Multiple Jamaican and Caribbean squash champion Chris Binnie has extended his sponsorship agreement with JN Fund Managers. The agreement was officially signed recently at JN Fund Managers, on Belmont Road in Kingston.
“I’m very grateful and thankful to JN Fund Managers, for signing on with me for another year,” said Binnie who has been impacted financially by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I have been with the company for three years, and they have been supportive during the time that my career took an upward path. Without them, it would have been difficult to have done that. Therefore, the support they have given me over the years has been invaluable. And, it is my hope that it will continue to be mutually beneficial going forward.”
He said he was looking forward to returning to competition by September or October this year, after being forced to take a break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m looking forward to getting back out there. I have been training again, full time and it is going to take some time to get back into shape and be competitive to be at the level I was, prior to COVID-19. I have faith and I’m committed,” he said.
Meanwhile, Allan Lewis, Managing Director of JN Fund Managers, said that the financial institution was happy to renew the sponsorship agreement with Binnie for another year.
“The Jamaica National Group is committed to being a leading performer among mixed conglomerates in the Caribbean and it is very important to the Board of Directors and team members that our performance benefits the people and communities wherever our member companies serve,” he said. “Chris is the leading male squash player from the English-speaking Caribbean and by encouraging and supporting him we hope he will be able to hone his craft and achieve even more success in competition.”
Binnie, who prior to the pandemic was ranked 65 in the world, is now training in Connecticut in the United States of America. “We have four guys in the camp, and one of them is ranked in the top 10, and another in the top 30. That is a good place to be so that I can aspire to attain their level,” he said.
Three arrested in alleged USD$1million fraud racket at Jamaica's Institute of Sports (INSPORTS); more arrests expected, police say
Jamaican investigators said more arrests are to be expected following fraud charges laid against three employees of the country’s Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) involving more than USD$1 million on Wednesday.
The Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) announced that they have arrested and charged three men in connection with a USD$1.45M (JMD$222m) fraud racket committed at the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) between 2011 and 2017.
The three – Andrew Wright, Rudolph Barnes and O’Neil Hope - have been charged with a variety of offences including conspiracy to defraud, acquisition, use and possession of criminal property, engaging in transactions involving criminal property and larceny as a servant.
Wright is the promoter of the internationally popular Chug IT and French Connection parties.
All three, MOCA said, are alleged to have been part of a team of former employees of INSPORTS, who wrote, signed and cashed fraudulent cheques for payees who were neither employees nor contracted workers of the entity.
The suspected fraud and other irregularities were detected by INSPORTS in 2017 during an examination of their financial records. The matter was then reported to MOCA triggering an investigation.
Major Basil Jarrett, MOCA’s Director of Communication, expects that there will be additional arrests in connection with the case. “These arrests are the first set of arrests as MOCA currently has warrants out for several other individuals,” said Barrett, who in a statement praised MOCA’s partners, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) the Financial Investigations Division (FID) and Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ), for the critical role they played in the investigations.
“These types of investigations are complex undertakings requiring thoroughness and collaboration so it took a meticulous approach, led by MOCA’s investigative teams, to examine all the leads and uncover all the evidence required to make these arrests and bring these charges”.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Sports Minister Olivia Grange said the arrests are an indication of the efforts to regularize operations at INSPORTS since she assumed responsibility for the entity in 2016.
“I have noted the arrests and charges brought by the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency as part of a long-running investigation into serious irregularities that took place several years ago at the Institute of Sports. I await the outcome of the process,” she said.
“On my return to government in 2016, I received a Special Audit of the Institute of Sports by the Auditor General, which showed an organization that was continually breaking the law, badly managed and in need of urgent transformation.
I understand that the arrests and charges are linked to that period when INSPORTS was considered a rogue agency.
Under our watch, the Institute of Sports is a completely transformed agency with improved internal controls, is well-run and delivering its mandate of developing sports at the grassroots.”
AGI emerge champions of KPMG Squash League
AGI (Advantage General Insurance) defeated Almost Capable 2-1 in the final of the KPMG Squash League recently at the Liguanea Club in Kingston to be crowned league champion.
AGI’s Julian Morrison defeated Almost Capable's top player Adam Lee 3-1 (10-21, 21-18, 21-20, 21-20) to give his team an early lead. Tahjia Lumley secured the title when he beat Alan Roper 3-0 (21-18, 21-15, 21-18) in their best of five match-up.
With the title already lost, Daniel Chung clawed back some pride when he beat Stephan Morrison 2 -1 (21-18, 15-21, 21-18).
"Firstly the entire KPMG League was a successful league. I think it was a very good opportunity for everybody who’s playing to be able test their skills at deficit - playing better players,” said Morrison the AGI captain afterwards.
"I love it. I think it was great. I think that everybody played well throughout the entire thing because everybody has gotten through with three-game win.”
Cereal Killers, who lost to AGI in the semi-final, was third while Big Shot was the plate winner that was decided between the top two losing teams. AGI's Dave Morrison was named the Most Valuable Player.
President of the Jamaica Squash Association, Karen Anderson was pleased with how the tournament played out.
"It was fantastic. It brings out everything, the competitiveness, the sportsmanship, the cheering for the underdog, the underdog trying to bring down the big gun,” she said.
“The uniqueness of the event (the handicap system of play) is what makes it and what captures people's enjoyment with it and so we are very excited about the tournament."
Anderson said that the league was very important for the game locally, especially for the juniors who get to play against various types of players at different skill levels as they prepare for the upcoming Caribbean Championships.
According to Rajan Trehan, country managing partner of title sponsor KPMG, "We are thrilled with how the tournament went. I think the format of the game is so interesting. This along with the junior trials and the senior trials within the time period of this tournament, has really given the juniors a lot of practice and given them a basis to step up their game. I think the timing is just perfect for this tournament."
Kingston College dominates to secure 34th Boys title, Hydel beat Edwin Allen by two points to secure first Girls crown at ISSA Boys and Girls Championships
Kingston College and Hydel High emerged as the respective Boys and Girls title as the 2023 ISSA Grace Kennedy Boys and Girls Championships came to an end at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday.
For KC, it is a second consecutive title and their 34th overall while for Hydel, it is a first title breaking an incredibly dominant eight-year run for Edwin Allen.
KC finished with 366 points, comfortably ahead of runner-up Jamaica College (299 points) while the top five was rounded out by Calabar (207 points), St. Jago (118.5 points) and STETHS (116 points).
Hydel finished with 279 points to top the Girls standings by only two points ahead of former champions Edwin Allen while the rest of the top five was rounded out by Holmwood Technical (202 points), St. Jago High (178 points) and St. Catherine High (116 points).
Some of the standout performances on the final day included Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon complete the Class 2 100m-110m hurdles double by running 13.42 to claim gold ahead of KC’s Kahiem Carby (13.59) and Daniel Clarke (13.80).
St. Jago secured the top two places in the Class 1 final through Demario Prince (13.42) and Andre Harris (13.79) while JC’s Daniel Beckford ran 13.83 for third.
St. Jago also had success in the Class 3 100m hurdles as Marquies Page ran 13.38 for victory ahead of Vere Technical’s Shawn Palmer (13.40) and St. George’s College’s Jahzi Walters (13.62).
World Under-20 silver medallist Alexis James of Petersfield ran 13.39 for victory in the Girls Class 1 100m hurdles ahead of St. Catherine High’s Asharria Ulett (13.59) and Edwin Allen’s Tonie-Ann Forbes (13.61).
In Class 2, Hydel’s Jody-Ann Daley completed an unprecedented 400m, 100m hurdles double by running 13.70 for victory ahead of St. Jago’s Bryana Davidson (13.89) and Excelsior’s Shelley-Ann Taylor (13.92).
The Class 3 80m hurdles was won by Wolmer’s Girls’ Tiana Marshall in 11.29. St. Catherine’s Akeelah Ellis ran 11.48 for second while Edwin Allen’s Angel Robinson ran 11.52 for third.
Wolmer’s Girls also took top spot in the Class 4 70m hurdles through Jadea Harris who ran 11.05 to narrowly beat Immaculate’s Ayanna Blake (11.08) while Excelsior’s Cordelia Gabbidon ran 11.30 for third.
In the field, KC’s Daijon Budhai threw 47.40m for gold in the Class 2 Boys discus ahead of Denzel Phillips of JC (45.98m) and Clarendon College’s Jospeh Salmon (43.33m).
JC’s Jaidi James took gold in the Class 2 Boys high jump with a clearance of 1.95m. Jonathan Grant’s Michael Neil was second with 1.90m while Kabiki Thomas of Wolmer’s Boys was third with 1.90m.
Three men were clear of 2.05m in the Class 1 Boys high jump, with KC’s Aaron McKenzie coming out on top ahead of JC’s Chavez Penn and St. Mary High’s Ovane Williams.
Moving into the 4x100m relays, the Class 1 Boys event was won by overall champions Kingston College in 40.01 ahead of St. Jago (40.40) and Edwin Allen (40.59).
Calabar took the crown in Class 2 in 40.41 ahead of KC (40.58) and St. Elizabeth Technical (40.74) while St. Jago won in Class 3 in 43.11 ahead of Wolmer’s Boys (43.12) and KC (43.21).
Hydel ran 44.33 for victory in the Girls Class 1 Girls final ahead of Edwin Allen (44.77) and Holmwood Technical (45.71).
Class 2 also saw Hydel take the title in 45.01 ahead of St. Jago (45.95) and Holmwood Technical (46.43).
Wolmer’s Girls continued their excellent Class 3 showing at the championships by winning the final in 45.81 ahead of Excelsior (46.41) and Edwin Allen (46.72).
Mount Alvernia won an extremely exciting Class 4 final in 48.54 ahead of Holmwood Technical (48.59) and St. Jago (48.83).
In the final Girls event of the championships, Edwin Allen won in 3:31.78 ahead of Hydel (3:34.57) and Holmwood Technical (3:36.46). Hydel entered the race with a four-point lead over Edwin Allen knowing a medal would secure their maiden hold on the title.
Jamaica College ran 3:09.31 to win the Boys 4x400m ahead of Edwin Allen (3:10.09) and Kingston College (3:11.46).
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