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Digicel Schools Football Championships 2011

New Amsterdam Technical Institute(NATI) dominate Stewartville Secondary to secure semifinal spot

Left to right; Devon James, Whitney Larose, Leroy James and Alaska Burnett
Left to right; Devon James, Whitney Larose, Leroy James and Alaska Burnett

With the respective regional champions crowned in all ten administrative regions the time has come for the top schools to find out who will lift the national championship trophy in the Digicel Schools Football Championships 2011.

The quarterfinals to determine the national champs kicked off at various venues across the country on Wednesday July 13 and from the results it was clear that young talented players are emerging. The most exciting and electrifying match of the day was however played at the Den Amstel ground which saw Region 6 champions New Amsterdam Technical Institute (NATI) coming up against their Region 3 counterparts Stewartville Secondary School. Stewartville had the advantage of a large supportive home crowd but that did not stop the Berbicians from inflicting a 8-2 thrashing on them. Devon James was the most efficient striker for NATI after striking first in the 16th minute. He finished the game with a hat-trick, his other goals being scored in the 25th and 76th minutes respectively. Whitney La Rose and Leroy James scored two goals apiece and Alaska Burnett also contributed one goal to the final tally.

Action in the Bygeval vs. GTI clash. GTI scored 3 Bygeval 2
Action in the Bygeval vs. GTI clash. GTI scored 3 Bygeval 2

Stewartville was a physically smaller side and played a more cautious and defensive game. Those gathered did not expect their team to be beaten so severely but they were nonetheless appreciative for the plethora of goals scored and cheered when the ball hit the net for either side. The two goals for Stewartville were scored by Steffon Griffith in the 64th off a penalty and Alonzo Bowman in the 69th. The game was not short of drama either. In the 85th minute the goalie for Stewartville, Richard Croft was sent off for attempting to elbow a NATI striker after he had already secured the ball. This caused an uproar in the crowd and officials had to calm down players and spectators in order to restore order. The game however ended without further incident.

In the other results of the day Linden edged Port Kaituma 1-0, Government Technical Institute beat Bigeval Secondary 3-2 and Wamaradong Secondary overcame Charity Secondary 5-1.

By – Andrew Ross

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Digicel Caribbean Junior Squash Championships: Team Guyana continues impressive form

The Digicel Caribbean Junior Squash Championships Team Competition served off on Monday, July 9th with the singles and team matches being played at the National Racquet Centre and the Georgetown Club respectively. After dominant performances in the singles stage, Guyana seemed to transfer the gained momentum and confidence to the team matches when they played against Bermuda.

Newly crowned Under – 15 singles champion, Nyron Joseph, demonstrated that he deserves that title when defeated Kion Knights in straight sets  – 12/10 ,11/6 and 11/4. Jason Ray Khalil also won his match against D’Vario Thompson,  but had to dig deep since his competitor did not make the encounter a walkover. Khalil had a gruelling 5 sets to defeat Thompson but endured to win – 16/18, 11/6,  5/11,  11/9 and  11/5. Ben Mekdeci also overcame Dylan Pratt to give the boys a 3-2 victory in the first round of the team championships. Ashley Khalil dominated Alyssa Brewer in the first match of the female category. Victoria Arjune and Larissa Wiltshire also recorded victories, while Mary Fung-a-Fat completed the 4-I first stage win after her competitor failed to turn up giving her a walkover.

The team from Trinidad and Tobago has two male teams in this year’s championships, and judging from their impressive performances – winning straight sets against Jamaica, Barbados and The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States – seems to be the one which Guyana will need to pay keen attention to.

Finally, it should be noted that the conditions and courts favour the locals since their counterparts are accustomed to playing on air conditioned courts. The heat has been a major factor in the championships thus far, but being the best junior team in the Caribbean for a number of years in addition to the early victories attained in the singles category will serve as a confidence booster to the Guyanese representatives.Play resumes on Tuesday July 11 through Thursday July 14.

By – Andrew Ross

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National Schools Basketball Festival 2011: Linden Technical Institute are Champions!

LTI students and coach with Director of Sport Neil Kumar and Digicel Sponsorship Manager Gavin Hope

Linden Technical Institute (LTI) showed why they made it to the final round of the Youth Basketball Guyana/ National Sports Commission’s; National Schools Basketball Festival 2011. The team from the mining town showed their dominance early into the first half by going on a 12-3 run against New Amsterdam Multilateral (NA Multi) out of the Ancient County. Though there were some spirited attempts on the part of the Berbice representatives, the Lindeners played a tough defensive game to come out on top. LTI out rebounded NA Multi on the defensive boards and even executed several steals to maintain majority ball possession in what seemed like a one sided affair by halftime. In the second half the Lindeners seemed to be shooting the basketball at will as they grabbed several offensive boards resulting in second, third and even forth shot opportunities. Geoffrey LaRose won over the crowd with his heroics on his way to a top score of 28 and 13 rebounds in favor of the Region 10 team. In the end the scoreboard read 73-35, a 38 point margin of victory for LTI. The Champions of Champions trophy was sponsored by strong supporters of local basketball; Haynes Foundation and made by the Port Morant Technical Institute.

Meanwhile Director of Sports Neil Kumar congratulated the winning teams on their performance throughout the tournament and moreso during the finals. He also recognized the importance of the Basketball Festival in unlocking talent of youths at the regional level through the schools. Kumar also expressed confidence that the talent witnessed throughout the competition will benefit the national team in the end since “these kids will perform and take Guyana far”.

Kumar encouraged the students to continue playing basketball since in the near future one night a week will be set aside to have basketball played in the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall televised on a monthly basis much like the highly successful Friday Night Fights. Plans are also on stream to have the annual festival evolve into a Caribbean tournament in order to provide much needed regional exposure to players at a earlier age.

Despite their loss to LTI, NA Multi secured the Division 2 title after edging city side Guyana Education Trust College 45-43 earlier in the evening.

Over 50 school teams participated in the festival which ran for six weeks at venues across the country.

– Andrew Ross

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Digicel School Football: Government Technical Institute (GTI) are Region 4 Champs!

Region 4 School Football Champions

Head of Digicel Guyana Gregory Dean believes that the Schools Football Championships sponsored by his company augers well for the sport locally and in effect will only lead to a higher level of football at the national level.

Dean was present at the Region 4 finals at the Carifesta Sports Club ground between Charlestown Secondary and Government Technical Institute (GTI) on Saturday.

The CEO added that because of the exposure given to players at the school level “in one way it may make the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) job a bit harder in terms of picking available players but in the end it will benefit the country as a whole in terms of quality representation”.

He however said such development would not happen over night but views the competition as a step in the right direction in addition to other developmental programmes.
Meanwhile in the day’s action an aggressive and confident GTI overcame a resilliant Charlestown Secondary.

Darren Fraser scored the first goal of the encounter in the 13th minute in favour of GTI. After the early breakthrough a relentless attack was launched on Charlestown’s goal.

The attack took its toll on the defense and could be seen clearly in the 39th minute when Dennis Fung scored an own goal to seal the victory for GTI.

The winners now await the rest of the regional finals to conclude to find out who they will be up against when vying for the national title.

From all indications officials believe the city side will have a tough battle ahead since several regional teams have shown significant skill.

By – Andrew Ross

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Dalton continues losing streak at 15th Friday Night Fights

“Deadly” Denny Dalton suffered his 3rd consecutive loss on June 24th during the Pro/Am card hosted by the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport in collaboration with the Guyana Boxing Board of Control Dalton came up against Joel “Mr. Majestic” McRae in Friday Nights professional session. From the beginning of the fight Dalton attacked the slimmer but visibly fit and comfortable McRae but was unable to convert his aggression into a solid performance. The first sign of danger appeared during the 2nd round when a combination put Dalton on the canvas. He survived the 8 count but McRae failed to capitalize on the weakened Dalton and dragged the fight out into the 6th and final round when he was awarded a split decision thus causing Dalton his 3rd consecutive loss in as many appearances.

The highlight of the night was the matchup between Simeon Hardy and Eversley Brown. The bout had bearly gotten underway when a hard right from Hardy put Brown down causing doctors to rush to his aid. Even after the decision was announced Brown was unable to stand on his own causing him to be rushed to a city hospital for medical attention. The lightweight title of Guyana was on the line in the feature bout of the night with Mark Austin Squaring off against Revlon Lake. Lake lost his previous meeting with Austin and as such was eager to avenge that upset. The match was evenly match for the majority of the bout with both boxers landing power punches but unable to convert them into knockouts. Austin was however unable to go the distance in the 12 round encounter.

This could be explained since most local fighters are conditioned for 6 round boxing matches and as such encounter difficulties past the 8th round. Exhaustion showed on the part of Austin from the 9th round and Lake took advantage to deliver a blistering attack giving the impression that he had a bust of energy. The full toll of the exhaustion showed in the 11th round when Lake was placed flat on his back from a volley of punches. Lake therefore avenged his loss and silenced critics and lifted the lightweight title. The other results for the night saw Ray Sandiford overcoming “the Pocket Rocket” Rogers in the other professional bout of the night. Marvin Ageday, Imran Khan from Berbice defeated Richard Williamson and Stephan Goveia triumphed in the amateur bouts of the night.

It must be noted that crowd attendance to the Pro/Am cards is poor and as such apart from the in ring performances, it would be difficult to gauge the success of the monthly fight card.

-Andrew Ross

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Guyana go down 11-0 to Bermuda in NACRA 15’s finals

NACRA Logo

A small but appreciative crowd turned out in support of local rugby side at the National Stadium Providence on Wednesday night. Very early in the match the physically larger Bermuda tested the Guyanese defense. Thomas Greenslide secured the first breakthrough by scoring a try. Emboldened by the early penetration into the Guyanese half the visitors launched a relentless attack which saw them scoring two penalties.

The second half saw a better defensive game by the Claudius Butts led side. Despite this they were still unable to convert defensive stops into tries against their larger opponents. Though Guyana was the faster side poor ball handling, a few bad calls by the referee and an impenetrable Bermuda defensive line all conspired against them on Wednesday. Bermuda had not won a 15’s title in over ten years and the victory will increase the team’s international rating and morale. Guyana is ranked 57th in the world and Bermuda is ranked 51st.
– Andrew Ross

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Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy Semi Finals

Tucville, North Georgetown and East Ruimveldt advance to finals of Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy

Attacking Striker

The emergence of young talented football players from across the country continued on Saturday as the Georgetown leg of the Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy semi finals got underway at the NIS Ground Carifesta Avenue.

Althea Holligan, building on her solid performances in the competition thus far, dominated by scoring 4 of her team’s 5 goals against Queen’s College in the first game of the day. QC was forced on the offensive practically from the opening whistle and it was not long before Holligan showed why she is considered by some as the tournament’s most efficient striker. Just 8 minutes into the game she struck the first blow followed by goals in the 20th, 27th and 42nd minutes to round off her tally. QC was unable to develop an effective offensive response. When those in attendance though the game was all wrapped up, Mariska Corbin added her name to the scorers’ sheet in the 55th minute.

Team Line Up

In the second game of the day it appeared to be an evenly matched encounter between Tucville and Lodge. Alex Alexander scored an early goal to put Tucville on top just 4 minutes into the encounter. Stiff defense from Lodge however prevented further damage to their goal deficit. The effort was however hampered by the loss of Kareem Sanagon in the 26th minute after he was sent off for a dangerous tackle. The weakened side allowed Alexander to strike again in the 54th. A late goal was scored by James Fraser in an effort to renew some hope penetrated in the 57th minute to make the score line 2-1. Randy Layne sealed the victory for Tucville by scoring the final goal of the match in the 70th minute.

Free Kick

The final semi final match of the day saw a previously impressive looking Christ Church Secondary losing to a resilient East Ruimveldt Secondary. Nyron Joseph and Travis Fitzpatrick put CCSS on top early by scoring goals in quick succession during the 29th and 30th minutes. Trevil Prepont and Shabaka Welch however equalized in the 41st and 70th minutes respectively to send the game into extra time. Craig Hughes was the author of the East Ruimveldt victory when he penetrated in the 77th and 79th minutes to send his team into the final round.

The finals will be contested at grounds around the country on Saturday.
– Andrew Ross

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John Fernandes Insurance Service Second Division Hockey Tournament

All Stars humble Under 21’s; Old Fort dominate Airbenders as 2ND Division Hockey continues

Damon Woodruff passes to Allan Fernandes

Azad DeAbreu, highly regarded as a top goalkeeper for Hikers and the national hockey team, showed his skillfulness as a player when he netted 4 goals in a one sided affair against the Male National Under 21 team at thirst park on Saturday afternoon. DeAbreu led the Carib All Stars, a team comprising or players over the age of 35, looked organized from the start. Though the U-21 squad had speed on their side it was not enough to convert into goals. After a 4-0 run by the veteran players Shaka Assanah managed to slip one past the goalkeeper to score the lone goal of the U-21 team. However in the end it proved not to be enough to overcome the experience and skill of the All Stars. Colin Aaron, Phillip Fernandes and Dexter Wyles also contributed to the 7-1 thrashing of the U-21 side.

Jason DeSantos secures ball from Airbender Defenders

In another mismatch of the day Old Fort defeated the Airbenders 4-1. Jason De Santos scored a hat-trick while Kevin Melville sealed the victory in the 63rd minute against the female side; securing their first victory in the tournament thus far. The only player to score for the Airbenders was national player Chantelle Fernandes in the 43rd minute. The John Fernandes Insurance Service Second Division Hockey Tournament continues at various venues around the city.

 

– Andrew Ross

 

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Digicel sponsors “Full Hundred” in Jamaica

– To perform with cast of “ova mi dead body”
Full Hundred, a group of  dramatists who performed at the National Drama Festival Finals from May 30- June 3 at the National Cultural Centre, will be sponsored by Digicel to perform in Jamaica and learn from Stages Production. Stages Production is the company who put on the play “ova mi dead body” at the NCC on June 5.

The announcement was made following the staging of the play and the members of Full Hundred were called on stage and warmly received by the audience. The group includes comedian and actor Michael Ignacious and reigning Miss Guyana Universe Tamika Henry. The performing arts locally has seen some resurgence after years of hardship and the investment of the region’s largest cellular service provider top class actors writers and producers will undoubtedly benefit from the opportunity.

The play “ova mi dead body” though Jamaican in origin touched on issues Caribbean people experience and relate to on a daily basis and as such it did not take long for the crowd to become fully engrossed into the storyline of the production. The main character Melcita Senoirs has an incarcerated boyfriend and leaves him to go to the United States of America in search of a better life. She leaves her daughter Delcits to stay with some senior citizens who physically abuse her.

As the story unfolds issues such as domestic violence, child abuse and women’s empowerment among others are explored in a vivid yet comical manner. Though written for a Jamaican audience the cast skillfully integrated Guyanese activities into the production to add spice for the local audience. References were made to rice fields in Guyana and the One Laptop Per Family project much to the surprise and amazement of the audience.

Members of the cast had an opportunity to witness the final day of the Drama Festival and revealed that the talent of Guyanese in theatrical productions is on par with other countries in the Caribbean with more resources.  The opportunity Digicel has afforded the Full Hundred will therefore serve to build on a solid foundation in theatre and assist in the forward movement of the arts locally.

-By  Andrew Ross

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“Coolie Bully”, “The Best” electrify Rampage

– “2 Sharpe” Allen winss WBC/CABOFE title

Elton “coolie bully” Dharry electrified boxing fans who turned out to see high level Guyanese boxingat Rampage at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall on Saturday May 28, 2011. Dharry, who originates fromLeguan in the Essequibo River but now fights under Boxing 360 from New York, looked confident fromthe starting bell and traded punches with the quicker and more agile Dexter “D Kid” Marques. The match, which was for the WBC/ Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) Bantamweight Championships, saw Marques being evenly matched against the flat footed and patient Dharry. The 7th round was however the end of the line for Marques who before the fight had a record of 9 wins but suffering1 loss. 2 minutes into the round Marques buckled from a careful red jab, noticing this Dharry wentinto “bully” mode and dealt Marques a volley of power punches until he hit the canvas and forced the referee to end the bout. The crowd went wild and supporters rushed to congratulate the new champion.

Another exciting match of the evening saw Cruiserweight Champion Kurt “the best” Best taking on Light Heavyweight Champ Mitchell “Strongman” Rogers for the Heavyweight Championship of Guyana. Mitchell, representing Canal # 1 West Bank Demerara, appeared to be the more attacking fighter inthe early rounds of the match. He was however weary of the right hand of Best throughout the match. Mitchell seemed content with wearing down his opponent with jabs to the body. Best was howeverlooking for the knockout punch and found the opening early in the eighth round. After landing a solidjab Best noticed Mitchell staggering a bit and immediately followed with a hard right hand which knocked the 220 lbs “Strong man” flat on his back. Try as he might Mitchell could not survive the 8 countby the referee and even after the match was officially over he was still holding on to the ropes in aneffort to regain his footing.

The feature bout of the evening left a lot to be desired as New York State Super middleweight Champ Lennox “2 Sharpe” Allen came up against Kwesi “The Hitman” Jones. Jones, who usually fights under the Friday night Fights Card, was no match for the seasoned and fit Allen. The Hitman kept looking to land power punches in an effort to bring the match to an exciting and early close but the more experienced Allen evaded him while occasionally landing jabs and solid body shots. Jones was the more active fighter throughout the bout but his tiredness and lack of 12 round conditioning began to show from rounds 10-12. The referee had to continually part the fighters as Jones sought to hold and push Allen into the ropes then try to land punches. The Hitman was visibly shaken several times in the final round but held onfor dear life to avoid taking to the canvas. In the end the judges unanimously awarded Allen the WBC/CABOFE Super middleweight Championship.

In the supporting bout of the night Edmond De Clou, from the mining town of Linden, defeated WinstonPompey in the middleweight non title matchup. Meanwhile in the other non title fight the younger and faster Ray Sandiford won his first lightweight fight against the seasoned Cecil Smith.

– By Andrew Ross