Related items

• Flawless victory: Ja's Cavalier maul Dom Rep's Moca FC 7-0 to book spot in Caribbean Cup final

  Jamaica’s reigning Premier League champions Cavalier FC booked a spot in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup final for a second consecutive year after they mauled Dominican Republic’s Moca FC 7-0 in a lopsided second leg semifinal tie at the National Stadium on Wednesday.

  A hat-trick from Suriname's Shaquille Stein (6th, 45+3, 62nd) and a brace from Trinidad and Tobago’s Kaile Auvray (1st, 51st) did most of the damage for Cavalier, while Christopher Ainsworth (39th) and Dwayne Atkinson (79th) also got in on the act.

  With the win, Cavalier, who lost last year’s final to Suriname’s Robinhood, now have a shot at redemption as they await the winner of the second semi-final between Dominican Republic’s Cibao FC and Haiti’s Real Hope in the showpiece. By virtue of making the final, Cavalier also secured a return to next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

  Head coach Rudolph Speid was pleased but also surprised at the margin of victory, especially after being held to a goalless stalemate in the first leg.

  “It was very pleasing. We didn’t expect to win by such a large margin; however, this is our third time playing them, so they aren’t strangers to us,” Speid said.

  Cavalier wasted little time to make their intentions known as Auvray found the opener shortly after kickoff when he drove home a firm left-footer from a distance.

  The Jamaican team struck again before Moca could regroup as Stein expertly headed home from Jalmaro Calvin’s weighted cross five minutes later.

  Ainsworth extended the lead when he converted from the penalty spot as Moca FC’s custodian Miguel Baez was left flat-footed.

  Stein then notched his second and Cavalier’s fourth with another comfortable finish as they went to the break 4-0 up.

  With the writing on the wall, frustration set in, and Moca lost Baez and Jesus Correa to straight red cards and, as such, contested the second half with nine players.

  Cavalier showed no mercy and made full use of the numerical advantage when Auvray completed his brace with another well-struck effort from outside the 18-yard box.

  Stein completed his hat-trick soon after to move his tally to seven so far in the tournament, before Atkinson added his name to the scoresheet from the penalty spot 11 minutes from time.

  Despite the loss, Moca FC still stand a chance of making the Champions Cup, provided they come out tops in the third-place playoff.

• Garth Laird celebrates resilience, camaraderie as Team Six top Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf tourney

  Rain may have dampened the first day of the Sandals US Travel Advisors Golf Tournament, but it couldn’t wash away the spirit of the event or the competitive resolve of players.

  In fact, Garth Laird, Sandals Vice President of Trade and Sales, underscored that the significance of the annual tournament is intended to celebrate just that—the resilience and camaraderie of travel advisors who are essential to the success of Sandals and, by extension, brand Jamaica.

  “This tournament itself goes beyond just a game of golf,” Laird shared passionately.

  He continued: “It's really about bringing advisors down. It's about reengaging with the product and what it has to offer, and if I can use three words, it's love, legacy, and learning. Love of the product, love of Jamaica, the legacy that Sandals offers to the greater audience of the travel agency community, and it's also about learning.

  “It was only one day of golf; we still got the educational component built into it. In the last few months we've also taken a bigger approach because when you add this number together, we've brought about a thousand people to the destination over the last eight weeks because there's so many things that are happening in Jamaica that people aren't aware of. So there's so many new things that's going on, and our responsibility is to educate the advisors so that they can educate their customers,” he added.

  

  Thought rain threatened to wash out the two-day event entirely, the clouds parted on the second day and the advisors got their swing on in the four-man scramble format, which ended with Team Six taking the title with a nine-hole score of 61 at the Sandals Golf and Country Club. They won ahead of Team 13 and Team Five, which ended with scores of 62 and 64, respectively.

  That team, captained by Jeremy Lee and included father and son duo David and Adam Anderson, as well as David Schutz, was particularly determined to clinch the top spot this year.

  After securing the championship in 2022 but narrowly missing out last year, they entered the tournament with renewed focus, and Lee said the win was the culmination of hard work and the camaraderie they’d built over the years of competing together.

  “I think in general, we all could have shot a little bit better, but the weather played into it. Thankfully, there was no thunder or lightning, and we ended up coming out okay. This is the same team we had last year, and two years ago we had one different player, but three of us have been together every year,” Lee, who is based in Alabama, said.

  “Just to get an invite to the tournament means a lot to me. This is my third year. Like I said, it's a huge deal. We're really competitive, but really we're here to have fun, learn more about Sandals and Beaches products, and learn to sell more. I sell destinations all over the world, but when people call me and ask what's my favourite place, I say Jamaica because the people are so genuine and nice,” he declared.

  

  Meanwhile, Welton Bowie and Donna Tanner won the men’s and women’s closest to the pin awards, while Schutz and Megan Sams won the respective longest drive awards.

  Close to US$800 (about $126,000 Jamaican) was also raised for the Sandals foundation.

  With representatives from various regions, Laird explained that the tournament also serves as an informal networking event, bringing together travel advisors and Sandals executives to share industry insights and foster connections in a relaxed environment.

  “We're going to do one in St. Lucia next year. So it's the Canadian winners, the winners of the US Tournament, and the winners of the Latin American Tournament, plus we'll sprinkle in some other four folks, like a long-drive person. This is to showcase that it is more than one event. It's more about getting together, doing what we do, which is hospitality and travel,” Laird shared.

  “We have the luxury of being probably the most popular brand across the Caribbean right now because of our impact globally as well as within the United States, with our sales team, with our marketing, with our advertising. So when we do something in the Caribbean, it really stands out as a company that continues to reinvest in the people that make us who we are,” he noted.

• Jamaica track and field coaches to be issued two-year licenses starting January 2025

  Beginning January 1, 2025, track and field coaches in Jamaica will need a two-year renewable license to continue practicing, as per the new regulations set by the Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association (JATAFCA) in collaboration with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). This licensing shift aligns with changes by World Athletics, which now requires coaches' certification to be renewed every two years based on evidence of continued education.

  The new regulations were outlined at a recent JATAFCA meeting, where Ralph Mouchbahani from the World Athletics Coaching Education Department explained the changes in the Coaches Education and Certification System. Mouchbahani clarified that all World Athletics certifications, previously valid indefinitely, will now expire after two years. “All certifications of World Athletics are not valid for a lifetime anymore. They will need to be renewed after two years to maintain their validity,” he said.

  Garth Gayle, President of the JAAA, welcomed the updates and expressed strong support for this structured approach to coaching. Speaking at the meeting, Gayle confirmed that the JAAA and JATAFCA have agreed to give the Coaches Association administrative responsibility for the Coaches Education Program. “The new program is about making you better individuals to produce top-class athletes, for which Jamaica is well known worldwide,” Gayle stated, noting that the shift aims to further professionalize coaching in Jamaica.

  As part of the new system, previously certified coaches must complete the World Athletics Safeguarding course and pay a license fee to transition into the updated program. Meanwhile, new coaches will need to complete one of the various World Athletics courses to qualify for initial certification. All coaches, regardless of experience, will have to participate in Continuous Education (CE) to earn credits that will be required for license renewal.

  To accumulate these CE credits, coaches can attend workshops, seminars, and courses hosted by a variety of recognized organizations, including World Athletics, JAAA, JATAFCA, Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine, JADCO, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports, INSPORTS, and other Member Federations. Beginning in January 2026, coaches will also be required to submit a police record to renew their licenses.

  David Riley, President of JATAFCA, alongside veteran instructor Roy Thomas, who both recently completed the World Athletics Level 2 Lecturers Course, will oversee the rollout of the new Coaching Education Content for Jumps, Throws, Sprints, and Hurdles. Riley provided insight into the new system’s structure, which allows coaches to achieve World Athletics certification at three levels:

  Level 1: Youth Coach (U16)
  Level 2: Junior Coach (U20)
  Level 3: Senior Coach (20+)
  Level 1 certification can be achieved by completing an online self-driven course, which will serve as the prerequisite for an initial license upon completion of an in-person assessment by JATAFCA. The next assessment is scheduled for November 15 in Kingston, providing a final opportunity for coaches to gain initial licensing compliance before the new regulations take effect in January.

  Through these changes, Jamaica’s coaching landscape is set to see significant professional development, ensuring that track and field coaches across the island meet rigorous international standards.