Suriname's Robinhood used a strong second half to propel themselves past Dominican Republic outfit Atletico Pantoja in a 3-1 comeback victory to end the group phase of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup on a high at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, on Thursday.

Not only did Robinhood earn a spot in the Caribbean Cup semifinals with the win, but they also topped Group B, as they ended with nine points, two points ahead of Jamaican side Harbour View, who fell to the other Dominican Republic side Cibao FC.

Atletico Pantoja started strong came and a trip from Robinhood goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel on Luis Espinal in the area in the 18th minute resulted in a penalty. Francisco Ortega stepped up and squeezed the spot kick past Fonkel for a 1-0 Atletico Pantoja lead.

The conversion brought Atletico Pantoja to within a goal of leapfrogging Robinhood in the group and getting the final semifinal spot, but the Surinamese hosts looked to answer and started peppering the Atletico Pantoja goal with shots.

Their persistence paid off in glorious fashion in the 57th on a sensational left-footed strike from Jamilhio Rigters from outside the area to even the score at 1-1.

Another pivotal moment came on the hour mark when Atletico Pantoja’s Wilman Modesta was sent off with a straight red card for a foul on Carlos Da Silva, leaving the visitors with 10 men.

Robinhood made the most of it and added an insurance goal in the 74th, as Renske Adipi slotted home a right-footed shot from outside the area for a 2-1 lead.

Shaquille Cairo then put the icing on the cake in the 81’ by stabbing home a cross from the left flank to complete the 3-1 scoreline and secure Robinhood’s first-place finish in the group.

Suriname side Robinhood will be looking to seal their spot in the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club semifinals when they take on Atletico Pantoja of the Dominican Republic in what is expected to be an intriguing Groub B showdown at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo, o Thursday.

Robinhood currently sit in second position on six points, just one point behind leaders Harbour View of Jamaica, while Atletico Pantoja remain alive in the hunt for a semifinal berth, in fourth place on three points.

Robinhood can guarantee their semifinal place with a draw and could even capture group honours with a win, provided Harbour View drop points in their fixture against Cibao FC, also of the Dominican Republic.

However, an Atletico Pantoja win by a two-goal margin, would be enough to send them through to the Caribbean Cup semifinals ahead of Robinhood.

Needless to say, the night should provide plenty of great drama with so much at stake.

Robinhood have been buoyed by striker Shaquille Cairo, who has four goals in the tournament, making him the joint top-scorer along with Shaniel Thomas of Cavalier.

Cairo has been as consistent as they come, scoring in all three of Robinhood’s games and has gotten help from Tuur Don, who has two assists. Jamilhio Rigters also has contributed after scoring in their last outing, a 3-2 loss to Harbour View.

Atletico Pantoja have played to three straight 1-1 draws in the group, so they will need to break that streak with a full three points if they are to advance.

Jhon Mosquera has played a vital role as playmaker with two assists, while Ronaldo Vasquez has been one of the most active players in attack with 10 shots and 84 completed passes, along with two ball recoveries.

Shaquille Cairo scored a pair of goals to lead 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Club Shield winners Robinhood of Suriname to a 2-0 victory against Jamaican side Dunbeholden in Group B action of the 2023 Concacaf Caribbean Cup at Sabina Park on Thursday.

Robinhood now sit atop the group with six points after two games, while Dunbeholden have one point after three matches.

Robinhood raced out to an early 1-0 lead in the 15th when they were able to take advantage of a defensive error from Dunbeholden. The home side failed to clear their lines adequately and a deflected ball up into the air right in front of goal was headed into net by Shaquille Cairo.

Dunbeholden went right to work on finding an equalizer and Stephen Barnett looked poised to do it in the 25th, only for Robinhood goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel to make a sensational stretch save.

Odane Samuels was next to be turned away on a brilliant save by Jonathan Fonkel, this time on a shot from just a few yards out that the visiting shot-stopper somehow managed to parry to safety in the 34th.

Robinhood absorbed Dunbeholden’s punches and then landed another big blow in the 55th when a cross from Tuur Don met the charging Cairo, who fired into net for a 2-0 Robinhood lead.

The Robinhood defense took over after that, nailing things down to record the clean sheet victory.

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 27^th 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.

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.  

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.”

Bahamas swept Martinique 3-0 (27-25, 25-20, 25-14) in quarterfinals on Thursday to reach the semifinals of the 2023 CAZOVA Championship in Paramaribo, Suriname.

It’s the fourth defeat of Martinique in this tournament. On Wednesday they were beaten by Barbados 3-1 (25-27, 25-18, 25-12, 25-15).

Outside hitter Kyle Wilson led with 21 points, three aces and two blocks. Prince Wilson had 13 points. Meanwhile, Martinique’s outside hitter Lohan Lefaivre had eight points.

Lloyd Davis, coach of Bahamas expressed his delight at the outcome.

“I am happy how the game went. We expected that Martinique would play hard. The win shows that we want this and trying to reach the final,” he said.

Bahamas captain Bryon Ferguson said his team was confident of victory. “We did not expect anything less or more,” he said. “I am happy we could hold off Martinique and play our own game. One set at a time.”

Jamaica’s U17 team conceded two goals in the final 15 minutes to go down 2-1 to Guadeloupe in Group G action in the 2023 CONCACAF U17 Championships on Tuesday.

In the match played at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guadeloupe rally from a late 1-0 deficit to edge Jamaica 2-1.

Ronaldo Barrett had the Reggae Boyz in front 1-0 in the 41^st minute, a lead that held until the final quarter-hour.

The Guadeloupe comeback started in the 78^th minute when Willan Jacques found an equalizer to make it 1-1.

Les Gwada Boyz then got the winning goal in the 90^th minute courtesy of Ylan Moloza for their first three points of the tournament.

Come Thursday, Jamaica must make sure to avoid a loss against Costa Rica in order to not be overtaken by Cuba and Guadeloupe in the standings.

Meanwhile, Costa Rica blanked Cuba 4-0 in the final game of the night.

The Ticos enjoyed a strong first half-hour, with goals from Roy Bustos (4’), Andryk Sandi (11’) and Victor Maroto (21’) giving Costa Rica a 3-0 halftime lead.

Akheem Wilson would tack on the fourth and final goal of the night for the Central Americans in the 79th to complete the 4-0 scoreline, sealing a place for his side in the Round of 16.

Over in Group H,  Haiti 3 completed an emphatic 3-0 win over Suriname.

The Estadio Pensativo in Antigua was once again the spot for the games in Group H and it proved to be a happy day for Haiti, who defeated Suriname 3-0 for their first win of the CMU17.

All three goals came in the second half courtesy of Sebatien Joseph (53’), Schneilorens Lebrun (57’) and Samuel Lamare (83’).

In the other group game, Honduras defeated El Salvador 4-1.

In a duel of Central American rivals in the group’s second game, Honduras emerged victorious 4-1 over El Salvador thanks in part to three first half goals.

Edwin Munguia (15’) and Jordan Garcia (27’) gave Honduras a 2-0 advantage, only for El Salvador to pull one back in the 36’ through Christopher Argueta.

 Honduras would answer, though, right before halftime in the 45+1’ thanks to David Herrera and then add a second half goal from Nayrobi Vargas in the 64’ for the 4-1 final.

With the result, Honduras have qualified for the knockout stage.

Haiti strolled to their first title at the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Junior Men's Championship after cruising past host Trinidad and Tobago 3-0 (25-13, 25-15, 25-15) at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena.

With the win in the final match of the tournament, the Junior Siecle-coached Haitians, who ended in second spot in 2017/2018 and fourth in 2015, ended with a perfect 4-0 win-loss round-robin record and 18 points, two ahead of runner-up Suriname (3-1) while Jamaica took the bronze medal with a 2-2 record and 11 points with Trinidad and Tobago (1-3) fourth with three points, and winless US Virgin Islands, fifth with a 0-4 record and two points.

The victory for Haiti put them on par with their 2015 Under-21 women's team who won their maiden title in Barbados and secured their ticket to the NORCECA Under-21 Men's Continental Championship to be hosted by Cuba from May 7 to 15, 2023.

Suriname secured a surprisingly comfortable 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-18) triumph over Jamaica in a battle of teams with 2-1 win-loss records for the second spot.

With the win, the Antoine Vliet-coached Suriname, ended their four-match round-robin schedule in the five-team winner-take-all competition with a 3-1 record and 16 points to earn their best finish in the tournament history.

Despite the loss, Steve Davis, coach of Jamaica said he was very proud of his players because he knew that they worked very hard in the limited time they had to prepare.

"Today, I have no blame for the boys even though I think that we contributed to our defeat by not having a good serving, passing or attacking game. Those errors happens when there is a lack of preparation and that is what happened with us, so to come away with a medal, is still a positive and something for us to work with," Davis said.

Estakend Beauvoir of Haiti capped off a memorable tournament for his team by being named as the "Most Valuable Player.”

Beauvoir was very influential throughout the five-team round-robin tournament and picked up the "Best Scorer" accolade.

Haiti captain Dieulengy Relis who enjoyed a very productive tournament to lead his team to the historic crown copped the"Middle Blocker 1" award.

Tournament runners-up Suriname who also enjoyed their best finish at this age-group had two awardees in Jonovan Wijngaarde (Outside Hitter 1), and Jason Lesperans (Best Digger) while US Virgin Islands had four award recipients in captain Gabriel Rosa (Best Setter), De Andrae Tylor (Middle Blocker 2), and Taj Bales (Best Receiver and Best Libero).

Third-placed Jamaica received three awards thanks to Damion Smith (Best Server and Best Opposite Player), Kenneth-Roy Clarke (Outside Hitter 2).

Suriname kept their slim hopes of claiming the gold medal in the 2021 Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association Junior Men (Under-21) Championship alive with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15) victory against host Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at the Southern Regional Indoor Sports Arena.

With the straight-sets win, Suriname, seeking a first title at this level, improved their win-loss record to 2-1 and 11 points, the same as Jamaica (2-1) and two points behind unbeaten leaders Haiti (3-0) as the trio will enter the final day of the five-team round-robin series all in contention for their first title.

Hosts Trinidad and Tobago, who needed a win to keep alive their medal hopes dropped to a 1-2 record and three points, just ahead of winless US Virgin Islands, who completed their four-match campaign with two points.

Despite the loss, Trinidad and Tobago still has a slim chance at a medal but will need to pull off a shock win over title-favourites Haiti.

On, Monday, July 11, in the final round of matches, Jamaica meets Suriname at 10 am, and Haiti meets Trinidad and Tobago at 4 pm, at the end of which, the top team will be declared champions.

Trinidad and Tobago hammered Martinique 8-2 on Sunday to secure the bronze medal in Men’s Futsal at the Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe.

Captain Che Benny carried the Trinidadians with five goals and two assists in the game played at the Palais des Sports du Gosier.

Cuba won the gold medal after a 6-2 win over Suriname while Guadeloupe came fifth after a 12-6 win over Curacao.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz cruised to a comfortable 3-1 win over Suriname in group A of the Concacaf Nation’s League at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

After a fairly even opening stanza, which saw Suriname slightly shade the scoring chances, it was Derby County midfielder Ravel Morrison who gave the Jamaicans the lead, with an inch-perfect free-kick, in the 16^th minute.

Plucky Panama, however, mounted an almost immediate response and were back on level terms five minutes later.  The speedy Yanic Wildschut, who was played in over the top, from just over the half-line, left a flat-footed Jamaica defense trailing in his wake before blasting the ball wide of Jamaica custodian Amal Knight 6-yards away from goal.

The Reggae Boyz refused to be kept quiet and would take the lead again in the 43rd minute.  The influential Morrison would find himself involved again.  This time the midfielder showed off a silky touch to bring down a lofted pass into the area and played the ball back to Junior Flemmings, who drifted across the area before firing a shot that wrong-footed Suriname goalkeeper Warner Hahn.

The Jamaicans were a much more dominant unit in the second half and capped that advantage off with another goal in the 70^th minute.  This time, Jamal Lowe was played through on goal by Shamar Nicholson, following Suriname’s loss of possession, and easily placed the ball wide of Hahn.

The win saw Jamaica move to the top of the three-team group A, after a 1-1 draw between the teams on Sunday.  Mexico, the other team in the group, are yet to play a match.

Jamaica Football Federation General Secretary Dalton Wint appears to have yielded to the demand of the Reggae Boyz that he resigns his position.

Wint has been the target of the players’ ire after being left stranded in Suriname on Saturday night, June 4, after their 1-1 draw with the host country. The JFF had failed to make proper arrangements for the players to return to Jamaica, an embarrassing situation that the players laid squarely at the feet of the beleaguered general secretary.

According to a statement reportedly coming from the players, “it was the straw that broke the camel’s back” and they refused to go on unless Wint resigned from his post. JFF President Michael Ricketts confirmed on Monday that the board had met to discuss the situation but up to later that day, there was no official word regarding the board’s position on the demand made by the players, who Sportsmax.TV understands refused to train in preparation for the return match against Suriname on Tuesday evening.

However, in a statement released late Monday night, the JFF signalled that an end to the impasse is in sight.

“The General Secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation, Mr Dalton Wint, has given his unequivocal and irreversible commitment to submit his resignation from the post,” the JFF said. “The Board of Directors of the JFF look forward to receiving same soonest. Other relevant information regarding this matter, will be shared with the country in the coming days.”

Meantime, Jamaica’s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, revealed its part in getting the players home from Suriname early Monday morning.

Minister Olivia Grange revealed that her ministry intervened to facilitate the safe return of the irate players, who returned to Jamaica at approximately 7:15 am Monday.

“On Saturday, June 4, 2022, I was advised of challenges being experienced by the Reggae Boyz delegation in Suriname. I was made to understand that travel arrangements for their return to Jamaica, after the match against Suriname on Saturday, had been cancelled and my assistance was being sought,” the minister said in a statement.

 “I was told that because the players had to return in time for another match, normal flight schedules would not allow for their return. On my instructions, a number of steps were taken by my Permanent Secretary and the General Manager of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) to assist in addressing the problem.

 “A company was identified from which we could charter a flight in the short time frame. Reggae Boy Leon Bailey was instrumental in identifying the charter company.

“We were advised by the company identified that the charter flight would cost US$105,000.00 which had to be paid immediately in order for the aircraft which was in Mexico to be released to pick up the team in Suriname. Unfortunately, with this taking place over the weekend, the circumstances prevented the SDF from accessing the required banking services.”

 As a result, Minister Grange said, JFF President Michael Ricketts contacted Christopher Williams, CEO of PROVEN and Chairman of the Premier Football Jamaica League (PFJL) to assist with the identification of the required funds and the Government of Jamaica through the SDF committed to ensuring that the funds advanced would be repaid.

“Based on the commitment of the Government, Mr Williams put the necessary mechanisms in place to advance the payment for the charter flight, with the firm understanding that he would be reimbursed in the shortest possible time,” the minister explained.

“All the parties involved were aware of the urgent need to act, bearing in mind the risk of the Jamaican delegation being stranded in Suriname, and the players not being able to honour the fixture scheduled for Tuesday, June 7, 2022,” the minister continued, adding that she spoke directly to the players, who she said were upset with the JFF Administration which they blamed for the crisis.

The players, she said, then agreed to play the game in Suriname on schedule.

“The Under Secretary for the Diaspora, Protocol and Consular Affairs Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) played a critical role in securing the landing and fly over permits. The team from the Ministries were in negotiations from Saturday afternoon until early Monday morning to ensure that the permits were received,” the minister said.

  “I will be writing to the JFF requesting a detailed report on the matter and my team and I will continue to work closely with the JFF and the Reggae Boyz as we are also aware of other matters of concern related to the management of what is possibly the most popular sport in Jamaica.”