Trinidad and Tobago’s top swimmer George Bovell splashed to this country’s first gold medal on the final day of the swimming competition at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games Thursday night in Veracruz, Mexico.
It was the 2004 Athens Olympic bronze medallist’s third consecutive gold medal in the Men’s 50m freestyle at the regional Games, dating back to his first at the 2006 CAC in Cartagenas, Colombia and the 2010 CAC event in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
Bovell who swam out of lane one, splashed to a 22.30 second clocking for the one-lap blue riband event to easily defeat the rest of the field including Suriname’s Tjon-a-Joe Rezo (22.63) and Hansir Garcia of Cuba (22.69).
Bovell added to his bronze medal he won on the previous night in the Men’s 50m backstroke.
Elsewhere, the Trinidad and Tobago women’s hockey team can only hope for bronze after they lost their semi-final match against Cuba 4-2.
Blair Wynne scored a double for this country but it proved insufficient, especially against Cuba Marisel Sierra’s game-winning hat-trick effort.
There was better news for the female basketballers in their group B preliminary match against Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago emerging 59-50 winners at the Benito Juarez Auditorium.
T&T’s Patrice Edwards sank a game-high 24 points to lead T&T to their first victory of the campaign. Edwards shot 60 per cent from the field (nine of 16) and 83 per cent from the free throw line (5/6).
Teammates Afeisha Noel and Rhea Cordio both scored 11 to assist Edwards as they pulled away from their Caribbean rivals in the third quarter to lead 45-38 after both teams were locked at 24-24 at the halftime interval. A 21-14 run in the third quarter proved crucial and T&T ended with a 14-12 last quarter to ensure the win.
At the University of Hugo Sanchez, the T&T women were hammered 7-0 by Colombia in the Women’s football competition.
In the female 10km Open Water competition at Regata Beach, Shania David placed 16th of 18 swimmers in two hours 23 minutes, 35.40 seconds, while her sister Syriah David did not finish the race which was won by Mexico’s Montserrat Ortuno in one hour, 59 minutes,18.9 seconds
In Men’s Judo in the 80kg division T&T’s Jelanie Boyce lost outright to Haiti’s Jackly Joy to finish seventh, while his countryman Sean Lawrence bowed out of the competition at the preliminary stage to El Salvador’s Gustavo Lopez.
In the Men’s 25m Standard Pistol, T&T’s Roger Daniel finished seventh, Rhodney Allen 22nd and Clement Marshall 29th.
Meanwhile, archer George Vire bowed out at the round of 16 stage in the Men’s compound individual competition. Vire beat his teammate Hasmath Ali 143-140 in their round of 32 matchup but would eventually fall to Mexico’s Julio Fierro, 149-141 to miss out on a quarter-final berth.
Amrit Siew faced Jose Reyes of Puerto Rico but scores were unavailable up to press time, while in ladies’ action, Neela Cezair lost out to Guatemala’s Diana Martinez by a 140-137 scoreline.
In competition in the individual recurve, Jean-Luc Espinet was beaten 7-3 by Ricardo Vasquez of Venezuela. Vasquez captured the two points available on sets one, two and five by posting 24-22, 26-24 and 25-24 victory margins, while Espinet won the third set 27-23 to collect two points. The points were shared one apiece in the fourth set after it ended 28-28.
And Sonia Thompson lost 6-0 to Venezuela’s Mayra Mendez. The Venezuelan took the two points on all three sets for 28-17, 29-23 and 27-16 wins.
Today, the Men’s hockey team has a semi-final encounter against hosts Mexico, while Christian Marsden and Sachin Sankar represent T&T in the Men’s 10k Open Water.
CANOC scores major victory on behalf of its members
After a persistent struggle for three years the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees have finally scored a major victory for and on behalf of its members who do not yet have a National Olympic Committee and are not members of the International Olympic Committee.
On Wednesday 12 November 2014 while meeting in Vera Cruz, Mexico, the Executive Committee of the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation (CACSO) the proprietor of the quadrennial Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, endorsed changes to the organisation’s constitution to facilitate the inclusion of a category of Associate Members. On Thursday 13, one day before the commencement of the 22nd CAC Games, the CACSO General Assembly, meeting in the Fiesta Americana Hotel, Vera Cruz, voted unanimously voted in support of the amendments.
The constitutional changes open the way for Martinique, Guadeloupe, Curacao, St Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat and Anguilla to become Associate Members if CACSO upon application. They would then be eligible to participate in the quadrennial CAC Games and other activities organised under the CACSO brand.
Chairman of CANOC, Steve Stoute, in making the case over the years insisted that his organisation ‘understands the spirit of Olympism to promote inclusion and not exclusion of the youths of the world in sport for the overall celebration and benefit of humanity’.
The next celebration of the CAC Games is in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2018.
Non IOC-recognised territories set to compete at 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games Games
Territories and dependencies not recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), including Martinique, Guadeloupe and the Turks and Caicos Islands, are set to compete at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) following a landmark amendment passed at the CAC General Assembly.
A total of 31 nations are participating in the current edition of the world's oldest still-running regional Games which began in the Mexican city Veracruz last Friday (November 14), including Colombia, Venezuela, Suriname and Guyana from South America.
All are also members of the IOC.
In contrast, the new amendment means territories that are not "countries" within the meaning of the IOC or do not have a National Olympic Committees recognised by the IOC can become "associate members" and so participate in the CAC Games.
This will be subject to a number of requirements, insidethegames has learned, the primary one being that a country must have at least five National Federations affiliated to their respective International Federation.
But it could potentially mean participation for the first time at the next edition of the Games, due to take place in Barranquilla, Colombia, in 2018.
The amendment was proposed by Haiti following legal studies and backing from the IOC, with support from St. Lucia, Aruba and Suriname, before unanimous support from all delegates present.
Representatives from the two French overseas territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique were invited to the General Assembly, with Guadeloupe Regional Olympic and Sports Committee (CROS) President Alain Soreze describing the decision as a "historic opportunity" that should pave the way for recognition from other bodies.
"Guadeloupe will follow the formal procedures for this membership, also the CROS of Guadeloupe will have to adapt its operation and management, as well as all the leagues, committees and other sport stakeholders," he said.
"We will have to change software to better train, and better prepare target podiums.
"This inclusion is a historic opportunity for the development of sport in Guadeloupe."
The island, like others set to benefit from the amendment, has already participated in regional competitions in other sports including in football, where the men's national team reached the semi-final of the 2007 CONCACAF Cup in the United States, and finished second in the 2010 Caribbean Cup, the final round of which was held in Martinique.
Others who could potentially benefit from the amendment are Dutch constituents Sint Maarten and Curaçao and British overseas territories Anguilla and Montserrat.
Anguilla and Montserrat already compete in the Commonwealth Games but their athletes have to represent Britain in the Olympics.
The amendment is another boost for new countries and territories seeking recognition within the Olympic Movement, with participation in the Olympic Games a long term and eventual goal.
It follows the decision by the IOC Executive Board last month to provisionally recognise Kosovo subject to ratification by the full membership.
Warner, Bin Hammam named in FIFA probe
Although FIFA Ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert’s findings named both former FIFA vice-president Jack Warner and former Asian confederation president Mohammed Bin Hammam as having contravened rules regarding payments, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stated that the investigation into 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding is closed.
In his findings released last week, Eckert, tasked with reporting on the investigation into those bidding processes conducted by chairman of the investigatory chamber of the FIFA Ethics Committee, Michael Garcia, named Warner and Bin Hammam as having contravened rules regarding payments, according to newpaper reports out of the UK.
Warner, a former UNC chairman and minster in various portfolios in the Trinidad and Tobago Government, resigned from FIFA in 2011, while Qatar’s Bin Hammam was banned for life by FIFA. Both are former FIFA ethics committee members.
But FIFA has lodged a criminal complaint with the Swiss attorney general over “suspected unlawful activity” of unnamed individuals connected with the bidding contests despite Blatter’s statement that the investigation is concluded.
The report, handed over to the Swiss prosecutors by Eckert as part of his findings into the Garcia investigation, will not be published, Blatter had said, citing the publication would breach FIFA and state laws.
“The matter will now also be looked at by an independent, state body, which shows that FIFA is not opposed to transparency,” Blatter was reported to have said.
A FIFA statement said: “The subject of the criminal complaint is the possible misconduct of individual persons in connection with the awarding of the hosting rights of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups investigated by Michael Garcia.
“In particular there seem to be grounds for suspicion that, in isolated cases, international transfers of assets with connections to Switzerland took place, which merit examination by the criminal prosecution authorities.”
The identities of the individuals who have been reported to the attorney general have not been disclosed, according to the UK media report.
CAC medal tally at 4
Browne, Alexander, St Louis, Humphreys cop more bronze for T&T
Dorian Alexander fought his way to secure T&T’s second bronze medal, when he defeated Costa Rica’s Carlos Solis in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Under 68kg Taekwondo, at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Veracruz, Mexico.
Though he trailed 1-2 in the first round, Alexander took control over his Central American opponent from the next round by outscoring his opponent 5-1 before winning the third, 6-2, with several single point offensive kicks to Solis’s body. Solis actually did not score any points for the entire fight, only gain points off Alexander’s eight Kyong-gos (warning penalty, in Taekwondo two Kyong-go’s committed awards the opposition a point).
It was a different story for Alexander against Mexico’s Isaac Torres, scoring his only point of the fight in the first round. Torres executed two impressive back kicks as Alexander eventually lost 12-1. Torres went on to take silver, losing to Dominican Republic’s Ruddy Mateo 10-8 in the finals.
Meanwhile, cyclist Kwesi Browne added a third bronze to T&T’s medal tally when he copped third spot in the men’s Keirin late on Tuesday. Colombia’s Fabiano Hernando Puerta copped the gold while Hersony Canelon of Venezuela bagged silver.
Varun Maharajh topped the field in the men’s omnium scratch before going on to record a time of four minutes, 41.024 seconds for the fourth fastest time in the individual pursuit. He was carded to ride in the Elimination event at 8.00 p.m. while Emile Abraham was in the lineup for the men’s points race at 7.00 p.m.
And the table tennis pair of Dexter St Louis and Curtis Humphreys earned men’s doubles bronze after they were beaten 6-11, 7-11, 9-11, by Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanadour and Daniel Gonzalez in their semi-final matchup. The Puerto Ricans had to eventually settle for silver after they were defeated 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 9-11, in the championship match by Marcos Madrid and Salvador Uribe of Mexico.
In women’s round of 16 singles action, Ashley Quashie bowed out to Puerto Rico’s Daniely Rios, 7-11, 5-11, 5-11, 6-11, while Rheann Chung won a tough five-set duel with Analdy Lopez of Guatemala by a 4-1 margin to progress to the final eight. Chung prevailed 12-10, 4-11, 11-6, 13-11, and 14-12.
In hockey action, T&T’s women had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Dominican Republic (DR) after Blair Wynne had given them the lead in the sixth minute. Two goals in the eighth and 20th minutes by Benifer Moronta saw the DR forge ahead but Alanna Lewis hit back with a 31st minute strike to grab a share of the points for T&T.
And in the pool, George Bovell splashed into the final of the men’s 50m backstroke when he finished second in heat two in a time of 26.65 seconds with Venezuela’s Molina Robinson winning in 26.33. David McLeod, despite finishing fourth in heat one in 26.81, earned a lane in the final as he produced the sixth faster qualifying time.
The national women’s basketball team were beaten 86-36 by Cuba with Afeisha Noel, 10 and Patrice Edwards, nine, were T&T top scorers while at press time the women’s footballers were down by a 6-0 scoreline to Mexico.
ToolsCAC medal tally at 4Browne, Alexander, St Louis, Humphreys cop more bronze for T&TDorian Alexander fought his way to secure T&T’s second bronze medal, when he defeated Costa Rica’s Carlos Solis in the quarterfinals of the Men’s Under 68kg Taekwondo, at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Veracruz, Mexico. Though he trailed 1-2 in the first round, Alexander took control over his Central American opponent from the next round by outscoring his opponent 5-1 before winning the third, 6-2, with several single point offensive kicks to Solis’s body. Solis actually did not score any points for the entire fight, only gain points off Alexander’s eight Kyong-gos (warning penalty, in Taekwondo two Kyong-go’s committed awards the opposition a point).
It was a different story for Alexander against Mexico’s Isaac Torres, scoring his only point of the fight in the first round. Torres executed two impressive back kicks as Alexander eventually lost 12-1. Torres went on to take silver, losing to Dominican Republic’s Ruddy Mateo 10-8 in the finals.
Meanwhile, cyclist Kwesi Browne added a third bronze to T&T’s medal tally when he copped third spot in the men’s Keirin late on Tuesday. Colombia’s Fabiano Hernando Puerta copped the gold while Hersony Canelon of Venezuela bagged silver.
Varun Maharajh topped the field in the men’s omnium scratch before going on to record a time of four minutes, 41.024 seconds for the fourth fastest time in the individual pursuit. He was carded to ride in the Elimination event at 8.00 p.m. while Emile Abraham was in the lineup for the men’s points race at 7.00 p.m.
And the table tennis pair of Dexter St Louis and Curtis Humphreys earned men’s doubles bronze after they were beaten 6-11, 7-11, 9-11, by Puerto Rico’s Brian Afanadour and Daniel Gonzalez in their semi-final matchup. The Puerto Ricans had to eventually settle for silver after they were defeated 12-10, 8-11, 6-11, 9-11, in the championship match by Marcos Madrid and Salvador Uribe of Mexico.
In women’s round of 16 singles action, Ashley Quashie bowed out to Puerto Rico’s Daniely Rios, 7-11, 5-11, 5-11, 6-11, while Rheann Chung won a tough five-set duel with Analdy Lopez of Guatemala by a 4-1 margin to progress to the final eight. Chung prevailed 12-10, 4-11, 11-6, 13-11, and 14-12.
In hockey action, T&T’s women had to settle for a 2-2 draw against the Dominican Republic (DR) after Blair Wynne had given them the lead in the sixth minute. Two goals in the eighth and 20th minutes by Benifer Moronta saw the DR forge ahead but Alanna Lewis hit back with a 31st minute strike to grab a share of the points for T&T.
And in the pool, George Bovell splashed into the final of the men’s 50m backstroke when he finished second in heat two in a time of 26.65 seconds with Venezuela’s Molina Robinson winning in 26.33. David McLeod, despite finishing fourth in heat one in 26.81, earned a lane in the final as he produced the sixth faster qualifying time.
The national women’s basketball team were beaten 86-36 by Cuba with Afeisha Noel, 10 and Patrice Edwards, nine, were T&T top scorers while at press time the women’s footballers were down by a 6-0 scoreline to Mexico.
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SporTT makes inroads at World Market
In an effort to bring more athletes and fans to our shores, the Sport Company of T&T (SporTT) sent two officials to the recently held World Market in London.
A mission from T&T organised by the Ministry of Tourism left these shores for the event and CEO of SporTT, Adrian Raymond saw it as an opportunity to advertise this country’s sports facilities, as well as gain valuable information on operating systems for the mega facilities currently under construction.
Representing SporTT were Kyron Serette and Natasha Nunez. Serette speaking on the Sports Drive on Heritage Radio said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for us to take part in the world market. What we found is that people normally view us here in the Caribbean as just a holiday destination but we were able to get to officials from many of the participating countries to let them know that we have a lot to offer.”
Nunez who is a communications officer at SporTT said: “A number of them were surprised to know that we have these great facilities on hand. Now teams can come here for camps ahead of major world events and this is what we are focussing on. So it is not just about having teams coming here for competitions.
“We have world class facilities under construction at the moment and are due to be completed soon.
“Sporting associations around the world can now send their teams to our country and in addition to having great weather for training, they can also enjoy the wonderful facilities and the added on is of course our lovely beaches. The people in our country are also warm and open and this is something we need to allow them to know as well.”
Both Nunez and Serette also took the opportunity to move away from the proceedings of the World Market and visit many places of interest, in terms of sport development.
According to Serette: “We visited SPORT England and whilst there, we were able to get very valuable information in terms of sport development and facility management.
“We have the Aquatic Centre, the Cycling Velodrome, the Tennis Centre and many other smaller facilities that can be used by international athletes. We were able to bring back information that could be used to enhance the facilties.
“For instance, when we visited the English Cycling Centre we noticed simple things that we did not know, like making sure the doors to the facility opened outwards.
“By doing this the cyclists are not affected by the air moving in and out of the building. Then there are other aspects of design that might be costly right now but is something we can implement as we go along.”
Nunez was particularly impressed with the Swimming arena in London, saying: “They had adjustable floors in their diving pools and practice pools, so they could have easily varied the depth of the pool. We were lucky to witness these things because now we can assist by giving this information to our technical people.”
Serette ended by saying that all this information gained could come to nothing with follow up and they have since been in contact with all the officials, they met since their arrival home and they have promised to open bi-lateral communication for all concerned.