Polish Indoor champion Ewa Swoboda is looking forward to facing decorated Jamaica sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce at the Wanda Diamond League in August.
The duo has been booked to face off in the 100m, an event that the Jamaican has so far shown strong form in this season. Fraser-Pryce has clocked the fastest time in the world so far this season, courtesy of a 10.67 clocking in Nairobi in May, which was equalled, in France, in June.
Swoboda, for her part, improved her personal best to 11.05 in Paris last month.
"I feel proud to have my name mentioned alongside Shelly-Ann's. She is an icon," Swoboda said.
"Each athlete dreams of achieving at least half of what Fraser-Pryce has and to stay at the top for this long,” she added.
"I hope it will be the best women's 100m race ever to take place on Polish soil. On 6 August I would like to finish as close to the legend as possible."
The two could, however, could also meet at the Oregon World Championships later this month, where Fraser-Pryce will be looking to defend her world title.
Jamaica’s Under-23 Sunshine Girls secured a 64-34 victory over Barbados to move to 4-0 at the Caribbean Games at the Laura Flessel Complex in Guadeloupe on Saturday.
Jamaica, who scored a massive 65-18 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines on Friday, will play Trinidad & Tobago in their final game on Sunday.
T&T hammered Guadeloupe 112-5 on Friday before losing a nail-biter 38-37 against St. Lucia on Saturday.
St. Lucia, after suffering a 44-36 defeat at the hands of Barbados on Friday, were dominant on Saturday with a 20-0 win over Guadeloupe.
West Indies Women all-rounder and former captain Stafanie Taylor has thrown her support behind new captain Hayley Matthews in an Instagram post on Saturday.
Matthews was named as the new West Indies Women captain last week, taking over from Taylor who led the team since 2015, winning the Women’s T20 World Cup a year later in India.
“I want to say congratulations to Hayley, an amazing player and person that I have watched grow and improve through the years,” Taylor said in the post.
“I know you will do great in this new role. I have enjoyed playing with you and learning from you over the years and look forward to continued teamwork under your leadership,” she added.
Taylor, who also led the team to semi-final berths in the 2018 World T20 and the 2022 World Cup, reflected on her time as leader.
“I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to lead this incredible team and all that we have accomplished together. It has been seven years of learning and navigating the uncertainties of the game. I’m thankful for the support I have received from my teammates and the management staff through my tenure as captain who have been encouraging and eager to help in carrying out my duties,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to passing the torch and continuing on and doing my best for the team,” Taylor added.
St. Lucia’s Julian Alfred can now call herself the inaugural Caribbean Games Women’s 100m Champion after winning the event at the Stade du Gosier in Guadeloupe on Friday.
Alfred ran 11.34 in the preliminaries before returning to run 11.07 to comfortably win the final ahead of Trinidad & Tobago’s Akilah Lewis (11.55) and Leah Bertrand (11.57).
Alfred goes into the World Championships in Eugene later this month on the back of some excellent form. The Texas standout ran a personal best and national record 10.81, the fourth fastest time on the world this year, at the Big 12 Championships on May 14.
She then went on run 11.02 to win the 100m at the NCAA Championships on June 11.
Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobago’s Kion Benjamin ran 10.36 to win the Men’s equivalent ahead of Franquelo Perez Occena of the Dominican Republic (10.55) and Antigua’s Darrion Skerritt (10.72).
Jamaica’s Anthony Cox, who was named in their World Championships squad on Friday as well, ran 46.15 to lead all qualifiers into the Men’s 400m final while the Dominican Republic’s Fiordaliza Cofil Fernandez (51.11) led all qualifiers in the Women’s equivalent.
Elsewhere, Puerto Rico’s Paola Fernandez Sola won the Women’s long jump with a 6.15m effort ahead of Cuba’s Yani Carrion Cremdelly (5.81m) and Guyana’s Chantoba Bright (5.85m).
Antigua’s Sheldon Noble jumped 7.31m to win the Men’s equivalent ahead of the Cayman Islands’ Louis Gordon (7.23m) and Grenada’s Nishon Pierre (6.91m).
Jamaican long jump duo Wayne Pinnock and Carey McLeod will represent the University of Arkansas in the coming season of NCAA Track and Field.
Jamaica international Ravel Morrison will once again be on the move after announcing his departure from English club Derby County.
The 29-year-old former standout youth prospect signed with the then Championship club at the start of last summer, following his release by Dutch side ADO Den Haag. The midfielder went on to have a decent campaign for derby, scoring 5 goals in 37 appearances.
Following the club’s relegation from the second division, however, a number of players and the team’s manager, former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney, have announced their departure. The Reggae Boy confirmed his departure from Pride Park via social media platform Instagram.
Thank you @dcfcofficial all the players, staff & fans for making me feel at home, was a season full of ups and downs but was a real honour to be part of such a wonderful club," Morrison wrote.
"I wish everyone at the club success moving forward."
The player has had loan spells with Birmingham City, QPR, and Cardiff City and spells aboard with Lazio, Atlas, and Ostersund. He returned to Sheffield United in 2019 for a season, before another single season in the Netherlands concluded with him moving to the East Midlands.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday announced the initial intake of 15 selectees for the CWI Emerging Players Academy. The group will start work at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), Antigua from 1 July for high-performance training and development sessions.
Several recent members of the West Indies Rising Stars U19 programme are included. Two notable selectees are Teddy Bishop and Kevin Wickham, who both made centuries for the West Indies Rising Stars U19s during the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup played in the West Indies earlier this year.
Others who have graduated from the West Indies Rising Stars U19s team to the regional franchise teams include Keagen Simmons, Kirk McKenzie and former captain, Ackeem Auguste; along with left-arm spinners Ashmead Nedd and Joshua Bishop; and left-arm fast bowler Ramon Simmonds. Also selected to the Academy squad is allrounder Nyeem Young, who was in the West Indies Men’s white-ball training camp in April.
“We want to offer a special welcome to the young men who have been selected to form the first cohort for the CWI Emerging Players Programme. They are a talented group of players, who we are sure will enjoy the benefits of their hard work,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“CWI has been looking at ways of bridging that critical gap between our junior and professional levels and this Academy initiative provides us with a great start towards achieving this. This will also play an important role in building regional capacity within High-Performance player support – technical, physical, mental, and personal development.”
The plan for a CWI Emerging Players Academy was first announced in March. It will function as a nexus between regional junior and senior teams while supporting the development of talented players between the ages of 19 and 25. The Academy will have five primary objectives:
Building capacity of players, support staff and high-performance resources.
Management of Talent.
Personal Development – develop the person first and then the player.
Demonstrate Best Practices, including recruitment, selection and preparation.
Accelerating Player Development and increasing readiness of players for international cricket.
The Selection Panel met and recommended the 15 players based on a formula which included consultations with each of the six Territorial Boards. Six reserves have also been selected as cover for players who may be selected for their franchises for regional competitions.
The first Emerging Players camp has several objectives and the main focus during the initial period will be to ensure the management of talent; players’ personal development – especially creating a breeding ground for leaders in the game; accelerating development – reinforcing the importance of knowledge on the physical components; as well as increasing the readiness of the players for the international stage – with a focus on specific skill sets identified by the Head Coach of the Senior Team.
“This is a massive opportunity for myself and all the other players involved. I can't wait to get to Antigua to get started and get involved. Being a player who has come through the West Indies Rising Stars U19 system and being at the senior white ball camp a few months back, this is a chance to further my skills. This will benefit all of us as we look to the future and I believe the camp will also help to build camaraderie,” said an eager Nyeem Young.
FULL SQUAD: Kevlon Anderson, Keagan Simmons, Kirk McKenzie, Kevin Wickham, Ackeem Auguste, Ramon Simmonds, McKenny Clarke, Johann Layne, Kelvin Pitman, Ashmead Nedd, Joshua Bishop, Nyeem Young, Joshua James, Leonardo Julien.
Reserves: Anderson Amurdan, Kimani Melius, Kirstan Kallicharan, Brad Barnes, Shaaron Lewis, and Camarie Boyce.
Jamaica’s Under-20 Reggae Boyz failed in their bid to advance to the semifinals of the Concacaf Men’s U-20 Championship and FIFA U-20 World Cup, following a 1-0 loss to qualifiers Dominica Republic.
In a match that saw few clearcut scoring opportunities, Ángel Montes got the all-important goal for the Dominican Republic in the 10th minute. From a throw-in, the forward slipped away from a napping defense and fired the ball wide of Jamaican goalkeeper Coniah Boyce Clarke.
The Dom Rep, who defended stoutly against a listless Jamaican attack, seemed to have doubled their lead headed to halftime but Edison Azcona’s 41st-minute strike was ruled to have been offside.
The Dominica Republic will now advance to play the winner of Guatemala and Mexico City in the competition’s semifinal. By virtue of making the final four, however, the team has advanced to the FIFA Under-20 World Cup for the first time in its history.
Newly appointed West Indies women’s team captain Hayley Matthews admits her new role will require plenty of learning on the job.
The 24-year-old all-rounder was named as captain of the Caribbean team last week, taking over from Stafanie Taylor who took charge of the team in 2015.
Matthews has been a rising star for the team over the last two years and was the most outstanding player for the West Indies women during the last ODI World Cup. However, leading a squad that still has quite a few veteran players, will be an entirely new experience.
“I’m still trying to balance being player and captain. As a player, I am still trying to perform as best as I can and lead by example. That’s something a captain needs to do, lead by example, 100 percent,” Matthews told the Mason and Guest show.
“I know my success as a player is very important to the team. Obviously going forward at the same time I am captain as well. It’s a lot to take on, it’s obviously a team first mentality and I have a lot of learning to do on the job.”
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has confirmed the international retainer contracts for the West Indies Men’s and Women’s players for the 2022-2023 season. A total of 36 players have been offered contracts for the period – which runs from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.
This is in addition to 90 players across the region who are contracted to Territorial Board Franchise Squads.
The West Indies Men’s contracted player list sees fast bowler Jayden Seales, left-arm seamer Obed McCoy and allrounder Odean Smith awarded international retainer contracts for the first time. The West Indies Women’s contracted player list sees allrounders Mandy Mangru and Jannillea Glasgow along with batter Rashada Williams awarded international retainer contracts for the first time, all of which are development contracts.
For 2022-23, CWI has changed the Men’s retainer contract structure to offer player contracts across all formats of cricket, compared to specific red or white-ball contracts in previous years. The offer of retainer contracts to all players follows an Evaluation Period of performances from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, which is also supported by statistics from the previous 2019 -2020 Evaluation Period. This allows for all players to be appraised immediately after the Evaluation Period and provides a notice period before new contracts start on 1 July 2022. The system is designed to reward hard work and performance results.
“Congratulations to all the players who have been offered contracts. We think this is a dynamic group, with the right mixture of experience and youthfulness to properly represent the people of the Caribbean. With general retainer contracts, it gives us a pool of talented and dedicated cricketers, who can take West Indies cricket forward in years to come,” said West Indies Men’s Lead Selector the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
West Indies Women’s Lead Selector, Ann Browne-John also offered her congratulations.
“The selectors have placed a great focus on the young developing players because these are the ones who will help to build the team as we look towards the future. The panel believes that the combination of experienced players and the emerging players will give a good base as we continue to prepare teams for international matches and the T20 World Cup early next year,” she said.
“I am delighted for all the players who have been offered retainers for the upcoming period. This represents a significant investment in the ongoing development of our international players whilst also ensuring our best players are available for selection,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
Full list of contracted players:
West Indies Men
Jermaine Blackwood
Nkrumah Bonner
Kraigg Brathwaite
Joshua Da Silva
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Rovman Powell
Kemar Roach
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Hayden Walsh Jr.
West Indies Women
*Denotes developmental contract
Aaliyah Alleyne
Shemaine Campbelle
Shamilia Connell
Deandra Dottin
Afy Fletcher
Cherry Ann Fraser *
Shabika Gajnabi *
Jannillea Glasgow *
Chinelle Henry
Mandy Mangru *
Hayley Matthews
Anisa Mohammed
Chedean Nation
Karishma Ramharack
Kaysia Schultz *
Shakera Selman
Stafanie Taylor
Rashada Williams*
West Indies batting star Chris Gayle will miss out on this year's edition of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in order to focus on the launch of the 6IXTY, a new format of the sport expected to make its debut in St Kitts and Nevis in August.
The tournament is set to feature six men’s teams and three women’s teams who will each battle for a version of the Universe Boss Trophy, which has been named in honour of the legendary T20 player.
The new format will see each team allotted ten overs to bat. In many respects, the game will look very different from the typical 10-over format. The teams will be allotted just six wickets instead of ten, a floating third powerplay will also be unlocked if the batting team manages to hit two sixes in the first two-over powerplay.
The fielding team will be allowed to bowl five consecutive overs from the same end instead of changing ends after every over. If a team fails to complete the overs during the allotted time of 45 minutes will a fielder will be excluded for the final six balls of the innings. The fans will also be directly involved and able to vote for a ‘mystery-free hit’.
“It is a great feeling to actually have a trophy named after The Universe Boss, something fantastic, and I am really and truly looking forward to it. I am sure people will ask if this is real, a trophy named for Chris Gayle. Yes, it is happening, and I am really happy about it. I am looking forward to all the innovations," Gayle said.
"I am looking forward to the mystery team ball and hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls to unlock a third PowerPlay over.”
In addition to taking part in the tournament, Gayle will also play the role of ambassador.
Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) Selection Panel on Tuesday announced the West Indies Men’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20 International Series and the three-match CG United One-Day International Series against Bangladesh.
Rovman Powell has been announced as the new Vice Captain for the T20Is while left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy returns after recovering from injuries. There are also recalls for experienced wicket-keeper batter Devon Thomas and allrounder Keemo Paul. In the CG United ODI Series squad, there is a call up for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.
“We know Rovman’s history. He has captained the West Indies before and is also the captain of his CPL franchise. Our role is to look at future leaders as well and we have identified a few, including himself, who we will be putting programmes around to ensure we keep them involved in that aspect of the cricket,” said lead selector Dr the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
“Thomas is a very versatile cricketer, who has been knocking on the door in all formats. He has been doing well in franchise cricket and with that level of talent, we must ensure we keep him interested. He brings a lot to the table and is basically a four-dimensional player, he can bat, bowl, he is brilliant in the field, and he can keep wicket as well. McCoy has done exceptionally well in the IPL and enjoyed a successful stint in England as well, so we are confident that he is back to his best in terms of playing and fitness. Generally, we have to start looking at the bigger picture of getting these players playing together as often as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later down in the year. We need to ensure we are fielding a very strong side for that tournament,” Haynes added.
The T20I Series opens with back-to-back matches on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July at the Windsor Park in Dominica. This will see a return to international cricket at the fully refurbished venue, where international cricket is being hosted for the first time since the hurricane damage of 2017. The Series climaxes with the third and final match on Tuesday, 7 July at the Guyana National Stadium. The CG United ODI Series will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, 10 July, Monday 13 July and Thursday, 16 July.
Online ticket sales are now live via the new WINDIES TICKETS service, presented by Mastercard, at www.tickets.windiestickets.com. Fans can purchase in advance without the need to travel to box offices to save tickets to their mobile phones which can then be presented for scanning at the stadium entrance. Fans who register for the WINDIES TICKETS service and purchase tickets will also receive offers and promotions for future games.
In Dominica, there is great excitement on the Nature Isle for the return of international cricket with tickets available in three price categories providing a range of viewing positions for every budget. Ticket prices range from US$6 (EC$15) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (EC$40) for the standard seats and US$25 (EC$70) premium seating in the Shillingford Stand.
In Guyana, the prices will range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands, as the fans in Guyana welcome the busiest “Summer of Cricket” to the South American mainland.
Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
FULL SQUADS
T20 Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Keemo Paul
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Devon Thomas
Hayden Walsh Jr.
Reserve: Dominic Drakes
One-Day Internationals
Nicholas Pooran (Captain)
Shai Hope (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Kaecy Carty
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Gudakesh Motie
Keemo Paul
Anderson Phillip
Rovman Powell
Jayden Seales
Reserve: Romario Shepherd
Lorenzo Insigne says his move to Major League Soccer side Toronto FC came about due to his need for a new challenge after spending his entire career with Napoli.
The Italy international agreed to join Toronto in January, going on to finish the 2021-22 Serie A season with 11 goals in 32 appearances for Luciano Spalletti's Napoli before heading to Canada.
Insigne scored 122 goals in 434 appearances for his hometown club, a tally which is only bettered by Dries Mertens (148) and represents seven goals more than the late, great Diego Maradona netted for the Partenopei (115).
Speaking at his first news conference in Toronto, Insigne refuted the suggestion that MLS represented a step down for a player of his quality.
Asked whether he had been presented with other options, Insigne said: "I didn't receive any [other] offers at that time. It was very early when I first met the president, and I still had my contract with Napoli. I could have stayed in Europe.
"I'm 31, so I still have many years in front of me, but I wanted to choose happiness and the wellbeing of my family.
"As I mentioned before, I won a lot with Napoli, and I lost as well. But I wanted a change and more importantly, a challenge, either in another European club or here in North America.
"I've heard people saying that soccer in North America is not real soccer, but I've seen it and it's not true.
"It is a challenge because of the move, but I'm really grateful to the opportunity the president gave me and the whole organisation has given me, and the love and the effort that everybody is putting into this. I'm very thankful, and I want to repay the love with my performances during the season."
Insigne joins a team that sits 11th in the Eastern Conference, but he is already targeting silverware.
"I am very happy to be here. This is a big and new adventure for me and my family, this is the first time we have been away from Napoli," he said.
"But it was a great choice, because when I first met the president, he talked to me about Toronto as a city and especially about the team.
"He struck me as a really great person, and the project that he explained to me about the team stuck with me.
"I made the decision, not for the money, but for a new life for my family and my kids, and for their wellbeing. The project is certainly a challenge, and I would like to be part of winning the championship.
"I played for Napoli for 10 years and for the Italian national team, winning the Euros. So, I don't have any problem with being under pressure, and I'd rather have my actions speak for me on the pitch."
Shericka Jackson sizzling performance on Sunday’s final day of Jamaica’s National Senior Championships made her the third fastest woman over 200m in history. Only Florence Girrifth-Joyner (21.34) and Elaine Thompson-Herah (21.53) have run faster than the 27-year-old Olympic bronze medallist.
The lifetime best 200m time also moved her above Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas as the best active combination sprinter in history by virtue of her times of 10.76 in the 100m, 21.55 and 49.47 in the 400m.
Only East Germany’s Marita Koch (10.83/21.71/47.60), Griffith-Joyner (10.49/21.34/50.89) and Marion Jones (10.65/21.62/49.59) are ranked higher than the affable Jamaica sprinter, who revealed that the jaw-dropping run on Sunday that left Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah (22.05) and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (22.140 trailing in her wake, was the result of a lot of hard work.
“I have been working really hard on running the curve. I wanted to do that and I know that once I ran that curve and execute properly, just to relax down the home stretch, I knew I would have run fast but this fast I never expected it but I am grateful,” she said afterwards.
The bad news for the rest of the world is that Jackson believes she has even more speed in those powerful legs of hers, the speed that the world is likely to see at the World Athletics Championships that begin in Eugene, Oregon on July 15.
“The curve is one of the things I want to master. I think I did pretty good tonight. So many mistakes made so I know definitely coach will correct them,” she said.
“I never wanted to put any pressure on myself. People out there will put pressure but listening to my coach, execute properly, I know I can go faster.”
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