It was always expected to be two hard-fought encounters to decide the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the 28th edition of the Senior Caribbean Championships, and both lived up to billing, as the Barbados pair of Khamal Cumberbatch and Margot Prow claimed top honours in Cayman Islands on Tuesday.

Cumberbatch and Cameron Stafford of the hosts nation entered the one-week tournament as top seeds in the men’s draw and, so it was no surprise that they locked horns in a keenly contested best-of-five final, which the former won 3-2.

The ding-dong battle which lasted 47 minutes, saw Stafford winning the first game 11-6, before Cumberbatch rallied to win the second 11-3. The Cayman Islands top man again found himself in front winning the third game 11-9, but Cumberbatch asserted authority in the last two games to win 11-9, 11-3.

Predictions were that the women’s showpiece would have been an all-Guyana battle between Nicolette Fernandes and Ashley Khalil, but Prow had other ideas, as she bettered Khalil in the semi-final to set up the gold medal battle with Fernandes.

And the Bajan proved superior to her Guyanese counterpart in the Best-of-five final, registering a 3-1 win. She won the first set 11-7, before Fernandes rallied to take the second 11-9, but Prow, like her compatriot Cumberbatch, showed class at the backend to win the next two games 11-9 and 11-7.

Earlier, Julian Jervis and Stafford, handed Cayman Islands the Men’s Doubles gold medal, as they battled to a come-from-behind 11-7, 11-5 win over the Barbadian pair of Cumberbatch and Shawn Simpson in an entertaining finale. Cumberbatch and Simpson won the first set 7-11.

To get to the finals, both pairs had to endure almost hour-long battles in their respective semi-final encounters, Cumberbatch and Simpson moreso, as they had to come from behind to better the Jamaican pair of Bruce Burrowes and Julian Morrison 11-9, 11-8, after losing the first set 9-11.

While the Cayman duo’s battle against Guyana’s Daniel Ince and Jason-Ray Khalil lasted 48 minutes, they won 2-0 with scores of 11-9, 11-10.

In the Women’s Doubles, Guyana secured gold courtesy of top seeded Ashley Khalil and Ashley De Groot, who justified favouritism with a come-from-behind 11-5, 11-9 win over the second seeded Cayman Islands pair of Jade Pitcarin and Marlene West, who won the opening set 11-4.

Khalil and De Groot had earlier bettered Barbadians Karen Meakins and Margot Prow 11-5, 5-11, 11-5 in a competitive three-set battle lasting just over half-hour, while Pitcarin and West got by the Jamaican duo of Karen Anderson and Mia Todd, 11-9, 11-6.

Jamaica’s Tahjia Lumley and Jessica Davis copped the Mixed Doubles title by virtue of a walkover. The reason for such an outcome remains unclear, as the Jamaicans were expected to face the number two seeded Guyanese pair of Jason-Ray Khalil and Nicolette Fernandes in the showpiece event.

After entering the event as the number five seed, the Jamaicans registered an 11-5, 11-2 win over the Trinidad and Tobago pair of Anthony Allum and Faith Gillezeau, and later scored a two-set 11-5, 11-5 win over top seeded pair of Alex Frazer and Michaela Rensburg of the host nation, on their way to the final.

Meanwhile, Khalil and Fernandes bettered the Barbadian pair of Darien Benn and Jada Smith-Padmore 11-5, 11-8, on their way to the final.

The tournament continues with team action on Wednesday.

Canada’s Woodbine racetrack’s handle on Sunday’s 13-race card of CAN$18.12 million was a record for a King’s or Queen’s Plate card at Woodbine, surpassing the previous record of CAN$18.00 set in 2019.

“The first King’s Plate in 72 years was an incredible event in every way,” Woodbine Entertainment CEO Jim Lawson said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It resulted in an all-time wagering record. Thank you to our customers and to the Woodbine team for hosting an iconic social and sporting event.”

There were several factors that contributed to the record, including a field of 17 in the King’s Plate, the cancellation of racing at Del Mar (California) on Sunday, a rare pick five carryover, and mandatory payouts on both the Jackpot High 5 and the Jackpot Pick 6.

With Patrick Husbands aboard for champion trainer Mark Casse, Paramount Prince won the 164th running of King’s Plate at 8-1 odds by a length and a half over his more fancied stablemate Elysian Field (9-2), giving the 50-year-old Barbadian rider his third winner in the CAN$1 million Plate Classic, after Wando in 2003 and Lexie Lou in 2014.

The record day was big for Barbados as jockey Rico Walcott and trainer Renico Lafond also had stakes wins on the card.

 

Bahamas remains in firm control of the 27th Goodwill Swimming Championships, as they have accounted for a number of the 45 records broken so far and rightly heads both the points and medals standings heading into Sunday's final day.

With Siann Isaacs leading their record charge on Friday's opening day, the Bahamians picked up where they left off and were responsible for 14 of the 25 records broken on an action-packed second day of action at the National Aquatics Centre on Saturday.

By virtue of their exploits, Bahamas heads the combined standings with 993.5 points, almost 200 points ahead of Jamaica on 785.5, with Trinidad and Tobago (645 points) in third.

Barbados (523 points), Suriname (380.5 points), St Lucia (140.5 points) and Grenada (three points), round off the table.

On the medals card, Bahamas have so far secured 91 medals (42 gold, 28 silver and 21 bronze), ahead of Barbados (16 gold, 12 silver and 12 bronze), followed by Trinidad and Tobago (13 gold, 11 silver and 14 bronze) and Jamaica (10 gold, 21 silver and 26 bronze). Suriname (four gold, 11 silver and eight bronze) and St Lucia (two silver and three bronze) are next.

With the hype and anticipation surrounding the three-day meet, the Caribbean's young sensations were never out to disappoint and much like she did on the first day, Isaacs, who has been in impressive form, again made the first splash where the record count is concerned on Saturday.

Isaacs led a Bahamas one-three finish in the girls' 11-12 200m individual medley (IM). She won in 2:46.69 to lower the previous mark of 2:49.17 set by Kaeyn Djoparto in 2019, finishing ahead of Suriname's Elya Powdar (2:48.15) and compatriot Samirah Donaldson (2:55.00).

Suriname's Joshua Busropan accounted for the boys' 13-14 200m IM record, clocking 2:27.72 which lowered the previous best of 2:28.77 set by Curaçao's Reyan Holder in 2019. He won ahead of the Jamaican pair of Matthew Kennedy (2:29.32) and Julian Willoughby (2:30.56).

The 50m freestyle sequence offer much excitement with Kaija Eastmond of Barbados topping the girls' 9-10 event in 30.09s. That time erased the old mark of 30.28s set by Trinidad and Tobago's Keryn Burke in 2019. 

Taylen Nicolls (30.39s) of Bahamas and Aliyah Greaves (30.66s), also of Barbados, took the minor placing.

Nitayo Knowles of Bahamas also clocked a record 29.15s to win the boys' 9-10 event. He bettered Liam Carrington's previous time of 29.54s, as he turned back the challenge of Jamaican duo Noah Parker (30.69s) and Joel Sinclair (31.12s).

Christin-Alyssa Clarke (29.53s) led home Isaacs (29.93s) in a Bahamas one-two finish in the girls' 11-12 event, with Jamaica's Zuri Coke (30.02s) in third. Clarke's winning time erased the 30.23s set by Jamaica's Rebekah King in 2019.

The boys' 11-12 event also saw a record-breaking performance from Sean-Verno Dipokromo (27.31s) of Suriname. His winning time shattered the 27.83s which Guyana's Jaleel Anderson set in 2019.

Trinidad and Tobago's Shian Griffiths (28.07s) and Elliot Reid (28.22s) of Barbados, were second and third respectively. 

Renae Chung (28.24s) and Noire Hunter (28.88s) secured a one-three finish for Jamaica in the girls' 13-14 event, separated by Ayoka Martin (28.35s) of Barbados.

Jamaica's Willoughby continued the record-breaking exploits in the boys' 13-14 event when he clocked 25.83s to lower 26.11s set by another Jamaican Nyles Davis in 2019. Busropan (26.18s) of Suriname and Lenin Hamilton (26.24s) of Bahamas, were second and third.

Bahamas won the girls' 15-17 event courtesy of Lauren Bridgewater (28.64s) ahead of Trinidad and Tobago's Zahara Alexander (28.73s) and Asha Davis (29.12s) of Jamaica. 

The Bahamians celebrations intensified after the boys' 15-17 event, as Tristin Ferguson (24.35s) led a sweep with compatriots Caleb Ferguson (24.81s) and Zion Gibson (25.69s) joins him on the podium. The winning time erased the old mark of 28.54s set by Suriname's Hendrik Powdar in 2019.

From there, the swimmers moved into the 100m breaststroke sequence where a number of athletes, namely, Eastmond, Donaldson and Willoughby, among others again etched their names in the record books, before moving into the 50m butterfly sequence. 

During that quick sprint, the outstanding Bajan Eastmond again topped rivals in record time, with Clarke of Bahamas, Brandon Balfour of the twin island republic and Jamaica's captain Khiara Roomes, also getting in on the action.

And much like they started the day, Bahamas brought the curtains down on day two on a high, topping the girls' and boys' 15-17 400m freestyle relays in record times.

The team of Bridgewater, Grace Farrington, Tia-Isabella Adderley and Bianca Johnson clocked 4:17.23 in victory, smashing 4:28.13 set by Suriname in 2019. Trinidad and Tobago (4:22.95) and Jamaica (4:30.65), were second and third respectively. 

In the boys' event, the two Fergusons combined with Ayrton Moncur and Gibson to win in 3:46.09, ahead of Jamaica (3:52.91) and Trinidad and Tobago (4:01.58). Bahamas winning time lowered Trinidad and Tobago's 3:48.99 set in 2019.

After months of hard work and training, a number of the Caribbean’s young swimming sensations will put their preparation to the test when they dive into action at the 27th staging of the much-anticipated Goodwill Swimming Championships, which gets under way on Friday.

In fact, Jamaica’s Head coach Gillian Millwood believes the highly competitive three-day meet represents an opportunity for swimmers to not only improve, but also to learn valuable lessons to take with them as they prepare to transition to next level competition.

Over 200 swimmers from Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks and Caicos are expected to join their Jamaican counterparts in action at the National Aquatic Centre.

“I’m excited for our athletes and I anticipate that they will go into each race with enthusiasm and more importantly, purpose. They are filled with incredible abilities and have worked extremely hard to get where they are today and we expect to see that on display across the three days,” Millwood told Sportsmax.tv.

“Goodwill this weekend provides an opportunity for them to rise to the occasion and put forward their best race together and also to make memories with their teammates and the new friends they’ll make from the other countries, as they prepare to move to a next level,” she added.

Friday’s schedule will be highlighted by the 100m freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 4x50m mixed freestyle relay and 4x100m freestyle relay, all after an opening ceremony at 4:30pm.

Action for Saturday and Sunday is scheduled to begin at 9:00am and end at 1:00pm.

The Jamaicans will be seeking to surpass last year’s massive haul of 92 medals (33 gold, 37 silver, 22 bronze), which bettered their previous best tally of 65 medals from the 2019 staging in Suriname.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago, though missing some of their better swimmers to CCCAN duties in El Salvador, are favoured to once again top the points standing, as they topped last year’s event with 1,442 points. Jamaica (1,002 points), with Barbados (723 points), third.

Each National Federation has a maximum of 40 swimmers - four boys and four girls in the age groups eight and under, 9 to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17.

The member countries of the Goodwill Swimming Championship host the meet on an annual rotation basis. Trinidad and Tobago were last year’s hosts.

The Aquatics Sports Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) will host the 27th Goodwill Swimming Championship in Kingston, at The National Aquatic Centre from Friday, August 18 - Sunday, August 20. Three hundred swimmers from the national federations of Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago and Turks and Caicos are expected to participate in the regional meet alongside hosts Jamaica.

The Goodwill Swimming Championship is a premier swim meet in the Caribbean, and it is also seen as a launching pad toward higher levels of competition.

Friday will begin with an opening ceremony starting at 4:30 pm followed by five events in the pool. The 100m freestyle will lead off the action in the water, followed by the 50m breaststroke, 100m backstroke, 4x50m mixed freestyle relay and 4x100m freestyle relay. Action will begin at 9:00 am and end at 1:00 pm on Saturday and Sunday.

Each National Federation has a maximum of 40 swimmers - four boys and four girls in the age groups eight and under, 9 to 10, 11 to 12, 13 to 14 and 15 to 17. The member countries of the Goodwill Swimming Championship host the meet on an annual rotation basis. Trinidad and Tobago were last year’s hosts.

Patrons can expect an exciting three-day meet with fierce competition. At last year’s staging, Jamaica’s team of 25 swimmers surpassed expectations by winning 92 medals (33 gold, 37 silver, 22 bronze), setting new meet records and two age-group high point trophies.

Prior to the 26th edition, Jamaica’s highest tally was 65 medals at the 2019 staging in Suriname. The team amassed a total of 1,002 points to finish 2nd behind Trinidad and Tobago who won with 1,442 points and Barbados was 3rd with 723 points last year.

"It has been a real honour for Jamaica to have been asked to host this year's Goodwill especially when we were only ratified as a Goodwill country in 2022. I am delighted to be welcoming the various participating countries and we now wait with bated breath for the exciting competition” said Georgia Sinclair - VP Swimming ASAJ and Chairperson of Goodwill, LOC.

Jamaica’s National Swim Team Head Coach Gillian Millwood also added "The swimmers are ready to go and excited to welcome our visitors for a fun cultural exchange. It’s going to be a truly treasured Meet as over the past 5 years of our participation we’ve witnessed swimmers continuing their swimming journey. Some are headed to college in August, others are preparing for the World Junior Championship in Israel in September, while some are in El Salvador preparing for CCCAN. We are ready for more swimming!"

Jamaica's hosting the championships was made possible by the support of sponsors that include the Sports Development Foundation, Main Event, Gatorade, SportsMax, Rosh Marketing, Island Smiles, Wynlee Sportswear, Grace Kennedy, Sterling Asset Management Ltd, Everything Creative Ltd, iPrint Group, Cari-Med Group, The Herald Printers, Medical Disposable Supplies Ltd, Leo Hudson Photography, Iron Rock Insurance, Amazing Concrete Finishes Ltd, National Water Commission, National Road Operating & Construction Company Ltd, National Works Agency, Rainbow Awnings, Transport Authority, Caribbean Broilers, Scotia Insurance, Pure National Ice, Armbands Plus, Digicel and Recycling Partners of Jamaica.

She is not only a bright prospect in her field, but Barbadian gymnast Olivia “Storm” Kelly, is also honing her skills as a budding philanthropist, as she reignited efforts to assist, and, by extension, ease the financial burdens of students and teachers in need, for the new school year.

Through a Back-to-School drive, Kelly uses her Social Media platforms to seek donations of stationery items and other office supplies for teachers in particular, who often have to dig deep into their pockets to acquire said items.

The American-born Kelly, who earns her Barbadian stripes through her father, Tori, pointed out that her zeal for helping others is spurred by her own appreciation for life’s experiences.

“Honestly, I’m not even sure when I first started volunteering. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been helping collect or giving toys, school supplies, clothes and more to people in need. I like how volunteering brings people together and keeps us humble and that is basically my motivation, just being grateful for where I am at,” Kelly told Sportsmax.tv. 

“Whenever I am collecting supplies, toys, food, clothes, or whatever I’m doing, my gym, my mom’s work, and my friends and family are always so supportive. They always donate and ask if I need anything. People always have no problem donating things, especially if they don’t have time to volunteer.

“It’s a good way for everyone to give back. Everyone doesn’t have the same resources, but most people are willing to give back in one way or another. I’m always looking to do a little more and trying to reach more people,” she added.

While the initiative is focused mostly on the United States, the 17-year-old has in the past extended a helping hand to Barbados and revealed that she is hoping to do more at some point.

“I’m always trying to bring my help into Barbados. It’s not cheap to get supplies over there. I have donated leotards to Flip Gym, went in and offered lessons to the gymnasts there and most recently posted and donated to a charity organization called Build up Bim,” she shared.

“I would definitely like to keep doing this, maybe even finding more time to actually go out and volunteer. I can’t talk about it yet, but I do have something in the works with a teammate of mine to help athletes who lack resources,” Kelly revealed.

The soft-spoken gymnast, who has her eyes set on becoming the first gymnast to represent the Eastern Caribbean Island at the Olympic Games, and, if successful, it would propel her career to higher heights.

Achieving such a dream is by no means impossible and Kelly, also known as "Storm," in gymnastics circles, is well positioned herself to make it happen when she takes the World Gymnastics Championships stage in Antwerp, Belgium, next month.

The event serves an Olympic qualifier and, as such, Kelly, despite her voluntary efforts outside of the gym, is focused on ensuring her performance quality and the details of her routine are on point, while staying physically and mentally healthy.

“Fortunately, volunteering never takes away any time or affect my training in any way. I’m able to work around my training and my family is a huge help in making it happen,” she declared.

“I had to take a few weeks off after PanAm for my back. I have Scoliosis and every so often I get to a point where my back needs some rest. I’m in the gym now adding things slowly and listening to my body and I am fortunate to have great doctors and coaches to help me through.

“Being back in the gym is going really well. I definitely feel like I’m in a better mental and physical space this year, and I feel much more confident going into this Worlds. I have much more experience this year as well, which definitely helps, so I’m very excited to compete in Belgium this year and give the 2024 Olympics a shot,” Kelly ended.

The best young cricketers in the West Indies are assembling in Trinidad & Tobago for the West Indies Rising Stars Boys’ Under17 Regional Tournament that features both 50-Over and two-day formats and will run from August 12-31.

For this 2023 edition, Cricket West Indies (CWI) is introducing a two-day red ball format to add to the pre-existing 50-Over format for the Rising Stars Under 17s Regional Championships. Teams will compete for the West Indies Rising Stars U17s 50-Over Cup and the West Indies Rising Stars U17s 2-Day Championship.

Graeme West, CWI’s High-Performance Manager said: “The introduction of the Two-Day component at the Under 17s level is a significant step forward in the development of multi-format cricketers for the future. It is essential that our young talent enjoy the challenge of the red ball format, igniting their ambitions to play Test Cricket.”

The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Tournament will feature five rounds of 50-over white ball matches from August 12-20 and three rounds of two-day red ball matches from August 23-31 to be played at the National Cricket Centre (NCC), Inshan Ali Park, PowerGen Sports Ground and Gilbert Park Cricket Ground (GPCG). A champion will be crowned at the end of each format, as WI Rising Stars Under 17s 50 Over Cup Champions and WI Rising Stars Under 17s 2-Day Champions.

This tournament is a key element of the West Indies Future Stars development programme, allowing the best players in the region to test themselves within their age group. The tournament is pivotal for identifying talent and facilitating player progression to produce the next generation of West Indies senior international cricketers.

Miles Bascombe, Director of Cricket added: “The addition of the two-day format presents coaches and players with the opportunity to craft skills for the longer format at an earlier stage in the players’ development. It is also a tangible way for CWI to demonstrate its commitment to securing the future of West Indian Test Cricket.”

CWI’s strategic plan has committed resources into developing the game at every level and these tournaments therefore play a vital role in the strategy to develop the talent pool and produce the next generation of West Indies players. The West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Championships completes the full 2023 calendar of CWI’s regional age group cricket which featured the men’s West Indies Rising Stars Under 15s and Under 19s Championships, as well as the Rising Stars Women’s Under 19s Championship.

You can follow LIVE ball-by-ball scoring of the West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s Championships matches on the new www.windiescricket.com match centre. 

MATCH SCHEDULE

West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s 50-Over Cup Championship

Matches start at 9:30am local time (8:30am Jamaica time)

Saturday 12 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at NCC

Barbados vs Guyana at GPCG

Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at Inshan Ali Park

Monday 14 August

Jamaica vs Guyana at NCC

Trinidad and Tobago vs Leeward Islands at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Barbados at GPCG

Wednesday 16 August

Leeward Islands vs Barbados at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Guyana at GPCG

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica at NCC

Friday 18 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana at PowerGen

Leeward Islands vs Windward Islands at NCC

Barbados vs Jamaica at GPCG

Sunday 20 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Barbados at NCC

Leeward Islands vs Guyana at Inshan Ali Park

Jamaica vs Windward Islands at GPCG

 

West Indies Rising Stars Under 17s 2-Day Championship

Matches start at 10am local time (9am Jamaica time)

23-24 August

Trinidad and Tobago vs Leeward Islands at Inshan Ali Park

Windward Islands vs Barbados at PowerGen

Jamaica vs Guyana at NCC

26-27 August

Windward Islands vs Guyana at NCC

Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica at GPCG

Leeward Islands vs Barbados at Ishan Ali Park

30-31 August

Leeward Islands vs Jamaica at GPCG

Barbados vs Guyana at Inshan Ali Park 

Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands at NCC

FULL SQUADS

BARBADOS: Zion Brathwaite, Zishan Motara, Xaundre Baptiste, Shaquan Belle, Gadson Bowens, Joshua Branch, Preston Clarke, Reviera Cottle, Edwin Currency-Barnett, Kyron King, Akeem McCollin, Jatario Prescod, Dre Springer, Jaden Webster.

GUYANA: Jonathan Van Lange, Rampersad Ramnauth, Kevin Kisten, Vickash Wilkinson, Romeo Deonarain, Ari-Afrizal Kadir, Nityanand Mathura, Sanjay Algoo, Golcharran Chulai, Salim Khan, Bruce Vincent, Darwin Joseph.

JAMAICA: Tyriek Bryan, Jordan Pinnock, Demarco Scott, Brian Barnes, Kev-Aundrae Virgo, Aan Ennis, O’mari Wedderburn, Eejay Spence, Dantae Calrke, Niclo McKenzie, Roshawn McKenzie, Rasheed Harriott, Ralique Thomas, David.

LEEWARD ISLANDS: Matthew Miller, T’yanick Honore, Eirette Richards, Zavio Henry, Jevon Manners, Ozan Williams, Jared Jno Baptiste, De-Andre Drew, Israel Morton, Caiden Francis, Carlton Pluck, Mekaili Tonge, Xaveek Toppin, Devanand Singh.

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO: Fareez Ali, Cristian Rampersad, Riyaad Mohammed, Luke Ali, Brendan Boodoo, Samir Saroop, Niall Maingot, Aaidan Racha, Ishmael Ali, Aneal Rooplal, Alexander Chase, Alvin Sonny, Jordan Mohammed, Stevon Gomez.

WINDWARD ISLANDS: Justin John, Jelani Joseph, Edmund Morancie, Joel Durand, Jahson Vidal, Earnisho Fontaine, Kirtsen Murray, Kirt Murray, Johnathan Daniel, Theo Edward, Khan Elcock, Tyler Venner, Devonte McDowall, Kodi Grant.

 

It was a day of mixed fortunes for Caribbean nations on day four of the Commonwealth Youth Games, with most of their medal successes coming in the swimming pool at the National Aquatic Centre and on the track in Trinidad and Tobago, on Tuesday.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Zarek Wilson, was the highlight of the top performers from the region, as he added the men’s 100m butterfly gold to his 50m backstroke bronze. when he topped a quality field to win in a Junior Games Record of 53.70s. He bettered England’s Nick Finch (53.95s) and South Africa’s Dylan Eaton (54.41s).

Australia’s Mikayla Bird led an Oceanic sweep of the women’s 100m butterfly, as she won in 1:00.15, ahead of compatriot Lillie McPherson (1:00.80) and Amelia Bray (1:01.32) of New Zealand.

Heidi Stoute of Barbados won bronze in the women’s 400m freestyle after she stopped the clock in 4:25.61, behind the Australian pair of Inez Miller (4:14.97) and Erin Allen (4:18.72).

Tyler Melbourne-Smith of Wales proved too good for rivals in the men’s 400m freestyle, as he stopped the clock in 3:54.19, just staving off the challenge of England’s Reece Grady (3:54.74), with another Englishman Harry Wynne-Jones (3:56.29), taking third.

In athletics at Hasley Crawford Stadium, Tianna Springer (53.55s) and Narissa McPherson (54.82s) secured two medals for Guyana when they finished first and third in the women’s 400m final, separated by England’s Charlotte Henrich (53.65s).

Another Guyanese, Malachi Austin, placed second in the men’s 400m in 47.97s, behind Nigeria’s Samuel Ogazi (46.99s), while Alexander Beck (48.20s) of England, won bronze.

Dominica’s Godisha Joseph, placed seventh in the women’s discus throw final with a mark of 32.22 metres, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Ruth Irvine finished down the pack after failing to register a mark.

The event was won by South Africa’s Eli Khunou, who launched the instrument to 49.53m, ahead of Chelsy Wayne (49.39m) of Australia and Cyprus’s Rafaella Aristotelous (42.74m).

Andrew Stone of Cayman Islands topped the men’s long jump, after cutting that sand at 7.70m to win ahead of Temoso Masikane (7.51m) of South Africa.

Teon Haynes of Barbados (7.32m) took bronze, while the Trinidad and Tobago pair of Andrew Steele (7.16m) and Imanni Matthew (7.14m), were fourth and fifth respectively. Another Bajan, Aaron Massiah (6.63m) was 10th.

Guyana’s Attoya Harvey paced 11th in the women’s 1,500m final in 4:45.10, as the Kenyan pair of Nancy Cherop (4:12.28) and Janet Chepkemoi (4:14.24) secured a one-two finish, with England’s Lyla Belshaw (4:16.37), in third.

There was also a Kenya quinella in the men’s 1,500m event courtesy of Jospat Sang Kipkirui (3:37.66) and Andrew Kiptoo Alamisi (3:38.12), as Uganda’s Jacob Sande (3:39.69) took bronze.

Kipkirui’s time was also a new Commonwealth Youth Games record, as it was below the 3:39.80 set by another Kenyan Kumari Taki set in 2015.

South Africa’s Johann Lamberts finished tops in the men’s shot put when he achieved a new Commonwealth Youth Games record of 20.17m, erasing Jamaica’s Kevin Nedrick’s old mark of 20.12m. Robert Deal III (15.99m) of Bahamas and St Lucia’s Denzel Phillips (15.75m), were second and third respectively.

The Para men’s discus F42-44/F61-64 final, was won by South Africa’s Daniel Molobela, who achieved a mark of 26.34m, ahead of Kenya’s Titus Mwonga (20.00m), with Grenada’s Tyler Smith (18.85m) in third.

After earlier going down 22-14 to Trinidad and Tobago in the group stages of the men’s Rugby sevens tournament, Jamaica turned the tables on their Caribbean neighbours with a 12-5 win in the fifth-place playoff.

Scotland topped the men’s competition with a narrow 25-20 win over Fiji, while South Africa claimed bronze with a comprehensive 52-0 beating of Canada.

Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago’s women also played sixth after losing their fifth-place contest to Wales, who were dominant in a 50-0 victory.

Australia topped the podium after hammering Canada 50-0 in the gold medal game, with Fiji outlasting Kenya 22-10 in the bronze medal contest.

Earlier in triathlon at the Buccoo Beach Facility, Barbados placed fifth in the mixed team super sprint distance. They stopped the clock in 43 minutes and 24 seconds, over two minutes slower than winner Australia, who completed the event in 40 minutes and 58 seconds.

Scotland, who clocked 41 minutes and 23 seconds took silver ahead of Jersey (41 minutes and 37 seconds), a British Crown Dependency situated near the coast of North-West France.

With their accomplishments, the twin-island republic is the highest ranked Caribbean Island on the medal table, as they sit fourth with three gold and one silver. England heads the standing with 19 medals, followed by Scotland with nine, based on quality, while Australia with 15, sits third.

Cayman Islands, the next best Caribbean nation, occupies joint seventh with South Africa on five medals apiece.

Defending champions Suriname won their second title during the XVIII CAZOVA Caribbean Championship following a five-set thriller 3-2 victory over 10-time champion Barbados.

The hosts took the final winning 19-25, 25-21, 29-27, 23-25, 17-15.

It was also redemption for the hosts who lost to Barbados in their opening match of the tournament.

Barbados took the first set 25-19 before a fired up Suriname took the next two sets 25-21 and 29-27. Barbados rallied to win the fourth set 25-23 win to force a deciding set, which went down to the wire with the hosts winning the tie-breaker 17-15.

Suriname’s opposite Zefanio Breinburg had 28 points (16 on attacks, four on blocks, and two on serves) while and his teammate, middle blocker, Ethan Asimia, contributed with 17 points from attacks and three on blocks, totaling 20 points.

For Barbados, middle blocker Willams Akeil had 20 points, all from attacks.

Winning coach Carlos Orta said his team played with a lot of passion.

“The winning formula was that my team played with their heart,” he said.

“They know the fifth set will be ours. Most of the teams will be tired, but Barbados shows up today and give us a very hard time. I am very happy with the victory and very proud. Now I will give the group seven days’ rest before training again.” 

With the win Suriname qualifies for the continental championships that will be held in the USA.  

Jamaica’s Senior Women’s Volleyball Team created history on Sunday after defeating seven-time defending champion Trinidad and Tobago in a nail biting 5 set thriller 3-2 [25-21, 15-25, 23-25, 25-19, 15-13] to win the 2023 CAZOVA Women’s Championship at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo Suriname.

This is Jamaica’s first ever championship at the senior Level.

The Jamaicans started strong by winning the first set 25-21 and lost the next two sets to the defending champions 15-25 and 23-25. The Jamaican’s then regained their momentum to win the fourth set 25-19 to force a decisive fifth set.

Anesia Edwards, who had three consecutive blocks in the fourth set to change the tide for the Jamaicans, sustained an injury in the final set but Jamaica maintained their composure to win 15-13.

Outside hitters Michael Vernon, Simone Asque-Favia and Captain Sashalee Thomas led the way for the Jamaicans in the fierce encounter.

It was sweet revenge for the Jamaicans who lost to Trinidad and Tobago in the final of the 2017 Championship at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Jamaica, the last time Jamaica participated at this level.

Jamaica has broken Trinidad and Tobago’s winning streak of seven consecutive CAZOVA titles and also went undefeated during the Championship.

Meanwhile, Barbados came back from behind to earn a 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-12) win against host Suriname in their match for the bronze medal.

Barbados fought their way back from the brink of elimination after losing the first two sets.

The Barbadians got going in the third set and took over the game.

Trinidad and Tobago suffered a discouraging loss 34-74 to Uganda on Sunday at the Netball World Cup 2023 in Cape Town.

Despite a valiant effort from Afeisha Noel, who scored 29 goals, the Calypso Girls were no match for the She Cranes, who used their trademark physicality to dominate at both ends of the court.

Goalkeeper Muhameed Haniisha proved especially troublesome for the Trinidad & Tobago shooters for Noel and Joelisa Cooper, who only scored three times. After establishing a three goal lead at the end of the first quarter, Ugangda tightened their hold on game as Mary Cholhok and Irene Eyaru seemingly scored at will as their team extended their lead to 33-18 at the half-time break.

If the Trinidadians were hoping for a let-up from their opponents in the third quarter, those hopes were quickly dashed as Uganda upped the pressure even as the Calypso Girls tried to rally. The final quarter was a mere formality and Trinidad were unable to get a foothold in the game as they headed towards their second defeat in three games.

Meanwhile, Barbados suffered their third consecutive loss of the tournament when they went down 48-84 to Malawi.

The Gems were outplayed in every phase of the game but produced a sterling effort led by Kadeen Corbin, who scored 32 goals. Latonia Blackman scored 14.

However, their efforts were never going to be enough against the outstanding Suncorp Super League player Mwai Kumwenda who sunk 42 goals and Joyce Mvula, who scored 37.

 

Undefeated Jamaica advanced to Sunday’s final of the 2023 CAZOVA Women’s Championship after beating Barbados in straight sets 25-16, 25-21, 25-21.

Jamaica awaits the winner of the next semi-final between host Suriname and defending champion Trinidad and Tobago to determine their opponent in the final.

Suriname women clinched their semi-final berth where they will face defending champion Trinidad and Tobago. The hosts beat Barbados 3-1 (25-17, 25-21, 24-26, 25-19) at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo. 

Outside hitter Ketura Margaret led with 22 points with team captain Sandrina Hunsel adding 15 points including two blocks and four spikes. Outside hitter Shonte Seale of Barbados had a game high 17 points.

Suriname coach Sergio Valdes praised her victorious team. “We played very good today. I am happy my team stuck to the plan. Now we will face Trinidad once again. We lost against them but it will be a much better game this time around.”

Barbados defeated Bahamas 3-1 (25-23, 25-16, 23-25, 25-22) to book their spot in the men’s final of the 2023 CAZOVA Volleyball Championships in Suriname on Friday. They will face either hosts or Trinidad and Tobago.

Barbados was incredibly dominant in the semi-finals at the Anthony Nesty Sport Hall only giving up one set to The Bahamas on their way their 14th appearance in a CAZOVA final. Team captain and outside hitter Oxley led Barbados with 22 points.

Barbados coach Elwyn Oxley was full of praise for his team, stating“All the credit are going to the players. The have fought all through this tournament. Especially those young players we have coming up doing great stuff out on the court. Let’s see who will we meet in the final on Sunday.”

Meanwhile, Jamaica ended the Men’s Championship in fifth place after defeating Martinique 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21).

Friday’s victory over Martinique was bitter-sweet for Jamaica’s coach Gatasheu Bonner.

“Yesterday (Thursday) was a disappointing match for us. We didn’t get the result we wanted but it pressed us to come back today to show energy and life, which is a great opportunity for this group,” he said.

“We try to teach our team that every game matters and tomorrow hopefully we’ll show up to be the team we want to be. This tournament will be a lesson to move forward with volleyball in Jamaica.”

Losing coach Eddy Erialc said his team’s performance was disappointing, saying, “We didn’t show up today. It is like we couldn’t make any good points in the attack. We will evaluate and do things for developing the game in our country.”

In the men’s quarter-final Thursday defending champions Suriname had beaten Jamaica’s men 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 20-25, 28-26, 15-9) in a thriller at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Paramaribo.  

Jamaica dominated the opening set but Suriname fought back to win the second set in the contest between the evenly-matched teams. However, Suriname took control of the final set to book their spot in the semi-final.

 Zefanio Breinburg led Suriname’s scoring with 21 points and got backing from outside hitter and team captain Keven Sporkslede with 16 points. Outside hitter David Pinas was a key player in the final set with 11 points.

For Jamaica, Owayne Lawrence had a game high 21 points and outside hitter Ryck Webb contributed with 17 points.  

 

Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls and Barbados Gems were both brave in defeat despite being outclassed by reigning champions New Zealand and England in their respective opening games at the Vitality Netball World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday.

The number 10-ranked Calypso Girls, who were the first Caribbean team in action, went down 27-72 to number two-ranked New Zealand, while the 14-ranked Gems, succumbed to a 29-90 loss to number three-ranked England Roses.

Those results meant that both Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will have to play catch up in their respective pools, if they are to make the top three to progress to the next round.

New Zealand head Pool D ahead of Uganda, who were 79-37 winners over Singapore, while England heads Pool B ahead Malawi, who registered a 55-49 win over Scotland.

Trinidad and Tobago, one of only three countries to win a World Cup title in the tournament’s history, knew they were always up against it against the Silver Ferns, but left their best on the court in restricting the champions to a score under 80.

Still, New Zealand were comfortable from the start going 23-2 in the opening quarter and 43-11 at half time, before asserting authority at the backend of the contest.

Grace Nweke scored a flawless 31 goals for New Zealand and Maia Wilson made 22 of 24 attempts, while Afeisha Noel and Joelisa Cooper, had 17 and 10 goals for Trinidad and Tobago.

The Calypso Girls are scheduled to face Singapore on Saturday at 11:00am Jamaica time.

Meanwhile, Barbados, despite the presence of experienced siblings Sasha and Kadeen Corbin, who both racked up over 70 caps for England before switching allegiance, struggled for consistency which proved their undoing against the Roses.

They Started positively by matching strides with, but a number of unforced errors paved the way for England to take command of the game at 20-8 going into the first interval and 42-18 at half time.

England rang the changes at the start of the third quarter and with Barbados being caught out by the long balls, it forced goal shooter Kadeen Corbin to take up the goalkeeping position. While the move gradually assisted in restricting the Roses, it also limited the Gems’ scoring chances across the last two quarters.  

Faye Agard, captain of the Bajan Gems took heart from her team’s performance heading into their second game against Scotland tomorrow at 9:00am Jamaica time.

“We know we had some really good passages of play, but we also had a lot of unforced errors that we need to work on. So, we know what we need to do, go back to the drawing board and fix some things for the next game,” Agard said.

They may be three Caribbean Islands with different cultures and different styles of play. But what Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados all have in common, is their unflinching desire to leave an indelible mark at the Vitality Netball World Cup.

All three teams will bow into action in Cape Town, South Africa on Friday with Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls up against Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso Girls squaring off against reigning champions New Zealand, while Barbados Gems, are up against England’s Roses.

The number 10-ranked Calypso Girls will be the first in action at 3:00am Jamaica time, with number two-ranked Silver Ferns expected to prove a handful for the Joel “Twiggy” Young-Strong-coached team.

And while Trinidad and Tobago boast the legacy of being the only other team to win the World Cup title, along with New Zealand and Australia in the tournament’s long history, captain Shaquanda Green-Noel is realistic about their expectations.

“I think we are very honest and realistic with what may be the end result of the game, so even though we are extremely competitive, we are just going in thinking about the small wins in terms of reducing the margin.

“The mood in the camp is a bit of excitement and nervousness, the senior players are more the ones excited to get on the court because the Netball World Cup is one of the biggest platforms to showcase our talent. The young players are a tad bit nervous, but also excited to make their Netball World Cup debut,” Green-Noel told Sportsmax.tv.

“The girls are also very prepared for what is to come, New Zealand are defending champions and we would have done research on what they have to offer and how they play, and I think it (this game) is a great way for us to test out the skills we worked on coming into the World Cup. The last time we played New Zealand, I don’t think we had a very good game, so this is a chance to improve,” she added.

Uganda and Singapore are the other two teams the Calypso Girls will face in Pool D.

Jamaica, the highest ranked Caribbean team at number four, are out to end their 16-year medal drought at the Netball World Cup, dating back to 2007, when the last won one of their three bronze medals. 

They will enter their opening Pool C contest against 15th-ranked Sri Lanka as overwhelming favourites, especially on the back of their historic silver medal-winning performance at the Commonwealth Games last year.

Still, Sunshine Girls Head coach Connie Francis is not taking their opponents lightly, as she is well aware that it will require proper execution from her team to get the job done.

Match time is 11:00 am Jamaica time.

“The ladies are mentally and physically prepared and they want to do something special at this tournament which is to win a medal. But we don’t know much about the Sri Lankans and so we don’t intend to take them lightly,” said Francis.

Though the off-court security issue in which captain Jhaniele Fowler was robbed, is cause for concern, Francis pointed out that the team remains focused on the task at hand.

“Yes, it is bad and very disappointing that has happened on a stage like this, but the ladies remain focused on what they came here to do, which is to execute well and win a medal and that starts with tomorrow’s game,” she noted.

The Sunshine Girls will also have Wales and the host nation to contend with in Pool C.

Meanwhile, number 13-ranked Barbados Gems, have drawn a tough Pool B in which they have England, Malawi and Scotland to deal with.

They open against the number three-ranked Roses at 1:00pm Jamaica time.

While getting by the Roses will take some doing, the Gems are by no means expected to play dead, especially with the addition of sisters Kadeen and Sasha Corbin, who both switched allegiance from England to represent Barbados.

Number one ranked Australia, Zimbabwe, Fiji and Tonga will contest Pool A.

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