Topics

61

Jokes / Final 24 hours

« on: July 23, 2005, 11:14:22 AM »

A man learns from his doctor that he has only 24 hours to live.  Given the dire prognosis, he asks his wife for sex.  Naturally, she agrees, and they go at it.

That night, as the man gets into bed, he looks at the clock and realizes he has only eight hours left.  He turns to his beautiful wife and asks, "Please honey-just one more time before I die."

"Sure, dear, anything for you," she replies, and they made love for the second time.

After tossing and turning for another four hours, he sees that he is down to his last few hours.  He rouses his wife and says, "Do you think we could...."

"For God's sake!" his wife snaps. "I have to get up in the morning.  You don't."

62

Cricket Anyone / 'When Lara plays, others struggle'-Darren Ganga

« on: July 11, 2005, 02:52:09 PM »

From cricinfo.com

Is genius selfish?

'When Lara plays, others struggle'

Bhavika Jhaveri

July 11, 2005


 
Ganga has mixed emotions when it comes to his mentor © Getty Images
 
 

Daren Ganga, the West Indian batsman now leading the A side in Sri Lanka, has questioned the commitment levels of Brian Lara, his mentor during his younger days in the Trinidad & Tobago side. "He is not a team player," Ganga told Cricinfo in an exclusive interview.

Ganga, who has played 31 Tests for West Indies and was part of the large pool of players who recently didn't sign the board's contract, also felt that Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the current captain, needed to communicate more with the players. He said he felt sorry for the plight of the depleted side gearing up to take on Sri Lanka in the first Test in Colombo from Wednesday.

Ganga's comments on Lara come two months after Ridley Jacobs, the former West Indian wicketkeeper, had said that Lara had occasionally behaved selfishly with regard to team interests and turned out to be a destructive force in the team.

"The records show that when he [Lara] plays, other players struggle," Ganga said. "And I don't think he is much of a team player in terms of what happens in the dressing-room. A caring sort of attitude is something he can work on and strengthen, in terms of wanting you to do well. Especially as a captain, I think you must be a good leader of men, and a good motivator. I think that when it comes to human relationships, he has a lot to learn."

Ganga, though, acknowledged Lara's influence on the early stages of his career, the highlight of which was back-to-back centuries against Australia in 2002-03, in which he made two big stands with Lara at Georgetown and Port-of-Spain. "He was one-on-one with me, in terms of giving me advice, in terms of letting me know how exactly it was going to be at the highest level, giving me that sort of motivation and determination to want to play.

"He allowed me the opportunity to get into the Trinidad team. Soon after I started performing, I got the opportunity to play for West Indies while he was captain. On my first tour of South Africa, he saw talent there, he saw potential and he just wanted me to maximise that. I would say as my career progressed and I started doing well, he sort of took a back seat in terms of what he said to me.

"But as captain," Ganga said, "you need to express yourself, you need to encourage your players, you need to show selflessness. In that aspect, he could be a little bit better. But I understand that he has got a lot to take on as well, so I don't really necessarily look forward to him coming to me and sharing his words of advice. Nobody would go to him, but generally speaking he has been good to me and I do hope I can learn a lot more from him."

Though Ganga felt that Chanderpaul was more of a team player, he was concerned about his communication skills and the influence he could have on the side. "Shiv has got a very introspective sort of personality," he said. "He doesn't speak that much and he is more laid back. As a leader, communication is important and I think Shiv struggles in that sort of area, although he is a good team player.

"I think he has got a little more strength in terms of that aspect but in terms of communication, he falters. It's very difficult to lead guys when you can't really let them know exactly what you want them to do, and motivate and lead them as a true leader would."

He was also disturbed by the quality of the second-string side that was picked for the Sri Lankan tour, owing to the contracts dispute. "We have some guys on the Test team who have not been in the frame for the A team, and not even put in consistent performances in the regional competition. They're going to compete against arguably one of the stronger teams in world cricket. It's unfortunate that a guy like Sylvester Joseph is vice-captain of the team. No disrespect to him, but to me, that's unfortunate."

Ganga had no qualms in admitting that the contract dispute affected the mental state of the A-team players and contributed to their failure in the second Test. "It's unfortunate that the players have to be under this sort of pressure in terms of having to make decisions on availability or unavailability," he said. "The timing of it was wrong in terms of what we were trying to achieve as an A team, and in terms of what we were trying to achieve as players. We had a situation where the entire A team was just split in half because of eight players having to go across to the senior team and we found ourselves with players not being happy with guys' decisions.

"It was unfortunate and very detrimental to the success of the team, because we went on to lose that game in exactly three days. I just hope that the situation can be resolved and those who are in power would consider us players in terms what they do on the administrative level. At the end of the day, all the players want to do is to play cricket and represent ourselves and our region in the best possible way."

Speaking about his refusal to accept an invitation to join the senior team, Ganga remarked: "I am part of the players' association and they are our representatives. They act in our best interests. Judging from the fact that ten guys have taken a stand from the originally selected team, and from the fact that this has happened twice before, it was a situation where you had to make a decision as a player. Either you take a principled stand, like some did including myself, or you don't

63

Football / Real Madrid getting some sense

« on: July 01, 2005, 09:14:31 AM »

From soccernet.com

Real sign Uruguay duo Garcia, Diogo  
 
MADRID, July 1 (Reuters) - Real Madrid have signed Uruguayan internationals Pablo Garcia and Carlos Diogo, the Spanish club said in a statement on Friday.
Midfielder Garcia has signed a four-year contract and defender Diogo a five-year deal.


Garcia, 28, has a reputation as a tough-tackling midfielder, though he was also the main playmaker for Primera Liga side Osasuna. He will compete for the midfield holding role at Real with Denmark's Thomas Gravesen.

Diogo, 21, signed from Argentine side River Plate, is a versatile player comfortable in defence or midfield.

Garcia and Diogo will be officially presented as Real Madrid players next week and will join the squad for this month's tour of the United States, China, Japan and Thailand.

The signing of players who are not household names is further evidence that Real Madrid are moving away from their policy of only recruiting big-name players.

The policy has come under fire because of their failure to win a major trophy for two years despite having a team packed with internationals like Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Raul.

Speculation is intense in the Spanish media that Real will soon sign Brazilian striker Robinho, although the chairman of his club Santos has said that any team that wants him before the end of his contract in 2008 would have to pay €50million (£30million).

64

Football / Hugo Sanchez blasts Mexico coach mentality

« on: July 01, 2005, 08:43:30 AM »

From soccernet.com

Sanchez blasts Mexico coach mentality
 

 
MEXICO CITY, June 30 (Reuters) - Former Real Madrid and Mexico striker Hugo Sanchez launched another scathing attack on current Mexico coach Ricardo La Volpe on Thursday, criticising the Argentine's mental approach to the game.
La Volpe was widely praised for leading Mexico to the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup in Germany, when they lost 6-5 on penalties to Argentina following a 1-1 draw.


Mexico, who beat world champions and eventual winners Brazil 1-0 in a group match, then lost 4-3 to Germany in the third-place playoff.

Sanchez has made it clear he wants the job for himself and said that La Volpe, who was reserve goalkeeper in Argentina's 1978 World Cup winning team, lacked a winning personality.

'To be able to radiate the players with a winning mentality, we need the person who is in charge to have a winning mentality and we need him to have been a winner,' said Sanchez, coach of Mexico City club UNAM, in a radio interview.

'When the person who is in charge has showed that he is not a winner and that he doesn't have this winning mentality and that he is not Mexican, it is very difficult for him to transmit it to the players.'

'It's a shame because I think the quality and talent of the Mexican footballer is good enough to produce a great campaign at international level.'

65

General Discussion / Banned doctor worked in TnT

« on: June 22, 2005, 08:24:35 AM »

Trinidad Express


Unknown to medical authorities in Trinidad a Dutch pathologist who was under investigation in England for illegally removing the organs of 850 dead children, was allowed to work at the Port of Spain General Hospital.

Professor Dick van Velzen worked as a paediatric pathologist, looking after the bodies of dead children, at the hospital for one year. He was on an 18-month contract for the North West Regional Authority, which is responsible for running the hospital.

He left in early 2000 before the contract was up, when the Medical Board of Trinidad and Tobago learned that he was under investigation by the House of Commons in England and the General Medical Council (GMC), the governing body for Britain's doctors.

The board had started looking into van Velzen background when he left Trinidad.

After several years of investigations, the GMC revoked van Velzen's licence to practise medicine. after they found him guilty of professional misconduct involving the removal the children's organs without their parents' consent.

Yesterday, questions were being asked about how van Velzen was allowed to work in Trinidad while he was under investigation and whether similar offences were committed when he worked at the hospital.

The Medical Board is the authority responsible for registering and disciplining doctors practising in Trinidad.

It was learned that though the Medical Board Act requires that another doctor must recommend the application from a doctor seeking to work in Trinidad, in the case of van Velzen the board was unable to give the name of the recommender.

Current board president Dr Steve Smith said yesterday that new mechanisms were in place to ensure that people applying for registration to practice medicine have not been debarred in another country and that they do not have any investigation pending against them.

"We have now put new requirements in place to avoid licensing doctors who are under investigation," he said.

Since the van Velzen case government has passed a special law to examine and approve doctors who are urgently needed in the country.

The doctors in these cases are approved by the Chief Medical Officer in the Ministry of Health who heads a three member-board.

They do not have to go through the Medical Board. The act was passed to accommodate the recruitment of doctors from the Cuba, the Philippines and from the United Nations Development Programme.

66

Cricket Anyone / West Indies 'A' Team

« on: June 15, 2005, 09:22:18 AM »

Trinidad Express
Ganga, Mohammed for 'A' team tour

Adjudication soon on personal contracts

Wednesday, June 15th 2005
 
 
 Trinidad and Tobago captain Daren Ganga has again been put in charge of a West Indies "A" team.

Ganga, 26, captained the last "A" team tour to England in 2002 and will now lead a similar outfit to Sri Lanka from June 19.

The naming of the 15-man squad had been delayed by pay negotiations between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) which were settled earlier this week, a fact confirmed yesterday by WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine.

Also in the squad is T&T left-arm wrist spinner Dave Mohammed. He is one of two specialist spinners in the squad, the other being Jamaican left-armer Nikita Miller, who was the leading wicket-taker in this year's Carib Beer Series.

The "A" team call-up is the first West Indies selection for Miller, 23.

The tour will also be the first in Windies colours for Guyanese opening batsman Ryan Ramdass, who hit three centuries in his nine matches in the regional four-day competition.

The tour will also provide several players who already have Test experience with the opportunity to keep themselves in the minds of the selectors. Among that group are Guyanese allrounder Narsingh Deonarine and Barbados fast bowler Tino Best, who both played in the just-concluded home series involving South Africa and Pakistan, and Best's countryman, middle order batsman Dwayne Smith.

There are others, too, who sat out all of the Test and one-day matches who have been given another chance to impress-Jamaicans Marlon Samuels, Dave Bernard Jnr, Jermaine Lawson and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh, who is the sole keeper in the team.

While all systems are now go for the "A" team, contractual matters for the senior team's tour of Sri Lanka have not yet been discussed by the WICB and WIPA.

Yesterday, Ramnarine indicated that those negotiations were linked to the adjudication of Justice Adrian Saunders on personal endorsement contracts and related matters.

In April, during the impasse between the Board and WIPA over the eligibility of seven players then contracted to Cable and Wireless, the WICB had proposed that Justice Saunders rule on the contracts, "to determine whether the personal endorsement contracts were unquestionably in the nature of individual contracts and contained no provisions which could be construed as passing off by the player of his connection with the West Indies team by attribution or by defining himself as a member of the team".

Windies "A" team:

Daren Ganga (Capt), Ryan Ramdass, Xavier Marshall, Marlon Samuels, Narsingh Deonarine (vice-captain), Dwayne Smith, Runako Morton, Dave Bernard Jnr, Carlton Baugh Jnr, Dave Mohammed, Nikita Miller, Dwight Washington, Tino Best, Jermaine Lawson, Kerry Jeremy.
 

67

Football / Jloyd Samuel-Represented England?

« on: June 09, 2005, 09:14:40 AM »

www.soccernet.com

 
3 - Jlloyd Samuel 
Club: Aston Villa
 
Shirt Number: 3
 
Position: Defender
 
Date of Birth: March 29, 1981
 
Birthplace: Trinidad
 
Height: 5' 11''
 
Weight: 11.4
 
 

Profile

Seen as a star of the future at Aston Villa, JLloyd came through the YTS trainee scheme and was given his first professional contract at the beginning of the 1999/2000 season.
He made his first appearances in the first team at the end of the season as cover for Gareth Southgate, but is comfortable anywhere across the back four. His debut came in a 5-0 thrashing of Chester City in the League Cup.

The defender made a handful of further appearances before joining First Division Gillingham on loan in October 2001. He played eight games for the Gills.

On his return he finally earned a run in the Villa first team. Although he may have looked green at times, the England Under-21 international showed enough promise to keep a player like Alan Wright out of the side.

His performances earned him an extended contract at Villa Park.

Samuel only missed out on the European Under-21 Championships due to a groin injury.

He became a regular under Graham Taylor in the 2002/03 campaign, although he looked far from assured in the Premiership.

When David O'Leary took over in the summer of 2003 there were doubt about his long-term future at Villa Park, but how silenced the critics.

The Trinidadian player was one of the best left-backs in the Premiership in 2003/04, picking up his first full England cap in the friendly with Sweden in March.
His driving style and willingness to get forward is very similar to Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge although he remains behind them in the England pecking order.

He signed a new Villa contract in November of the season, keeping him at the club until 2007. He also made his 100th Villa appearance that term.

 
 

68

Cricket Anyone / Drop Browne, Select Ramdin

« on: June 06, 2005, 09:41:03 PM »

The Trinidad Guardian
BY VINODE MAMCHAN


Disgruntled local cricket pundits are calling on the West Indies selectors to replace wicket-keeper Courtney Browne and include either Dinesh Ramdin or Carlton Baugh for the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka.

Chairman of the T&T cricket selection panel, Dudnath Ramkessoon, told G-Sports yesterday:

“We have had enough of Browne. It is time to bring in a youngster, especially with the 2007 World Cup in mind.

“We need to start the grooming process as far as the wicketkeeping is concerned and Browne is really not playing up to mark.

“He has historically made crucial errors and continues not to contribute with the bat.”

“I think that the West Indies selectors should go for Ramdin for the upcoming series in Sri Lanka, because he is a very intelligent cricketer,and is really committed to cricket.”

Former Test pacer Anthony Gray believes that Browne should be taken to Sri Lanka if they are taking two wicket-keepers, but Ramdin must play in the Tests.

“I am not one of those who think that Browne is the best wicket-keeper in the Caribbean. I think the selectors should think of horses for courses and seeing that we would be up against a lot of spinners in Sri Lanka, Dinesh Ramdin should be taken across there.

“Ramdin is also a better wicket-keeper and can bat well against spinners, who he has been facing all his cricketing life in Trinidad.

“I am of the opinion though, that they must take along Browne if they are taking two wicket-keepers. They cannot really take two inexperienced wicketkeepers along—so Carlton Baugh would have to miss out.”

Former manager of the T&T team, Omar Khan, believes that the time has come for the selectors to think over the matter of Browne, because it is hurting the team too much.

“We have to face reality and look at what Browne has cost us. The man has dropped vital catches in the past and continues to do that.

“He has dropped players of the calibre of Steve Waugh, Mark Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar, Jacques Kallis and Inzamam Ul-Haq.”

His latest error cost the West Indies 117 runs—as he dropped Pakistan skipper Inzamam when he had not scored and the burly right hander went on to record an unbeaten 117.

Khan said the only reason he thinks that Browne was included against Pakistan was because he was probably made vice-captain for the entire home season.

“I just cannot understand the selection, as Browne continues to put the team under pressure.”

Khan said something has to be wrong with the selection process, as pacer Ian Bradshaw was not selected in preference to Reon King.

“The left hander should have been included for variety. It makes no sense playing all these fast bowlers of the same type.”

Patrick Rampersad, executive member of the T&T Cricket Board, said that the West Indies selectors missed the boat when they failed to play both young wicket -keepers in the twin series at home with South Africa and Pakistan.

“The selectors missed the boat really and now they will have to take at least Ramdin to Sri Lanka to play in that series.

“It is always easier to bring in these young players at home.”

69

Jokes / A little head

« on: June 05, 2005, 09:57:55 AM »

 A huge muscular man walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender hands him the beer and says, "You know, I'm not gay but I want to compliment you on your physique, it really is phenomenal! I have a question though, why is your head so small?"

The big guy nods slowly. He's obviously fielded this question many times.

"One day," he begins, "I was hunting when I got lost in the woods. I heard someone crying for help and finally realized that it was coming from a frog sitting next to a stream."

So I picked up the frog and it said, "Kiss me. Kiss me and I will turn into a genie and grant you 3 wishes."

So I looked around to make sure I was alone and gave the frog a kiss. POOF! The frog turned into a beautiful, voluptuous, naked woman.

She said, "You now have 3 wishes."

I looked down at my scrawny 115 pound body and said, "I want a body like Arnold Schwarzenneger."

She nodded, whispered a spell, and POOF! there I was, so huge that I ripped out of my clothes and was standing there naked!

She then asked, "What will be your second wish?"

I looked hungrily at her beautiful body and replied, "I want to make sensuous love with you here by this stream." She nodded, laid down, and beckoned to me. "We then made love for hours!"

Later, as we lay there next to each other, sweating from our glorious lovemaking, she whispered into my ear, "You know, you do have one more wish. What will it be?"

I looked at her and replied, "How about a little head?"

70

Football / Brazilian star Kaka not easy

« on: June 04, 2005, 10:24:41 PM »

Associated Press

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - Brazil international midfielder Kaka says he will marry after the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

His wife-to-be is 17-year-old Brazilian student Caroline Celico, who has been Kaka's girlfriend since he was 13 years old.

"I'll get married after the Cup, hopefully with the title won," the AC Milan player told Globo TV during a live interview on Saturday.

Kaka, 23, made the announcement just hours before Brazil's last practice ahead of Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Paraguay in the southern city of Porto Alegre.

Celico will have turned 18 by next year's World Cup.

71

Football / John, Yorke go for goal for Warriors

« on: June 03, 2005, 10:26:27 PM »

John, Yorke go for goal for Warriors

IAN PRESCOTT reports


Saturday, June 4th 2005

IF coach Leo Beenhakker's pre-match build-up is anything to go by, then Stern John and Dwight Yorke are very likely to start up front for Trinidad and Tobago in today's CONCACAF World Cup qualifier against Panama at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.

The teams meet at 6.30 p.m. in what to date may be the single most crucial game of the qualifying campaign for both countries, who occupy the bottom two positions in the six-team CONCACAF standings.

Trinidad and Tobago, especially, need something from this home match, before flying off on Monday for another very important game against Mexico on Wednesday, which represents the Warriors' first overseas assignment under Dutchman Beenhakker.

National team manager Bruce Aanensen said this is a match that Trinidad and Tobago must win and is expecting at least a 2-0 victory, adding that Beenhakker is very satisfied with his charges.

"I think he (Beenhakker) is greatly satisfied, given the time he had to work with," said Aanensen. "He would have liked to have a week more, but he is generally pleased with the improvement the team has shown in the last two weeks. He has been able to do all he wanted given the time he had."

Today, hosts Trinidad and Tobago are likely to wear their traditional red strip, with the Panamanians likely to come out with their second strip of mainly white, with red and blue trimming.

A $100 entrance fee to the uncovered stands and double ($200) that for those entering the covered section of the stadium should not prevent a big crowd turning out to see what improvement the Warriors have made since Beenhakker officially took over from Bertille St Clair on May 1.

In the build-up to today's match, the coach paid special attention to former English Premier League strikers Yorke and John, using props to presumably demonstrate the positioning he would like to see them in relative to each other. Even during a final scrimmage between his players on Thursday, Beenhakker played the strikers together and while Yorke looked accomplished in his finishing, John was also fairly sharp after struggling to find his goal-scoring touch in two recent warm-ups against Bermuda.

Earlier, Beenhakker had Yorke and John working on corner-kicks, along with defenders Marvin Andrews and Dennis Lawrence.

Newcomer Christopher Birchall seems to be the designated dead ball specialist now that Angus Eve is no longer in the team. Under instructions from assistant coach Wim Rijserbergen, and later Beenhakker, Port Vale's Birchall put in several variations of the corner kick, following the guidance of the Dutch coaches who wanted the ball to be dropped in certain areas.

Beenhakker also had John and Yorke working on penalty kicks as well.

While the four big men concentrated on giving T&T an aerial threat, the rest of the team worked on passing and ball movement.

The Dutchman's build-up seems to indicate his plans also include Carlos Edwards, Aurtis Whitley, Avery John, Atiba Charles, Lawrence, Birchall, Andrews and goalkeeper Clayton Ince.

The one position that seems still up for grabs could be left midfield, where Leslie Fitzpatrick may just get the nod. Beenhakker, though, was not expected to name his final 18 until having a final look at his players at last night's training session at the HC Stadium.

The game is almost a must-win one for both teams. Panama have not won in their last six matches, but in this final round of qualifying, they have had home draws with Guatemala (0-0) and Mexico (1-1), while going down 2-1 away to Costa Rica.

Trinidad and Tobago's lone point came from a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica last time out, while they also lost 2-1 to the United States at home and 5-1 away to Guatemala.

History favours Trinidad and Tobago, who have won twice and drawn two of the four meetings against Panama.

The Panamanians arrived in Trinidad on Thursday night and are staying at the Marriott Hotel, just outside the Stadium. They had their first look at the Hasely Crawford Stadium yesterday afternoon when they held a training session under overcast conditions.

The visitors are coming off a 1-1 draw with Venezuela in a friendly international on May 25 at the Estadio "Olímpico" Caraqueño in Caracas. A crowd of 15,000 saw Giancarlo Maldonado open the scoring for Venezuela in the fourth minute, but Roberto Brown notched the equaliser for the "Canaleros" 30 minutes later. The draw was Panama's sixth consecutive game without a victory, with the last success coming on February 19 against El Salvador (1-0) in Guatemala City.

Teams:

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO:

Goalkeepers: Clayton Ince (Crewe Alexandra), Kelvin Jack (Dundee)

Defenders: Dennis Lawrence (Wrexham), Marvin Andrews (Glasgow Rangers), Anton Pierre (Defence Force), Marlon Rojas (Real Salt Lake), Avery John (New England Revolution), Atiba Charles (Vibe CT105 W Connection)

Midfielders: Glenton Wolfe (National Quarries NE Stars), Carlos Edwards (Luton Town), Chris Birchall (Port Vale), Leslie Fitzpatrick (Real Salt Lake), Aurtis Whitley (CL Financial San Juan Jabloteh), Brent Rahim (unattached), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA Fire)

Forwards: Gary Glasgow (Unattached), Kenwyne Jones (Southampton), Stern John (CoventryCity), Hector Sam (Wrexham), Dwight Yorke (Sydney FC)

PANAMA:

Goalkeepers: Donaldo González (Maratón, Honduras), Jaime Penedo (Deportivo Árabe Unido)

Defenders: Carlos Rivera (Deportivo Independiente Medellín, Colombia), Luis Moreno (Envigado, Colombia), José Mario Anthony Torres (Maratón, Honduras), Joel Jiménez (Plaza Amador), Joel Solanilla (Plaza Amador)

Midfielders: Ricardo Phillips (Tauro), Amilcar Henríquez (Deportivo Árabe Unido), Julio Medina III (Aguila, El Salvador), Gustavo Avila (Deportivo Árabe Unido), Alberto Blanco (Alania, Russia), Gabriel Gómez (Tauro), Neftalí Díaz (Alianza)

Forwards: José Luis Garcés (San Francisco), Roberto Luis Tejada (Envigado, Colombia), Blas Pérez (Deportivo Cali, Colombia), Brown (San Francisco).
 

72

What about Track & Field / T&T sprinter Findlay clocks new PRs

« on: June 02, 2005, 09:30:39 PM »

T&T sprinter Findlay clocks new PRs

Kwame Laurence klaurence@trinidadexpress.com

Friday, June 3rd 2005
 
 
 Mark Findlay established two new PRs (personal records) last weekend. On Friday, at the EAA (European Athletics) Permit Meet, in Riga, Latvia, the England-born Trinidad and Tobago sprinter clocked a personal best 20.83 seconds to finish second to Ukraine's Dmytro Hluschenko (20.79) in the men's 200 metres.

Findlay's clocking improved on his previous PR of 21.01, established way back in 1999. In 1997, he got to the line in 20.99 seconds to seize silver at the European Junior Championships, as a member of the Great Britain team. However, that run was aided by an illegal 2.5 metres per second following wind.

On Friday, in Latvia, Findlay grabbed gold in the 100m dash. Running into a 1.2 metres per second headwind, he clocked 10.37 seconds to beat Hluschenko (10.38) into second spot.

The 27-year-old sprinter was back in action on Sunday, grabbing 100m gold at the Inter-County Track and Field Championships, in Bedford, England.

In the final, Findlay, running in Warwickshire colours, just got the better of Marlon Devonish, a member of the Great Britain 4x100m relay team that earned gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Both sprinters got home in 10.25 seconds. Another top British sprinter, Christian Malcolm (10.30), copped third spot.

Findlay's 10.25 run is a new personal best, improving on the 10.34 PR he had produced in winning the second of five qualifying heats, on Sunday. The T&T sprinter won the second semi-final, in 10.40 seconds. Going into the meet, Findlay's personal best was 10.35.

Candice Scott was also in action on Sunday. The T&T field athlete produced a 67.95 metres effort to finish third in the women's hammer throw, at the Payton Jordan US Open, in California.

Scott's American training partner Erin Gilreath topped the field with a 70.14m throw. Gilreath's compatriot Brittany Henry (68.17m) copped second spot.

And on Monday, at the Payton Jordan meet, LeJuan Simon bagged bronze in the men's triple jump. The T&T athlete's best jump on the day was a wind-assisted 16.44 metres.
 
 

73

What about Track & Field / Marc Burns and Ato Modibo in fine form

« on: May 15, 2005, 08:47:34 PM »

T&T quartermiler Ato Modibo ran a personal time at Saturday’s Georgia Tech Invitational in Atlanta, as he placed second in the men’s 400 metres dash.

In winning the silver medal, Modibo, who has been in fine form this year, bettered the 45.55 seconds “A” standard required for qualification for the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in August with a 45.02 secs performance.

The winner was Florida State University’s Ricardo Chambers in 44.87 secs, with Miles Smith of South-East Missouri State University bagging the bronze medal in 45.45.

Also featuring at the meet was national women’s 800m champion and record holder Melissa De Leon. Running unattached, De Leon won the two-lap final in two minutes, 2.27 secs, breaking the national record she set last year in Venezuela (2:03.06).

FCB “Sportswoman” of 2004 Candice Scott tossed the hammer 69.54m to win the silver medal. Erin Gilreath’s 71.14m was good enough for victory.

Former national sprint double champion Jacey Harper sped to men’s 200m gold. He crossed the line in 20.70 secs, achieving the World Championships “B” standard for the half-lap (20.75 secs). He also ran the 100m, finishing ninth overall (10.33).

US-born T&T athlete Le Juan Simon took home men’s triple jump bronze with a 15.82m leap. Unattached jumper Lester Smith topped the field with his 15.89m attempt.

In the women’s 400m, local girl Natalie Dixon (South Carolina State University) was seventh in the final (54.25), while Dana Massiah (Florida State University) was 12th overall (55.01).

Massiah’s schoolmate Kimberly Walker, a reserve in T&T’s women’s 4x100m relay team at the Olympics last year, placed fifth in the 100m final (11.76). Wanda Hutson, another member of T&T’s sprint relay team, was sixth in her qualifying heat in 11.59 secs, and national men’s 400m hurdles champion and record holder Sanchaze Ross clocked 14.57 secs in the 110m hurdles heats to finish 15th overall.

At the Grand Prix Cristobal de Leon in the Dominican Republic on Saturday, former national 100m champion Marc Burns clinched the straight sprint crown ahead of a star-studded field, which included world 100m champion Kim Collins.

With a 0.2 wind at his back, Burns got to the tape in 10.10 secs — a personal record. Like Modibo, Burns bettered the “A” standard (10.21) for the World Championships with his clocking.

Dwight Neptune was the men’s 100m bronze medallist at the Mountain West Conference Championships on Saturday. The T&T/University of Wyoming speedster was timed at 10.63 secs. Travis Picou (10.53) and Nate Soelburg (10.56) were first and second, respectively.