PORT-AU-PRINCE—Haitian Prime Minister Jack Guy Lafontant resigned yesterday amid calls for him to step down over his handling of a failed plan to raise fuel prices that set off a wave of deadly protests.

Lafontant told Haiti’s Chamber of Deputies that he sent President Jovenel Moise his resignation letter and the president had accepted it. Moise has not yet commented publicly.

The prime minister’s abrupt resignation came ahead of a vote on a motion of censure against Lafontant, a first step toward asking that Moise name a new prime minister to form a Cabinet to handle the crisis. The prime minister is the second highest official in Haiti after the president.

Lafontant was to answer questions about the July 6-8 riots that followed the government’s attempt to raise fuel prices by up to 51 per cent as part of an agreement with the International Monetary Fund. At least seven people were killed and dozens of businesses were looted during the unrest.

Instead, Lafontant used the opportunity to announce his resignation, while in various parts of Haiti small protests were held demanding the head of state step down.

As the session began, chamber president Gary Bodaeu wrote on his Twitter account that the legislature “is at a crossroads in history; it must assume its responsibilities.” He had earlier called the price hikes “untimely” and “inoperative.”

Lafontant suspended the fuel prices increases after protests erupted last week but the disturbances continued and calls for the prime minister to resign grew, including from the opposition and some business groups.

Lafontant, a 57-year-old doctor who took office in March 2017, had said the price hikes of 38 per cent to 51 per cent for gasoline, diesel and kerosene were needed for Haiti to balance its budget.

Government officials agreed to reduce subsidies for fuel in February as part of an assistance package with the IMF. The agreement also included increased spending on social services and infrastructure and improved tax collection in an effort to modernise the economy of one of the poorest nations in the Western Hemisphere. (AP)

Consumers today are more connected and empowered than they’ve ever been, and it means that even here in the Caribbean, businesses must radically evolve the way that they engage, sell and market to their customers.

The Telecommunications Authority of T&T’s (TATT) Annual Market report 2016, showed that mobile penetration across our population of 1.3 million stood at 160 per cent, with over 700,000 mobile internet subscriptions.

Sales and marketing against this backdrop is tough, mainly because marketers must engage connected consumers who have access to more information than ever, making them both empowered, and overloaded. In addition to customers engaging businesses far later in the purchase decision journey, research shows that consumers overwhelmingly trust their peers and online reviews more than advertising.

In my over ten years as part of a digital agency, I’ve seen a lot of evolution in the approaches to marketing taken by local businesses. Sales and marketing leaders have become more and more adept at utilising digital in their marketing and engagement of customers, but we’re now at a turning point. The next wave of marketing that will have impact in the Caribbean is the imperative to seamlessly integrate marketing.

That assessment has led me in my own agency to transform from being focused on helping marketers harness digital to reach, engage and sell to customers, to a broader focus on integrated marketing. With web, mobile and Internet technology here to stay, consumers move easily between the online and offline worlds and except brands to do the same.

That core insight has led me as an agency owner to also seek to evolve from a digital-only focus to a more expansive integrated marketing focus at the newly branded Caribbean Ideas, Synapse, because regional leaders need more and more help adapting to this change in customer behaviour.

Caribbean sales and marketing leaders are working to engage a variety of consumers through the entire consumer product lifecycle, and increasingly struggle with the mix of content creation, storytelling and cross-channel marketing that is most effective.

Many feel forced to compromise, choosing between agency partners that may be good at digital or traditional marketing but not both. Some hire separate agencies for the subject-matter expertise, but because of a lack of experience in managing multiple partners, they struggle to get truly integrated results. Others take a different path, choosing the simplicity of working with one partner, but accepting that they are losing out on expertise in one area or another, leading to a different disconnect.

The reality is that true marketing success is impossible to achieve without consistent, connected experiences that consumers can see, feel and engage with across multiple platforms and channels. Creating the type of powerful campaign that achieves this requires significant skill at both left-brain marketing that relies heavily on strategy and data, and right-brain marketing that is personified by brilliant creative design.

For us at Synapse, marketing is about integration and storytelling in service of key business goals. Our focus is on helping modern marketers who need to tell compelling, connected stories to today’s consumer wherever they consume media, and wherever they are in the buying cycle.

Our philosophy, is that the future of Caribbean marketing is about putting together left brain and right brain marketing, combining analytics and data with creativity and storytelling to achieve success and show ROI. Our belief in this future led us to evolve from our pure play digital history to the integrated marketing agency that is now Synapse, where helping marketers excel at delivering storytelling, messages and experiences cross-channel is our focus.

These approaches can be immensely powerful, as we observed in recent work with Republic Bank. As collaborative partners, we were both inspired to change the conversation on and offline in T&T from many negative things—crime, unemployment and corruption—to one that reminds all of us that there are pockets of positivity around us. As a financial institution, attempting a campaign that was more focused on storytelling than disruption advertising was a departure, particularly in the typically busy Christmas period where product marketing is usually top focus.

The resulting #BetheOne campaign focused on promoting the things we can all do to make life better for ourselves and others, showcasing foundations, people and scenarios where good was being done in the market. With a heavy focus on storytelling in digital and other channels, this campaign has already crossed the 1 million video views mark and counting.

It has also gone on to win two Silver Addy’s for Social Media Campaign and Social Media Single Execution at the Caribbean Addy awards, a prestigious award that recognises excellence in advertising and creative industry standards.

The campaign and resulting win reinforced that great content and storytelling are essential parts of modern marketing, but they are also just one component. Mastery of integrated marketing will challenge Caribbean marketers to excel in the ways that they communicate, track and measure success and tailor marketing efforts to the media consumption habits of different consumers.

We believe that while it’s never been harder to be a sales and marketing leader, there’s also more opportunity than ever before to develop deep, long-term customer relationships and brand advocates.

The future of marketing is integrated.

The Arima Velodrome was transformed into a street fair for the Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Cheer Fair which featured over 14 collaborators and exhibitors covering six areas: health, education, water and sanitation, housing, gender and climate change. The theme, Fostering Human Development, was explored with fun, interactive activities, displays and exhibitions for all ages.

“The Cheer Fair was part of the IDB’s “Unfollow: Same Never Made a Difference” campaign which was launched in November 2017 and seeks to reach the wider public in a meaningful and active way, highlighting the need to be different while promoting change, collaboration, creativity and innovation from all sectors of society,” said Rocio Medina Bolivar, IDB’s country representative.

IDB’s Unfollow campaign has five components. The Cheer Fair was the second of three Pillar Events.

Also, highlighted, at the Cheer Fair, was the Unfollow Box, a state-of-the-art mobile video recording booth that invites people to share their thoughts, ideas and solutions in response to questions related to the development and future of T&T.

“The Cheer Fair and Unfollow Box gave people a chance to be part of IDB’s movement to drive positive change,” added Medina Bolivar.

The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) in collaboration with the European Union officially launched their market intelligence portal, known as CE-Intelligence.

At the media launch held at the newly renovated Warrens Great House last Tuesday, executive director Pamela Coke-Hamilton outlined the importance of the CE-Intelligence portal for private sector firms looking to grow their businesses through exporting to new markets.

“Trade, business intelligence and market research are key for the successful entry into export markets,” explained Coke-Hamilton. The portal will enable firms to “develop their own customised reports to learn more about market entry requirements in any given country, important trade data, and key business contacts” she added.

Head of Co-operation at the Delegation of the European Union to Barbados, Eastern Caribbean States, OECS and Caricom/Cariforum Luis Maia highlighted that market intelligence is an indispensable commodity in today’s technology driven environment. Further the portal will complement the EU’s Trade Helpdesk to enhance the business opportunities of those looking to penetrate the EU markets.

The CE-Intelligence portal was conceptualised to assist firms in being more strategic in their market entry plans as it provides an easily accessible platform for the region’s small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) and business support organisations (BSOs) to access accurate and high-quality data free of charge, which reduces the cost, time and effort required to make strategic business decisions.

The question as to why many businesses did not make that move to export was raised by Minister Sandra Husbands in her keynote. Charging that a cultural fear of the unknown was often a reason for businesses not venturing in to export, Husbands congratulated the agency for providing a much-needed tool that will make it easier for firms to move out of their comfort zones to explore export markets and benefit from the economies of scale that are synonymous with larger markets.

Husbands called on entrepreneurs to make it second nature to include export as part of their business plans in view of the small market typical of small islands.

The Sunday Guardian will begin its series today on rehabilitation and reintegration—stories of the lives of inmates and ex-prisoners.

Today we speak with former inmate Quincy Roberts about his passion for music and where he wants to go in life.

The need to feel loved, wanted, important, and recognised for his gift often makes ex-prisoner Quincy Roberts awkwardly desire to be back behind bars.

“Don’t get me wrong, ‘eh’ miss,” he quickly chimes in. “I ‘doh’ mean go back there for doing something wrong. But when I was in prison I was a star. Everything was Quincy Roberts this, Quincy Roberts that.”

The father of two, who describes music as his lifeline, gained popularity in the throes of Port-of-Spain Remand Prison from  this very love of music, quickly leading him to becoming an integral part of the various prison music bands.

Within six months of his incarceration, the then 25 year old became literate in music theory and versed on several instruments including the guitar, bass, drum, and keyboard. It did not come as a surprise to the former Beetham Gardens resident when he received a distinction in music through the prison’s music programme and soon after found himself as teacher of the art to other inmates. But that joy and sense of pride once felt by Roberts has died since the first-time offender, who spent nearly five years behind bars, was released on bail last year.

“Let me tell you something, eh. I love music so bad I’ll die for it. And when I was in prison, people…all them big musician who used to pass through, used to tell me ‘oh gosh, you could real play music, you could real sing.

When ‘yuh’ come out I want to help you do this and do that.’ And when ‘yuh’ come out of prison ‘yuh’ get to realise is just games people was playing with ‘yuh.’

He explained that without support it’s difficult for an exprisoner to have a fruitful life after incarceration as they are not taken seriously and most times people are unwilling to give them a chance.

“Is a nasty stigma ‘yuh’ does get.

Everybody does think when ‘yuh’ come out of prison ‘yuh’ come out to do the same thing again. People don’t even know what you were in jail for. Some people went to jail innocently. But once they hear you ‘was’ in jail, they think ‘yuh’ is a criminal and a no good.” Roberts has been looking for work since his release but has been turned down each time he spoke the truth.

“Miss, I don’t want to lie or anything, so I does tell them the truth because with a record how you producing a certificate of character when they ask for it? So I does tell them the truth and that does be the end of the interview right ‘dey’.”

A hustle since returning to freedom During the Sunday Guardian’s coverage on the Charlotte Street vending issue back in April, we ran into the former Morvant- Laventille student who was selling produce at the corner of Queen and Charlotte streets. He tells us that has been his “hustle” since returning to “freedom.” But there is no real joy in doing this, he reiterates, as music is Roberts’s first and only love.

He talks about his father beating drums for Trinidad All Stars Steel Orchestra back in the day and briefly reminisces on his childhood days when he would accompany his father to the pan yard for rehearsals.

“As long as I could remember, music was always in my head. I was always writing or chanting… the melodies and the rhythms does just keep flowing,” Roberts, who has filled two large notebooks with his own compositions, says.

Prior to our Charlotte Street “bounce up,” we first became acquainted with Roberts in February 2016 when he performed at the T&T Prison Service grand Carnival calypso fiesta concert, where each monarch from the various prison sections were brought out to perform for the public at Woodford Square.

Roberts, who placed second at the Port-of-Spain Remand Prison, was a crowd pleaser from the moment he took the microphone to deliver his self-composed social commentary titled Still in Slavery, which was inspired by the book, Mandela’s Way. With perfect diction and strong stage presence, he commanded the crowd that cheered him on as he sang his offering, which spoke to modernised slavery. Often times you could hear people shouting: “Kaiso! Kaiso!”

Back then, he told the T&T Guardian, he fashioned his style of performance after multiple Calypso Monarch titleholder Roderick “Chucky” Gordon, saying the calypsonian gives him goose bumps whenever he performs.

“His commentary on social ills does really speak to me,” he says. ‘Give us a chance’ Speaking of social ills, coming from a marginalised community, we asked Roberts who was raised in a single parent home, if he believed the environment in which he grew fosters or dictates an inevitable life of crime. Without hesitation and despite his older brother being murdered in these “rough paths,” he dispels this.

“Let me tell you something, ‘eh’ miss, we know that people say circumstances make you who you become. But I telling ‘yuh,’ no environment or community could make anybody do something wrong. It is a decision everybody does make to do something, so I will never blame the community or the area I’m from. Everybody have to know what ‘dey’ doing.”

With his burning desire and passion for music, now 27, Roberts wants to enter the Calypso Monarch competition in 2019. “I don’t know how that will work out or if I would even be allowed to do it, because my case still ‘upstairs.’ But God knows if I get that opportunity, I would be so grateful. I don’t even care about the money part. I just want to sing—I’m happiest and the most free when I do,” he says.

In the meantime, he said his hands won’t remain idle and he has no intentions of returning to prison. But he sends this message to the public and powers that be:

“Before you condemn us to death, give us a chance. Not everybody in prison supposed to be in prison. Stop judging us because of where we’ve been and support us in where we’re going. We need ‘allyuh’ support when we return to society. I understand is not everybody would want to make a positive change, but for those of us who do, please don’t make us keep paying for a debt that has already been paid.”

This series of articles will cover inter-dog aggression. Readers must understand that these articles are for guidance only. Aggression between dogs is a complex psychological condition requiring a professional dog behaviourist to evaluate and treat each case individually. In this second (and then third) articles of the series we will assess how and when inter-dog aggression develops.

Inter-dog aggression is fighting between dogs living in the same household. In human society, it is often said that “we can choose our friends but not our family.” While dogs are social and live in groups, in a free-ranging environment a dog would be able to choose which group to live in and to leave those groups where he is not welcome. This applies to humans as well—most of us would not be able to live peacefully with a group of individuals that someone else picks for us. Most of us cannot even live harmoniously with our own families! However, we expect our dogs to do just that—live with friends that we pick for them, but some dogs will simply never be friends.

The natural dog pack consists of strong individuals and weaker members. The strong protect and guide the rest. Size is not necessarily an indication of strength in some cases—many dog owners are familiar with the tiny yappy fluffy dog who “rules over” the massive docile St Bernard! However, there is generally a parental figure (sometimes two—a male and a female) who takes charge and who the rest follow. At this stage, we must address the “alpha” concept. Sadly, many dog breeders, trainers, and owners still buy into the “alpha” myth. This outdated idea that there is a dominant male and/or female who aggressively keeps the rest of the pack in submission has little scientific data to support it. People who breed and train dogs often tolerate and perhaps even encourage aggressive behaviour between dogs because they think it normal when it is not. Rank is never absolute, and it is never taken—it is conferred by others. We will come back to this in a later article to this series and show you how you, as a dog owner, may be contributing to your dogs’ fighting.

Dogs have two developmental stages of maturity. The first is sexual maturity and this is when a dog becomes physically capable of reproduction—the testicles in the male descend and the female goes into her first heat. On average this happens at around six months of age. The second is social maturity which is when a dog becomes an adult, which occurs between 18 to 24 months of age. The period between sexual and social maturity is when a dog tries to challenge his owners and other dogs, similar to a teenager testing the boundaries set by his parents. It is during this period that an owner may first notice signs of aggression between the dogs.

Copyright © Kristel-Marie Ramnath 2018

Literary prizes are proven investments with guaranteed returns, says a release from the Bocas Lit Fest. And a geographically small yet complex place like the Caribbean requires continuous investment to help draw out emerging literary talent.

One such venture, according to the Bocas release, was the Hollick Arvon Caribbean Writers Prize, which ran over the period 2013- 2015.

“Three years later, we have Thicker than Water—a new anthology of Caribbean writing showcasing new work by prize finalists, including Trinidadian winners Barbara Jenkins (fiction, 2013) and Danielle Boodoo Fortuné (poetry, 2015).”

Both writers also launched their books that resulted from the Hollick  Arvon Prize at the 2018 NGC Bocas Lit Fest.

“A publication of Peekash Press (Bocas’ very own publishing company), the anthology features the best of a new generation of Caribbean writers from seven countries, and celebrates the unique legacy of the first award for emerging Caribbean authors with truly regional scope.

“Following its Caribbean and international launch at the 2018 NGC Bocas Lit Fest, the anthology’s UK launch, hosted by Arvon (prize co-administrator and UK literary foundation), will take place on Thursday at the Free Word Centre in London. Five distinguished British-Caribbean writers: Colin Grant, Anthony Joseph, Karen McCarthy Woolf, Courttia Newland and Kerry Young will bring to life the work of Richard Georges, Barbara Jenkins, Diana McCaulay, Shivanee N Ramlochan and Hazel Simmons McDonald.”

The event will be livestreamed via the Bocas Lit Fest facebook page www.facebook.com/bocaslitfest/ from 6:30pm (UK time).

There is also a new prize dedicated to nurturing new Caribbean voices, The Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize, now open for submissions.

Managed by The Bocas Lit Fest and Arvon, this Prize replaces the Hollick Arvon Caribbean Writers Prize. It is an annual award, which allows an emerging Caribbean writer living and working in the Anglophone Caribbean to devote time to advancing or finishing a literary work, with support from an established writer as mentor. The prize is offered across three literary genres - fiction in 2019, non-fiction in 2020 and poetry in 2021.

The prize is named after Johnson and Amoy Achong and commemorates their lives as loyal and hard-working citizens of this country whose children have continued to contribute to the building of T&T.

Bocas Lit Fest founder and director Marina Salandy-Brown says “We must not underestimate the value of these prizes in honing talent and in growing the pool of Caribbean writers. We can safely say the returns on literary arts investments are evident as they are enduring. And we’re excited to see what this new prize yields for Caribbean writing over the next few years.”

The first winner of the Johnson and Amoy Achong Caribbean Writers Prize will be announced in 2019. Submissions close September 30, 2018. For more information and prize guidelines, see bocaslitfest.com

More info

About Thicker than Water

Difficult parents and lost children, unfaithful spouses and spectral lovers, mysterious ancestors and fierce bloodlines—the stories, poems, and memoirs in this new anthology tackle everything that’s most complicated and thrilling about family and history in the Caribbean.

Collecting new writing by finalists for the Hollick Arvon Caribbean Writers Prize, a groundbreaking award administered by the Bocas Lit Fest, Thicker Than Water shows us how a new generation of Caribbean authors address perennial questions of love, betrayal, and memory in small places where personal and collective histories are often troublingly intertwined.

About the Johson and Amoy

Achong Caribbean Writers Prize The Prize consists of a cash award of $20,000 (TT) (or the equivalent in USD), a year’s mentoring by an established writer, travel to the United Kingdom to attend a oneweek intensive Arvon creative writing course at one of Arvon’s internationally renowned writing houses, and three days in London to network with editors and publishers, hosted by Arvon, in association with the Free Word Centre and a leading London literary agency

Students of the University of T&T (UTT) benefited from a three-hour interactive discussion with Leighton “Walshy Fire” Walsh. Walsh, a member of the popular award-winning group Major Lazer, was in Trinidad over the holiday weekend to stage the first instalment of his popular event Rum & Bass.

The event, promoted by 432 Live, featured several distinguished and talented MCs and Sound Systems including Travis World Music, Taurus Movement, Viking Sounds, featuring Bunji Garlin, Ding Dong and Jaiga.

Also joining him was fellow member of Major Lazer and Trinidad-born Chris “Jillionaire” Leacock who joined Walsh at the turntables to keep the crowd highly entertained.

Walsh spoke to the students at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (Napa) on topics related to his journey in the entertainment industry. The students of UTT are all enrolled in the Certificate in Music technology programme and welcomed the insight from the record winning producer. He encouraged his captive audience to stay true to their journey even though challenges may arise, “Give yourself ten years of failing with a smile on your face. If after ten years, you still have the passion, you’re heading to success!”

Referencing several of his personal experiences to strengthen his points, he urged the students to not be swayed or dismayed by the efforts of those who may not like them or their contributions to the industry.

Walshy noted, “A hater is actually an employee to your progress.”

Walshy has worked with international and regional recording artistes and produced hits such as Lean On and Light It Up and is always on the lookout for new talent.

He has also expressed his desire to return annually with the Rum & Bass event to Trinidad around the Labour Day holiday period.

Walshy Fire is working on his latest album which promises a fusion of Afrobeats and Caribbean sounds set to be released in the near future.

It was a family affair at Kaiso Blues Cafe in Newtown on June 8 as Easy Listening Promotions presented Ménagerie—Si, Oui Music, or, in local parlance “See We Music,” a play on French, Spanish and English influences in the musical arts.

The band Ménagerie features the musical talents of the Gabriel family comprising of vocalists Asha, Thará, Ayanna Gabriel, and Asha Gabriel-LewisSamuel Peter (guitar), Mark Peter (keyboard), violinist Saná Gabriel, drummer Lenville Gabriel and, bassist Kent Gabriel.

The family band performed to a full venue of patrons of varying ages who followed the band on their musical journey through 1970’s contemporary styled music like Sting’s Summertime to present day gems such as Mark Anthony’s Vivir Mi Vida and No te pido by Fanny Lu. But, it was when they turned on the “Urban Swagger” persona during the performance of their original piece Video, the uniqueness defines each member individual style stood out while simultaneously displaying how refined and natural their sounds coalesce and harmonise.

As they stated during an interlude, “One Bob Marley isn’t enough,” so a medley comprising of hits from the renowned Jamaican reggae icon’s Nine Mile album such as No Woman No Cry, Could You Be Loved and I Wanna Love You amongst others, were delivered.

During a 15-minute break, Lenville engaged patrons in a fun trivia game where he explained historical moments in musical history of the development of instruments, sound patterns/arrangements that defines a genre, and places of origin.

Special tributes and recognition were also given to locals artistes as well. Andre Tanker’s Sayamanda was performed in his honour, a tune Lenville Gabriel assisted in producing. Calypso icons David Rudder and Carl Jacobs were also recognised and mentioned as well, acknowledging Lenville Gabriel’s contribution to their respective productions.

The young blended voices backed by the expertise of the band’s instrumentalists made the evening quite a truly remarkable and enjoyable experience.

• For bookings of the Gabriel family, contact Easy Listening Promotions at easylisteningpromo@gmail.com.

T&T’s Samantha Wallace and the New South Wales Swifts pulled every trick in the book to keep their Suncorp Netball League Finals hopes alive but still fell to West Coast Fever, 68-74 at Quay Centre, Sydney, Australia, yesterday.

Leading for almost the entire first half and taking bonus points in both the first and second quarters, the Swifts held a four-goal advantage at half-time, 38-34.

But they were mowed down in the second half by the Fever juggernaut, marking the first time in Australian national league history that a team has scored more than 63 goals in a game and still lost.

The Swifts were willing and had the competition leaders on the ropes for much of the contest before the Fever showed their class as they grafted their way back into the game.

Star shooter, Jamaican Jhaniele Fowler was the Nissan ‘Most Valuable Player’, but she had excellent support from Nat Medhurst (13 goals, 30 assists) and Verity Charles (24 assists, one intercept).

The 24-year-old Wallace was heavily involved in the match in the first quarter, shooting flawlessly (13 from 13) to help the Swifts take a 20-17 lead into the first break and also claimed the first bonus point of the match.

The work of the Swifts midcourt made working the ball towards Fowler hard work for the Fever and forced them to rely on long balls.

It was a dangerous tactic, but Fowler showed her athleticism to reel in the ball after ball to cut the margin back to just one.

The Fever looked set to grab their first bonus point, until the Swifts scored the last two goals of the quarter in under 10 seconds to put their stamp on the match, leading 38-34 and claiming the bonus.

The Fever came out firing after the break, peeling off a 6-3 run to close the gap to just one goal. It was a goal-fest for both sides, with the match setting the season record for the most goals in the first half of any game played so far.

It was the Fever who wrestled the momentum back to win the quarter by seven goals (20-13) to lead 54-51 at three-quarter time.

A quick start to the final quarter saw the Fever began to skip away, pushing out to a 60-54 lead and forcing Akle’s hand, with both McCulloch and Haythornthwaite injected into the fray along with young gun shooter Sophie Garbin who replaced Wallace.

The Swifts fought hard and closed to within four goals, but could get no closer as the Fever collected their ninth win of the season.

Wallace ended with 35 goals from 40 attempts, Helen Housby 23 from 26, and Garbin, 10 from 12 for Swifts in a fourth straight loss to drop to 5-6 while Folwer ended with 61 from 65 attempts for the winners and Medhurst, 13 of 15.

Last week in a 56-66 loss to Giants Netball, Wallace had a match-high 40 goals from 45 attempts and Housby, 16 from 18 while Josanne Harten ended with 29 goals from 37 attempts, Susan Pettitt added 19 from 21, and Kristina Brice, 18 of 21 for the winners.

Krystle Esdelle, T&T senior women’s volleyballer picked up two individual awards at the conclusion of the 2018 Women’s Volleyball Pan American Cup Tournament in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on Saturday night.

A former T&T captain, Esdelle, 33, was named as the ‘Best Opposite’ and ‘Best Scorer after she tallied 97 points over the course of the tournament, with a best of 25 in a four-set win over Costa Rica in the 11th spot playoff on Friday afternoon.

By capturing the award, Esdelle who plays professionally in Turkey, joined fellow national women’s team players Darlene Ramdin and Sinead Jack as national players to pick up individual accolades at a top NORCECA or Pan American Cup event, while Marc Honore is the lone national men’s player to have done so.

However, Estelle is the first to have picked up two awards in the same event at the level.

Lauren Carlini, whose wonderful abilities as a setter and leadership qualities helped the USA to win the 17th edition of the competition was named the Most Valuable Player.

Besides her plaque as ‘MVP’ Carlini received the award as ‘Best Setter’ while team-mate Chiaka Ogbogu was selected as ‘First Middle Blocker’. Colombian Melissa Rangel was the ‘Second Middle Blocker’.

Brenda Castillo of Dominican Republic was ‘Best Digger’, ‘Best Receiver’ and ‘Best Libero’.

Brayelin Martínez of Dominican Republic and Elina Rodríguez of Argentina were included in the All-Star as first and second ‘Outside Hitters’ respectively, and Kiera Van Ryk of Canada was the ‘Best Server’.

In the gold medal match, the USA came back all the way down from a 0-2 deficit to defeat host Dominican Republic 3-2 (24-26, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, 15-8) in front of a packed house.

It is the sixth title for the USA in the history of the competition with the previous titles attained in 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2017.

The winners established a solid defence at the net which allowed them to score 17 blocks, including seven by Chiaka Ogbogu.

Aiyana Abukusomo-Whitney and Ogbogu blasted 27 and 21 points to lead the American attack (65-51) while Simone Lee and Haleigh Washington added 15 and 14 in the triumph.

Canada claimed its second medal ever after defeating Brazil 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-21) in the match for the bronze medal on Saturday. The Canadian squad had won also the bronze in the inaugural event back in 2002 when the competition took place in Saltillo, Mexico.

Colombia played Puerto Rico in a mouth-watering five-setter 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12) to claim the fifth spot and the last ticket available at the Pan American Cup to next year’s tournament of the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.

The second set of 78 points was the longest ever in the history of the Pan American Cup breaking the one established in 2009 when Puerto Rico won the first set against the Dominican Republic in Miami, USA back on July 3.

With just two rounds of matches remaining in the Cricket West Indies Under-17 Championships, the Leeward Islands sit atop the standings following the completion of the third round of matches on Saturday.

In the fourth round of matches slated to be played today, the Leeward Islands will take on Barbados, Guyana will face Jamaican and T&T will come up against the Windward Islands seeking a change in fortunes as this match will prove cruical if the host is the retain its title.

On Saturday, in a low scoring affair, Guyana skittled out Gilbert Park, California, T&T fell only 65 before the opposition limped to 66-7, to hand the two-time defending champions its first loss of the competition.

They were three wickets apiece for Dwaine Dick and Sheldon Charles as no T&T batsman made 15.

In their turn at the crease, Guyana found themselves precariously placed at 50-7, before the pair of Nigel Deodat and Charles carried them to safety.

Sachin Singh topscored with 21, while Nicholas Ali and Sameer Ali both grabbed three wickets for the hosts.

In other matches, the Leewards defeated the Windward Islands by two wickets, their second win in three games, to climb to 13.2 points.

Guyana, which also has two wins, is close behind in second on 12.9 points after knocking over the defending champions T&T by three wickets.

Barbados is a distant third with eight points, while Trinidad by virtue of having a better net run rate then the Windward Islands is fourth, with both teams sitting on 7.2 points.

Jamaica, which is yet to win a match is sixth on 1.4 points.

In the latest round of matches, led by a three-wicket haul from Taeiem Tonge and a solid 48 by Jahiem Africa, the Leewards managed to overhaul the Windwards’ total of 146-9, finishing on 150 for eight.

Tonge finished with the impressive figures of 3-34, to help restrict the opponents who were sent into bat after losing the toss.

Jaylen Francis and Antonio Fernandes also chipped in, each claiming two wickets.

Keygan Arnold was the topscorer for the Windwards, blasting 37 from 34 balls batting down the order.

Arnold, the Man-of-the-match, returned to grab three wickets, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his side from losing.

While Africa was the mainstay of the Leeward Islands’ innings, he got good support from Demari Benta (39) and Kenny Sutton who made 27.

Barbados picked up their first win of the tournament by pummeling the hapless Jamaicans.

Batting first, Razaq Williams’ 83 helped to propel Jamaica to a respecatble 204-9 from their 50 overs.

Ramon Simmonds (2-30), Rivaldo Clarke (2-45) and Jamal Leacock 2-40, were the leading bowlers for Barbados.

Barbados, however, made light work of the target, racing to 205-4 in 44.3 overs.

Opener Rashawn Worrell made 69 , Rivaldo Clarke stroked an unbeaten 55 and Antonio Morris scored 37 to help lead last year’s runner-ups to a comfortable victory.

Results

CWI Under-17 Championships

Guyana defeated T&T by three wickets
T&T 65 off 26.3 overs (Dwaine Dick 3-16, Sheldon Charles 3-21).
Guyana 66 for seven off 20.4 overs (Sachin Singh 21; Sameer Ali 3-15, Nicholas Ali 3-30).

Leeward Islands defeated the Windward Islands by two wickets
Windward Islands 146 for nine off 28 overs (Keygan Arnold 37, Garvin Serieux 23; Taeiem Tonge 3-34, Jaylen Francis 2-15, Antonio Fernandes 2-19).
Leedward Islands 150 for eight off 27.5 overs (Jahiem Africa 48, Demari Benta 39, Kenny Sutton 27; Keygan Arnold 3-26).

Barbados defeated Jamaica by six wickets
Jamaica 204 for nine off 50 overs (Razaq Williams 83, Joseph Simpson 23; Ramon Simmonds 2-30, Rivaldo Clarke 2-45, Jamal Leacock 2-40)
Barbados 205 for four off 44.3 overs (Rashawn Worrell 69, Rivaldo Clarke 55 not out, Antonio Morris 37; Razaq Williams 2-29).

Four different players were on target as Queen’s Park Cricket Club whipped San Fernando Giants 4-2 to open a two points lead at the top of the T&T Super League standings on Saturday.

Starting the day as joint leaders with Matura ReUnited, the Parkites took the lead as early as the third minute through Keston George at St Mary’s College Ground, Serpentine Road, St Clair.

However, Tristan Khan drew the visitors level in the 14th minute only for Glen Walker and Elton John to score in the 30th and 34th minute to give the Parkites a 3-1 advantage at the half-time interval.

Sean De Silva then made it 4-1 in the 74th minute with his sixth strike of the campaign to put the result beyond doubt, before Andrei Pacheco netted a late second item for Giants, in the 84th.

With the win, the Parkites remained one of two unbeaten teams this season, and improved to 16 points after six matches, two more than Cunupia FC, the other unbeaten team, which swept past RSSR FC 3-1 on Thursday led by a hat-trick from Kevon Woodley, the top scorer to date with seven goals.

Up at the Youth Training Centre, Arouca, Matura ReUnited failed to keep pace at the top after it was beaten 2-1 by host Prison Service FC.

Nathan Julien and Ricardo Alleyne scored in the tenth and 58th minute respectively for Prison Service before Brendan Figuera got a 91st-minute consolation for Matura.

Elsewhere, defending champions Guaya United blanked cellar- placed Bethel United 3-0 to move into a three-way tie with FC Santa Rosa and Police FC for the fourth spot, but ahead on goal-difference.

T&T SUPER LEAGUE RESULTS

THURSDAY, JULY 12:
Cunupia FC 3 (Kevon Woodley 22nd,
26th, 48th) vs RSSR FC 1 (Kerron
Cordner 58th)
SATURDAY, JULY 14
FC Santa Rosa 3 (Kevon Cornwall 4th,
Noel Williams 11th, Kishun Seecharan
85th) vs Club Sando Cultural United 1
(Christon Freitas 77th)
Prison Service FC 2 (Nathan Julien
10th, Ricardo Alleyne 58th) vs Matura
ReUnited 1 (Brendon Figuera 91st)
Guaya United 3 (Akiel Paul 22nd,
Garvin Samaroo 52nd, Carlon Hughes
78th) vs Bethel United 0
Police FC 2 (Jason Boodram 35th,
39th) vs Metal X Erin FC 1 (Keyon
Alexander 10th)
UTT 2 (Kevaughn Connell 52nd,
Cyrano Glen 78th) vs Petit Valley/
Diego Martin 2 (Anthony Joseph 2nd,
Calvi Grazette 81st)
QPCC 4 (Keston George 3rd, Glen
Walker 30th, Elton John 34th, Sean
De Silva 79th) vs San Fernando Giants
2 (Tristan Khan 14th, Andrei Pacheco
84th)

STANDINGS

TEAMS P W D L A PTS
1. QPCC 6 5 1 0 16 6 16
2. Cunupia FC 6 4 2 0 15 5 14
3. Matura ReUnited 6 4 1 1 12 9 13
4. Guaya Utd 6 2 3 1 11 6 9
5. FC Santa Rosa 5 3 0 2 9 5 9
6. Police FC 6 2 3 1 5 6 9
7. UTT 6 2 2 2 6 8 8
8. Prisons Service 6 1 4 1 6 7 7
9. RSSR FC 5 1 2 2 5 5 5
10. Erin FC 6 1 2 3 9 10 5
11. Club Sando Cultural 6 1 1 4 4 9 4
12. San F’do Giants 6 0 4 2 4 11 4
13. Bethel Utd 6 0 3 3 4 12 3
14. P.V.D.M Utd 6 0 2 4 3 10 2

UPCOMING MATCHES

RESTARTED MATCH
Wednesday, July 18
RSSR FC vs FC Santa Rosa, St
Mary’s College Grd, Serpentine
Road, St Clair, 5.30pm
SATURDAY, JULY 21
Club Sando Cultural Roots Utd vs
San F’do Giants, Dibe Rec. Ground,
Long Circular, St James, 6pm
Matura ReUnited vs FC Santa
Rosa, TBC
UTT vs Prison Service FC, UTT
Ground, O’Meara Road Campus,
7pm
Petit Valley/Diego Martin Utd
vs Erin FC, St Anthony’s College
Ground, Westmoorings, 4pm
SUNDAY, JULY 22
Guaya United vs Police FC, Guaya
Recreation Ground, 4pm
RSSR FC vs Bethel United, TBC
QPCC vs Cunupia FC, , St Mary’s
College Grd, Serpentine Road, St
Clair, 4 pm

The need to be professional was the common theme echoed by panellists at the conference on Sport and Future at the Azimut Hotel in Moscow, Russia, on June 29. The panellists included Javier Zanetti, VP, Inter Milan; Leonardo Araujo, former player and FIFA World Cup Winner; Thabo Stiles Ntshinogang, CEO, Botswana Premier League and Lili Borisova, general manager, Bulgaria National Basketball League.

In essence, professional management revolves around three key areas: theory and experience; establishing a vision and goals; and being able to adapt and embrace change.

The panellists agreed that managing sport in a business environment requires strategic thinking and action. Sports management must be connected to the knowledge of managing as well as drawing upon various types of occupational and sporting experiences. Leonardo recognised his investment in education after his playing career with Brazil and club had ended, complemented his on the field knowledge of the game as a football manager. Zanetti expressed a similar view as it related to his graduation as a player to VP, at Inter Milan.

The best available human resources must always be utilised to ensure the optimal strategic development of any sporting organisation whether professional or amateur.

Directly connected to theory and experience, is the establishment of a clear Vision and SMART GOALS. The absence of these will result in an aimless organisation with the strong likelihood of poor development and eventual miscarriage of intentions. Establishing a clear vision and setting attainable goals is predicated on understanding the social, economic and political environment the sporting discipline is operating within. At the opening of the conference, FIFA president, Gianni Infantino, emphasised the importance of sporting organisations engaging in continuous education through cerebral networking.

Appreciating the importance of the aforementioned traits will best position sports managers to deal with the interwoven changes taking place within and outside of sport especially as it relates to technology. In other words, sports managers have to be constantly aware of the changes taking place in the environment that is affecting sport and be able to respond accordingly to ensure that the sport remains current and trendy with all stakeholders, such as investors, fans and athletes. For instance, connecting fans with athletes before, during and after events through various forms of social media or as Zanetti stated getting more women involved at the management level in sporting organisations.

“I don’t feel it is necessary to know exactly what I am. The main interest in life and work is to become someone else that you were not in the beginning.” —Michel Foucault.

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Despite trouncing Bangladesh 2-0 in their just completed Test series, West Indies captain Jason Holder is calling for better pitches to be prepared in the Caribbean.

He raised the concern during a press conference following the regional side’s 166-run victory over the visitors in the final Test at Sabina Park, yesterday.

Holder told reporters he’d like to see more consistent pitches which better suit fast bowlers.

“It dried out. After the first day it was very, very moist, but it dried out and there was still variable bounce which for me I don’t really want to be seeing in Test cricket. I just feel as though we need to do a little bit more in terms of our pitches to have consistent carry throughout the entire game as opposed to balls keeping low and some balls popping.

“I was a little disappointed in the way it turned out, but at the end of the day it was still good to see that the boys adjusted well on the surface and we got ourselves out of a tough spot after losing the toss…,” Holder said.

While he conceded that fast bowlers still managed to take wickets on the surface, Holder said the pitch was not as helpful as it could have been.

He said the Sabina Park pitch was usually known for its pace and bounce.

“…I just felt there should have been a little bit more in the surface here. We went in with four fast bowlers and up front we thought it would have been a bit more helpful for the faster bowlers.

“Albeit the seamers still got the wickets, but in terms of the carry and the consistent pace and bounce we’ve come to expect here at Sabina Park, it probably wasn’t the way we expected,” Holder said.

The West Indies captain’s call for better pitches comes on the heels of a similar request by former West Indies wicketkeeper Jeffrey Dujon, following the three-Test series against Sri Lanka which ended in a 1-1 tie.

Franci had promised good pitch

Before the match, the Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) chief executive officer Courtney Francis had given the assurance that the Sabina Park’s pitch and outfield will be in top condition for the second and final Test match between West Indies and Bangladesh.

West Indies, which ended 1-1 with Sri Lanka in their recent three-Test series, have a one-nil lead against Bangladesh after sweeping to an innings and 219-run victory in the opening match in Antigua.

“The preparation has been excellent, and we are confident that we have done all that we can under the circumstances,” Francis told the Jamaica Observer.

“There are some standards set out and we have met all the standards. We met with the [Cricket] West Indies representatives this morning and they were impressed with where we are,” he said while insisting that all operational personnel are aware of their roles.

Francis said proper security measures will be in place and urged West Indies cricket supporters to throw their weight behind their team.

“We want people to come out and lend some support, seeing that West Indies are showing some consistency and winning some matches.

“While we curse them when they are not doing well, when they are doing well we need to lend the support to ensure we give them that morale boost and hope they can climb the rankings,” Francis said. (CMC)

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan, Nidco officials and the media will finally tour the Galleons Passage this morning after it finally docked at the Port of Port-of-Spain overnight following unexpected delays on the way here yesterday.

Initially, the vessel was scheduled to arrive at the port at 2 pm yesterday but at about 11 am a release from the National Infrastructure Development Company said it experienced strong currents some 75 nautical miles off PoS and its captain had to reduce its speed accordingly.

Upon the vessel’s docking here, officials, including from Customs and Excise, were on hand to carry out a routine inspection and give it clearance.

The war of words between the two parties continued yesterday after UNC activist Devant Maharaj on Sunday claimed the vessel had stalled near Venezuela. On Sunday he claimed the vessel was adrift and had about 38 defects, adding a barge and tug was sent to refuel the vessel.

But this was denied by Nidco chairman Herbert George, who instead said the rough sea conditions had led to it slowing down. Maritime Services Inspector Ronald Alfred meanwhile said a report from Tsunami Marine Ltd which the Opposition used to allege the vessel had 38 defects was incomplete.

Alfred said the report was done in the absence of stability reports which were unavailable to its author. He added that Nidco had reports which show the Galleons Passage is “100 per cent safe for operation in T&T waters.”

Timeline

January 7: PM Dr Keith Rowley announces acquisition of a new boat in an address to nation.
January 18: Finance Minister Colm Imbert announces several rigorous checks were done to ensure the new US$17.4m Galleons Passage met all the requirements to operate on the domestic seabridge. He said the vessel is owned by Sea Transport Corporation of Australia and was built at the Nansha Shipyard in Guangzhou, China. Marine Traffic sites list the vessel as having been named as the Dona Mercedes by the Venezuelan owner. The name was changed to the Galleons Passage, the historical name of the route between Trinidad and Tobago.
January 20: Imbert announces Government is taking delivery of the ferry in China on or around February 9, 2018. Estimated arrival date in Trinidad was April.
January 24: Galleons Passage goes on drydock in China for final inspection prior to delivery to Government.
February 5: Imbert says Galleons Passage almost ready for delivery in China. Delivery is now set for February 7 and vessel is scheduled to sail for T&T on February 9, 2018.
February 6: Imbert tweets picture of name being painted on “our new RoPax ferry”.
February 8: Lloyds Register Classification Society issues the Confirmation of Class Certificate to the ferry as a 100A1 SSC passenger ship. Imbert explained “100” means the ship is suitable for seagoing service. “A” means the ship was constructed or accepted into Lloyds Register class and is maintained in good and efficient condition. “1” means she has good and efficient anchoring and mooring equipment. Government pays US$ 17.4 million, less 5% retention for Galleons Passage. Vessel registered in name of NIDCO.
February 15: Imbert announces that Chinese New Year celebrations delayed the process for acquiring required permits for trans-Pacific ocean travel and Panama Canal. CNY celebrations were to end in one week. Thereafter, the Galleons Passage would travel 11,000 nautical miles from Hong Kong to PoS.
February 23: Imbert announces Galleons Passage is classified for operation in significant wave heights of up to 4.5m (15 ft) and maximum wave heights of 6.7m (22 ft) and near gale force winds of 7 Pa. International crew arrives in Nansha, China, from Lithuania and Latvia, to start the process of getting the vessel fuelled, started up and loaded with supplies and ocean class safety equipment in preparation for departure to T&T.
February 24: Imbert announces Galleons Passage will travel from China to Honolulu, Hawaii, through the Panama Canal, with a stop at the Damex Shipyard in Santiago de Cuba for enhancements, including additional canopies and additional toilets for passengers on the upper sundeck and canopies for the vehicle deck. One hundred of the 700 seats were also to be upgraded.
February 27: Galleons Passage sets sail from Bonny Fair Shipyard in Nansha, China, en route to Hong Kong.
March 3: Galleons Passage approaches Taiwan on its way to Shanghai to install specialised fuel containers for trans-Pacific journey to Honolulu.
March 5: Galleons Passage arrives at the Port of Shanghai, where it was scheduled to be fitted with additional fuel tanks to facilitate Pacific journey.
March 7: NIDCO says vessel was unable to berth at the Port of Shanghai because of a backlog of commercial vessels as a result of poor weather conditions. Installation of fuel tanks delayed.
March 10: Galleons Passage sets sail for Yokohama, Japan, for the installation of fuel tanks and bunkering.
March 12: Imbert tells Senate that “barring inclement weather and other unforeseen conditions” the Galleons Passage will arrive in Port-of- Spain at the end of April.
March 13: Galleons Passage arrives in Yokohama, Japan. Bad weather again delays sailing of the vessel.
March 17: Galleons Passage departs for Honolulu, Hawaii. The journey of more than 3,000 nautical miles took just about two weeks.
March 30: Galleons Passage arrives in Honolulu, Hawaii.
April 10: Routine checks and inspections by the United States Coast Guard-Port State Control Department and Lloyds Register completed on vessel.
April 11: Imbert dismisses claims by Sea Transport that arrival of the vessel will be delayed until May as ‘speculative’.
April 12: Galleons Passage departs Honolulu for Acapulco, Mexico. En route to Mexico the raw water pump on the starboard side develops mechanical problems. This, coupled with unfavourable conditions, results in a reduction in vessel speed from 11 knots to 5.7 knots.
April 17: Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan says vessel will arrive in T&T in mid-May.
April 28: Galleons Passage arrives at the Port of Acapulco 28 for bunkering.
April 30: Galleons Passage berths at the Port of Acapulco.
May 7: NIDCO advises a replacement for the raw water pump arrived in Mexico but did not meet specifications. The old pump was repaired for use.
May 10: Galleons Passage sets sail from Mexico to Panama. Prime Minister Rowley tells parliament after suffering a few delays vessel should arrive by end of May, good weather permitting.
May 16: Galleons Passage arrives in Panama. Vessel boarded by the Canal port captain, who identified the need for modifications to be made to the pilot boarding station for compliance with the Canal requirements.
May 17: A contractor boards vessel to assess modifications required. Imbert contradicts this, saying the vessel was delayed while passing through the Canal as it was given lower priority than other vessels such as commercial tankers.
May 23: Galleons Passage departs Panama.
May 26: Galleons Passage arrives in Santiago de Cuba to undergo retrofitting works. The duration of these works was to be confirmed at a later date.
June 1: NIDCO advises there was a setback in the retrofitting work arising from delays in the completion of designs and consequential issue of approved drawings by the seller. Shipyard also experienced delays in procurement of the requisite materials for these works.
June 20: Twenty-five days after Galleons Passage docked in Santiago de Cuba, Imbert tells Parliament the Government has decided to bring it to T&T because no retrofitting can been done because some of the equipment needed by the seller to complete the enhancement work agreed to in the contract for sale can’t be acquired from Australia due to the embargo against Cuba.
July 11: Galleons Passage leaves Cuba. NIDCO president Esther Farmer says there were no issues before it left on its journey to T&T.
NIDCO stated that weather permitting, the Galleons Passage was estimated to arrive on July 16 (yesterday).
July 15: Galleons Passage slows down after encountering rough wave conditions.