The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) has enlisted All Sport Promotions to handle league operations for the National Super League competition and sponsorship development for the local governing body.

Three new leagues will be introduced as part of the collaboration that will incorporate a newdivision of the National Super League.

A 15-­team Premiership Division of the Super League will be joined by a 12-­team Championship Division to establish a promotion/relegation system.

The Premiership Division is set for its kickoff on July 18 while the Championship Division will make its debut on August 8.

In an effort to further establish stronger youth competitions, the TTFA and All Sport Promotions have teamed up with Republic Bank to bring national youth league competition back to Trinidad and Tobago.

The Republic Bank National Youth League will feature Under-13, Under-15 divisions for boys and Under-17 girls division.

According to TTFA President Raymond Tim Kee, “this collaboration with All Sport Promotions will establish our domestic competitions on both the senior and youth levels in an efficient manner that will enable our footballers to develop to the best of their abilities”.

President Tim Kee further added that “with All Sport Promotions operating our leagues and developing sponsorships, the TTFA can better serve the football family and have an excellent opportunity to invest more of its limited resources into youth and women's football.“

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Peruvian swimming silver medallist Mauricio Fiol is among five positive doping tests to emerge during the Pan American Games, failing for stanozolol, the same anabolic steroid as Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson did at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.

Brazilian weightlifter Patrick Mendes, who had placed fourth in the men's under 105kg competition and the Puerto Rican baseball team's first baseman Nelson Gomez are among the others to test positive, while Mexican weightlifter Cinthya Dominguez was withdrawn before her competition after registering a failed test in a sample conducted on July 8.

Guatemalan weightlifter Astrid Camposeco also failed a test on May 23 but the results were only received on July 9, at which point she was already here for the Games before being immediately withdrawn.

None of these cases have been publicly confirmed by the Pan American Sports Organization, but have been released to the relevant National Olympic Committees.

It is the case involving Fiol that has generated most buzz here this evening two days after, in what had been hailed as a career breakthrough performance, the 21-year-old had improved his own National Record to 1min 55.15sec in taking second place behind Brazilian Leonardo de Deus in the 200 metres butterfly final.

He had then qualified second fastest for tonight's 100m final, before withdrawing earlier today.

The Peruvian Olympic Committee (COP) were notified this afternoon that he had produced a pre-competition sample on Sunday (July 12) which showed traced of stanozolol, the steroid banned since 1976 which is still responsible for more failures than any other.

In a message posted on Facebook, Fiol claimed to "not understand what may have happened".

He added: “Today is a very difficult day for me because I just found out that I tested positive in a doping control.

"I am very confused since I have always promoted fair play, a healthy lifestyle and I have always reached my goals with a lot of effort.

"I apologise to the whole country, my club, my family, my coaches, my sponsors.

"The COP authorities are behind me and are advising me to see what I can do now."

It remains to be seen whether the athlete will now request for a B-sample.

But if he opts not to or that too is returned positively, he will be stripped of his medal and face a four-year ban from the sport.

While de Deus of Brazil would remain the gold medal winner, his disqualification would lead to Canada's Zack Chetrat moving from bronze to silver, while his host nation team mate Alec Page would shift up from fourth to bronze.

Mendes, meanwhile, now faces a life ban after registering the second positive of his career.

A former two-time United States heavyweight champion, the 25-year-old was suspended for two years in March 2012 for using a human growth hormone before switching nationality to Brazil.

He has now failed for testosterone metabolites after missing out on a medal by just five kilograms in yesterday's final, with the lifter having already left here this morning before news of his failure was confirmed.

Fellow weightlifter Dominguez, a silver medal winner at the 2007 Games in Rio de Janeiro, also faces a life ban after serving a suspension following a failure during the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

She registered a failed test in a sample conducted on July 8 and was withdrawn before her under 75kg competition.

Puerto Rican baseball player Nelson Gomez, the first baseman who played in the first three games of the competition, including the thrilling comeback victory over the US, has failed for anabolic steroid boldenone, returning home in the aftermath of the news emerging.

Four failed tests were registered during the 2011 Games in Guadalajara, including one by Canadian wakeboarder Aaron Rathy, who was stripped of a silver medal after testing positive for banned stimulant methylhexaneamine.

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The local based members of the track & field team to the 2015 Pan Am Games flew out this morning (Friday July 17) at 1:05 a.m.
However, the team was without World 400m Hurdles Champion, Jehue Gordon, who has been withdrawn on medical grounds, following a request from his doctor and management team. 
The young athlete is nursing an injury and it was felt best to allow him time to recuperate rather than be subject to intense competition ahead of the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

Notwithstanding, the mood of team members remain quite upbeat. Some of them have already enjoyed significant success on the international circuit within recent weeks and this augurs well in terms of their preparation and expected performance in Toronto.
The foreign based athletes will be joining their local counterparts later today and over the weekend."
The TTOC delegation at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games is comprised of 120 athletes.

Teenage T&T swimmer Dylan Carter had this country's best showing at the 2015 Pan American Games, Toronto, Canada, thus far on Tuesday night when he placed fifth in the men's 100m freestyle A-Final at the Pan Am Aquatics Centre.

Swimming from lane seven in the eight-man final, Carter who attends the University of Southern California touched the wall in 49.10 seconds to trail Argentina's Federico Grabich (48.26), his schoolmate and hometown swimmer Santo Candorelli (48.57), Brazilian Marc Chierighini (48.80) and another USC swimmer, Venezuelan Christian Quintero (49.06).

The other finishers in the final were Canada's Yuri Kusil (49.26), Brazil's Matheus Santana (49.58) and Suriname's Renzo Tjon-A-Tjoe (49.60).

On Tuesday morning when the heats took place, the 19-year-old Carter, a silver medal winner in the men's 50m butterfly at the 2013 FINA World Junior Swimming Champions was third fastest in heat one in 49.29 seconds behind Condorelli (48.88) and Kisil (49.07).

Grabich (48.60), Chierighini (48.92) and Tjon-A-Tjoe (49.47) were the qualifiers from heat two while Quintero (49.07) and Santana (49.52) advanced from heat three.

Missing out on a spot in the final was USA's Cullen Jones, who at the London 2012 Olympic Games won gold in the 4x100m medley relay, silver in the 50m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay.

Four years earlier, he also won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, becoming the first African-American man to win a gold medal in swimming at an Olympics (Beijing 2008), while in 2007 at the FINA World Aquatics Championships he won gold in 4x100m freestyle relay and was second in 50m freestyle.

Today, (Thursday) Carter will be back in action in the 100m butterfly heats while tomorrow he joins Olympic and two-time World Championship bronze medallist, George Bovell in the hunt for 50m freestyle glory.

…..Women Soca Warriors, Colombia in 1-1 draw

The national women's football team made it two straight drawn results from their round-robin group after recent Tobago House of Assembly "Sportswoman of the Year" award winner Kennya "Yaya" Cordner netted an 87th minute equaliser against recent Fifa Women's World Cup participants Colombia.

The Colombians who defeated one of the pre-Women World Cup favouites France, 2-0 at the tournament took a fourth minute lead through Ingrid Vidal and dominated possession for most of the match, but the Women Soca Warriors never dropped their heads and with three minutes left, Cordner capitalized on a blunder by goalkeeper Sandra Sepulveda to stab home the loose ball.

It was the second time late match heroics saved the T&T women, who got a last gasp goal from captain Maylee Attin-Johnson in a 2-2 draw with Argentina in their group opener on Sunday at the same venue.

With the two points, T&T remained third on the four-team table, two behind Colombia which had a 1-0 win over Mexico in its curtain raiser. Mexico is second after whipping Argentina 3-1 in Tuesday's first match with a goal each from Teresa Noyla, Nayeli Rangel and Jennifer Ruiz while Florencia Bansegundo scored for the South Americans, who have one point.

On Sunday in the final round of Group A matches, T&T goes up against Mexico in a must win match and will be seeking to avenge a 1-0 Women's Gold Cup loss from 5.35pm while Argentina battles Colombia at 8.35pm.

.......Williams and Withfield stumble

At the Chevrolet Beach Volleyball Centre, top local men's beach volleyball pair,Daneil Williams and Fabien Whitfield came within two points of extending their match against Chilean brothers, Marcos and Esteban Grimalt to three sets, before falling 11-21, 20-22 to drop to 0-2 in the four-team pool.

Having gone under to Norceca Tour rivals, Puerto Ricans, Roberto Rodriguez and Erick Haddock, 12-21, 15-21 in 32 minutes in their opening match on Monday, the Toco-born T&T play must now defeat El Salvador's Carlos Escobar and David Vargas today at noon to have any chance of advancing to the knockout phase.

And in the afternoon session, local women's pair, Ayanna Dyette and Malika Davidson also put up a very commendable showing in losing top one of the all-time top Norceca Tour pairs in Mexicans, Bibiana Candelas and Martha Revuelta, 23-25, 7-21 in 34 minutes.

It was the second loss in as many matches for Dyette and Davidson who were beaten by Argentines Ana

Gallay and Georgina Klug 11-21, 13-21 in their Pool D opener in 38 minutes on Tuesday.

Up next for the T&T women from 4.30 pm today is top Cuban pair, Linma Flores and Leila Martinez.

......Sailor Arrindell bags 38 points

At the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, T&T's 18-year-old Kelly Arrindell was third, seventh and seventh in the women's laser fifth, sixth and seventh races respectively for seventh spot overall with 38 net points, 11 out of a medal place.

Olympian Andrew Lewis stayed in the hunt for a top three finish as he ended eighth, seventh and seventh in his three races on the day in the men's laser class for 38 net points, and seventh spot overall as well, 12 out of a medal spot.

Both men and women events were scheduled to have race eight yesterday, but results were not available up to pres time while races nine and ten are carded for today from 11.35 and 1.35 pm respectively.

Today at the Pan Am Fields, the national men's hockey team will be hoping to bounce back from their 11-0 mauling from powerhouse Argentina when they tackle Cuba from 9 am in Pool A, a rematch of their Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games final, Cuba won 5-1 last November in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In their opener, Cuba battled to an entertaining 3-3 draw with USA, T&T's final round-robin opponent on Saturday from 11 am at the end of which the quarterfinals will take place.

Also today, T&T golfers Sachin Humar and Talin Rajendranath will compete in round one of men's competition from 8 am while women's pair Monifa Sealy and Christina Ferreira tee off at 10.12 am.

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Despite losing their opening match 4-0 to Uruguay at the ongoing Pan American Games on Monday at the CIBC Pan Am Hamilton Soccer Stadium, T&T men's Under-23 football coach Zoran Vranes is backing his team to come back strongly in their remaining matches against Paraguay and Mexico.

T&T found it difficult to match their South American opponents with Fabricia Duarte opening the scoring in the fifth minute after goalkeeper Javon Sample failed to collect a corner kick.

Uruguay doubled its lead in the 20th when Federico Ricca headed home from a corner before Nicolas Albarracin blasted past Sample to put Uruguay 3-0 ahead on the half hour mark.

T&T was then reduced to ten men in the 59th minute when Alvin Jones was issued a straight red card before Brian Lozano completed the rout with a free-kick strike in the 68th.

T&T got more into the match after the break and started to see a bit more of the ball but there was not much offering to trouble Uruguay on the day.

Speaking after the match, the Yugoslavian-born Vranes conceded that his opponents were too much over the 90 minutes.

"We faced very strong opponents and they very inspired," Vranes said.

"Their team has a lot of experience and with players from the recent Fifa Under-20 World Cup and we were missing some key players like Kadeem Corbin and Rundell Winchester, who are with the senior team at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

But it was a good exercise because these are the level of matches that will be good for the players at this age.

"We are getting a good period together here with the training and of course these matches will come in very good for us. Hopefully the team can grow and the players will benefit from it. I expect we will give a better showing in the next two matches," Vranes added.

Paraguay and Mexico drew 1-1 in the other Group B game on Monday while Brazil defeated Canada 4-1 and Panama beat Peru 2-1 a day earlier in Group A action.

T&T faces Paraguay on Friday from 8.35 pm followed by its final round-robin group match against Mexico on Tuesday at 5.35 pm.

Teams

T&T: 18.Jovan Sample (GK); 2.Shannon Gomez (Yellow 88), 16.Alvin Jones (capt) [Red Card 59], 3.Maurice Ford (5.Dario Holmes 54th), 4.Jesus Perez, 8.Tristan Hodge; 15.Neil Benjamin Jr. (17.Aikim Andrews 37th), 10.Duane Muckette (12.Xavier Rajpaul 73rd), 9.Nathaniel Garcia (Yellow 69), 6.Neveal Hackshaw; 13.Ricardo John.

Unused substitutes: 1.Montell Joseph (GK), 7.Jomal Williams, 11.Shackiel Henry, 14.Jelani Felix.

Coach: Zoran Vranes.

Uruguay: - 1.Guillermo De Amores (GK); 2.Sebastian Gorga (Yellow 62) (4.Paolo Lemos 73rd), 3.Federico Ricca, 5.Edgardo Schetino (11.Juan Gonzalez 73rd), 6.Fabricio Formiliano (capt), 9.Junior Arias, 10.Michael Santos, 15.Fernando Gorriaran, 16.Nicolas Albarracin (7.Facundo Castro 79th), 17.Mathias Suarez, 18.Brian Lozano.

Coach: - Fabián Machado.

Referee: - Oscar Reyna (Guatemala).

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Despite losing their opening match 4-0 to Uruguay at the ongoing Pan American Games on Monday at the CIBC Pan Am Hamilton Soccer Stadium, T&T men's Under-23 football coach Zoran Vranes is backing his team to come back strongly in their remaining matches against Paraguay and Mexico.

T&T found it difficult to match their South American opponents with Fabricia Duarte opening the scoring in the fifth minute after goalkeeper Javon Sample failed to collect a corner kick.

Uruguay doubled its lead in the 20th when Federico Ricca headed home from a corner before Nicolas Albarracin blasted past Sample to put Uruguay 3-0 ahead on the half hour mark.

T&T was then reduced to ten men in the 59th minute when Alvin Jones was issued a straight red card before Brian Lozano completed the rout with a free-kick strike in the 68th.

T&T got more into the match after the break and started to see a bit more of the ball but there was not much offering to trouble Uruguay on the day.

Speaking after the match, the Yugoslavian-born Vranes conceded that his opponents were too much over the 90 minutes.

"We faced very strong opponents and they very inspired," Vranes said.

"Their team has a lot of experience and with players from the recent Fifa Under-20 World Cup and we were missing some key players like Kadeem Corbin and Rundell Winchester, who are with the senior team at the Concacaf Gold Cup.

But it was a good exercise because these are the level of matches that will be good for the players at this age.

"We are getting a good period together here with the training and of course these matches will come in very good for us. Hopefully the team can grow and the players will benefit from it. I expect we will give a better showing in the next two matches," Vranes added.

Paraguay and Mexico drew 1-1 in the other Group B game on Monday while Brazil defeated Canada 4-1 and Panama beat Peru 2-1 a day earlier in Group A action.

T&T faces Paraguay on Friday from 8.35 pm followed by its final round-robin group match against Mexico on Tuesday at 5.35 pm.

Teams

T&T: 18.Jovan Sample (GK); 2.Shannon Gomez (Yellow 88), 16.Alvin Jones (capt) [Red Card 59], 3.Maurice Ford (5.Dario Holmes 54th), 4.Jesus Perez, 8.Tristan Hodge; 15.Neil Benjamin Jr. (17.Aikim Andrews 37th), 10.Duane Muckette (12.Xavier Rajpaul 73rd), 9.Nathaniel Garcia (Yellow 69), 6.Neveal Hackshaw; 13.Ricardo John.

Unused substitutes: 1.Montell Joseph (GK), 7.Jomal Williams, 11.Shackiel Henry, 14.Jelani Felix.

Coach: Zoran Vranes.

Uruguay: - 1.Guillermo De Amores (GK); 2.Sebastian Gorga (Yellow 62) (4.Paolo Lemos 73rd), 3.Federico Ricca, 5.Edgardo Schetino (11.Juan Gonzalez 73rd), 6.Fabricio Formiliano (capt), 9.Junior Arias, 10.Michael Santos, 15.Fernando Gorriaran, 16.Nicolas Albarracin (7.Facundo Castro 79th), 17.Mathias Suarez, 18.Brian Lozano.

Coach: - Fabián Machado.

Referee: - Oscar Reyna (Guatemala).

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