Interim Reggae Boyz Head Coach Paul Hall has named a 24-man squad for the final three FIFA World Cup qualifiers against El Salvador, Canada and Honduras.

Jamaica closed the 2022 World Indoor Athletics Championships in Belgrade with a gold medal after winning the women's 4x400m relay on Sunday.

Jamaica international Leon Bailey made another appearance from the bench in Aston Villa's 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Saturday, amidst recent reports the forward has been unhappy with the substitute role.

Since returning from a long layoff due to injury last month, the player has been sparingly used by Aston Villa head coach Steven Gerrard.  In total the player has appeared from the bench in five of seven games, failing to feature at all in the other two.

In total Bailey has played 91 minutes, his longest spell of 21 minutes came against Arsenal on Saturday, which was equalled his time against West Ham last week.  It’s a situation his agent and stepfather Craig Butler insists has left the player feeling unhappy.

“He doesn’t like the bench, never will like the bench because he’s the type of guy that always wants to play. He’s been on the bench a couple of times and it really got him riled,” Butler was quoted as saying recently.

Bailey is expected to return to international duty for Jamaica next week, having missed the previous round with a troublesome thigh injury.  Jamaica, who are already eliminated from the competition, will face El Salvador and Canada.

National cyclist Marloe Rodman is set to represent Jamaica at the Pan American Para-Cycling Track and Road Championships in Maringa, Brazil this week.

The races are scheduled for March 17-20.

Rodman, who has a paralyzed upper limb from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident in 2018, will be the first Jamaican athlete to represent the nation in para-cycling.

Prior to his injury, Rodman was a multiple national track cycling champion and has represented Jamaica at several international competitions.

Rodman, who left the island on Sunday, is set to do the scratch race and omnium, which is his speciality event on the track, as well as the road race. This event is a qualifier for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Edwin Allen standout, Bryan Levell, continued his fine start to the high school track and field season with a victory in the Class One Boys 200m at the Central Track and Field Championships at the GC Foster College on Wednesday.

20.71 was enough for Levell to cruise comfortably home ahead of St. Catherine High’s Sandrey Davison (21.30) and Manchester’s Shemar Palmer (21.37).

Steer Town’s Omarion Barrett completed an impressive sprint double by winning the Class Two Boys 200m in 21.81 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Antonio Powell (21.99) and Clarendon College’s Tremaine Hamilton (22.44).

Ajae Brown of Ferncourt High ran 23.29 to win the Class Three Boys 200m ahead of the St. Jago pair of Detarje Morgan (23.30) and 100m champion and record holder Ray J Reece (23.33).

Manchester High ran 3:17.41 to win the Boys 4x400m ahead of St. Jago (3:18.32) and St. Catherine High (3:19.82) while in the Girls section, Holmwood Technical and Edwin Allen were separated by one-hundredth of a second with Holmwood taking the win in 3:41.81 ahead of Edwin Allen (3:41.82). St. Catherine High were third in 3:46.48.

Edwin Allen and Holmwood swapped places in the Girls Sprint Medley with Edwin Allen running 4:00.52 to win ahead of Holmwood (4:13.50) and Dinthill Technical (4:19.88).

St. Jago were equally dominant in the Boys section running 3:39.98 to win ahead of Clarendon College (3:53.10) and Bustamante High (3:58.75)

The Monk Street-based St. Jago ended up comfortably winning the Boys team title, finishing with 404.50 points. Edwin Allen finished a distant second 175 points, while the top five was rounded out by Clarendon College (120), St. Catherine High (98), and Manchester High (83).

Hydel’s 17-year-old sprint star Brianna Lyston sizzled at the Central Track and Field Championships at the GC Foster College on Tuesday.

Despite only running in the heats of the Girls Class One 100m, Lyston stole the show with a spectacular 11.14, a personal best and world-leading time.

The former St. Jago athlete didn’t turn up for the final, which was won by Edwin Allen’s Tina Clayton in 11.26 ahead of her sister Tia who ran 11.37 for second. Janela Spencer of Manchester High was third in 11.79.

Lyston’s Hydel teammate Alana Reid won the Girls Class Two event in 11.37, while Edwin Allen’s Theianna-Lee Terrelonge won the Class Three event in 11.88.

St. Jago’s Odaine Crooks was in record-breaking form in the Boys Class One 100m, running 10.46 to win. Steer Town's Omarion Barrett ran 10.83 to win the Class Two event, while St. Jago's Ray J Reece won the Class Three event in 11.31 after running a new record 11.29 in the preliminaries.

Reggae Boyz coach Paul Hall will use a combined camp of 18 local senior and 21 U20 players to finalise his 23-man squad to play the three final games of the World Cup Qualifiers.

Sixteen players have confirmed their participation in the games. Jamaica will play El Salvador on March 24^th and Honduras on March 30^th, respectively, at the National Stadium. They will also engage Canada in Toronto on March 27.   

Andre Blake, Dillon Barnes, Amal Knight, Damion Lowe, Richard King, Adrian Mariappa, Ethan Pinnock, Javain Brown, Gregory Leigh, Kevin Stewart, Devon Williams, Andre Gray, Kemar Roofe, Ravel Morrison, Jamal Lowe and Leon Bailey have all confirmed their participation in the games. 

Hall will arrive on the island on Tuesday to conduct the camp along with head coach of the Under-20s, Marcel Gayle. The Under-20s will play in the Concacaf U20 Championship in June.

The senior players selected for the camp are as follows: Amal Knight (Harbour View FC), Oshane Staple (Harbour View FC), Trayvon Reid (Harbour View FC), Jeadine White (Cavalier SC),Kenroy Campbell (Cavalier SC), Richard King (Cavalier SC), Jamoi Topey (Cavalier SC), Dwayne Atkinson (Cavalier SC), Renaldo Webster (Cavalier SC), Denardo Thomas (Waterhouse FC),Ramone Howell (Waterhouse FC), Ricardo Thomas (Waterhouse FC),Odean Pennycooke (Tivoli Gardens FC),Demar Rose (Portmore FC), Ronaldo Cephas (Arnette Gardens FC), Daniel Green (Mount Pleasant Academy), Nicholas Nelson (Molynes United FC),  Alex Marshall (HFX Wanderers).

The Under-20 players selected for the camp are: Kameron Lacey (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Jaden Chin (FC Prime), Dylan Zane (Connecticut College), Jahvar Stephenson (Future Monarchs), Christopher Pearson (Cavalier SC), Lamonth Rochester (Cavalier SC), Jerome McLeary (Cavalier SC), Cleo Clarke (Cavalier SC), Marvin Fagan (Cavalier SC), Tarick Ximines(Harbour View FC), Gavin Burton (Harbour View FC), Devonte Campbell (Mount Pleasant United), Garey Mills (Mount Pleasant United), Tajay Anderson (Mount Pleasant United), Jahneil Wray (Portmore United), Markland Burton (Portmore United), Tyrece Harrison (Vere United), Tyricke Harrison (Vere United) Gregory Cousin                (Vere United), Romain Blake (Waterhouse FC), David Edwards (Waterhouse FC).

Kingston College’s Jaydon Hibbert produced personal best and world-junior leading 16.56m to win the Boys Under-20 Triple Jump at Jamaica’s Carifta Trials at the National Stadium in Kingston on Sunday.

Hibbert’s 16.56m is also the third-longest jump outdoors this season among seniors and juniors.

The silver medallist at the 2021 World Junior Championships in Nairobi will be joined on the CARIFTA team by Petersfield High’s Royan Walters who jumped 15.22 for second place.

The Jamaica College pair of Chavez Penn (14.02) and Euan Young (13.74) were the top two finishers in the Under-17 section.

Moving away from the sand and into the sprint hurdles, St. Jago’s Bryana Davidson won the U-17 Girls 100m Hurdles in 13.52 ahead of Hydel’s Jody-Ann Daley (13.62) and St. Jago’s Briana Campbell (13.74).

Petersfield’s Alexis James ensured it wasn’t a clean sweep for Hydel by winning the U-20 Girls event in 13.16 ahead of the Hydel pair of Oneka Wilson (13.22) and Kerrica Hill (13.25).

Kingston College’s Jadan Campbell won the U-17 Boys 110m Hurdles in 13.57. Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon was second in 13.68 while Campbell’s KC teammate Daniel Clarke was third in 13.94.

St. Jago secured the top two spits in the U-20 Boys race with Jahvel Granville winning in 13.65 ahead of Demario Prince (13.77). Shamer Blake of STETHS was third in 13.91.

It was with a sense of disbelief that Llori Sharpe stepped onto the podium in Spain at the conclusion of the Liga Autonomica de Féminas in Spain on Saturday.

In what was the first race of her professional career, Sharpe finished in third place in the Elite Category and second place in the Under 23 Category.

Her Rwanda teammate Valentine Nzayisenga finished in fifth place from a line-up of 110 riders. The 79 km, three-lap event included 6 km of gravel.

Sharpe signed a one-year contract with the German cycling team Canyon-SRAM Generation in December 2021, becoming the first Jamaican cyclist to sign with a European ream. On Saturday, the former triathlete began repaying their faith in signing her.

Still, it was a surreal moment for the 21-year-old Sports Science student at the University of the West Indies.

“When it just happened, I honestly couldn't believe it, but it has finally sunk in and I'm really proud of myself and my efforts today (Saturday),” she told Sportsmax.TV while explaining the successful strategy.

“I think I was able to read the race and my competitors well and just had to make my move when I felt the time was right.”

The success she enjoyed on Saturday, has not come without sacrifices. Sharpe has been living in Spain since mid-January, away from her family and those closest to her. She reveals that it has not been easy.

“Some days I feel really good and on others, I really miss my friends and family back home. The weather doesn't make it any easier since it’s not what I'm used to. But, I think to advance in anything in life whether personally, professionally or otherwise, one has to get out of their comfort zone, so although the adjustment has been tough at times, that's how I'll grow and develop not just in cycling, but as an individual,” she reasoned.

Otherwise, she has been pleased with her progress as she takes the first steps into competition in her professional career.

“Preparations have been going well, I'd say, and I'm glad that I'm now in an environment that's conducive to my progression in cycling,” she said.

Jamaica and Texas A&M sophomore Lamara Distin claimed the women’s Long Jump title at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday.

Distin, who set the NCAA’s leading mark and national indoor record last month, got the better of Trinidad and Tobago and Texas Longhorns jumper Tyra Gittens.  The Jamaican jumper equalled her best of 1.92 metres to win the event, with Gittens recording a season best of 1.89m to earn the silver medal.  Third place went to South Carolina’s Rachel Glenn who recorded a mark of 1.86m.

Elsewhere, University of South Carolina’s Davonte Burnett claimed the men’s 60m title with a new personal best of 6.50.  The Jamaican finished ahead of Indiana’s Rikkol Brathwaite, who was second in 6.52, with Tennessee’s Favour Ashe third in 6.55.

In other events, Wayne Lawrence of Iowa finished 7^th in the men’s 400m, an event won by North Carolina’s Randolph Ross and Texas Tech’s Vashaun Vascianna finished just outside the medal places in the men’s 60 MH, which was won by Florida State’s Trey Cunningham.

Edwin Allen completed a clean sweep of the Girls Under-20 100m, while Herbert Morrison’s DeAndre Daley sprung an upset to claim the men’s equivalent as the Carifta Trials continued on Saturday, at the National Stadium.

The Edwin Allen sweep of the women’s event was led by Tia Clayton who won in 11.49, ahead of twin sister Tina Clayton (11.50), with Serena Cole (11.51) finishing third.

In the Boys Under-20 event, Daley upset the odds, running 10.33 to win ahead of favourite Bryan Levell of Edwin Allen (10.36) and KC’s Bouwahjgie Nkrumie (10.40).

Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge won the Girls Under-17 100m in 11.96, ahead of St Jago’s Camoy Binger (12.03) and Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel (12.11). Gary Card of Wolmer’s won the Boys Under-17 title in 10.93, ahead of Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon (10.99) and Spot Valley’s Romario Hinds (11.20).

Abigail Campbell, running unattached, won the Girls Under-17 400m in 55.18, ahead of St. Jago’s Quana Walker (55.98) and Vere Technical’s Shevaughn Thomas (56.99).

The Kingston College pair of Tahj-Marques White (48.30) and Marcinho Rose (48.52) were the top two finishers in the Boys Under-17 equivalent, while Edwin Allen’s Antonio Powell was third in 49.29.

Hydel’s Oneika McAnuff won the Girls Under-20 400m in 53.12, ahead of Vere Technical’s Kaylia Kelly (54.09) and Bustamante High’s Shana Kay Anderson (54.25). The Boys Under-20 event saw Edwin Allen’s Delano Kennedy taking the win in 46.97, ahead of Manchester’s Shemar Palmer (47.29) and Kingston College’s Shaemar Uter (47.47).   

An exciting Boys Under-20 100m final is in store after a speedy first day of the 2022 CARIFTA Trials at the National Stadium on Friday.

Herbert Morrison’s DeAndre Daley, who ran 10.55 to win at the Western Championships last week, was the fastest qualifier to Saturday’s final with a time of 10.30.

National Junior Champion Sandrey Davison of St. Catherine High was second fastest with 10.32, while Edwin Allen standout and finalist in the Men’s 100m at the National Senior Championships in 2021, Bryan Levell, was third fastest with 10.39. Jeevan Newby, running unattached (10.41), Bouwahjgie Nkrumie of Kingston College (10.55), Hector Benjamin of Jamaica College (10.57) and the St. Jago pair of Deshaun Gordon (10.59) and Odaine Crooks (10.61) make up the full field for Saturday’s final.

Calabar’s Shaquane Gordon (10.71), Gary Card of Wolmer’s (10.85) and Romario Hines of Spot Valley (10.98) were the fastest qualifiers to the Boys Under-17 100m final.

Edwin Allen’s Tia and Tina Clayton with times of 11.39 and 11.41 were the second and third fastest qualifiers to the Girls Under-20 100m final, respectively. Hydel’s Kerrica Hill was the fastest qualifier at 11.31.

The qualifiers for the Girls’ Under-17 final were led by Edwin Allen’s Theianna Lee Terrelonge (11.73), Hydel’s Shemonique Hazel (11.76) and St. Jago’s Camoy Binger (11.78).

J’Voughnn Blake of JC won the Boys Under-20 1500m in 3:55.45 ahead of STETHS’s Adrian Nethersole (3:59.91) and his JC teammate Omarion Davis (4:01.04). The Girls’ equivalent was won by Holmwood Technical’s Jody Ann Mitchell in 4:37.18 ahead of Edwin Allen’s Rickeisha Simms (4:37.50) and St Mary High’s Shone Walters (4:37.51).

President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Michael Ricketts is pleased with the ongoing increase in the number of qualified coaches in the country. He was speaking at an official ceremony at the JFF Headquarters this week where a number of coaches received their badges adding to the growing number of certified football coaches across the island.

“We certainly want to highlight the work of our coaches and the JFF is intent on ensuring that our coaches are always at a premium as it relates to exposure, and certainly, qualifications,” the JFF boss said while addressing the coaches and officials on Tuesday.

Ricketts, who took office in 2017 after the passing of Captain Horace Burrell, added that more and more coaches across the country are earning their C and B level coaching licenses.

“When we got into office, there was not a single B-licensed coach and Jamaica now has 27 and I understand that there’s no other Caribbean country that has more than five.”

According to Ricketts, initiatives are already in place to ensure that the numbers continue to grow.

“Jamaica has 27 B-licensed coaches. There were 1264 primary schools that were playing without certified coaches when I got into office and we’ve started the B-license coaching seminar. St. James, St. Catherine, KSAFA, Manchester and St. Elizabeth have already been covered in recent times and we certainly will be looking to do the other eight parishes,” Ricketts says.

Ricketts also emphasized the importance of coaches getting these qualifications as early as possible.

“We are intent on ensuring that our coaches are of the best quality," he said.

"We have nine coaching educators and these are tasked with the responsibilities of preparing our C-licensed coaches and they have, for the last two or three months, been going around ensuring that coaches at the lowest level are so prepared that they can prepare players from 12 years and under to get into high schools, get scholarships, get into premier league teams, play overseas and, of course, to ensure that the social impact on our little boys and little girls is at a premium.

“I believe it is important that the best coaches should be at the 12 and under level because they represent the future of our football.”

Sara Misir, the Caribbean’s first Formula Woman finalist, earned herself a top-four spot and has made the Formula Woman team that will compete for McLaren in the GT Cup Championships for 2022.

Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda hopes Jamaica can compete in football at the Olympics one day.

“The Olympic Association understands that our role in sport is not only to change the game which we’re already in, but to transform it and to have, in certain respects, a renaissance so that generations can experience what ought to be the sport,” Samuda said while speaking at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Awards and Presentation ceremony at the JFF headquarters on Tuesday.

“We look forward to, as we have discussed continuously, the birth of football on the Olympic stage. It can be done. It will be done and we have every conviction at the JOA that the day will come. Footballers and coaches, you have a responsibility to ensure that it happens,” he added.

Despite Jamaica’s rich history in the Olympics, mainly in Track and Field, the country has never competed in football at the event.

Mexico has historically been the most successful CONCACAF nation in Olympic football winning a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Jamaica’s chance to qualify for football at the 2024 Paris Olympics will come in June this year when they take part in the 2022 CONCACAF Under-20 Championship in Honduras.