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• Webster hits 95* as defending champions Red Force move to two wins from two with seven-wicket victory over Volcanoes at Brian Lara Cricket Academy

  Hosts and defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force comfortably defeated the Windward Islands Volcanoes by seven wickets at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Friday to move to two wins out of two this season.

  The Red Force first restricted the Volcanoes to 182 all out off 45 overs after winning the toss and bowling first.

  Joshua James, Yannic Cariah and Anderson Phillip all took two-wicket hauls for the Red Force while Jeremy Solozano and Sunil Ambris each made 47 for the Volcanoes.

  The Red Force then needed only 38 overs to reach 186-3 and secure their second win in as many games this season.

  Tion Webster led the way with the bat with 95* off 115 balls including 14 fours and one six while Amir Jangoo hit 31.

  Captain Joshua Da Silva finished 21* alongside Webster.

  Full Scores:

  Windward Islands Volcanoes 182 off 45 overs (Sunil Ambris 47, Jeremy Solozano 47, Joshua James 2-15, Anderson Phillip 2-21, Yannic Cariah 2-35)

  Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 186-3 off 38 overs (Tion Webster 95*, Amir Jangoo 31)

  The Red Force will next play the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at the same venue on Sunday while the Volcanoes will next play the Jamaica Scorpions at the Queen’s Park Oval on Tuesday.

   

• 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championship launched

  The Jamaica Golf Association (JGA) launched the prestigious 57th Jamaica Open Golf Championship on Thursday at the Constant Spring Golf Club in Kingston. 

  The championship will be held at the picturesque Tryall Golf Club in Hanover for the fifth consecutive year from November 10 to 12 while the pro-am tournament is scheduled for November 9 with an 8:30 am start.

  It will feature the majority of the pros and the amateurs playing in teams, to share skills, generate camaraderie and introduce the course to the overseas based golfers. 

  Sixty players from United States of America (USA), Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda, and host country Jamaica have completed their registration already, including the defending champion, professional Andrew Arft of the USA.

  The playing format will be stroke play, 18 holes each day for a total of 54 holes. 

  “We are expecting a very successful event. Based on the entries so far, we have surpassed last year’s numbers. The difficulty we had with this tournament in terms of entries was from the pandemic, the numbers have been rising but have not gotten back to the level that they were,” said organizing committee chairman Peter Chin.

  “We are hopeful every year to increase the prize money because that is what attracts the top professional golfers. The prize money this year if we have a full field is US$110,000,” added Chin.

  The honouree for this year’s event is Johnny Bloomfield who won the Jamaica Open three times.

  JGA president Jodi Munn-Barrow expounded on the choice of Bloomfield as honouree.

  “Johnny is the only one to win three consecutive Jamaica Opens on two different golf courses. He won his first one at Caymanas (2006) and then the last two (2008 and 2009) at Half Moon Golf Course when we had it at Half Moon. So that itself is a feat. Seymour Rose is another three-time winner but not consecutively so we thought it was just right to award him as the honouree this year for that feat.” 

  She said that the Tryall Golf Course was “excellent as usual."

  "I got word from them that they are ready to go. The superintendent is on top of the preparations. The rough will be grown in again like last year so it will make it a little bit more difficult for the pros and the amateurs but Tryall is challenging on its own and if the wind comes up it will be even much harder so I think Tryall is the perfect spot for championships such as the Jamaica Open.” 

  Two of the sponsors, Tourism Enhancement Fund and Sports Development Foundation were represented by Dr. Carey Wallace and Alan Beckford respectively. They endorsed the open. 

  Wallace, executive director of TEF said “golf tourism is of course an important diamond amongst diamonds that we have here in Jamaica and so investing in this tournament which is an international tournament, in fact it is the number one international tournament here in Jamaica for golf. We believe that it is necessary for us to support the outstanding associations, stakeholders that are putting it together for them to have the resources to take it to higher levels.”

  Beckford, the SDF’s general manager said “the Sports Development Foundation has historically supported the sport of golf and it goes more than just supporting the golf federation. We also have had a summer camp that we have supported in collaboration with Insports and we have had this camp for a number of years where we have students from the community around Caymanas Golf Course coming out to participate in the camp. We have sponsored a pro-am tournament a couple of years as well too so we see golf to be a very important sport among the sports in Jamaica. We think it’s an excellent sport and we wish them the best with this tournament.” 

  Aqua Bay Resort returns as presenting sponsor for the fifth consecutive year. The major sponsors include the TEF, Tryall, JTB, Jamaica Tours, Grand Palladium, SDF and Vybwear while the product sponsors are Wata, Juici Patties, Café Blue, Honey Bun and Rainforest.

   

   

• Ready to shine: Zaudi Green, Tiffany Langley share expectations as Sunshine Girls brace for Fast5 challenge

  When Zaudi Green and Tiffany Langley boarded their flight bound for New Zealand on Friday, their hearts were filled with more than the anticipation of travel—they were carrying high expectations of a Sunshine Girls team, aiming to give a good account at the Fast5 Netball World Series and make Jamaica proud.

  Green and Langley are part of a young and relatively untested squad stepping onto one of netball’s most electrifying stages, but despite the inexperience, the pair exude a calm assurance that they’re ready for the task ahead. The opportunity for these players to make their mark opened up as the more experienced players from the Netball World Cup bronze medal-winning team prepare to lock horns with England in the four-match Vitality Horizon series.

  “The mood in the camp is very vibrant and filled with love and togetherness as our bond grows stronger each day as we head into the tournament. Our goal is to give a performance that will make Jamaicans proud,” Green, a defensive standout, told SportsMax.Tv.

  “We know that people might think our lack of experience puts us at a disadvantage, but we’ve trained hard and have all the faith in our abilities,” she added.

  

  This year's Fast5 series, like previous editions, promises to be fiercely competitive, bringing together six of the world’s top netballing nations—New Zealand, Australia, England, Jamaica, South Africa, and Uganda—in Christchurch for two days of action on November 9-10.

  Competing against established and formidable powerhouses, the Sunshine Girls task of getting on the podium will by no means be easy. Still, Green and Langley’s confidence is unshaken, driven by an eagerness to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish.

  “We’re coming with everything we’ve got,” declared Langley, a quick-footed centre, who brings speed and vision to the squad’s offensive game.

  “We’ve been pushing ourselves in every training session, knowing that each moment counts when you’re up against teams like Australia, England, and New Zealand. We know our capabilities, and now it’s just about executing when we’re out on that court,” she shared.

  Although Fast5 netball has a faster pace and modified scoring rules that often require strategic adjustments, both players believe the Sunshine Girls are ready to embrace the challenge.

  The Jamaican style—a blend of speed, agility, and flair—suits the tournament format, and Green and Langley believe they can make it work to their advantage.

  

  In fact, Head coach Dalton Hinds and his assistant Nardia Hanson, have emphasized teamwork, resilience, and adaptability as essential skills for the youthful team to succeed.

  “The coaches have really instilled confidence in us, so even with the challenges we face as a younger squad, we’re well-prepared to handle anything that comes our way. The last few days of training have been intense and productive as we worked on fine-tuning some key areas to ensure that we are ready for the task at hand,” Green stated.

  For Green, 25, the chance to represent her country on this international stage is a personal triumph and an opportunity to inspire young netballers back home.

  “I am hoping to perform well to make my mark as a new member of the squad. From a team perspective, it’s about making a statement and rising above expectations because we want the younger players to see that they, too, can reach the international stage if they work hard and believe in themselves,” the bubbly player noted.

  Meanwhile, Langley, 24, welcomed the dynamics of the Fast5 format, which will provide both a mental and physical test.

  “It’s a unique challenge, but we’re ready to adapt. We’ve done a lot of work to ensure we give a good account of ourselves, and we want to go home with heads held high, knowing we gave our best and represented our country with pride,” she ended.

  Squad: Shadine Bartley, Paula-Ann Burton, Simone Gordon, Zaudi Green, Tiffany Langley, Roxanna McLean, Amanda Pinkney, Kimone Shaw, Kestina Sturridge, Corneilia Walters