(From left) Malachi Austin, Narissa McPherson, Tianna Springer and Javon Roberts share a photo opportunity with coach Julian Edmonds after setting a new 4x400m Mixed Relays record at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.
Inews Guyana
Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana brought the curtains down on the Commonwealth Youth Games in fine style, with the latter establishing one of three new records on Thursday’s final day of the six-day spectacle in Trinidad and Tobago.
While the twin island republic won a few medals to improve their tally and finished seventh on the medal table as the highest ranked Caribbean nation, Guyana’s record-breaking feat, handed them a second gold medal which saw them end 11th on the standing.
Trinidad’s 15 medals, includes four gold, five silver and six bronze, with Guyana tallying two gold, one silver and one bronze. Cayman Islands was 10th with two gold, one silver and three bronze, while Jamaica, which had no competitor on the final day, placed 13th with their two gold and two bronze.
The Guyanese team of Malachi Austin, Narissa McPherson, Javon Roberts and Tianna Springer Guyana topped the 4X400m Mixed Relay in 3:22.07. That bettered the previous Commonwealth Youth Games Record of 3:25.08, set by Australia in 2017.
They won ahead of England (3:22.29s) and Australia (3:26.23).
It was a Nigeria one-two in the women’s 200m final where Faith Okwose (23.36s), bettered her compatriot Justina Eyakpobeyan (23.47s), with Antigua and Barbuda’s La’nica Locker (23.56s), taking bronze.
Nigeria also topped the men’s event courtesy of Samuel Uchenna Ogazi, who stopped the clock in 21.22s, some way ahead of Scotland’s Dean Patterson (21.45s) and England’s Rusciano Thomas-Riley (21.59s).
The West African country also had success in the 4X100m Mixed Relay, as the team comprising Okwose, Eyakpobeyan and Ogazi, won in a Commonwealth Youth Games Record of 42.68s. They lowered the previous best of 43.19s set by Australia in 2017.
England (42.71s) and Trinidad and Tobago (42.77s), were second and third, with Jamaica (42.95s), just missing out on a medal.
Phoebe Gill of England clocked a new Commonwealth Youth Games Record of 2:02.30 in winning the women’s 800m final. She lowered the previous mark of 2:04.23 set by South Africa’s Caster Semenya in 2008.
India’s Asha Kiran Barla (2:04.99) and Fleur Cooper (2:05.86) of Australia, were second and third, respectively.
Kenya’s Kelvin Koech won the men’s event in 1:50.14, ahead of Miles Waterworth (1:52.21) of England and Caleb McLeod (1:52.83) of Scotland. Keeran Sriskandarajah (1:59.89) of Trinidad and Tobago, finished eighth.
Australia’s Toby Stolberg (1.78m) and Izobelle Louison-Roe (1.75m) placed first and third in the women’s high jump final, separated by England’s Thea Brown, who also cleared 1.78m, but had to settle for silver on the count back.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne (1.70m) was fifth and Mikayla Gumbs (1.60) of St Kitts and Nevis, seventh, while and Jah’kyla Morton of British Virgin Islands, failed to register a mark.
The men’s javelin throw was won by South Africa’s Willem Jansen, who was a cut above rivals with a mark of 79.85m. England’s Tom Rutter (67.54m) and India’s Arjun Arjun (65.94m) took the next two medals, as Grenada’s Rayvohn Telesford (65.65m), just missed the podium.
In Para- Athletics action, Australia’s Jackson Love (4.86m) and Ori Drabkin (4.62m) finished first and second in the men’s T-38 long jump, with William Bishop (4.44m) of Wales, in third.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s Makaira Wallace, added two medals to her country’s tally and Syndel Samaroo, added another, at the National Cycling Velodrome.
Wallace won bronze in the women’s 500m Time Trial, after she clocked 36.791. She finished behind Australia’s Liliya Tatarinoff (36.023) and Sarah Johnson (36.214) of Scotland.
The positions were reversed in the women’s Keirin, with Wallace (12.309), placing second behind Johnson (11.969), while Tatarinoff (12.367), finishing third on that occasion.
Samaroo was third in the men’s Keirin. He clocked 11.620 behind Australia’s Tayte Ryan (11.392) and Darwish Muhd Sanusi (11.462) of Malaysia. Another Trinidadian Raul Garcia was fourth.
Earlier, New Zealand topped both the men’s and women’s beach volleyball competition at the Black Rock Facility. The team of Tineke Hinton and Kiana Stevenson defeated Kenya 2-0, while the men’s team of Calum Stewart and Juraj Krajci, were 2-1 winners over Cyprus.
Canada took bronze in both sections with identical 2-0 victories over Australia and England, respectively.
In Fast5 netball, Trinidad and Tobago finished seventh after bettering St Vincent and the Grenadines 25-13. Australia won gold with a 39-29 win over South Africa, while England took bronze by defeating Scotland 34-29, as the Shaw Park complex.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Caribbean teams face tough draws for Netball World Youth Cup
The road to the Netball World Youth Cup 2025 has officially begun, as Caribbean representatives Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados now know their opponents for the tournament, which will see 20 of the world’s top under-21 netball teams vying for supremacy on the international stage.
With 10 months to go before the September 19–28 showpiece in Gibraltar, Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls, as well as the young Barbados Gems and Calypso Girls, will intensify preparations as they have tough draws to navigate.
Jamaica’s young Sunshine Girls have been drawn into a competitive Pool C alongside powerhouse England, Tonga, Wales, and Sri Lanka. It’s a challenging group, but one that Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson believes they will be well-prepared for.
“We know the quality of our opponents, especially England, who are always strong at the youth level. However, we will be ensuring that the girls preparation is very thorough, as we have every intention of possibly making a deep run in this tournament. So the focus of the preparation will be on fine-tuning strategies and sharpening the team’s physical and mental readiness in the build-up to the World Cup,” Robinson told SportsMax.Tv.
While Jamaica, having established itself as a powerhouse in senior netball, aims to carry that momentum into the youth competition. For Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, this tournament represents an opportunity to showcase their developing talent and challenge more seasoned teams on the global stage.
This, as Tuesday’s draw pitted Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados in Pool D, where they face an equally formidable lineup. They will go up against Fiji, South Africa, and Malawi—teams known for their athleticism and tactical prowess.
Meanwhile, Pool A will see host Gibraltar square off against defending champions New Zealand, Malaysia, the Cook Islands, and Zambia.
Australia, Samoa, Scotland, Singapore, and Northern Ireland will contest Pool B.
The initial pools further highlighted the global diversity of the competition, with at least three teams from each of World Netball’s five regions—Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Oceania—represented.
Games will be played at the Europa Point Sports Complex and Tercentenary Sports Hall in Gibraltar.
World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl, DBE, emphasized the importance of the tournament for young athletes.
“This competition is often the first time many players experience different styles of play from across the globe. The NWYC is a platform for emerging elite talent, and we are excited to see what new matchups and experiences await,” Nicholl said.
Dwight Yorke backs push for T&T’s citizenship reform to boost Soca Warriors’ World Cup bid
Soca Warriors Head coach Dwight Yorke has warmly embraced the government’s initiative to review the nation’s citizenship laws, a move that could significantly bolster his squad's depth and aspirations for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The proposed changes, currently under discussion, would allow foreign-based players with Trinidad and Tobago-born grandparents to represent the Twin Island Republic, a significant step up from the current Constitution, which states that “A person shall not become a citizen of T&T if, at the time of his birth—(a) neither of his parents is a citizen of T&T.”
This adjustment could expand the Soca Warriors player pool and, by extension, create new opportunities for Trinidad and Tobago to remain competitive on the global stage across various sports.
Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis explained that steps are being taken to explore legislative reforms.
The Ministry of National Security, the Office of the Attorney General, and the TT Football Association (TTFA) are also involved in discussions about the initiative to draw insights from policies in other Caribbean nations.
“We’re starting with football. We are exploring the policies of our neighbours and the legislation to work out an arrangement suitable for T&T. So we’re at the discussion stage right now,” Cudjoe-Lewis said during Yorke’s unveiling recently.
“For the drafters of the legislation and the persons looking at the policy, it’s a little more complicated, and a proper, thorough study on policy development must be done. It’s not something you want to rush,” she added.
Although a timeline for implementation has not been established, the initiative has already sparked interest across Trinidad and Tobago’s broader sporting community, with other national sporting organizations inquiring about similar eligibility expansions for their athletes.
“As we started looking at football, many of the other sporting bodies started reaching out, saying they want to be able to use persons whose grandparents were born in T&T for them to be able to play for national teams,” Cudjoe-Lewis shared.
“You have to pass the legislation and the policy in such a way that it is fair and just. We’re starting with football, and we are just looking at and exploring the policy of our neighbours and the legislation, so we’re at the discussion stage right now,” she stressed.
Yorke, a former Soca Warriors and Manchester United stalwart, understands the potential impact such reforms could have but emphasized that any additions to the squad must be carefully considered to ensure they fit seamlessly into the team’s long-term strategy.
He referenced the success of global football powerhouses like France, England, and Germany, which have leveraged similar eligibility rules to assemble world-class teams.
“It’s been talked about, and we’ve seen over the years where other teams, predominantly big teams in world football, all have some type of inheritance. We are looking at the situation, one that we will implement at some point, but it has to be the right players to come into the equation,” Yorke said.
Yorke also praised the December restart of the TT Premier Football League, which he believes will serve as a proving ground for local talent with national team ambitions.
“For the players who have aspirations of representing T&T, it gives them additional incentive when they get out there to know what’s at stake. Any young man who is playing at that level should have aspiration to be part of the national team.
“So that’s the message. In terms of me, Russell Latapy, Derek King (assistant coaches), and the backroom staff, we’re collectively looking for the best talent in the country,” Yorke declared.
Gudakesh Motie joins Guyana Amazon Warriors for inaugural Global Super League
Guyanese spinner Gudakesh Motie has been named as part of the Guyana Amazon Warriors squad for the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), scheduled to run from November 26 to December 7, 2024. Motie, a consistent performer for the Warriors since his debut in 2021, will bring his experience and skill to a formidable squad as they compete for a US$1 million prize fund.
Motie’s contributions have been integral to the Amazon Warriors’ success over the years. In the recently concluded 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), he emerged as the team’s leading wicket-taker, claiming 17 wickets at an impressive average of 18.64. His consistency helped propel the Warriors to the CPL final, continuing his strong form from the previous year when they clinched the championship in 2023.
The 29-year-old spinner joins a talented roster of Guyanese players, including Shimron Hetmyer, Romario Shepherd, and Keemo Paul, as the Amazon Warriors prepare to face off against international teams Hampshire Hawks, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders, and Victoria.
The Global Super League marks a significant development in international T20 cricket, with the tournament drawing teams from around the world to Guyana’s National Stadium at Providence. Over 11 matches, the participating teams will battle for the title and a share of the lucrative prize pool.
As a local star with international pedigree, Motie’s inclusion strengthens the Amazon Warriors’ chances in this inaugural competition. The spinner is known for his ability to control the game in the middle overs, a skill that will be crucial against top-tier opposition in the GSL.
Motie, along with the rest of the Amazon Warriors squad, will aim to leverage home advantage as they seek to make history in this first-of-its-kind tournament. The Global Super League promises to showcase the best of T20 cricket while providing a platform for local talent to shine on the international stage.
Fans of the Amazon Warriors and cricket enthusiasts across Guyana are eagerly awaiting the action-packed tournament, which is expected to further elevate the region’s reputation as a hub for world-class cricket.
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