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St. Catherine High secured back-to-back Walker Cup titles with a 1-0 win over Kingston Technical in the final at Stadium East on Saturday.
Despite what the final score suggests, it was a dominant display from St. Catherine who came close to opening the scoring in the 5th minute when Dwight Gentles hit the crossbar with a left-footed strike.
They once again found themselves unlucky when a right-footed shot from Jevin Parkinson cannoned off the left upright in the 57th minute. Their persistence was eventually rewarded when they took the lead with the only goal of the game, a well-placed 89th-minute header from substitute Dillion Richards.
Sprinter Elaine Thompson-Herah and sprint hurdler, Hansle Parchment, were named Jamaica’s National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year for 2021, at the RJRGleaner Sports Foundation National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards ceremony held on Friday night.
The event was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thompson-Herah had a phenomenal 2021 season, which included her winning the 100m at the Diamond League final in Zurich and running 10.54 at the Eugene Diamond League to become the fastest woman alive and second fastest woman of all time.
Her greatest achievement in 2021, however, would have to be when she became the first woman in history to win the sprint double at consecutive Olympic Games.
Backing up her exploits from Rio in 2016, Thompson-Herah produced times of 10.61 and 21.53 to win gold medals in both the 100m and 200m at the Tokyo Olympics, in addition to being a part of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team, alongside Briana Williams, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who finished as runner-up for the Sportswoman of the Year award, and Shericka Jackson, that won the gold medal in a national record 41.02.
Parchment shocked the world to win gold in the Men’s 110m Hurdles in Tokyo, nine years after his bronze medal performance at the London Olympics.
He ran 13.04 to win gold in Tokyo ahead of prohibitive favourite Grant Holloway of the USA.
The past student of Morant Bay High and Kingston College was also third at the Diamond League final in Zurich.
His teammate Ronald Levy, who was the runner-up for the Sportsman of the Year Award, took home the bronze medal in Tokyo.
Other major awards given out on the day include the Chairman's Award to veteran journalist Lance Whittaker; the People's Choice "Performance of the Year Award" to Fraser McConnell; the VM Group Y.O.U.T.H Award to sprinter Tina Clayton and the Gleaner Newspaper Iconic Award to Michael Holding.
Garvey Maceo High School produced a five-star performance to win their first daCosta Cup title since 2007 with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Manning’s at STETHS today.
Garvey Maceo captain Gregory Cousins continued his stellar form this season with a hat-trick.
He gave his team the lead in the 14th minute with a composed right-footed finish after a wonderful display of skill to beat two Manning’s defenders.
Cousins got his second of the game to put Garvey Maceo 2-0 ahead in the 35th minute and completed his hat-trick with a 74th-minute free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box.
Cleo Clark got the other two Garvey Maceo goals on the day in the 45th and 85th minutes.
Garvey Maceo now have three schoolboy football titles in their history including two daCosta Cup titles and one Ben Francis Cup title.
They will now play either Kingston College or Jamaica College in the Olivier Shield.
The West Indies Under-19s have failed to advance to the Super League stage of the 2022 ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup after suffering a hard-fought three-wicket defeat to Sri Lanka Under-19s at the Conaree Cricket Ground in St. Kitts on Friday.
Sri Lanka won the toss and chose to field first, and despite the continued absence of regular captain Ackeem Auguste, who made 57 in the first match against Australia U-19s, West Indies Under-19s got their highest total of the tournament with 250-9 off their 50 overs.
In the must-win encounter, Kevin Wickham, playing his first game of the World Cup, top-scored with 56.
He was well supported by Jordan Johnson, who got 47, as well as Rivaldo Clarke and Teddy Bishop, who got 45 each.
Sri Lankan captain Dunith Wellalage, who has so far taken two five-wicket hauls in the tournament, was again the pick of the Sri Lankan bowlers with 3-39 off his 10 overs.
Despite a valiant effort from the West Indies Under-19s bowlers, Sri Lanka were able to get to their target, finishing on 251-9 with 10 balls remaining.
Opener Sadisha Rajapaksa top-scored for the Sri Lankans with 76 and he got support from Anjala Bandara (40) and Shevon Daniel (34).
McKenny Clarke led the West Indies bowlers with 2-38 off his 9.2 overs while Isai Thorne took 2-41 off 10 overs.
Sri Lanka Under-19s and Australia Under-19s will now advance to the Super League stage as the top two finishers in Group D.
The tournament hasn’t ended for the West Indies Under-19s, however, as they will now compete in the plate quarterfinals.
Edwin Allen High School won their first trophy in schoolboy football after defeating St. Elizabeth Technical 3-2 in an enthralling final at STETHS on Friday.
Negus Daley followed up his goal in the semi-final against Frome Technical with the opener for the home side in the 16th minute.
Edwin Allen got the equalizer in the 47th minute through a right-footed strike from close range by Alwayne Bryan.
Jahiem Harris scored the first of his two goals on the day to give Edwin Allen a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute.
Substitute Davin Wright got the goal that he thought would send the game to penalties for STETHS with a header in the 85th minute to make it 2-2 before Harris got his second of the game, a brilliant left-footed strike from outside the box to give Edwin Allen a 3-2 lead and secure their maiden Ben Francis Cup title.
West Indies white ball captain, Kieron Pollard, says the team will be starting from scratch in their Betway T20 International series against England beginning on Saturday in Barbados.
The last outing for the regional team in the format came in January with a 3-0 defeat in an away series against Pakistan.
The majority of that squad will get another opportunity to represent the region and Pollard, speaking in a pre-match press conference today, says the team is eager to get started.
“For us, it’s like starting from scratch. These guys got a run out in Pakistan in the three T20Is and I’m sure they’re looking to build on their own personal performances and that, in extension, will help us get victories,” he said.
If the West Indies are to come out victorious in the five-match series, Pollard says execution in all three phases of the game will be critical.
“We have to execute in all three facets of the game. It’s been mentioned over the last week or so, batting has definitely been a problem for us but a good thing about it is that we have some new faces in the group again. Guys are looking to make a name for themselves on the international scene and so we just need to be able to do the basics and play according to the situation of the game,” Pollard added.
With the team coming off a disappointing ODI series loss to Ireland, Pollard says it will be important to leave that in the past and focus on what they can do going forward.
“It’s a new series. We can’t take the disappointment from that series into this one. There’s a different sort of mindset and approach that is needed to come into this series,” Pollard said.
The first match of the T20I series between the West Indies and England bowls off at the Kensington Oval in Barbados at 3:00 pm Jamaica time.
West Indies fast-bowling allrounder Odean Smith is taking his ascension to the West Indies limited overs team in stride.
Speaking to the media, on Thursday, before the team’s five-match Betway T20 International series against England, Smith said he has ambitions to be a fixture in the West Indies white-ball setup for years to come.
“Definitely. I think I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do but it’s all a learning process. Cricket is a learning process. I just have to work on my game along the way and I think I’ll definitely get to where I want to be when the time comes,” he said.
One of the biggest talking points across the regional cricket landscape over the last few years has been player fitness and Smith said he is fully aware that if he wants to achieve his goals, he must prioritize taking care of his body.
“I think it’s very important. If you’re not taking care of your body then you probably won’t have far to go so, I work a lot on my fitness. Cricket is a lot of running so I tend to do a lot of that. I don’t really go to the gym to do a lot of strength work. Running and eating well are the things I take pride in,” Smith added.
A member of the triumphant 2016 West Indies Under-19 team, Smith also stated that it is an ongoing process because of a busy schedule.
“I’m not where I want to be right now because, as I said, it’s an ongoing process and there’s a lot of cricket going on so it’s hard to get anything done during the season. When I get a little time, I’ll focus on distance running and my eating habits,” he added.
Smith has, so far, played 3 ODIs and 5 T20Is for the West Indies.
With the team coming off a disappointing ODI series defeat to Ireland and England coming off a 4-0 defeat to Australia in the Ashes, Smith believes the upcoming series will be an important one for both teams.
“Both teams have an equal opportunity to go out there and win this series. England has a very good team and we also have a very good team as we’re trying to rebuild. We have a few new guys so the coaches are trying to figure out roles for everyone. This series is going to be very important for both teams going forward,” he added.
The series between the West Indies and England gets underway at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on Saturday.
Defending champions Cavalier got the new Jamaica Premier League season underway with a win against Arnett Gardens FC in an enthralling encounter at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence in Kingston.
Central defender, Jamoi Topey, gave Cavalier the lead in the 60th minute before Chavany Willis got an equaliser that he thought would salvage a draw in the 96th minute.
Cavalier forward Shaniel Thomas had other ideas as he slotted home a right-footed effort in the 97th minute to secure a win and three points for the two-time champions.
The second match on Sunday was also an exciting one between four-time champions Waterhouse FC and Montego Bay United, who have also won the title four times.
Montego Bay United took the lead in the 57th minute through Giovanni Reid before Waterhouse equalised in the 72nd minute through an Andre Fletcher penalty.
Waterhouse completed the comeback in the 81st minute through a goal from Devroy Grey. The action then shifted to Monday, January 17 with two more matches.
Dunbeholden FC and Vere United FC contested the first game with Dunbeholden securing a 2-1 victory.
They took the lead in the eighth minute through an excellent header from Atapharoy Bygrave before Lampard Neil tied things up for Vere in the 57th minute.
Substitute Jahmiel Hardware secured the three points for Dunbeholden with a well-placed free kick in the 92nd minute.
In the second match, goals from Warner Brown in the 42nd minute and Shai Smith in the 87th minute ensured that five-time winners Tivoli Gardens FC and seven-time winners Portmore United FC played out a 1-1 draw.
On Tuesday, four-time champions Harbour View FC and Molynes United FC played out a 2-2 draw thanks to double strikes from Trayvon Reid and Nicholas Nelson.
Nelson gave Molynes United the lead in the 42nd minute before Reid made it 1-1 in the 45th minute.
The 58th minute saw Nelson get his second to give Molynes United a 2-1 lead before Reid once again equalized in the 90th minute to ensure the points were shared.
In the second game on the day, goals from Daniel Green in the 14th and 43rd minutes, as well as strikes from Allan Ottey in the 17th, Ricardo Morris in the 45th, and Donovan Segree in the 90th helped Mount Pleasant FA secure the biggest win of the round, a 5-1 rout of Humble Lion FC.
Cory Hylton got Humble Lion’s consolation goal in the 83rd minute.
The second round of matches kicks off on Saturday.
Former West Indies cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul has been appointed Jamaica Tallawahs new Head Coach.
The 47-year-old left-hander, who has played 164 Tests, 268 ODIs and 22 T20Is, scoring a total of 20,988 runs for the West Indies, will take charge of the team for the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
"Shivnarine has had an illustrious playing career and is one of the greats of the game. He has served West Indies cricket with distinction, and I know that he will take the Tallawahs to new heights," said Krishna Persaud, owner of the Jamaica Tallawahs.
For his part, Chanderpaul is excited to join the unit and hopes to lead the team back to winning ways.
"It’s an absolute honour to be appointed as the new Head Coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs and I am really looking forward to working with the players and support staff to bring another championship to Jamaica," Chanderpaul said.
Sir Curtly Ambrose has also joined the Jamaica Tallawahs support staff for Hero CPL 2022.
The legend, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time with 405 Test wickets and another 225 in ODIs, will serve as the Tallawahs bowling coach.
“Sir Curtly brings a lot of technical expertise and experience to the Tallawahs and we look forward to having him with the team,” stated the Guyanese Businessman.
Jamaican Andre Coley has also been appointed assistant coach of the team.
Coley was a member of the inaugural management team at the High Performance Centre Programme based in Barbados from 2010 – 2013.
He was the former Head Coach of the Windward Islands Volcanoes first-class franchise between 2017-2019 and is currently the Head Coach of the Jamaica Scorpions first-class franchise from 2019 to the present.
“We are excited and welcome Chanderpaul, Sir Curtly and Coley to the Tallawahs family,” stated Jeff Miller, General Manager of the Tallawahs.
A record number of coaches, who were last year registered by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) for a rigorous hi-level coaches' course hosted by the Pan Am Sports Organization (PASO), successfully completed and are on course to achieve international certification.
Coaches from several sports including handball, badminton, judo, taekwondo, gymnastics, baseball, chess, volleyball, lawn tennis and track and field, completed, over six months, seven modules covering areas such as Coaching Philosophy and Leadership, Advanced Performance Planning, Energy Systems and Physiology, Strength and Conditioning, Sports Psychology, Advanced Injury Prevention, Recovery Strategies and High Performance Analysis.
"Capacity, capability and competency are the three Cs in the educational trilogy of the JOA's empowerment agenda for our coaches who are really the starters, drivers and finishers of the assets of sport development which are our athletes" President of the Jamaica Olympic Association, Christopher Samuda, commented on the success of the initiative.
Participants across the spectrum of sport have lauded the initiative as "groundbreaking and a step by the JOA in the right direction."
Ryan Foster, Secretary General/CEO of the Jamaica Olympic Association, was pleased with the level of support from the sporting federations and remarked "the response to JOA's call was deafening as it was instructive and demonstrates that coaches want to be and have become a part of the transformation being led by the JOA."
The JOA last year inaugurated its historic, "Olympic Scholars," an athlete scholarship grant, under which several persons benefited from financial assistance in academic and career pursuits. "This is money giving currency and value to athletes and this is an investment the dividends of which are capitalizing sport and the human capital" Foster said.
With a strong bi-lateral partnership with the United States Sports Academy (USSA), a strategic alliance World Eleven Inc and the Argentine Football Association and protocols of co-operation with regional and international stakeholders, "the JOA is instilling a culture of excellence in sport education and bringing the sciences and technology of sport into the equation of success." Samuda remarked.
The JOA will later this year make a call for another coaches' hi-level course and it is expected that it will be oversubscribed as stakeholders in the sporting sector continue to seize opportunities which the governing body is creating.
Edwin Allen High and St. Elizabeth Technical will contest the final of the Ben Francis Cup Knockout after winning their respective semi-final fixtures on Tuesday.
The double-header at STETHS saw Edwin Allen secure a comfortable 4-0 victory over Manchester High in the opening fixture and the host school pulling out a 1-0 win over Frome Technical in the second.
The final will be played at STETHS on Friday, January 21.
The hosts will be looking to secure their seventh Ben Francis Cup while Edwin Allen will be seeking their first.
West Indies senior Men’s head coach Phil Simmons says players must be more aware of situations ahead of the Betway T20 International Series against England.
“Each game has a situation. Every ball is a situation in the game, and we’ve got to be able to assess that situation and know how we have to play in that game. If you’re 20-3 you play differently than if you’re 40-0. These are the little situations that we need to highlight and win and that will take us to winning the game,” he said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Simmons also explained that the return of the West Indies to the pinnacle of world cricket will only come with a focus on development at all levels.
“Definitely things need to be changed at different levels. You don’t become bad batsmen at this level,” he said.
He continued on, saying that responsibility lies with coaches at all levels to see to the development of players in the region.
“You come up here thinking you are able to play up here, but things are not going the way they should do so there must be some sort of responsibility taken from the levels before us and that’s something that has to be addressed, generally, as an organization,” Simmons added.
With that said, Simmons also acknowledged that once players get to the international level, they also have a part to play.
“In saying that, the guys, when they come up here, need to fight harder. They need to put more effort into wanting to be the best in the world when they come up here,” he added.
The West Indies will play five T20 Internationals against England in Barbados starting on January 22.
West Indies Under-19s defeated Scotland Under-19s by seven wickets at Warner Park to secure their first win in the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup on Monday.
West Indies Under-19s won the toss and bowled first. That proved to be a good decision as the Scottish batsmen were unable to withstand a quality bowling performance from the West Indians, eventually being bowled out for 95 in 35.1 overs.
Opening bowler Shiva Sankar, who was voted man of the match, led the bowling for the home side with 3-17 from his seven overs.
Spinners Onaje Amory and Anderson Mahase took 2-26 off 10 overs and 2-16 off 5.1 overs, respectively.
The West Indies had a relatively easy chase, losing just three wickets in their pursuit of 96 for victory.
Openers Shaqkere Parris (26) and Matthew Nandu (8) as well as wicket-keeper/batsman Rivaldo Clarke (13) were the batsmen out.
Teddy Bishop and Jordan Johnson finished not out on 23 and 14, respectively, to help the West Indies successfully chase their target in 19.4 overs.
West Indies Under-19s, Australia Under-19s, and Sri Lanka Under-19s now all have two points with the West Indies leading the group on net run rate.
Sri Lanka Under-19s and Australia Under-19s were locked in battle in the other Group D match on the day with the Aussies being bowled out for 175 and Sri Lanka on 44-3, from nine overs, in pursuit of their target.
Inter Miami CF have signed Jamaica international defender Damion Lowe, the club announced Sunday.
The 28-year-old joins Inter Miami through to the 2023 MLS season with a re-sign option for 2024.
“Damion is a capable center back who has proven himself at the international level for Jamaica and we’re happy to welcome him at Inter Miami," chief soccer officer and sporting director Chris Henderson said in a release.
"I’ve known Damion for a long time and I’m sure he’ll welcome this challenge to break into MLS while helping us achieve our objectives. We’re looking forward to continuing to solidify our backline with this signing," Henderson added.
Lowe was selected No. 8 overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by Seattle Sounders FC where he made 18 appearances with the then-USL Championship affiliate Seattle Sounders FC 2 and scored one goal.
He's had a well-travelled career ever since, making stops at Minnesota United FC, IK Start in Norway, Al Ittihad in Egypt, and Tampa Bay Rowdies and Phoenix Rising both USL Championship.
Lowe has become a regular with Jamaica, earning 41 senior caps while regularly serving as captain for the Reggae Boyz.
He was named to the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup Best XI.
In 2019, Clarendon College suffered a heart-breaking 1-0 loss to Kingston College in the final of the ISSA Champions Cup.
Three years later, the Chapleton-based school have gone one better after scoring a 1-0 win over Dinthill Technical at Stadium East to win the ISSA Champions Cup.
In a back-and-forth affair, both teams traded chances throughout the first half before the deadlock was finally broken in the second half when a deflected shot from Jaheim Rose found its way to the feet of Kaheem Dixon who slotted home the decisive goal in the 53rd minute.
Clarendon College are now the second rural-area school to win the Champions Cup joining Cornwall College who won the title in 2018.
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