Team TTO | Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee | teamtto.org

RON LA FOREST, head of the Ron La Forest Soccer Academy, is pleased with the fact that his institute has been contracted by Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago to be involved with the Atlantic Real Madrid Foundation Social Sports School.

La Forest, the former Trinidad and Tobago striker and youth team coach, was speaking after the Social Sports School’s launch at Jaffa at the Oval, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain on Saturday.

Asked about his feelings of being involved with the arrangement, La Forest replied, “the feeling is unbelievable.

“This is something that the country needed, this is something that I needed, this is something that the kids needed ,” he added. “I can’t express how I felt but it’s a warmness coming from deep inside.”

La Forest noted that there may be an exchange of talent in the near future.

“What we will do, after a couple years in sync with Real Madrid, is (send some) of the kids up to Spain as well as they’ll be sending their scouts down here to take a look at how the programme is being ran,” he explained.

La Forest stated that the project will run for “a lengthy period of time” but the children at his school have warmly accepted Real Madrid’s involvement in the venture.

There may also be the chance that national youth players can benefit from this initiative.

“With the connection that we’ve built here, I think it should open some doors for our national youth players also,” La Forest said.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

Njisane Phillip pedalled to a creditable eighth place in the finals of the Men’s 200metre Sprint at the UCI Track Cycling World Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan, early Saturday morning.

Phillip’s time has also earned him precious Olympic points.

Riding to victory in the Men’s 200m event was four-time Olympic champion, Chris Hoy of Great Britain. Taking the runner-up position was Denis Dmitriev (Russia), Australian Shane Perkins was third and coming in fourth was German Robert Forsterman.

Phillip’s historic eighth place finish saw him emerge the only Pan American rider to achieve a spot in the top 25 competitors. He also conquered various other top riders such as the world renowned Rene Enders of Germany.

In the qualifiers, the Beacon rider finished with the 11th fastest time among the 53 competing riders. Phillip’s time was 10.118 seconds (1st lap 4.961 2nd lap 5.157).

Manager, Maharaj was pleased with the result but admitted that the international competition was really challenging.

“At this level qualifying is so tough but Njisane did it and was able to pull off the surprise. This was also possible by the amazing and well executed instructions from coach, Jamie Staff,” stated Maharaj.

Phillip’s manager declared that the cyclist was satisfied with his World Cup performance. He explained that this may have been the first time ever, that a local rider has set the competitive bar so high.

“He is happy. Again, making the qualifiers and doing what he did to the German (Enders) is a major accomplishment. This is the first for any Trinidadian,” added Maharaj.

Maharaj explained that the top finishers were more seasoned cyclists than Phillip. If one looks at the age difference of cyclists at the meet, Phillip was one of the youngest finishers overall. All other riders were professionals in their much higher age category. Maharaj credited the German and English riders for their consistency, but admitted that Phillip was a force to be reckoned with.

He explained why the other cyclists had a competitive advantage, “More experience (riders), did not have to sleep at the airport (Phillip).

Lots more strength, muscle mass and again, experience at this level. If Njisane maintains the current programme, he will be on the podium within a year.

Njisane surprised many people and has come a very long way since being under the new programme,” added Maharaj.

Phillip’s manager revealed that all focus will now be directed toward the Cali World Cup in Colombia, two weeks from now. He concluded, “Hopefully all works out with travel and better planning.”

By Jonathan Ramnanansingh

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

Queen’s Park Cricket Club (QPCC) captured the T&T Hockey Board National Indoor Competition Under-21 boys division when they won all of its six matches. The competition took place at the Woodbrook Youth Centre in Port-of-Spain on the weekend.

The Parkites opened on Saturday with an easy 5-0 win over Paragon, with braces from Jordan Reynos and Evan Farrell as well as a sole item from Mark Ayin rounding up the scoring.

Farrell topscored for his team with a total of seven goals in the five encounters. The team put on strong attacking displays scoring a 5-3 win over Notre Dame and, 6-2, against Corona Fatima.

Magnolias were crowned the Under-21 girls division champions, with four victories and two losses, totalling 12 points, one more than Notre Dame, which finished second on 11. Paragon finished in third on nine points followed by Ventures, which only managed a point from one draw.

RESULTS

Under-21—Boys

Paragon 5 (Cogie Butler 2, Jerron Frank 2, Josah Daniel) v Corona Fatima 4 (Ishmael Campbell 3)

Malvern 3 (Joshua De Four, Teaque Marcano, Tariq Marcano) v Petrotrin 2 (Nicholas Grant 2)

QPCC 5 (Jordan Reynos 2, Evan Farrell 2, Mark Ayin) v Paragon 0.

Malvern 3 (Teaque Marcano, Tariq Marcano, Joshua De Four) v Corona Fatima 1 (Quinn Clark).

Petrotrin 7 (Brent Granado 4, Arrielle Bowen 2, Nicholas Grant) v Paragon 3 (Jerron Frank 2, Cogie Butler).

Notre Dame 3 (Chad Jose Pedro, Aiden De Gannes, Issac Marecheau) v Malvern 0.

QPCC 3 (Stefan Mouttet 2, Jerryon Paul) v Malvern 0.

Notre Dame 8 (Darnil Trancoso 4, Shaquille Edwards 3, Issac Marecheau) v Paragon 0.

QPCC 2 (Stefan Mouttet 2) v Petrotrin 1 (Arrielle Bowen).

Notre Dame 7 (Shaquille Edwards 2, Darnell Trancoso 2, Aiden De Gannes, Issac Marecheau, Dillon Campell) v Corona Fatima 0.

QPCC 5 (Evan Farrell 3, Jordan Reynos, Mark Ayin) v Notre Dame 3 (Aiden De Gannes 2, Issac Marecheau).

QPCC 6 (Evan Farrell 2, Jordan Reynos, Cade Luesue, Zach Clarke) v Corona Fatima 2 (Christian Gonzalez).

Girls

Paragon 2 (Zene Henry, Brittney Hingh) v Notre Dame 2 (Tannisha Small, Stephanie Whiteman).

Paragon 0 v Notre Dame 0.

Paragon 4 (Ketura John-Baptiste 2, Brittney Hingh, Zene Henry) v Ventures 2 (Yael Jagbir, Jade Piper).

Notre Dame 3 (Dana-Lee De Gannes 2, Kayla Braithwaite) v Ventures 0.

Notre Dame 3 (Small 2, Kayla Braithwaite) v Ventures 1 (Anya Sealy).

Paragon 2 (Katura John-Baptiste, Lisa Smith) v Ventures 2 (Emerald Piper 2).

Magnolias 3 (Elise Olton 2, Brianna Govia) v Ventures 0.

Magonias 3 (Brianna Govia 2, Elise Olton) v Ventures 1 (Anya Sealy).

Magnolias 3 (Elise Olton 2, Brianna Govia 1) v Notre Dame 0.

Notre Dame 1 v Magnolias 0.

Magnolia 2 (Brianna Govia, Tracy Lee) v Paragon 1 (Ketura John-Baptiste).

Paragon 1 (Lisa Smith) v Magnolias 0.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Spanish football giants, Real Madrid, in collaboration with Atlantic LNG and the Ron La Forest Football Academy officially launched the Atlantic Real Madrid Foundation Social Sports School at Jaffa at the Oval restaurant at Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair, on Saturday. The event was attended by former Real Madrid great Emilio Butragueno, Spanish ambassador to T&T, Joaquin de Arisregui Laborde, Minister of Sport Anil Roberts and Atlantic LNG head of sustainability and corporate communications Caroline Sirju-Ramnarine.

The school, which has operations in 35 other countries, will be based at St Dominic’s Home in Belmont. According to Sirju-Ramnarine, who gave the feature address, the foundation is part of an initiative to establish opportunities for underprivileged children between the ages of eight and 14 years, partly to become acquainted with the sport but also to “build values and good citizenship.”

Ramnarine gave a history of how the foundation started, noting that over a year ago, Atlantic met with Ambassador Aristegui to discuss a social programme using football.  She said it was the dream of the company’s former CEO, Oscar Prieto, to create a football program with an international football club.

She said Aristegui suggested the creation of the school would create a link between Atlantic, T&T and Spain. Minister Roberts commended Atlantic for forging the relationship with the Real Madrid Foundation. “To find this sort of team... this sort of partnership brings a blessing to our country [and] with all its expertise, it goes without saying that the Atlantic company, the unit that was in charge of putting this program together, organising and launching this, really deserves a hearty round of applause.”

Butragueno, who was one of the most lethal strikers in Europe in the ’80s, and is currently director of institutional relations at Real Madrid, expressed thanks for the warmth with which he was received in T&T: He said: “I would like to underline the pleasure we feel for being here and allowing us to be partners of this amazing project. I would like to thank Atlantic and the Ron La Forest Soccer Academy for their great effort in making the Real Madrid soccer foundation able to open in Trinidad and Tobago.

“We understand the values of the Foundation and we want to make them available to as many people, to give back as much as you receive with an open head and mind.”

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

By Liam Gordon

Dear readers of insideworldfootball

On the occasion of the 13th edition of the International Football Arena (IFA) conference in Zurich, on November 7 and 8, I will present updates and reflections that underline our road towards a different FIFA. The 200 opinion leaders from around the world, gathered at the IFA, will witness our determination to remedy the ills of the past, and how we intend to improve the way we do business. Through this column, I want to share some of the thoughts presented in Zurich with a much broader public so as to stress the relevance I give to the changes that are presently happening at FIFA.

Clearly, football's governing body, while continuing to take its mandate more seriously than ever - to administer, and successfully administer the world game - has had a rough time of late.

It would be disingenuous of me not to acknowledge reality, and the fact that we have been fighting an uphill struggle to calm nerves, initiate urgently needed reforms and at the same time adhere to a sense of reason during the stormiest of times.

FIFA's last 100 days were among the most difficult in it's over 100-year history.

While we acknowledge that, as well as the need for change and the urgent need for sweeping reforms, we must not jump from one (wrong) conclusion to the next, but review, recognise and reform with care and in depth.

I am quite aware of the ongoing criticism voiced by many, a criticism that occasionally degenerates into personal and below the belt attacks. So be it. I guess we have to live with bad style just like we have to live with our own reality, namely the fact that mistakes were made, some of them horrific.

It takes time to shake the tree until all bad apples have fallen to the ground. Even if some of them refuse to fall at first.

What I want to make quite clear, is that by December of this year, we shall present further facts, this time with names attached, on how we want to tackle the necessary changes in the governance of world football. We shall seek to remedy past ills lastingly and offer solutions that bite and important improvements that take effect without further ado.

I firmly believe the team members we have selected to help accomplish the job at hand, are not only solid and dedicated but also exceptionally professional people. And I also want you to know that today, we scrutinise everything, no matter where the chips may fall: be that within FIFA or on its periphery around the world.

The demands of fans, players, clubs, leagues and associations alike are important to us; they must and will be considered. We owe the global public the type of transparency that we have not practiced in all areas in the past. That was wrong.

Within weeks, I shall be presenting factual and practical change that will increase and help remedy FIFA's credibility and become a guarantor for better corporate governance, solid compliance and lasting structural improvement.

Having said that, we must recognise that we cannot dictate certain important improvements: FIFA's parliament, its shareholders if you will, the Congress, must approve some of the sweeping changes we propose.

FIFA must not be reduced to the smallest common denominator: it's President. Our organisation is composed of a dedicated team of over 350 men and women in Zurich.

They work hard and they all deserve our respect. But, above all, FIFA is ultimately nothing but the expression of the will of its more than 208 Member Associations around the world.

The admittedly urgent changes that must be approved by the FIFA congress include a new procedure to elect members to our board, the executive committee, as well as a new procedure to determine a future FIFA World Cup host and venue. These kind of topics require a vote by FIFA's Congress because it requires a change of our statutes to put them into force. Our lawyers, internal and external, are working on those statute changes as I write these lines, so as to be ready to present my administration's proposals to congress within the time-frame prescribed by the FIFA statutes.

Other measures, such as the very substantial reorganisation of an independent Ethics Committee and the creation of a committee for corporate governance and oversight, can be prepared by management. And we are in the final stages of doing just that: in a few weeks from now, at the December meeting of the Executive Committee, I shall offer names and new structures to the public, as promised.

In brief: I have initiated relevant and powerful change without "ifs" and "whens".

FIFA remains committed to walking the walk and won't get stuck in solely talking the talk. By December, this will become clear for all to see. Until then, I invite everybody to bear with us so that we can clean house and come back to the public with facts that allow FIFA to enter a new decade of doing business. And never again revert to doing "business as usual".

Source: www.insideworldfootbal.biz

BARBADOS has a tough assignment if they are to make it out of their pool when the Barbados Rugby Football Union (BRFU) host the 2011 DHL North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) Rugby Sevens Championships at the Historic Garrison Savannah in Barbados on November 12-13. With 16 teams in the men’s division, there are four teams in each of the four Pools and Barbados is in Pool B with last year’s runners up Jamaica and another strong team in Martinique.

The BRFU announced the launch of the tournament yesterday at the Barbados Olympic Association and with 27 teams from 16 territories scheduled to participate, this event will be the largest ever 7-a-side tournament in NACRA history.The winner gets an invitation to the International Rugby Board (IRB) Sevens World Series in Las Vegas.

The defending champions is Guyana who are the reigning champions in both the men’s and women’s division. Guyana’s men’s team have won the tournament for the last five years and will be hard to beat once again.Last year Trinidad and Tobago lost to  Guyana in the women's final.

Only the top two teams advance to the quarter finals while the bottom two move on to play in the plate rounds.
DHL was the title sponsor of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, so the profile of the NACRA 7s will receive a major boost from their involvement.

This ground-breaking sporting event will be streamed live on the Internet on both days of the tournament, and will feature professional commentary by Nick Jordan, who is a specialist international Sevens Rugby reporter. The website for anyone wishing to view the tournament is www.dhlnacrasevens.com and will be hosted by Jordan who will be in Barbados as a guest of the BTA and the TDC and will also be producing general interest segments on Barbados and its attractions as part of his reporting on the event.
With 25 visiting teams comprising, on average, 15 people each, it also means 375 sports tourism visitors in Barbados, plus an unknown number of spouses, friends and spectators, for this action-packed weekend.
By leveraging the available technology to provide live streaming, the BRFU is maximising Barbados’ international exposure and helping to promote the island and its attractions in a very tangible way. Local tourism stakeholders are already booking commercials to advertise their product, as we expect to have thousands of overseas viewers avidly following the action at Barbados’ premier World Heritage Site.
There is no admission for spectators and there will be two pitches for the matches which are slated to kick off at 8:20 a.m. with the final game on the day slated to start at 5:20 p.m.
The final is slated for Sunday, with the women’s taking place at 4:20 p.m. and the men’s at 4:50 p.m.
Sponsors for the tournament are: Title Sponsor: DHL International; Lead sponsors: Banks Breweries Limited, Barbados Tourism Authority, Barbados Olympic Association, and Tourism Development Corporation; Sponsors: JADA Builders Limited, TeleBarbados Inc., Trident Insurance Company, and ELLCO Rentals.

By Corey Greaves

Source www.barbadosadvocate.com

Emmanuel Callender paid a visit to Olympic House in Trinidad with his Pan Am Games bronze medal.

President of the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF), Rowena Williams has defended the local cycling fraternity on the issue of not purchasing Njisane Phillip’s Olympic qualifier ticket for the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Williams revealed that the situation was not in the control of the TTCF and shifted the blame to financial constraints in the Ministry of Sport and the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago (SPORTT). “It’s a very unfortunate event that happened with Njisane. There were some issues in the SPORTT Company with the receiving of Njisane’s funds for Astana. We (TTCF) are not in control of the distribution of funds, but we did the required proposals and sent it to them (SPORTT). These are the monetary constraints that we have to work with. I personally am not too pleased with what went on,” explained Williams.

The TTCF president admitted that Phillip’s step-father (Phillip Whiteman), was aware that he had to buy the ticket due to the Ministry’s financial issues. She stated that Whiteman would be reimbursed for the money spent on the Astana ticket. Williams also explained

that money will be allocated for the forthcoming Olympic qualifiers in Cali, Beijing and London.

“He (Whiteman) knew that he had to buy the ticket. I don’t know what happened and they did not get the Schengen visa. We would like to make sure that Phillip gets the needed support but we were not in control of the situation,” continued Williams.

In response to Willliams’ remarks, Whiteman disagreed and criticised the Federation for being too laid-back. Whiteman explained that he sent the proposal to the TTCF since October 8 and it was only handed over to the SPORTT Company (by TTCF) on Monday (October 31).

“Firstly I was not supposed to buy the ticket. This is the third time I have done this (bought ticket). I bought the ticket last minute when it was not bought (by either TTCF/ Ministry of Sport/ SPORTT Company) and did not even think about a transit (Shenghen) visa. If they had known their responsibility it would not have been last minute,” he said.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

By JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH

DESPITE receiving just two medals at the recent Pan American Games in Mexico, Manager of the Trinidad and Tobago team George Commissiong has said the performances were not bad.

The TT track and field team earned a bronze medal from 200 metre sprinter Emmanuel Callender and a silver from Cleopatra Borel-Brown in the Shot Put.

Yesterday, Commissiong highlighted a number of factors which he said prevented better performances and more medals at the games.

“The team generally struggled with the environmental conditions in Mexico. During the day the air was hot and dry while at nights it was cold and dry. Generally the athletes struggled with the high altitude.”

Commissiong, a former Trinidad and Tobago Olympian, is convinced the athletes just did not have sufficient time to acclimatise.

“We arrived in Mexico (on) October 19 and had a mere three days in which to settle and perform which just was not enough time. It is one thing when someone tells you about high altitude but it is a completely different experience when you have to face it,” Commissiong said.

The TT manager blamed the competition for space on the tracks to prepare for the poor returns.

“We were given a 200 metre track to prepare on and therefore runners like Emmanuel Mayers who was down to compete in the 400 metres hurdles faced serious challenges. The 4x 100 metres relays men also suffered because of this. Mayers and the 4x100 metres men had literally to try and use the competition tracks to train.”

To deal with the conditions, athletes also tried practicing the same time of the day that their events were held.

“This means that if the athlete had to run in the evening then he would train about the same time the day before because of the atmosphere. However even this posed a major challenge because athletes’ preparation depended on whether they had the time and space on the tracks. They had to compete with other athletes,” he explained.

“When you consider all these factors I would say that the overall performance was not bad,” he added.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

By WALTER ALIBEY

To finish and win, you have to start the race. Hebrews 12:1 says that there is a race set before us that we are to run. You have to move forward and keep moving forward. This is the life of Ato. A life of perpetual movement inspiring people all over the world to move forward and take their prize. Make a contribution in the quest for a better world. He has shown that in order to finish and win, you must be a participant and not just a spectator or glorified wall flower. You must report to the starter on the track. Your public responsibilities begin with the acquisition of a medal. To honour and serve! Ato is viewed as one of the leading track personalities in the history of the Caribbean. He now enters the UCLA’s Hall of Fame. Ato’s induction will help inspire T&T’s Athletes. It will heighten participation as spectator or athlete. Sports aficionados are saying that Ato’s historic induction into UCLA’S Hall of Fame will inspire the nation’s youth population, from our Olympic hopefuls to young people who participate in sports for fitness and fun.

Ato is the second Caribbean athlete, the other being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be inducted into UCLA’s Hall of Fame’s history. This is a great and historical day for T&T. Ato’s indefatigable work ethics, determination and achievements within and outside the walls of the nation and one of America’s most prestigious universities has put him at the top of the podium and his game as well as into the books of Caribbean and US history. Ato’s achievements should prompt young people to join clubs and seek professional coaching and assistance to enhance and perfect their skills. The T&T Government has just contracted with Cuba a multimillion dollar initiative to provided coaching in the years leading through 2012  Olympics to support sports and boost general participation at grassroots levels. The Government’s efforts must be appreciated as we go in search to find the next Ato Boldon.

Ato Jabari Boldon is a former athlete from Trinidad and Tobago and four-time Olympic medal winner. Only two other men in history, Frankie Fredericks of Namibia and Carl Lewis of the USA, have won as many Olympic individual event sprint medals. Boldon was born in Port-of-Spain Trinidad on December 30, 1973, to Mr and Mrs Guy Boldon. Ato attended Fatima College in Trinidad. He migrated to the United States at age fourteen and attended Jamaica High School in Queens, New York City, Piedmont Hills High School in California. Boldon graduated with a degree in sociology fromUCLA. At age 18, Boldon represented T&T at 100 metres and 200 metres in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. In 1999 The British Broadcasting Corporation hired him as a commentator and analyst at their Championships He returned as a track-side analyst to cover the 2000 US Olympic Track and Field Trials in California.

He was appointed sports ambassador for T&T in 2000 and given a diplomatic passport. On February 14 2006 he became a senator representing then opposition United National Congress. After 14 months as senator he resigned. He joined NBC  as sports analyst covering the 2007 US National Championships, and later on in Osaka 2008 Summer Olympics. He was praised by the Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The New York Times  press for his NBC coverage They called him “one of NBC's best analysts, a blend of athletic smarts, charisma, precise analysis and brashness.” Boldon currently covers the Diamond League Circuit Track and Field on Universal Sports TV in Europe. On July 6, 2011 UCLA BRUINS  official website  cited: Student-athletes and coaches to be Hall of Famers on November 4 (today). The inductees are: Gary Adams, baseball. Ato Boldon and Janeene Vickers-McKinney Track & Field.  Theotis Brown and Ernie Case, football; Larry Nagler, tennis; Mel North, fencing; Alex Rousseau, water polo.

The Class of 2011 brings the total membership to 247. The new inductees will be introduced to over 20,000 fans during the halftime ceremonies of the UCLA-Arizona State football game at the Rose Bowl on November 5th. Ato holds the PAC-10 meet records in 100m (10.03) and 200m (20.00) and UCLA records in the 100m (9.90) and 200m (19.80). Boldon ranked No 1 in the world at the 200m on four occasions with 19.88 and No 2 in the 100m at 9.86 seconds for seven years. He ran a total of 28 sub-ten-seconds 100m races, including eight under 9.90 seconds. He won four Olympic and four World Championship medals. To obtain the prize racers and runners have one thought in their minds. The finish line! When do they stop running and trying? Paul the apostle tells you to run your spiritual race with all your might keep your focus. Do not settle for just being average. No matter what the inconvenience, endure it, no matter what the price, pay it or the required adjustment, and make it.

Faithfully run the race so that one day you will obtain the prize. Ato’s journey is incomplete—he is only 38years old!

By Cliff Bertrand

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

The senior women’s volleyball trio of Courtnee-Mae Clifford, Rheeza Grant and Shurvette Beckles, all of the star-studded, University of T&T team left here yesterday to begin professional contracts in Baku, Azerbaijan. The trio dubbed the “Three Musketeers” have all be signed by Lokomotiv Baku, which campaigns in the Azerbaijan Women’s Super League. The club is out to improve on last year’s runner-up finish, its best ever and is also involved in the Women’s Challenge Cup where it will resume play later this month.

The 21-year-old Clifford who plays the Libero position (defensive position) has been a member of the national team since making her junior debut in 2006 and has picked up no fewer than eight individual awards at international tournaments, including the Most Valuable Player accolade at the 2009 World Championship Qualifying Group C Tournament. Grant, 25, who plays three positions (opposite/outside hitter/receiver) has been part of the national set up also since 2006 and was voted the Best Receiver and Best Setter in helping T&T to a fourth title at last year’s Caribbean Championships in Suriname.

The 21-year-old Beckles nicknamed “Vetty” is a newcomer to the senior women’s team having started out at UTT in 2007 after getting her first taste for the sport through the Ministry of Sports Youth Programme. The signing of overseas contracts by Clifford, Grant and Beckles, now takes the tally of national women’s players plying their trade in Europe to seven. Already overseas on pro contracts are fellow senior women team players in captain Krystle Esdelle (Schweriner SC - Germany), Kell-Ann Billingy (UGSE Nantes Volley - France) and Poland-based duo, 17-year-olds Sinead Jack and Channon Thompson, both attached to AZS Bialystok.

All athletes are expected to return to T&T in May 2012 to pick up national duties for the next international season. According to senior women’s team manager, Susan Pierre the players have managed to acquire the lucrative contracts, due to the efforts of their sometimes very demanding coach, Francisco Panchee Cruz who is fully dedicated to his job and the team which he leads as father, friend, and sometimes foe to get the desired result. The Cuban-born Cruz has proven himself to be a great coach and has done the sport of volleyball yeoman service in five short years. He has had to work in less than normal international standards for a national team, but he persevered and the hard work is paying off, by the recognition and opportunities being presented to his charges.

By Nigel Simon

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

FM Ryan Harper added the sixth national chess championship title to his bag of trophies last weekend when he topped the field of 11 finalists, finishing two points ahead of his closest rival Ravishen Singh. After an early setback, losing to Singh in the second round, the champion ploughed through the opposition to finish on ten out of eleven points. Harper’s dominant performance reinforces his position as the country’s strongest chess player; but it also provokes the fascinating question, will he continue his winning streak to match and possibly overtake FM Christo Cave’s phenomenal record of 13 national championships?

As far as Double Rooks can see, the prospects look good. Harper has both the time and the ability to do it. The champion is still relatively young, 34, and his chess strength, if anything, is quite likely to increase now that he has given up his bank job to devote his energies to his new career, the country’s first full-time professional coach. With respect to his motivation, however, Harper confesses that he has no special desire to set a new record in national championship titles.

As he has told Double Rooks on more than one occasion: “All I can say is, I will continue to play and whatever happens happens.” Still, in keeping with the competitive nature of all sports, the possibility of a top performer attaining a new standard, whatever the challenge may be, always makes for an intriguing story. It’s no secret, however, that the T&T FM has set his heart on another and far more significant objective.  He has, in fact, been campaigning over the last few years in foreign tournaments seeking to gain the norms that would earn him the mantle of the country’s first International Master.

Heartbreakingly, that goal has remained an elusive dream. While the T&T champion has held his own in this formidable international company, even outplaying a number of GMs and IMs, the required norm remained just outside his grasp. At the Guelph Pro-Am International in Toronto, for example, Harper triumphed over two GMs but missed the IM norm by a half a point. Alongside all this, he has outscored the region’s best at the Heroes’ Day International Masters in Barbados and earned his highest rating, 2270, at the 2006 Olympiad, one of his five outings at this premiere event.

Harper’s next opportunity comes up at the Umada Cup in Barbados later this month. This annual international tournament, launched by FIDE president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov in Trinidad  and Tobago last year, is again expected to attract a number of GMs and IMs from within the hemisphere. The event is an open and valuable one as it presents players from the Caribbean region with a convenient opportunity of boosting their FIDE rating. While the T&T sporting community will be hoping that Harper realises his dream of entering the ranks of IMs, it must be recognised that the 34-year-old FM has already made a unique contribution to the sport, not only in his outstanding achievements over the chessboard but, additionally, in his administrative activity as the association’s second vice-president and in the coaching assistance he has given to several prominent juniors.

In fact, his decision to quit his job at Republic Bank and set up a chess coaching school, together with national qualifier Alex Winter-Roach, is an unprecedented and courageous move, one that must indicate his love for the royal game and his interest in lifting standards particularly among younger enthusiasts. To gain formal credentials in his new enterprise, Harper will soon be off to Brazil where he will participate in a FIDE training seminar and, at the same time, serve as coach to Boys Under-12 national champion Joshua Johnson, T&T’s entrant in the World Youth Chess Festival. Marcus Joseph, winner of the national title in 2009, took third place in this year’s event, scoring seven and a half points. Behind him were FM Mario Merritt on seven, FM Frank Yee on six and a half and Alex Winter Roach on six.

WNM Aditi Soondarsingh, finishing on seven and a half, maintained her hold on the women’s national chess crown, edging out Javanna Smith by half a point. Gabriela Johnson placed third on five and a half. This year’s national finals were somewhat marred by the unexpected first round withdrawal of young FM Keron Cabralis who claimed that the noise of cadets training at the venue, St George’s College, Barataria, made it difficult for him to concentrate. Whatever the merits of his case, DR believes that, basically, the incident has lessons for the association in its unsuitable siting of such an important chess event.

Happily the contest was shifted to Cascadia Hotel, St Ann’s, for the final round, the blitz tournament which Harper also won and the prize giving function. Association president Kamla Rampersad De Silva, in her closing remarks, thanked sponsors PKF Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers for their “strong support over the last two years.” She felt that after 75 years of T&T chess history, “we really ought to have grown more”. To hasten development of the sport she said the Association would now be placing its focus on younger players.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

By Carl Jacobs

Locals Alderray Downes, Andrei Collins and Dave Rajkumar will represent the Eastern team at the third Caribbean Cup Golf Championships, which will be played from today until Saturday at the St Andrew’s Golf Course in Moka, Maraval. Captained by president of the Barbados Golf Association Birchmore Griffith, the ten-member Eastern squad will also comprise of two Puerto Ricans, three Bajans and two OECS players.

They will come up against a Western contingent featuring three Dominicans, two Bahamians, two Jamaicans, two Turks Islanders and one Cayman Islander. They will be lead by the Bahamas’s Ambrose Gouthro. The teams will play the Better Ball and Alternate Shot formats today while there will be Individual Singles matches on Saturday.

The East won the Cesar Rivera Trophy during the last Caribbean Cup in the Bahamas in 2009. Play will begin at 8 am today. The tournament’s main sponsor is ANSA Financial Services.

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Roland Forde, an executive committee member of the T&T  Football Federation has been retained as president of the Northern Football Association. Forde won a landslide victory at the association’s annual general meeting which was held at the Harvard Sports Club, Serpentine Road, St James  on Monday. He collected 19 votes, with his rival, ex-Strike Squad member Marlon Morris receiving two votes.

Former T&T midfielder Clint Marcelle was elected first vice-president, Ronald  “Hustler” Daniel second vice-president, Dale Tavares assistant secretary administration and Ancil Price, assistant secretary operations. Looking ahead to his fourth term in office which will be another two years, Forde said one of his primary objectives would be to have improved facilities and conditions for the staging of matches. Currently, the association comprises eighteen clubs with a further six clubs in the waiting to join.

“One of our primary aims will be to get the football matches played on smoother, better laid savannah grounds,” Forde said. This will mean us having to ensure better preparation of the facilities and we are also looking into the possibility of staging more matches in the communities that the clubs come from once there can be the assurance that the teams can have good accommodation for the fans and manage them well at the same time. “We will be making efforts to assist in this area. We really want to complete the efforts to ensure we are the best running association.”

“The new committee will also focus on the development of our coaches and players and additional efforts will be made to assist in this aspect of the game. “We will have further discussions regarding our plans at our upcoming meetings.” On a yearly basis, the NFA  stages a league championship, a league knockout, a superstars knockout and a FA trophy competition.

Results of the election of officers

President: Roland Forde 19 votes bt Marlon Morris 2 votes

First vice-president: Clint Marcelle 19 votes bt Roger Watts 2 votes

Second vice-president: Ronald Daniel 18 votes bt Tansley Thompson 3 votes

Asst Secretary Administration:  Dale Tavares 18 votes bt Adrian Perez 2 votes

Asst Secretary Operations: Ancil Price 15 votes bt Ruthven Charles 3 votes

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

OVER 2000 cricketers from 21 schools are enrolled in the 2011 Atlantic/WIPA Cricket Development Programme.

Four new schools have joined the WIPA in the Community programme including South Central AC, Granville RC, Cedros Government Primary and Cedros Secondary.

Marlon Grant, Atlantic’s Team Lead Sustainability, praised the initiative and says his company remains committed to developing the next generation of sportsmen and sportswomen in the country.

“WIPA in the Community fits into a number of partnerships in which Atlantic are involved in order to help develop the present and future generations of Trinidad and Tobago. Atlantic want to be more than just a LNG company and we are committed to invest in the next generation of footballers, cricketers, entrepreneurs and innovators of our country,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mark Ramkissoon, Coordinator, WIPA in the Community, noted cricket is not the only focus but the all-round development of participants. “Students in the programme are taught the basic skills of batting, bowling, fielding, catching and wicket-keeping. But they also get the opportunity to demonstrate confidence and a positive attitude in their approach to the game and life in general.

We also teach them skills in decision making, problem solving, coping and conflict resolution,” Ramkissoon explained.

Bernice Felix, Principal of South Central AC, noted her students are excited about the programme and are looking forward to the sessions.

“We do not have a Physical Education programme because of the very small space available to us at the school. But WIPA have shown us how we can use the space we have so that the children can play cricket and learn cricketing skills,” she said.

Felix noted she has already seen improvement in a several students since the start of the programme in September.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

RONALD Annandsingh, president, Caribs Rugby Football Club (RFC), has dedicated their victory in the prestigious Bruno Browne Cup and Toyota Rugby Championship to the deceased Allyson Hennessy and Kendall Mootoo.

Caribs edged Stag Trinidad Northern 13-10 on Sunday to clinch both titles in a thrilling encounter at the Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair.

Speaking to Newsday on Tuesday, Annandsingh said the win was for their avid supporter Hennessy who passed away in May and former player Mootoo who died last month.

Mootoo, an ex-CIC student, represented the country at the developmental and Under-19 levels and was also on the senior team’s Sevens and 15-a-side teams.

“We did it for both of them. It’s the first time we lost two members in such a short period of time,” Annandsingh said.

“It’s been a difficult period for us,” he added.

The Caribs boss noted that regaining the Bruno Browne Cup was a special feeling as it now returns to where he feels it belongs.

“Regaining the Bruno Browne helps to put at ease some of our older membership. They fought hard to win it in the past so now to get it back is good,” he explained.

Annandsingh believes the key to their success is their togetherness which was displayed in the final.

“The game was very difficult with the weather conditions. It was who wanted to win more. We knew Northern weren’t going to give us it so we had to go there and take the Bruno Browne Cup. Mentally and physically we were ready for battle. We played as a team and kept our unity. The defence was good and they defended with consistency,” he continued.

The Caribs president hailed his club’s youth system which he also credited for their continued success on the local stage.

“Our history (helps us standout). Being in existence for so long, the younger players take a page out of the older guys’ books. Not that we have a great mentor programme but it stems from our youth development and our coaching. We have depth,” he explained.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

AFTER ENDURING three days of tireless travelling, Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Njisane Phillip and manager Peter Maharaj finally arrived in Astana, Kazakhstan at approximately 9am yesterday.

Phillip has already commenced preparation for the important International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Cycling Cup.

Manager Maharaj revealed that the local cyclist will have to maintain a healthy diet and get lots of rest if he is to produce another commanding performance at the World Cup on Saturday and Sunday.

This meet is one of four World Cup tournaments that Phillip must endure over the next two months to obtain the necessary points to qualify for the Olympic Games.

Maharaj explained, “Njisane is settling in and got on the track this afternoon (yesterday). All will be good. Nutrition is very important, and if I could get him to consume 5000 calories on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we’ll be good. Rest is also very important. There is a sequence I learned for Njisane prior to his record breaking performance in Colorado Springs this year.”

Although the duo are still recovering from a lengthy journey to Astana, Maharaj revealed that Phillip is in good spirits and is putting in the final preparation ahead of the World Cup. Despite the tedious journey to Astana, where the duo encountered several hurdles, Maharaj is confident that Phillip will have a good showing.

Phillip’s manager admitted that it is now crunch-time for the cyclist to demonstrate his consistent cycling abilities and show his talent at the World Cup.

“Training was done through the months of June through August. This (World Cup meet) is what it’s all about. The plan is to move forward, be the best in the Keirin and Sprints. We’re not sticking,” said Maharaj yesterday.

He explained that his role at this stage is to ensure that Phillip was comfortable at the tournament and is not troubled by the administrative problems that he has encountered to get to the meet.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

By JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH

November 1 - Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson has told insidethegames that the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) need to find a way of implementing a consistent rule to deter athletes from cheating.

Last month LaShawn Merritt had a ban that would have prevented him from defending his Olympic 400 metres title at London 2012 lifted after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled an IOC ban was untenable.

Merritt was banned for a failed drugs test in early 2010, but the IOC rule 45 - also known as the "Osaka rule" - means that any athlete banned for drugs use for more than six months will be unable to compete in the subsequent Olympics.

Though Johnson did not want to be drawn on Merritt's participation in London, he supported the principle of the IOC rule and hoped they could work with WADA to develop a consistent ruling.

"The IOC [rule 45] acts as a great deterrent to an athlete thinking of cheating if they know no matter what [they] do they are going to miss an Olympic Games," said Johnson, the first and only male athlete to win gold in both the 200m and 400m at an Olympics.

"I've been asked should LaShawn Merritt be able to compete but you know the rule is not about LaShawn Merritt - it's about how we keep athletes thinking of cheating from cheating.

"We have a better chance of doing that when the IOC and WADA work together and we have a consistent rule on the book.

"I don't think WADA have a problem with the IOC rule - it's just not part of their code.

"That is the bigger issue and we have to get to that.

"It's not an issue of whether LaShawn should compete, it's just a smaller part of a much bigger picture.

"Consistency across the board is what we should strive to get."

Johnson also spoke of his admiration for triple Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt (pictured), saying that he would go down as one of the greats even if he did not race again.

"I think if he never ran another race he's one of the best of all time," Johnson told insidethegames during the Laureus Global Summit here.

"He is such an incredible athlete - there has never been anyone else like him.

"It'll be interesting to see how the rest of this career plays out what he does at this point."

Source: www.insidethegames.biz

By David Gold

SPANISH FOOTBALLING great Emilio Butragueno, who earned himself the nickname “The Vulture”, is expected to deliver the feature address at Saturday’s launch of the Atlantic Real Madrid Foundation Social Sports School.

The launch will be held at Jaffa at the Oval, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.

Sports Minister Anil Roberts is due to attend the function, as well as Spanish Ambassador to Trinidad and Tobago Joaquin Laborde and officials from Atlantic LNG Company of Trinidad and Tobago.

The Social Sports School, which will be based at St Dominic’s Home in Belmont, is part of Atlantic’s partnership with Real Madrid Foundation to establish a football training school for underprivileged children.

According to a media release, “this youth and football development initiative reflects Atlantic’s commitment to create opportunities for the present and future generations.

“The Foundation is the social responsibility arm of Real Madrid, and its main goal is to promote values inherent in sport, and to use sport as an educational tool, both in Spain and the rest of the world.”

The 48-year-old Butragueno played professionally for Real Madrid from 1984-1995 where he scored 123 goals in 341 appearances. He moved to Club Celaya in Mexico where he netted 29 times in 91 games.

During his international career from 1984-1992, he notched 26 goals in 69 games (the fifth highest in Spain’s list, behind Raul, David Villa, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Morientes). He also played in the 1986 and 1990 World Cups, in Mexico and Italy respectively.

He retired in April 1998, and was known as the Gentleman of the Pitch since he never received a single red card during his entire career.

Butragueno was instrumental in Madrid’s success at the UEFA Cup in 1985 and 1986, as well as Spanish League crowns from 1986-1990, and in 1995.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

NJISANE PHILLIP’S manager, Peter Maharaj slammed the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) for what he called inconsistency and failure toward obtaining a ticket for his rider to the Olympic qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan, this weekend.

Maharaj was furious with the local cycling fraternity since Phillip’s step-father (Phillip Whiteman), was forced to purchase the ticket to Astana at the very last minute.

Whiteman originally bought the ticket to fly Nijsane to Astana from Los Angeles, USA, via Munich, Germany and Vienna, Austria.

However, Njisane was unable to use this booking because he lacked

a Schengen visa (Travelling on a Schengen Visa means that the holder can travel to any (or all) European Union member countries using one single visa, thus avoiding the hassle and expense of obtaining individual visas for each country). Whiteman then had to cancel that original ticket and purchase another taking Njisane from Los Angeles via London, Austria and finally Astana.

Phillip’s manager explained the horrific experiences and unforseen circumstances they had to endure on their still ongoing trip to Astana.

Maharaj said, “Trinidad and Tobago nationals are not allowed in Europe without a Schengen visa.

Because of all this during the past 24 hours (yesterday), Maharaj and Phillip were forced to endure freezing temperatures while sleeping at the Vienna Airport, not being allowed to book into a hotel.

Maharaj said, “this information was not shared (to us beforehand), otherwise I would have gotten one (visa) from the German Embassy (back home) in Southern California (LA).

An upset Maharaj continued, “I’m not picking a fight with the TTCF, but if I did not do the visa request for Astana, what would have happened? What would have happened if his step-dad did not foot the bill and absorbed the cost of ticket adjustment?

“We represent Trinidad and Tobago with pride, it will be nice if the feelings were mutual.”

Njisane his manager and coach were expected to come Astana this morning, and plans are set for him to go on to the track to go through his routine. He will be in action in the 200m sprint at the inaugural UCI World Cup on Saturday, seeking much needed points to qualify for next year’s London Olympics.

Source: www.newsday.co.tt

By JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH