|
Little Experience, But High Hopes For Junior Cricketers
(December 10) - They began by taking team pictures, but they ended by learning to knot a necktie - a final impromptu training session. The teachers were Ernest Hilaire, Permanent Secretary for Youth and Sports and Stephanie Felicien, Cable & Wireless' Public Relations Manager. Listening attentively were the members of the national under-fifteen cricket team, some of whom were only minutes away from completing their end-of-term exams, most of whom will play the 1999 Windward Islands tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines beginning Monday.
Balancing academia and athletics can be a challenge, but you should try finding sponsorship for sports. Thanks to a $10 thousand assist from C&W, the junior cricketers were able to stage a full training camp under coach Brian Calixte and manager Emmanuel Bellasse. The Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, Lucelec, Texaco and various hotels chipped in with travel gear, kit and other forms of assistance (neckties included). It's really the first time that the boys and their management team have had the luxury of an unabbreviated camp.
The Ministry is also doing its part with the imminent construction of a $30 million cricket facility, work on which ought to begin next January. Hilaire says that the final arrangements for the facility were put in place this week. The Ministry has been extremely supportive of the under-fifteen programme, and the purpose-built cricket ground will help ensure that the development of these young players will continue into their adult years. Now it remains for national cricket administrators to take the Ministry's cue and prepare themselves to put the cricket ground to good use.
The junior side, which is led this year by middle order batsman Marias James, will be seeking to demonstrate that the stable administration of the domestic game at this level is continuing to reap benefits. When St. Lucia won the tournament in Grenada under Sergio Fedee, he was one of several players who had been on the team for three to four years. This time round, James is one of just three players who have been in this tournament before. Additionally, there was no domestic competition at this level during 1999, so there's been little opportunity to really test the youngsters.
Calixte and Bellasse have a great deal of confidence in their charges. Bellasse ought to. His son, Mervin - a rangy left arm spinner built in the mold of Roger Harper - is vice-captain. The team was picked as much for fielding and out-cricket as it was for batting and bowling. That's how spin bowler (and punctilious fieldsman) Vivian Florent made the final cut. Behind the stumps, Michel Williams will have the tough task of replacing predecessors Gaspard Prospere and Emroy Smith.
Here's the full thirteen-member squad:
Marias JAMES - Castries Comprehensive - rh batsman
Mervin BELLASSE - Vieux Fort Comprehensive - rh leg spin
Dale SMITH - Clendon Mason Memorial - rh opening bat
Evanus EMMANUEL - Grande Riviere Snr. Primary - rh opening bat
Craig EMMANUEL - St.Mary's College - rh allrounder
Ron EDWARD - Entrepot Secondary - rh batsman/allrounder
Satish SINGH - St. Mary's College - lh seamer /allrounder
Gregory ANTOINE - Clendon Mason Memorial - rh batsman
Michel WILLIAMS - St. Mary's College - wkp/rh batsman
Shanley NAPOLEON - St. Mary's College - rh fast bowler
/lh batsman
Vivian FLORENT - Entrepot Secondary - rh offspin
Sherlan ISIDORE - Corinth Secondary - rh fast bowler
Jamal JOSEPH - Vieux Fort Comprehensive - rh offspin
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Bragging Rights Up For Grabs In Local Rugby
This weekend the St. Lucia Rugby Football Union will provide what could be an intriguing preview to an inaugural club tournament, beginning next January. On Sunday morning at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School playing field, the Union will stage the first-ever Veterans v Rookies competition.One team will feature players who have a great deal of national experience, including Lyndel Norville, Colvis Samuel and Kent St. Catherine - who has played professionally in England. A number of other veterans, including Emmanuel Bastien, terry finisterre and Lenny Yarde will line up for the favourites.
The junior side will rely heavily on forward Akim Herbert, who is one the most talented youngsters in the game. Marlon Daniel and Jonathan St. Rose'll join him in a strong scrum, while Kensley Emanuel and Henson Hunte ought to anchor a very inexperienced backline. Other players will register on Sunday. The tournament, which will be officiated by Jackson Jules and Michael Mathurin, is scheduled to begin at ten thirty. The Union is hoping for a great deal of participation and keen competition from some players who have not had many regular games this year. A cash prize will be on offer for the winners. Of course, a lot more is at stake, with bragging rights going to the team which can stamp its authority Sunday morning. In just a few weeks, most of these players will be working towards the long-overdue development of the domestic club structure, the result of which will be a national rugby club championship.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Legends Tennis 1999 Comes To A Close
 (6 December) - The 1999 Legends St. Lucia Open tennis tournament ended at the weekend with finals in all divisions. Although St. Lucia was well represented in the open divisions, the players from the host territory were markedly absent from the upper echelons of the professional draw. Only Yves Sinson made a semi-final, and that was in the doubles competition.
In the open doubles, Ron Blanchard and Christopher Hunte - Public Relations Officer of the Tennis Association - teamed up to take on Cameron Moffat and Trevor Hunte. Hunte and Moffat whipped Hunte and Blanchard 6-4, 6-0 for the title. Earlier, Hunte (Chris) and Blanchard met in the open men's final; Blanchard eventually won a tough one, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
The highlight of the tournament came when American Keinky Thomas and Elmar Girst of the Netherlands Antilles met in the final of the professional men's singles competition. Girst made a good first of it, but eventually he bowed to the stronger American in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Bodybuilding Body Elects New Executive
(6 December) - The St. Lucia Amateur Bodybuilding Association staged its Annual General Meeting on Sunday. Outgoing president Cornelius Sidonie has had a very good run at the helm of the Association. Under his leadership, the sport has grown, and St. Lucia has produced a crop of musclemen (and women) capable of competing with just about anyone in the world. That was proved most emphatically when Julian Felix took the middleweight title at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The Association's new executive, headed by Gilbert Spooner, will still have Felix to work with. Also on board is former SLABA secretary Jacqueline Augustin, the newly elected vice-president. Stephen Deligny will handle the body's finances, with the assistance of former Sportsman of the Year Bill Wilson. The Dudleys, Marilyn and Monica, were elected secretary and assistant secretary. Andrew Vaughn Noel of Radio St. Lucia is the new Public Relations Officer.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Grenada - OECS Boxing Champs
(5 December) - Grenada was the winner, but the sub-region as a whole may have come away losers after the 12th Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Boxing Championships. Grenada picked up five gold medals, a silver and a bronze on the way to a total of sixteen points at the Castries Comprehensive Secondary School auditorium. Unfortunately, they only outpointed Antigua, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and the host territory, which picked up the wooden spoon with just eight points.
Grenadian veteran Jewel Lewis took the light welterweight crown with a victory on points over St. Lucia's best boxer, Sebastian Alexander. In the light heavyweight division Alex James had a huge first round knockdown of St. Lucian Benedict Arthur, and Martin Bascombe won the middleweight division over Dwayne John of Antigua. The youngest boxer on the card, seventeen-year-old Kennis Joseph took the welterweight title over Vincentian Gilbert Olivierre. The fifth title for Grenada came when Venston Richards defeated Antiguan Mervin Simon for the lightweight crown.
Antiguan twins Damian and Dorian Allain were both winners. Damian beat Dalton John of Antigua in the bantamweight class, picking up a prize for the most promising pugilist along the way. Dorian met St. Lucia's Leslie Skinner in the featherweight division; the referee awarded the contest to Allain in the first round. Vincentian Randick Sharpe fell to Stanford Ross of Antigua - and to injury - as a dislocated shoulder yielded Ross the light middleweight title. Of course, the dislocation came after a hard right hand from Ross.
The tournament was fairly well organised, and credit must go to Dr. Kenneth Louisy and the Boxing Association executive. The Barbadian officials kept things relatively clean. The quality of the boxing, especially on the first night, left a lot to be desired. Advance publicity had almost no impact, and the crowds were quite disappointing. The most unfortunate aspect of the competition, however, was the poor participation from OECS member states. Ways must be found of getting these countries together on a more regular basis.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
More Licks For St. Lucia's Cricketers
(5 December) - Lax batting and worse work in the field: those were the hallmarks of an innings defeat for St. Lucia in the 1999 Windward Islands Goodwill Cricket Tournament. St. Vincent and the Grenadines vaulted to the top of the standings on 24 points, while St. Lucia remain mired at the bottom, pointless - in every sense of the word - and with only the home game next week against Grenada remaining. Grenada is in with a chance at the title on 20 points after defeating Dominica by 130 runs. Dominica handed St. Lucia an 87 run reversal in the first game of the competition.
In the battle of the Saints, the visitors batted first, amassing - if that's the word for these the meagre total compiled by St. Lucia - 143 runs. Vieux Fort batsman Danny Harris shone, the first (and only) player to score fifty for St. Lucia. Harris' 58 led his team by far; the captain, Alton Crafton, made 31. Alonzo Jackman took five wickets at the cost of 59 runs, setting himself up for an eventual match haul of twelve for 92.
The Vincentians amassed - here, the word is more apt - the huge total of 370 runs. Deighton Butler was dropped on eight, when he ought to have been caught behind off the bowling of teenager and left arm spinner Gairy Mathurin. Instead, Butler went on to make an unbeaten 95, much of it coming in partnership with (sit down for this one) Cameron Cuffy. Cuffy, a veteran number eleven, scored 48! Bertram Stapleton made 71, Dawnley Joseph hit 58. Mathurin was the most effective St. Lucian bowler - which isn't saying much. He came on late, snagging four for 64.
Batting again, St. Lucia surpassed their first innings tally - barely. The side was 101 for the loss of nine wickets, when a tremendous and pleasantly surprising last wicket stand put on an even fifty runs. Walter Emmanuel was out for 35, Edley George was unbeaten on 24. Crafton scored 25 runs Jackson finished off his twelve-wicket haul with seven in the second.
Following that huge loss (an innings and 76 runs) my sources within the National Cricket Association reveal that wholesale changes may be in store. Mon Repos wicketkeeper Alderman Lesmond may lose his place to teenager Gaspard Prospere and manager Julian Charles will be casting about for ways to reinforce the batting. Considering how weak the "frontline" bowlers are, he might be best served with a teamful of allrounders, which would include Harris, Sergio Fedee, Mathurin and Sheldon Thorpe (who has played pretty well so far). Apparently, Emmanuel and George also fit the allrounder mold in the St. Lucian context. On a serious note, Charles and Crafton must give the bits and pieces bowlers a chance early, or it will just be the same old story. Better to lose trying something new than regurgitating former failures.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Jamie Peterkin Gets Into the Swim of Things
(December 3)- Eighteen-year-old St. Lucian Jamie Peterkin, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) swim champion and OECS record-holder, is making a name for himself in Florida. Jamie attends the Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale on an Olympic Solidarity scholarship, one of two athletes on such a scholarship. The other is fellow swimmer Sherri Scobie-Henry, who's at St. Joseph's Convent in Trinidad and Tobago.
In his latest pool outing, at the District Swimming Championships in Miami, Jamie picked up a gold medal, two silvers and a bronze, setting four new national records along the way. His gold medal was in the 200yd freestyle relay, his leg of which he completed in record time, at 21.04s. His silver in the 100yd freestyle came in 48.08s; he set the 100m national record at last August's Pan-American Games in Winnipeg Canada.
Jamie's other silver was in the 200yd medley relay, when he finished his leg in 21.06s. At Pan-Am he had reset the national mark in the 50m freestyle; in Miami he clocked 22.06s in the 50yd free to lower his personal and national record. Jamie - and Sherrie - can both be expected to reset some national and sub-regional records in front of a home crowd, when the OECS Championships are held here next January.
The St. Lucia Amateur Swimming Association says that the Rodney Heights Aquatic Centre, currently under construction, ought to be ready in time for the Championships. The Centre, being built entirely by the Association, will boast a 25 metre, eight-lane pool and once completed it will be able to host international quality competitions. The Centre will also help the Association develop young swimmers much faster than has been the case.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Ewan Auguste's Ichabods On a Winning Streak
(December 2) - The Washburn University Ichabods of Topeka Kansas won the Florida Tech Invitational Tournament last weekend with an 80-75 victory over SIU-Edwardsville in the final. The win moved the Ichabods to 4-0 on the season. Continuing to play a key role for the Ichabods is former St. Mary's College standout, junior forward Ewan Auguste. Ewan was one of five players in double figures for Washburn, and he led his team in rebounding.
Washburn guard Shannon Kruger led all scorers with 16 points, including two three-pointers - he was named tournament MVP. Auguste has been leading the team this season in efficiency from the field. In just 27 minutes in the FloTech final, he needed only ten shots to score thirteen points, to which he added seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a blocked shot.
Wednesday night the Ichabods ran their record to 5-0 with a 73-53 home rout of Fort Hays State. Auguste had his best all-round game of the season, leading all scorers with 21 points on 8-10 shooting from the field and 5-6 from the line. His nine rebounds and three blocks were also team-highs. He snagged three steals and even shared the lead in assists with four. All that and just one turnover in 28 minutes on the floor - not bad at all for the 6'8" forward.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Leon Hess Comprehensive in an Upset, Soufriere Repeats
(December 2) - The Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School are 1999 under-sixteen netball champions, following a 44-32 win over the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School Wednesday afternoon at the Vigie Multi-Purpose Sports Complex. Leading the charge for Hess, goal shoot Stella Clement scored 34 points from 37 attempts on goal. Claudia Stanislaus made 10 of her 13 tries on the opposition goal.
Hess pulled it out thanks to their superior shooting and some good work in the defensive circle. The prolific scoring duo of Melissa Alfred and Giovani Lucien were held to a total of forty-three attempts on goal as compared to fifty attempts for Hess. Alfred hit 26 of her 34 attempts on goal, her fellow national under-sixteen player Giovani Lucien, made 6 of 9. Hess made eighty-eight per cent of their attempts on goal, whereas Sir Ira had a conversion rate of less than seventy-five per cent.
Underscoring the potency of the match-up Alfred and Lucien were named All-Tournament shoot and attack respectively, while Hess' Petra Phillip was cited as the Most Valuable Defender. Clendon Mason won Zone C, before getting blown out by Sir Ira in the semifinal.
The under-twenty final went more to plan; Sir Ira went in as underdogs against defending champions Soufriere Comprehensive. Both teams had huge semifinal wins, over Castries Comprehensive and CARE respectively. In the final, Soufriere had their way with Sir Ira, winning 38-26. Goal attack Jineil Vite, also a budding track star, earned All-Tournament honours for Soufriere, as did defender Judie Mathurin.
Mathruin was named the Most Valuable Player in her age group, a title earned by Lucien in hers. Melissa John (St. Joseph's Convent) another multi-sport star, prevented a Soufriere sweep by taking the award for the most valuable shooter. Sir Ira Simmons, after losing both finals, won the title of Most Consistent team. Poor consolation for a team that probably deserved better.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Nearly A Hundred Grand Towards National Cricket Facility
(December 2) - The outline of St. Lucia's national cricket stadium will reportedly begin to emerge early in the year 2000. According to statements made over the past two weeks by Minister of Youth and Sports Hon. Mario Michel, the project is very much on stream. Michel says that construction will get underway in January.
Thursday the national cricket facility got a shot in the arm from Canadian Bank Notes International (CBNI). CBNI is working with St. Lucia's National Lotteries Authority - and with operators of lottery games in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Dominica - towards the creation of a Windward Islands Lotto.
The company's vice-president, Jim Trask, was in St. Lucia this week to finalize arrangements for the Windwards game. Trask handed over to the Ministry a cheque for $98,226.13 towards the construction of the cricket facility, pledging an annual contribution towards the erection and maintenance of the cricket ground.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
Vieux Fort Celebrates: Champions Again!!
(November 28)-When speaking of contemporary St. Lucian midfielders, the names of Sheldon Mark and Andy (Butu) Jn Baptiste have to be kept in mind. The two maintain the engine room for 1999 double champions Roots Alley Ballers, arguably the most consistently exciting team in domestic football for the past five years. Up front for Roots, Emerson (Ti Loy) Jn Marie and Oswald (Shada) Downes are rarely known to miss a chance.
With those four at the core of the Vieux Fort South team contesting the Odyssey Resort Inter-League Competition, it was a foregone conclusion that another trophy would go south. Their position as favorites grew stronger when Vieux Fort - behind a Jn Baptiste hat trick - beat Gros Islet by seven goals to one in the semis. A plucky Marchand team got the better of Canaries to earn themselves a date against the juggernaut in the final.
Saturday night at the Park, it would be down to Jn Marie and Downes to carry the southerners to the title. Each scored, and Jn Marie improved his credentials as a major candidate for Player of the Year. A slight pall was cast over the victory; Jn Marie was carried off the pitch after sustaining his second head-to-head collision and what would later be diagnosed as a mild concussion. Following several tests on Monday, he was declared fit.
ñ BACK TO TOP OF PAGE ..
|
