Edwin Allen High School speed twins – Tina and Tia Clayton – will go pro and join the MVP Track Club, according to a report published in the Jamaica Observer.
The twins, who turn 18 on August 17, have been standout high school athletes for the past few years with Tina developing more quickly than her sister Tia over the past couple of seasons.
Both were members of Jamaica’s 4x100m team that set a world record 42.94s at the World U20 Champions in Nairobi, Kenya last year. Both were also members of the team that ran 42.58, a world record at the 2022 Carifta Games held at the National Stadium in Kingston in April. However, that time was not ratified by World Athletics when Jamaican authorities failed to test Tia, who had won the 100m title the night before.
At the National Championships at the end of June, Tina, the World U20 100m, set a new national U20 record of 10.96, breaking the previous record of 10.97 set by Tokyo Olympic gold relay medallist Briana Williams.
Tia, the Carifta Games silver medallist, who was third at the national championships boasts a personal best of 11.25.
Sources indicate that on the basis of the incredible performance by Tina at the national championships several potential sponsors were chasing their signatures but according to a report in the Jamaica Observer, one of those companies managed to move ahead of the rest and seal a deal that will see the girls ending their respective impressive high school careers.
At MVP, Tina and Tia Clayton will most likely be under the guidance of Stephen Francis, who has enjoyed tremendous success over the past decade with two-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah, the only woman to win the 100/200m double at consecutive Olympic Games.
Inter Miami have confirmed the signing of former Major League Soccer MVP Alejandro Pozuelo from Toronto FC.
Pozuelo, crowned MLS' best player in 2020 in the second of a three-and-a-half-season stay with Toronto, will occupy an International Roster slot and a Designated Player slot for Inter.
Phil Neville's side will pay $150,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM) to Toronto across two years for the signing of Pozuelo, which is subject to the Spaniard receiving a P-1 Visa.
Toronto will also retain a sell-on percentage in the event of a future transfer, while Inter will send additional conditional GAM if Pozuelo meets certain performance-based incentives.
"We're thrilled to be able to welcome a player of Alejandro's calibre," Inter sporting director Chris Henderson said.
"He has proven himself to be one of the brightest talents in the league and we are confident that will continue here in South Florida.
"We were looking to add a decisive, creative attacking player and we feel he fits the profile."
Prior to joining Toronto, where he scored 30 goals and assisted 34 in 100 appearances across all competitions, Pozuelo played for Real Betis, Swansea City, Rayo Vallecano and Genk.
As well as winning the MVP award two years ago, the 30-year-old was also twice named in the MLS Team of the Season.
"We believe Alejandro will fit right in with our group," head coach Neville said. "He's a player of tremendous quality that we feel can be a real game changer for us.
"We can't wait to integrate him into the squad and are looking forward to seeing him on the pitch in Inter Miami colours."
Pozuelo's departure from Toronto comes amid widespread speculation that the Canadian club are closing in on a move for former Juventus midfielder Federico Bernardeschi.
Shai Hope has signed for the Guyana Amazon Warriors as the draft for the 2022 season of the Caribbean Premier League was completed on Thursday.
Jamaica College Manning Cup captain and U-20 Reggae Boy Duncan McKenzie has signed with Serbian Club RFK Graficar Beograd, the club announced on Wednesday.
“We are proud to introduce the newest footballer to our team, Duncan McKenzie,” the club said in an Instagram post.
Graficar competes in the Serbian First League, the second tier of Serbian club football and is affiliated with Serbian SuperLiga side Red Star Belgrade.
“The Jamaican footballer has signed a three-year contract with Graficar and is a great reinforcement for us in the coming years,” they added.
The 18-year-old McKenzie, who previously represented Real Mona FC, was a crucial member of the Jamaica U-20 side that narrowly missed out on a place at next year’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in Indonesia.
The team lost 1-0 to the Dominican Republic in the quarter-finals of the Concacaf U-20 Championship on the 29th of June knowing a semi-final berth would secure a spot in the 24-team World Cup.
Corey Bennett has been appointed the head track and field coach at Calabar High School, the school announced Wednesday.
Bennett replaces Michael Clarke, whose tenure at the Red Hills Road high school, ended with his resignation in March. Clarke led Calabar High to nine of their 28 titles at the ISSA Boys and Girls’ Championships.
Bennett was head coach at Hydel High School, transforming them into a perennial contender challenging Edwin Allen’s dominance of the championships over the last decade. He was also an assistant coach at St Jago High School and Wolmer’s Boys.
Bennett has big shoes to fill at Calabar, the second most successful high school at Boys Champs if he is to equal or surpass Clarke’s legacy.
According to a statement released by Calabar on Wednesday, the new head coach will be responsible for “leading and managing the track and field programme and for coaching the team within the established school guidelines.”
The statement continued: “It is expected that he will build on the well-established foundation laid by his predecessors to hone and execute, along with his team, a competitive programme that is marked by exemplary sportsmanship, athletic excellence and unquestioned integrity while safeguarding the educational welfare of the student-athletes, all within the framework of the school’s mission.”
In recent years, Bennett has been instrumental in the development of some of jamaica's most outstanding junior athletes including NCAA 400m silver medallist Charokee Young, Carifta 2022 200m champion Brianna Lyston, Kerrica Hill and Alana Reid.
Bennett was recently the head coach of Jamaica's team for the 49th edition of the Carifta Games held in Kingston in April.
Jamaica won a record 92 medals at the championships including 45 gold medals.
Jamaica Reggae Girlz head coach, Lorne Donaldson, is hoping for sharper finishing in front of goal against the United States but expects that to continue improving as the team gets more games under its belt.
The Jamaicans kicked off the Concacaf W Championship in impressive fashion with a 1-0 win over hosts Mexico on Monday. The team, however, in all likelihood could and should have won by a bigger margin having created several clear-cut opportunities throughout the match.
Most notably, Khadijah Shaw scored the all-important goal but also hit the upright in the second half, while attempting to chip Mexican goalkeeper Emily Alvarado. Forward Jody Brown was also guilty of a bit of profligacy, after being played through clean on goal on three occasions but picking out the keeper with all three attempts.
With the Reggae Girlz scheduled to tackle the world's number one ranked the United States on Thursday, such opportunities are likely to be few and far between. Donaldson was quick to point out, however, that attacking coordination and finishing in front of the goal takes time to develop and time is a luxury that the team did not have in its preparation for the tournament.
“The sharpness up front takes time (to develop) and we had no games coming in. Two weeks of preparation was all we had to get the group together. Some of the team came in a little unfit so we tried to spend some time getting the fitness up,” Donaldson said.
“So, for that sharpness, hopefully, our instincts will kick in, because the hardest part of the game is to get your finishing touch and we saw that. So hopefully, we will have a bit more luck and do a better job in that department.”
The top two teams from each group will advance to the next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Wednesday announced the match schedule for the West Indies Men’s “A” Team series against Bangladesh Men’s “A” Team in August.
The series will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia and will feature two four-day first-class matches and three 50-over matches from 4 to 20 August.
This will be the first West Indies Men’s “A” Team series since 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic restricted opportunities and the resumption of West Indies Men’s “A” team matches sees the return of a key development opportunity for players pushing for selection to the West Indies senior team and for emerging players to build their First-Class International experience.
Roland Holder, CWI’s Senior Operations Manager said the series will provide exposure for a number of players and noted it was part of CWI’s commitment to continually developing talent for the international level.
“We are pleased to have confirmed the itinerary for the Men’s ‘A’ Team series with the BCB and we are excited to host Bangladesh in the region again,” Holder said.
“This is a vital part of the development of our players in the pathway toward full international selection, and no doubt this upcoming series of matches in Saint Lucia will provide a platform for further exposure and progress.”
He added that CWI and BCB are also in the planning stages for a reciprocal tour by West Indies “A” to Bangladesh in 2023.
BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said the “A” Series provides an excellent opportunity for players of both teams to prepare for international commitments.
“The international schedule is getting busier by the season and therefore it is very important for the cricketers to keep themselves ready through good competitive cricket. We thank CWI for accommodating the A tour. The four-day ‘Tests’ and the One-Day matches will be an invaluable experience for the players,” he noted.
“The BCB and CWI share a warm longstanding relationship and have worked tirelessly to make this tour happen. I hope we will see more reciprocal programmes between the two boards in the future.”
Match schedule:
Daren Sammy Cricket Ground
4-7: August: 1st Four-day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)
10-13 August: 2nd Four-Day “Test” – local start time 10 am (9 am Jamaica)
16 August: 1st 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)
18 August: 2nd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am Jamaica)
20 August: 3rd 50-over match – local start time 9:30 am (8:30 am)
Professional Football Jamaica promises a booming start to the 2022-23 Jamaica Premier League season as powerhouse rivals Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens are set to clas in the "BOOM El Clasico".
The "BOOM El Clasico" will see the JPL giants square off over two legs of football slated for October 10 and 17 at Waterhouse Stadium and Tony Spaulding Sports Complex, respectively.
Each club will be allowed to field celebrities as a nod to their communities that have produced some musical giants over decades. Arnett Gardens and Waterhouse's long-standing rivalry attracts the largest spectator following in local football.
Title sponsors BOOM Energy Drink have sweetened the pot with a winner-takes-all prize payout of $JMD1M.
Brand Manager Keteisha McHugh looks forward to welcoming fans,
"BOOM has taken the market by storm, becoming the number-one energy drink in Jamaica. We are the life of any party, so we look forward to bringing our usual high energy to match the excitement of Waterhouse and Arnett Gardens in October. Come October 17, we will find out who's ‘Badda dan’ so come mek we BOOM it up!" said BOOM Brand Manager Keteisha McHugh.
In reacting to the announcement PFJL Chairman Chris Williams said the partnership reflects the significant growth of Jamaica’s football.
“Football is booming in Jamaica,” he said.
“BOOM has joined with the PFJL in continuing the tremendous growth of professional football in Jamaica. BOOM will be answering the question we all have. Who is better; Arnett or Waterhouse? We expect a massive turnout, great football and loads of excitement from this intense rivalry.”
The Jamaica Premier League 2021-22 season culminated last Sunday with newly-crowned champions Harbour View getting the better of Dunbeholden 6-5 on penalties to secure their fifth premier league title.
The Jamaica Tallawahs have announced their overseas signings for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) which gets underway on 31 August.
Left-arm seamer Mohammad Amir will be joining the Tallawahs for the first time having represented the Barbados Royals last season, claiming 11 wickets at an average of 13.54.
The other four overseas players have all had experience with the Tallawahs in the past. Nepalese leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane was with the franchise in 2020 where he took 12 wickets and went at an economy rate of just 5.27 runs an over.
Imad Wasim, Chris Green and Miguel Pretorius were all with the Tallawahs in 2021 and will return this season as overseas signings. Brandon King and Fabian Allen have also been signed by the two-time champions.
Power hitter Rovman Powell has been retained by the franchise along with Kennar Lewis and Shamarh Brooks.
The Tallawahs will have seven more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast this Thursday – 7 July – at 9am Eastern Caribbean Time.
The Barbados Royals have announced their overseas signings for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League which gets underway on August 31.
Quinton de Kock will appear at Hero CPL for the first time, bringing with him a huge amount of experience. De Kock has played more than 250 T20 matches for South Africa and franchises around the world.
He will be joined by fellow South African David Miller who will be playing for his third Hero CPL team having previously appeared for the Jamaican and Saint Lucian franchises. Miller has more than 8000 T20 runs at a strike rate of 138.
Pakistani batter Azam Khan is returning to the Royals for a second successive season having made his Hero CPL debut in 2021.
Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman will be with the Royals in 2022 having previously played for the Jamaica Tallawahs. Mujeeb has raced to almost 200 T20 wickets and has become a sought-after bowler around the world.
The final overseas spot will be filled by South African all-rounder Corbin Bosch who recently joined the Rajasthan Royals at the India Premier League.
Expressing his thoughts on the team’s overseas signings, Head Coach Trevor Penney said: “We are delighted to have signed some of the best overseas players of the T20 format, who we feel will complement our retentions perfectly.
“Quinton is a proven match winner who has delivered for both his country and all the franchises he’s played for around the world, and we are delighted that he’s chosen the Royals as the team to start his CPL journey at. On the other hand, having worked closely with David Miller and Corbin Bosch at the Rajasthan Royals, we know exactly what they bring to the table and at the same time, they also understand the philosophy of the Royals perfectly.
“We are also happy to have the energy and excitement that Azam Khan can bring to the group, having seen him perform for us last season. While Mujeeb ur Rahman is a world-class spinner who has made his name plying his trade in T20s globally and is a quality and potentially effective addition to our spin department. From my perspective, these signings are an indication of the kind of cricket we want to play here at Barbados, and I’m confident going into the drafts that we’re building a talented and dynamic squad to vie for the title this season,” added the 54-year-old Penney.
The Royals will have five more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast on July 7 at 9 am ECT.
Barbados Royals players signed: Quinton de Kock, David Miler, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Obed McCoy, Devon Thomas and Corbin Bosch.
Retained players: Jason Holder, Kyle Mayers, Azam Khan, Oshane Thomas, Nyeem Young.
Substitute Julia Grosso scored a brace as a rampaging Canada attack eventually wore down Trinidad and Tobago in a 6-0 win at the Concacaf W Championship on Wednesday night.
Talismanic striker Christine Sinclair was in the right place, in the 27th minute, to meet an Ashley Lawrence cross to score the first goal for the Canadian side. The goal moved Sinclair to 190 goals in 311 international games.
Canada kept pushing and in the 32nd minute, after a VAR review, the referee Katia Garcia awarded a penalty for Canada. Jessie Fleming stepped to the spot but missed the chance to extend the advantage by sending the shot over the crossbar.
Canada didn’t slow down in the second half though and kept trying to add to their goal count, but the Trinidad & Tobago defensive line, led by GK Kimika Forbes, stood firm and kept it a one-goal game past the hour mark.
But in the 67th, after enterprising play and a backheel pass from Jordyn Huitema, Grosso managed to extend the team’s lead with a good finish for her first international goal.
Grosso didn’t stop there. In the 78th, she scored her second goal of the night, increasing the Canada lead to 3-0. Fleming then redeemed her earlier miss and scored the fourth goal for Canada in the 84th.
After positive attacking play all match, Janine Beckie made it 5-0 in the 86th and then stepped into the role of playmaker in the 91st, assisting Jordyn Huitema, who scored the sixth goal of the night for her fifth career CWC goal.
The Olympic champions will next face Panama to try to remain Group B leaders, while Trinidad & Tobago will be tested against Costa Rica.
Faf du Plessis, who captained the Kings to a second successive Hero CPL final in 2021, will return this season. Tim David and David Wiese will join him after were both instrumental to the Kings' success during the 2021 season.
This season will also see the return of Scott Kuggeleijn who played for the Kings in 2020, where he finished as the tournament’s leading wicket taker that season. The Kings have one more overseas spot left to fill, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Kings will have six more spots to fill at the Hero CPL draft with details of these picks released during the draft show which will be broadcast this Thursday 7 July – at 9 am Eastern Caribbean Time.
The Kings' squad so far: Faf du Plessis,.
To be confirmed: Tim David, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Kesrick Williams, David Wiese, Alzarri Joseph, Scott Kuggeleijn, Mark Deyal, Jeavor Royal.
Jamaica Reggae Girlz goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer expressed satisfaction with the strength of the team’s overall performance in an opening day win over hosts Mexico in the Concacaf Women's Championship.
Mainstay forward Khadijah Shaw got the all-important goal in the 8th minute, but Spencer made an equally telling impact between the sticks for the team. The goalkeeper proved to be an assured presence in controlling the area and also proved highly effective with her distribution ability.
In addition, the custodian’s acrobatic save from Mexico’s Carolina Jaramillo not only kept the Jamaicans in front but might be one of the best of the tournament so far.
“It was all about the team yesterday. I think from front to back and obviously, the subs also came on and made a big impact in the game. So, yesterday was a real team performance,” Spencer said.
“I thought the game was good it was a really good team performance. Scoring early on and to have the lead so long was certainly a big one for us,” she added.
The appearance was Spencer’s fifth for the national team. The Jamaicans will next be in action against the United States on Thursday.
Reggae Girlz coach Lorne Donaldson has commended the team’s work ethic and fighting spirit in an important 1-0 over hosts Mexico to kickstart the Concacaf Women’s Championships on Monday.
The team’s talismanic strike Khadija Shaw got the decisive goal in the 8th minute and secured all three points, which could yet prove telling in the competition’s group of death.
With the top-seeded United States and Haiti still to come, in the competitive group A, maximum points was a welcome start for the Jamaica team who have not had the smoothest build-up to the tournament.
“We came into this game without even playing a practice game, but we went to Colorado and we trained a bit,” Donaldson said.
“I’m very proud of the girls, proud of the way we fought all night and I think the training we did in preparation helped. I’m very proud of the girls, I give them all the credit, I just stand on the sideline and point my fingers and they do all the work.”
The Jamaicans will next be in action on Thursday when they tackle the world’s top-ranked women’s team The United States.
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