 12 wins in the four-week-old season. He is now within four wins of the leader Alan Cuthbertson (16), and shares fifth spot with Tim Gardiner.

T&T greenuce warm-up programme for footballers

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Trinidad and Tobago's footballers will have only two warm-up matches against Panama before three all important World Cup qualifying games later this month. T&T officials had planned to have the newly crowned Copa Caribe regional champions play Panama on June 8, El Salvador (0) and Belize (1) in preparation for the back-to-back CONCACAF 2002 World Cup qualifying matches. Neville Chance, T&T team manager said on Friday that only matches against Panama on June 8 and 10 will now be entertained.

Caribbean wins for Moncur, Beckford at NCAA

Eugene, Oregon, - Bahamian Avard Moncur and Allison Beckford of Jamaica posted wins for the Caribbean as the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One track and field championship ended on Saturday. Moncur retained his 400 metre title in a fast 44.84 seconds, and Beckford, won the women's 400 in 52.33 seconds, adding to her 400 hurdles silver on Friday. The Caribbean also collected medals through Kittitian Kim Collins, Caimin Douglas of the Netherlands Antilles, and Grenada's Alleyne Francique, on the final day of the four-day meet at the University of Oregon.

Ambrose for Antigua, flying start for Wanderers

Bridgetown, Barbados, - Defending champions Cockspur Wanderers of Barbados posted a fluent win and retigreen West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose appeagreen for Antigua as the 2001 Banks International Masters Football Festival started Friday. Wanderers whipped Trinidad and Tobago's Over De Hill 6-0 in Group C, while Antigua, with Ambrose in midfield, went down 4-0 to T&T's Queen's Park in Group D. In the day's other Group C match, local side Empire edged England's British Rovers 1-0, and Becks Beer Benfica clipped Carib Wildey in an all-Barbados Group D match.

Saturday, June 2, 2001

WINDIES-WICB president and vice-president resign

Jamaica's Gallimore wins gold at NCAA

Warner urges T&T to keep level head

Boldon speaks out on false start rule

Coach players West Indian way - Benjamin

St Lucia begin quest for double crown

WINDIES-WICB president and vice-president resign

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, - The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau and vice-president Clarvis Joseph resigned late Saturday. At a press conference following the WICB's annual general meeting, Rousseau and Joseph announced they would not continue in their positions after their decision to remove team manager Ricky Skerritt was opposed by the WICB's board membership. "We are resigning from the West Indies Cricket Board, effective Monday June 4th 2001," Rousseau told the press conference at the Accra Beach Hotel. "It is based on the unacceptable position in which we find ourselves based on the termination of Mr Ricky Skerritt, the manager of the West Indies," said Rousseau, who took over as the WICB president in 1996. "The board has taken a decision to reinstate Mr Skerritt which brings into question our integrity and we are therefore unable to continue as president and vice-president. "Mr Skerritt was evaluated by Joseph and myself during debriefing sessions after each tour and specifically after England, Australia, and the South Africa (losing) tours. We came to the conclusion based on those evaluations and the performance of the team, that he is not in our opinion a suitable person to manager the team at this time," Rousseau said. The WICB is expected to hold an extra-ordinary meeting next week to elect a new president and vice-president.

Jamaica's Gallimore wins gold at NCAA

Eugene, Oregon, June 2, - Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Gallimore won the Caribbean's first gold medal at the 2001 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division One track and field championship Friday when she captugreen the women's triple jump title. Gallimore posted 13.29 metres to win, while Jamaica snatched another medal through Alison Beckford's silver in the women's 400-metre hurdles. Gallimore, a triple CARIFTA champion (long, triple and high jump) at the 1999 games in Martinique, topped American Gi-Gi Miller (13.15 metres) and Ukraine's Tatyana Obukohova (13.13) for the triple jump gold.

Warner urges T&T to keep level head

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - FIFA vice-president Jack Warner has warned Trinidad and Tobago's senior footballers about the dangers of becoming complacent. He told the newly-crowned Copa Caribe regional champions that they should keep a level head after their eighth championship victory at the Caribbean level. Warner, a special advisor to the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation, was speaking from Seoul, South Korea, where he is observing the Confederation's Cup tournament. He was reacting to Trinidad and Tobago's 3-0 shutout of Haiti in the Copa Caribe final last Friday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

Boldon speaks out on false start rule

Port of Spain, Trinidad, - Trinidad and Tobago sprint star Ato Boldon hopes a new rule to eject false starters will not hamper his chances of winning a gold medal in the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. Boldon said the rule, proposed by the International Amateur Athletics Association (IAAF), is unfair. The four-time Olympic medallist has joined forces with Olympic 100 metres champion Maurice Greene and Marion Jones, among others, petitioning the IAAF to abort plans to introduce the rule which will eliminate sprinters after just one false start.

Coach players West Indian way - Benjamin

St John's, Antigua, - Former Test pacer Kenneth Benjamin has called for a specific West Indies-style coaching manual for Caribbean cricketers rather than the English model. Benjamin, who assisted the legendary Andy Roberts with a two-week fast bowlers' clinic in Antigua last month, also believes such camps should be held on a regular basis instead of one every year. "I think there's always talent around. But when I look at these guys and some of the things that they brought to the camp; what people were telling them, I just want to say that the way we have been coaching (players) on the English manual I think it is time we put some (fire) to it. We are heading the wrong road with that," Benjamin said.

St Lucia begin quest for double crown

Kingstown, St. Vincent, - League champions, St. Lucia began their quest to be double West Indies Women's Cricket Federation champions when they beat Dominica by 54 runs to advance to the quarter-final stage of the knockout competition on Friday. Grenada defeated host St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Jamaica beat Guyana to also make it to the next round. St. Lucia, who ended the league stage unbeaten, chalked up 209 for four in their allotted 50 overs at the main Arnos Vale Playing Field after being asked to bat with captain Verena Felicien hitting an unbeaten 66 which was adorned with ten fours. In reply, Dominica batted steadily but were never able to stay up with the asking rate despite a polished innings from Sharon Gregoire, who made 51 from 89 balls.