T&T’s future international track and field athletes will begin their quest for glory today on the first day of the 45th Flow Carifta Games which begins at the National Athletic Stadium in St George’s, Grenada.

The final batch of local athletes arrived yesterday along with some of their tough competitors from Jamaica, Barbados and Bahamas. The Jamaicans, who have dominated the premier track and field meet in the Caribbean, arrived with a contingent of 78 athletes. Bahamas, which has been the Jamaicans biggest rival over recent years, has 56 in its camp, while Barbados touched down with 30 athletes.

T&T has 42 youngsters competing but what the red, white and black lack in quantity, it certainly makes up for in quality.

Leading T&T’s contingent of 42 athletes is sprinter Khalifa St Fort who is making her maiden trip to the Carifta Games. St Fort, the Pan Am Junior 100m winner and World Youth 100m silver and World 4x100m bronze medalist, leads a fantastic cast that includes several former champions, in the hope of surpassing last year’s 23 medal count of six gold medals, eight silver and nine bronze.

This will be the first time that a major track and field competition will be held in the stadium that was reconstructed by the People's Republic of China through the China State Construction Engineering Corporation in 2006 after it was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. 

The stadium is adjacent to the cricket stadium in Queen's Park on the outskirts of the city, overlooking the ocean and the surrounding mountains. The cricket stadium was also destroyed by Hurricane Ivan, but was rebuilt in time for the hosting of the World Cup Cricket in 2007.

The meet will have six sessions, starting today at 9 am. The official opening ceremony will take place today at 3 pm and one major difference this year is that, once the athletes have completed a final, the top three finishers will remain in a holding block and will be presented with their medals shortly after.

IAAF president Sebastian Coe is expected to lead the list of dignitaries, who will be on hand to view the Games. At a press conference, it was announced that Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, holder of the two sprint world records and a member of the 4x100m relay team, is in Grenada. 

T&T’s Ato Boldon, a multiple Olympic and World Championship medalist, is also on the island coaching St Fort and another sprinter Sarah Wollaston. Both will compete in the preliminary rounds of the Girls 100m dash this morning at 9.50 am, hoping to advance to the final which closes out action on the first day.

However, it will be reigning Carifta champion and record holder in javelin, thrower Tyriq Horsford, Safiya John and Ianna Roach getting the chance to win T&T’s first medal in the first session today from 9 am. Horsford, will look to defend his boys U-18 javelin title, John will contest the girls U-18 high jump; and Roach will be in the girls U-18 shot put. 

Some 650 athletes and officials will be part of the Games from countries including Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Bonaire, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Maarteen, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, T&T, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands.

TODAY’S SCHEDULE​

Girls High Jump U-18: Safiya John

Boys Javelin Throw U-18: Tyriq Horsford

Girls Shot Put U-18: Ianna Roach

Heptathlon—Girls 100m Hurdles: Anya Akili, Antonia Sealey

Octathlon—Boys 100m Dash: Ian West, Kerlon Ashby

Girls 100m Dash U-18 Prelims: Janea Spinks, Akila Lewis

Boys 100m Dash U-18 Prelims: Adell Coltrust, Tyrell Edwards

Girls 100m Dash U-20 Prelims: Khalifa St Fort, Sarah Wollaston

Heptathlon—Girls High Jump: Akili, Sealey

Octathlon: Boys Long Jump: West, Ashby

Boys 400m Dash U-18: 

Onal Mitchell, Che Lara

Girls 400m Dash U-20: 

Renee Stoddard

Octathlon: Boys Shot Put: 

West, Ashby

Boys Triple Jump U-18: Omari Benoit

Girls 1,500m U-18: Kershel McIntyre

Girls Shot Put U-20: Chelsea James

Octathlon—Boys 400m: West, Ashby

Heptathlon—Girls 200m: Akili, Sealey​

Rachael King

Holland-based teenager Levi Garcia came off the bench in the 62nd minute to score twice in 11 minutes as T&T Soca Warriors earned a come-from-behind 3–2 win over St Vincent and The Grenadines in their 2018 World Cup CONCACAF Semifinal Round qualifier yesterday.

With the win at the Arno Vale Ground, Kingstown, St Vincent and The Grenadines, the Soca Warriors moved into sole possession of top spot in the four-team pool with seven points from three matches, three more than USA which played away to third-placed Guatemala (three points) last night.

St Vincent and The Grenadines is bottom of the table without a point and little chance of advancing to the six-team final round qualification series which will involve the top two teams from the next two groups as well.

Playing on a very dry and bumpy surface the Kenwyne Jones-led Soca Warriors fell behind on the stroke of half-time when Myron Samuel converted a penalty past T&T goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, who was guilty of tripping David Pitt in the penalty area.

However, on the resumption, the Soca Warriors which had wasted few early first-half chances through Jones, got back on level terms when USA-based Joevin Jones’ leftfooted corner from the right side was turned into his own goal by defender Shemol Trimmingham in the 58th minute.

The 18-year-old Santa Flora-born Garcia, who plies his trade with AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Premier Division, was then summoned by coach Stephen Hart for defender Daneil Cyrus, and nine minutes later he made an impact, cutting in from the left flank to score and put T&T ahead 2–1 in the 71st minute.

But within six minutes, St Vincent and The Grenadines got back on level terms when a lapse in concentration from the T&T backline allowed an unmarked Anderson to centre for an equally free Shandel Samuel, formerly of the defunct Ma Pau in the T&T Pro League, to hit into an open net for a 2–2 score.

The youngest T&T player to make his national debut in quite some time, Garcia would have the last say in the match though, as with eight minutes left in the match, the former Shiva Boys’ Hindu College standout, produced another cool finish past Christopher, after running onto a ball over the top from Joevin Jones, just inside the host half of the field for a 3–2 advantage. 

The T&T squad held for the valuable three points and are a win away from booking its place in the CONCACAF Final Round six-team qualifiers.

The T&T squad will return home aboard a chartered Caribbean Airlines flight around 2.30 pm today ahead of their next match against the same St Vincent and The Grenadines squad at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, from 7 pm on Tuesday night.

It is not adequate to say that our nation today is in a ‘crisis’, a term made all too popular in recent times by many a social commentator. It is without a doubt that there has been a strong narrative of progressive degeneration, however, it was made only more visible given the shattering—as I like to call it—of the oil veil, the resource that kept the politicians, since our birth as a nation in 1962, in a relative bubble. With its popping and the all-round decline in economic conditions, money can no longer be thrown at issues as was the tradition in past times as the nightmare of facing them head on becomes a reality.

Current issues such as ineffective crime policy, the dependency and victim mentality it creates from specialised treatment to certain areas, underachievement and violence in schools, and dysfunctional economic policies that continue dependency and unbalanced growth rather than stable development, is uncovered. Central to this is Vision 2020, a model, project and deadline that has become part of the problem not the solution. 

Aside from not meeting most of the measures outlined, it relies on ignoring a vast amount of areas that sees the economic given emphasis over the social and profit over people. This development path: goals, initiatives and means, are taken directly from developed nations and applied in a hard and fast context to our realities. That mass consumption societies, high rise buildings and multimillion-dollar infrastructures represent the be all-end all in societal perfection. But just why does development entail such a narrow scope? Why must the societal ideal resemble the conditions of our former colonisers? Why does this vision resemble an American reality and consciousness only for a Trinbagonian landscape? Why are alternative paths often ignored or even considered in the development project?

It is not that this vision as problem in itself but because it paraded as an ‘ultimate destiny’, that any criticism or move away from this framework means one is irrational or impractical. That in our bid to adopt a development pattern that was created in a particular time, place and certain conditions mean we actively ignore our own reality, history and consciousness. 

The hard and fast means by which it is employed in policy and initiatives usually accounts for it resounding failure for any meaningful ‘development’ to take place. That failing crime, education and economic policy is only further exacerbated by a faulty understanding that leads to irrelevant solutions. 

A lack of historical understanding of the ‘weight of history’, to know that the problems we face today are not recent but come from the larger colonial legacy that sixty something years of independence has yet to address. Until we understand that this scheme is not neutral and objective but authored by a particular group, which given our history and current conditions does not permit at least to the degree aspired, a viable goal. 

That though we should take note of certain concepts, the wholesale adoption of strategies is to our own detriment. That our development plans should be at the intersection of social, economic, cultural and historical variables rooted in out local consciousness and not some foreign one should be the true goal.

Regretfully however, because of the ignorance and indifference of our history (colonialism merely viewed as a ‘period’ in time) and the conditioning and desensitising of Western media that sees us adopt norms, values and behaviours that give credence to this single ‘Vision’, the myth from a distant society continues to limit, distort and blind us to any meaningful alternatives, all the while we march on unquestioningly in hopes of gaining First World status while engulfed in Third world problems.

ROMON ATWELL

Student, Sociology Major 

Tyriq Horsford and Khalifa St Fort of T&T both won gold medals on day one of the 45th Annual Carifta Games at the National Athletics Stadium in Grenada, yesterday.

Horsford was a class above the rest in the boys Under-18 javelin event. He defended his title and broke his own Carifta record when he threw the spear 73.00 metres on his second of six attempts to break his 70.73m Carifta record he set last year in St Kitts. Finishing a distant second was Keyon Burton of Dominica with a top throw of 64.87m, while Grenadian Adrian Thomas was third in 60.97m.

It was a dominant performance by Horsford in the second event of the meet. In his first attempt, he threw the javelin 64.58m before breaking the record in his second attempt. After fouling his third throw, he recorded distances of 67.18m, 66.93m and 67.25m on his remaining throws.       

After winning the event for a second consecutive year Horsford said, “It’s a wonderful feeling breaking the record again. It was very competitive with a few throwers getting over 60 metres.” 

St Fort, trained by former T&T sprinter Ato Boldon, won gold in the girls U-20 100m finals in 11.40 seconds, ahead of Jamaican Patrice Moody (11.68) and Brianne Bethel of Bahamas (11.75).

Ianna Roach won T&T’s second medal of the day, grabbing silver with a season’s best in the girls Under-18 shot put finals. Roach was out the blocks early, with a throw of 14.49m in her first attempt which ensured her a podium finish. The T&T athlete did not improve on her first attempt. She recorded a distance of 13.40m in her second effort, followed by 13.35m, 14.41m, a fouled attempt and 14.13m. 

Lacee Barnes of Cayman Islands won gold with a top throw of 14.90m on her first attempt, while Jamaican Aiko Jones grabbed bronze ending with a best throw of 14.32m.

Chelsea James, Onal Mitchell and Adell Colthrust all won bronze medals for T&T. James copped third place in the girls Under-20 shot put event with an effort of 13.66m on her third attempt, while Mitchell won bronze in the boys U-18 400m finals in a time of 48.72 seconds. In the boys Under-18 100m final, Colthrust ran 10.66 seconds to claim bronze.

SELECTED RESULTS

Boys Under-18 Javelin Finals

1 Horsford, Tyriq - T&T - 73.00 metres (Carifta record) 

2 Burton, Keyon - Dominica - 64.87m 

3 Thomas, Adrian - Grenada - 60.97m  

Girls 100m U-20 Finals

1 St. Fort, Khalifa - T&T -  11.40 

2 Moody, Patrice - Jamaica - 11.68 

3 Bethel, Brianne - Bahamas - 11.75  

Girls Shot Put U-18 Finals

1 Barnes, Lacee - Cayman Islands - 14.90m        

2 Roach, Ianna - T&T - 14.49m        

3 Jones, Aiko - Jamaica - 14.32m

Girls Shot Put U-20 Finals

1 Fullerton, Janell -  Jamaica - 14.52m       

2 Stevens, Sahjay - Jamaica - 13.74m        

3 James, Chelsea - T&T - 13.66m        

Boys 400m U-18 Finals

1 Taylor, Christopher - Jamaica - 47.36 sec              

2 Hoyte-Small, Antoni - Barbados - 48.23              

3 Mitchell, Onal -  T&T - 48.72

Boys 100m  U-18 Finals

1 Matherson, Jhevaughn - Jamaica - 10.42      

2 Russell, Dejour - Jamaica - 10.60   

3 Colthrust, Adell - T&T - 10.66     

With three wins from as many matches, the West Indies will play lowly Afghanistan in their final Super10 match of the ICC World T20 at Nagpur in India today for 5.30 am (T&T Time).

After their narrow three-wicket win over South Africa on Friday, the West Indies booked a place in the semifinals of the tournament and with a win against Afghanistan they will top Group 1 and play the second place team in Group 2, in their semifinals which will take place in Mumbai on Thursday.

The West Indies did enjoy their clash against England at the Wankhede and all the along the players were hoping that they play their semifinals in Mumbai, as opposed to the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi.

The West Indies will then face the winner of the Australia versus India clash with takes place later today. The other semifinals will pit Group 2 winners New Zealand and either South Africa or England.

Looking ahead to today’s game, West Indies batsman Marlon Samuels who was man of the match for his 43 against South Africa said: “We have very good team and we want to continue that winning way. So far we have had different experiences and I like the way we kept our nerve and won the last game.” He continued: “Chasing 123 for victory against South Africa, the West Indies slipped from 66/2 to an eventual 123/7.  We kept our nerve and good that we can carry home games when under pressure. When you are playing on pitches like this you have to play as late as possible and I guess it will be the same in the last encounter.”

Meanwhile, West Indies coach Phil Simmons is not taking Afghanistan lightly. He pointed out that: “They’ve played well in all the games. They’ve batted really well, when they were chasing a big score against South Africa, who we played yesterday. So they’ve been playing well and I know them from before, so I know that they’re going to come to try and win. So we’ve got to just play properly.”

Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai says: “It has been a lucky ground for us because we have won our first round over here in Nagpur. So definitely after playing three matches and coming back it’s like a home ground and easy to adjust to the wicket. The boundaries here are very different compared to other grounds. They are longer boundaries and in addition to that we have good spinners. So, on this wicket our spinners will really help us to finish on a good note.”

Teams

West Indies

Darren Sammy (Captain), Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Andre Fletcher, Sulieman Benn, Evin Lewis, Samuel Badree, Johnson Charles, Andre Russell, Chris Gayle, Denesh Ramdin, Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Ashley Nurse and Carlos Brathwaite.

Afghanistan

Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Noor Ali Zadran, Asghar Stanikzai (capt), Gulbadin Naib, Samiullah Shenwari, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Najibullah Zadran, Shafiqullah, Amir Hamza, Hamid Hassan, Dawlat Zadran, and Shapoor Zadran.

Match facts

West Indies are one of three Full Members that Afghanistan have never met in T20Is. Against the seven they have met, they have won five and lost nine (with all five wins coming against Zimbabwe)

West Indies have played only one other Associate team, Ireland, in T20Is. In their four matches against Ireland, they won two and lost one, with one no result.

Holland-based Soca Warriors winger Levi Garcia says his two-goal debut performance to lead his team to a come-from-behind 3-2 win over St Vincent and The Grenadines in their 2018 World Cup Concacaf Semifinal Round Group C qualifier on Friday afternoon in Kingstown, St Vincent was just another moment to remember.

His performance also earned him the Concacaf Player of The Day honours.

The 18-year-old who plies his trade for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Premier Division was a 62nd minute introduction by T&T coach Stephen Hart for defender Daneil Cyrus with both teams locked at 1-1, scored his first ever senior goal for T&T in the 71st minute when he ran onto a headed on ball from captain Kenwyne Jones from a long goal-kick by goalkeeper Marvin Phillip, before he wrong-footed defender Akeem Williams with a few “Cristiano Ronaldo-like” cross-overs, and blasted past goalkeeper Lemus Christopher on his near post, into the top corner of the goal.

But with the teams locked at 2-2, Gracia then snatched three important points for T&T when fellow substitute Neveal Hackshaw send a well weighted pass over the right side of the St Vincent and The Grenadines defence for the nippy winger to fire under Christopher with his left foot for the 3-2 lead in the 82nd minute.

Speaking after his debut heroics, Garcia who moved ahead of the quartet of Warren Archibald, Leroy Spann, Stern John and Khaleem Hyland, who were all 19 years-old when they scored their first T&T goal as this country’s youngest ever scorer in a World Cup qualifier, said 2016 has been very good for me so far and today it was just about continuing to show what I can do, it was just another moment to remember.

“Being in the 18-man team for the match I was just praying the night before that if I got the chance to play that I will score on my debut and when coach Hart told me to warm-up I was just excited to go on”, added Garcia, a former Shiva Hindu Boys College and Santa Flora player.

Describing his first goal Garcia said, “From the time I saw the defender backing away I was just looking to take him on, in a one-on-one situation and shoot. And it was just amazing to see the ball in the back of the goal to help the team”.

With regards to being only 18, Garcia said it’s not really about age, but about being focus, showing strength and power and doing the job that you are required to do. Looking ahead to Tuesday, Garcia said whether he gets the nod from coach Hart to start or not he will give the same fight when called upon. We are pretty much motivated by the win today (Friday) against St Vincent and The Grenadines even if we did not play our best, so for Tuesday’s match we will be ready to give a much better performance, ended Garcia.

The ongoing ICC World T20 in India has failed to attract the crowds that normally comes out to cricket and those who have ventured through the turnstiles have not seen the kind of entertainment that comes with T20 cricket.

For starters some of the pitches have been so poor that the ICC has had to make an intervention in order to bring it up to a standard that is acceptable. 

Pitch consultant Andy Atkinson had to be flown into the City of Nagpur, to tend to the pitch that the West Indies and South Africa were to play on. 

The ground staff at Nagpur was not happy with the fact that Atkinson came in and immediately moved the game to another pitch. This caused some friction at the Jamtha but in the end the ‘big man’ had the final say. 

The groundsmen were saying that due to the excessive heat, which ranged around 40 degrees, the pitches were slow and low. They were saying that you can water the pitch how much you want, the heat would have led to a very dry pitch, which would not allow good stroke play.

When the pitch is dry, the spinners get purchase on the tracks and the ball spins generously. The ball does not come onto the bat, as batsmen like and scoring becomes difficult. 

Let’s face it, fans come to cricket to see runs scored not wickets taken. A batsman making a fifty is remembered longer, than a bowler taking five wickets. The story of dry pitches carried across India, with only the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the Mohali pitch in Chandigarh assisting the batsmen. 

Another let down at this World T20 and it is something that the ICC must look into, is the price of admission. Ticket prices ranged from TT$100 to TT$300 and some of the venues staging matches involving neutral teams, were half filled. The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), would have better been served selling the tickets at a lower price and packing the stadiums.

No matter who is playing, once the prices are good, the cricket-mad public of India will fill the stands. At the end of the day, more revenue would have come the way of the cricketing authority and cricket would have been played in a great atmosphere. Many fans across India were echoing the same sentiments, that the prices were too hot. 

Apart from the pitches and the ticket prices everything else has run smoothly, in terms of the organising of this tournament. Security has been excellent and the BCCI seemed to have left no stone unturned in providing safety for players, journalists and fans. When you are in the stadium, you feel very safe indeed, so much so that sometimes, you think it is too much.

The Bangladeshi journalists crossing the border would have felt the heavy hand of the security that has been enforced, as they were nearly turned back because they did not provide certain requirements. Once you have been accredited the BCCI and ICC have gone out of their way to make your stay comfortable. The food which is often a source of complain, has been excellent and the hygienic conditions at the cricket grounds are great.

The BCCI and the ICC need to be commended for their efforts but as the great saying goes, there is always room for improvement.

The next World T20 takes place in Australia in 2020 and one hopes to see continued improvement at the world’s marquee tournaments.

T&T’s Tonya Nero ran a season’s best to place 75th at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff in the United Kingdom, yesterday. Nero, one of this country’s most successful long-distance runners, clocked one hour 19 minutes and 54 seconds in a race that had 85 participants.

After the race, in a Facebook post, Nero said: “It was a ten degrees Celsius, rainy and windy day in Cardiff. I was 75th out of 85 women at the Championships (1:19.54). I felt proud to hear the announcer say ‘And here is our Caribbean athlete coming through the finish line.’ I’m always happy to represent. Thank God for a safe race and great experience.”

As expected the Kenyan women dominated as they did in the 2014 in Copenhagen, when they achieved an unprecedented feat by filling the top five places. 

This time around though two of the Ethiopian runners, who finished behind the Kenyan quintet in Copenhagen two years ago, Netsanet Gudeta and Genet Yalew, were keen to make it on to the podium.

However, they fell just short of that goal, but they were able to fill the fourth and fifth spots, respectively. Gudeta crossed in 1:08.01 and Yalew in 1:08.15.

Emerging the winner was Kenyan Peres Jepchichir in a time of 1:07.31 with her teammates Cynthia Limo, the world leader, in second in 1:07.34 and Mary Wacera completing the Kenyan sweep by finishing third in 1:07.54.

Before 2014, no country had secured all of the medals in the women’s race at the IAAF half marathon, but Kenya has now pulled off the feat twice in a row. 

Rachael King

It was a night of thrills and spills on the opening programme of the 2016 Easter International Cycling Grand Prix at the Arima Velodrome, Arima, on Friday night with sprint ace, T&T’s Quincy Alexander earning gold medal in the prestigious Match Sprint after just one ride, before a spill sent him to the hospital with major injuries. 

Alexander won the first ride in a best-of-three final sprint convincingly by outsprinting his counterpart David Espinoza of the United States in a dash to the finish. But on the second ride Espinoza rode out of lane and collided with Alexander as he tried to prevent the latter driving past him on the outside lane with over 100 metres to go. The collision sent both riders crashing to the concrete strip. Espinoza was treated at the venue for minor injuries and did not compete after that, while Alexander’s father Nigel Alexander had to be restrained from handing the American rider a mouthful. 

Alexander, who recorded a blistering 10.810 seconds in the Flying 200 metres earlier, was taken to the nearby Arima District Medical Facility where he was treated for major bruises and discharged. The Racing authorities of the event later sanctioned Espinoza and awarded Alexander (Quincy) the gold medal for the event. 

Earlier, in a 2-Lap race for Masters 60-69, another spill on the opening lap sent Kenny Young, Earl Gonzales and Pat Nelson to the hospital. Young received a broken collar bone and Gonzales broken ribs, but Nelson escaped with only bruises to his body.  

American Mandy Marquadt secured the gold in the Women Match Sprint, recovering from a defeat in the opening ride by T&T’s Kollyn St George to beat her in the other two rides. St George was a comfortable winner in the first and proved quicker in a sprint to the finish. The American later kept her at bay in the other two rides and held her off, despite the chants of a large crowd cheering St George on. 

Minister of Sports Darryl Smith and Chairman of the Sport Company of T&T Michael Phillips were on hand to see rising talent Nicholas Paul woo the crowd with his blinding speed. After producing the third fastest time in the flying 200 metres in 11.314, Paul got the crowd on his side when he almost pipped countryman Alexander in the opening ride of match sprint semifinals, losing by a fraction of a wheel. 

Later he earned a third ride in the semis when Alexander lost on a technicality, but missed out on a final berth by being held off by Alexander in another close sprint to the finish. However, Paul snatched the bronze by beating Colombian Diego Pena in two rides, to the delight of the crowd. 

Meanwhile Varun Maharajh proved why he is one of T&T’s top endurance riders by capturing the UCI 15km Scratch Race. An early break consisting Edwin Sutherland of Barbados, Jose Aguirre (Mexico), Gevan Samuel of club Braves and Sheldon Ramjit looked dangerous early but work by the T&T Team ensured they remained in front. 

With 10 km remaining, Maharajh got out of the pack with Gavyn Nero (Team DPS) in tow and Marloe Rodman (Jamaica) chasing. He showed his class by connecting with the lead bunch and rallying his teammates in the final 100 metres to cross the finish line for victory.  

WALTER ALIBEY

Soca Warriors coach Stephen Hart says he will accept the performance of his team, in its come-from-behind 3-2 win away to St Vincent and The Grenadines in their 2018 World Cup Concacaf Semifinal Round Group C qualifier on Friday afternoon in Kingstown, St Vincent.

The Soca Warriors missing a few key players due to injury, overcame a first-half deficit to get the better of St Vincent and the Grenadines led by a second-half brace from Holland-based 18-year-old AZ Alkmaar winger Levi Garcia at the Arno Vale Sports Complex.

Myron Samuel put the host ahead just before the interval by converting a penalty awarded by Panamian referee Jose Kellys fter goalkeeper Marvin Phillip upended Derwin Ross in the 18-yard box after the burly attacker was put through on goal by speedy Seattle Sounders’ attacker, Oalex Anderson.

However, T&T drew level in the 58th minute when a Joevin Jones left-footed corner from the right was turned in past his own goalkeeper Lemus Christopher by defender Shemol Trimmingham.

Garcia, who replaced right-back Daneil Cyrus in the 62nd minute then put T&T 2-1 ahead in the 71st minute when he latches onto a headed on ball from captain Kenwyne Jones from a Phillip goal-kick, wrong-footed defender Akeem Williams, and blasted past Christopher on his near post, into the top corner of the goal.

St Vincent and The Grenadines drew level at 2-2 six minutes later when a long ball from Jarrel McMaster found Anderson who was retreating from an off-side position, and with no signal coming from the referee assistant, and T&T defenders Yohance Marshall and Justin Hoyte standing around, he slipped the ball across the goal for substitute Shandel Samuel to hit home from close range.

T&T then grabbed all three points when Hackshaw send a well weighted pass over the right side of the St Vincent and The Grenadines defence for the onrushing Garcia, who held off his marker and fired a left footer under Christopher for the 3-2 lead in the 82nd minute. With the victory, the Soca Warriors moved into sole possession of top spot in the pool with seven points from three matches, one more than Guatemala which blanked USA (four points) 2-0 in Guatemala City. St Vincent and The Grenadines, which T&T host on Tuesday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from 7pm is bottom of the pool without a point.

However, speaking after Friday’s win and reflecting on the team’s overall display, Hart said, “ I can’t accept this performance, but what I will say is that we fought our way back today (Friday) and got three points, and I know we can play much better.”

A former Canada national coach, the San Fernando-born Hart further explained, “We did not show our real purpose in closing down the ball, in pressing and our organisation between midfield and the backline was at times for me shocking”. “I did not recognise some of the things we were doing at all and there were too many gaps, too many spaces and once your realise a team is going to play direct balls against you, the objective is to stop them from playing that ball as early as possible and we did not.” “For me too many players didn’t show the sort of urgency to defend the way that they should have.”

Reflecting on the first 45-minutes,Hart said, “We had a lot of possession on the ball, got into good  positions all over the field, but then we struggled to make the final pass or to cross the ball properly, or even just have that little impetus to get shots on goal.

“Then they scored on us first, and we are away from home, so we now found ourselves in a dog-fight to try and get the goal back.

With the host enjoying some space on the right side of the T&T defence guarded by the Justin Hoyte and Cyrus, a combination not normally used by Hart, the T&T coach said he felt his team adjusted well in the second-half.

“We adjusted because it happens sometimes when a player is not having their best game and losses some confidence. So we made the adjustments and the problem seemed to have been solved.

However, the T&T coach stayed clear of pointing the fingers at any player and instead said, “For me its was too many players, and not just about one or two. It was about the team and our attitude at times was wrong.

 Responding to the performances of former Under-20 players Garcia, 18, and Hackshaw, 20,  both of whom came on as substitutes coach Hart said: “It was a fantastic debut for young Levi (Garcia) to come on and score twice and Hackshaw also came in as well and made an immediate contribution and his pass for the winning goal to Garcia was a sort of text book pass, and then the run and finish by Garcia, and between the two of them they got us back into the game.”

AMERY BROWNE

Several years ago I met a Parliamentary colleague from Nicaragua whilst attending a conference in Turkey. Besides having a unique sense of style complete with straw hat and wayfarer sunglasses, this gentleman was lacking several fingers on his left hand. 

It turns out that in his youth he had been a combatant in the Nicaraguan Revolution and had subsequently been a decorated soldier leading Sandinista troops into battle against the Contra rebels. 

At the age of 18 years his hand had been shattered in a fierce gun battle in the rainforest; fighting, as he describes it, for his country and against inequality and poverty. Today he remains a leftist and is proud of his patriotism and military service, but with tens of thousands of his countrymen slain and an economy and society that remain deeply wounded to this day he surely must pause and consider in his quiet moments...was it really worth it?   

My conversations with our regional comrade led me to think of the stark reality back here in T&T. We also have teenagers engaged in violent struggle, getting shot on a daily basis, losing limbs, screaming in agony in emergency rooms and leaving bloodstains on pavements, on hospital trolleys and in car trunks. Like the youth of Central America our young men are being supplied with weapons and encouraged to kill. But instead of the steamy rainforest they have been taking and losing lives in streets, drains, houses and business places across this land.    

If we accept that the Nicaraguan bloodshed occurred on a geopolitical chessboard with knobs being pushed by the USA and the Soviet Union, we might do well to pause and consider whether we have done enough here at home to define the shadowy interests that might be benefiting and yes profiting from the sacrifice of those that are treated like pawns.     

As a nation we coolly report our life expectancy to international organisations whilst carefully avoiding this stark reality: for young men in too many of our communities it is less issue of life expectancy and more a case of death expectancy. One can’t help but wax a bit philosophical: if a pawn awakes to the reality that he is being played as a pawn, on the basis of that awakening has he ceased to be a pawn? 

When you add an inconsolable mother to a crying orphan, and you multiply by the number of dying communities, and you subtract the total from the value of a lost soul, what are you really left with my friends...and is it really worth it?

We have all seen beautiful and loving families torn apart by battles over property and inheritance. Often the greedy deterioration results in relatives not speaking to other relatives, lawyers of course would get richer and someone would have at least contemplated using a cutlass to reduce the size of the dispute.

The materialistic struggle often continues beyond the grave and sometimes arranges itself into an epic intergenerational saga, right and wrong twisting themselves together like a perverse double helix designed to squeeze the love out of life. And at the end of the day, in pursuit of the indivisible and unattainable we sacrifice the only thing of lasting value that we had all along. It certainly isn't worth it.

The unnecessary discharge of blood and hostility plays across in our landscape and lives in so many ways, yet we tend to accept it with a sense of inevitability that closely resembles nonchalance.    

Any basic analysis would reveal the virtual absence of critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and conflict prevention and resolution skills in the wider population. Any rapid assessment would reveal far too many of our adults suffering from the inability to make considered decisions and to weigh options judiciously with the aim of achieving best possible outcomes and making the best possible choices. Instead, we have “devolved” into a society headlined by knee jerks, of hostile reactors and hasty actors.     

My friends, we spend billions every year to fill the hours of our schoolchildren with algebra and geography and to immerse them in a system of undiluted competition, but if we change our priorities in the school and the home to target the deficiencies in our society we would spend far more time imparting to them the skills that we need our future adults to have. Or alternatively we could just huddle down and continue to engage in the national pastime of whining to the ground and below.

The agriculture sector in T&T has been in relative decline for several decades and the seriousness of this is now becoming a problem in 2016. The decline has been attributed to external factors identified as economic structural transformation, “Dutch disease,” and changes in the global trading environment. Domestic constraints have been identified as weak research, weak extension and marketing systems, inadequate area under irrigation, flooding and praedial larceny. 

This has left the island vulnerable and dependant on foreign imports on which billions are spent each year with this having a negative implications on GDP. In order for us to survive without oil and natural gas we need to redevelop the agricultural sector and make it attractive to local citizens and remove the misconception that agricultural is demeaning in status. 

There needs to be increased productivity, profitability and competitiveness through, (a) adoption of improved technologies, varieties and new commodities, (b) improving efficiency and effectiveness of marketing and agricultural health and food safety systems, and (c) linkages with agro-industry. 

The core strategy is complemented by efforts to reduce constraints of infrastructure, land tenure, credit and production risk. This needs to be supported by proper governmental policy that will assist local farmers in their plight to produce local products. 

Both fiscal and monetary measures need to be implanted in order for this process to be successful. Low interest loans from the ADB are critical in boosting this agenda as it would provide farmers with an incentive to produce more. 

The lending policy of the ADB needs to be reviewed and this is vital to give local farmers, big or small, a fair chance to compete domestically with readily available foreign goods and services. For example, subsidies should be given not only to the purchasing of new equipment and machinery, but also second-hand items. 

This will give smaller farmers a more level playing field and would encourage new ones to enter into the industry. The long term implications is that this would significantly slash the import bill and can eventually lead to more competitive local produce that can compete with the so-called “better” foreign produce of First World nations. Agricultural diversification can then boost GDP and provide long-term employment as opposed to oil and natural gas which can be seasonal or dependent on the state of the global economy. 

The investment in agriculture will allow citizens to enjoy a better standard of living and this can come in the form of better irrigation systems than will reduce flooding and better roads and infrastructure that would stimulate investments. In the long run this will lead to economic growth, curb inflation, reduce cost of living and improve the Human Development Index (HDI). 

When the needs of the domestic market are met, excess supply can be sold to the international market and this will lead to a favourable balance of trade which will be beneficial to the local economy. However, in order for these plans to be efficient and effective, all stakeholders have to come together and it requires sound management, hard work and a mindset that is geared towards development. 

Locals need to become serious by consuming and producing locally-grown crops. If not, the long-term effects can be devastating in times of crisis when food is in short supply and the real panic begins. It would seem that agricultural production is the way forward, for many smaller countries that have readily available fertile land, to compete in a market dominated by large capitalist nations that are superior in technology, infrastructure and financing. 

Students at all levels of education should be taught about food security as opposed to basing a school curriculum and our future on non renewable resources such as oil and natural gas. 

Trevis Singh

Keith Campbell, of the St Joseph Forestry Division, reportedly died at hospital from burns he sustained while being trapped and overcome by the flames he was fighting yesterday on Lady Chancellor Road. My heart feels so, so heavy as I send my sincere condolences to his family and loved ones for their terrible loss. Three other colleagues of his were injured—one is still hospitalised with severe burns. 

I want to publicly thank them for responding to the call out—particularly on a public holiday—and for their hard work and bravery. I also want to say thank you to our little Chancellor Crew, Renny Reynos, his son Mark, and Tony. 

Before the Fire Services arrived, Renny and The Boys used a 100-gallon, refillable tank on the back of their van and our small, portable motor pump to prevent the flames from crossing Lady Chancellor Road and spreading up into the hills and out of the range of any fire appliance. (Over the years they have prevented the spread of many potential fires in the area.) 

Yesterday, they also played a pivotal role in the rescue attempts of the trapped forestry men by using the pump’s hose to try and help them climb out of the gully. Renny then rushed the other badly burnt forestry worker (who will survive) to the hospital in his vehicle. A thousand thanks, guys.

This particular fire began in the backyard of a Hutton Road resident who was fully cognisant of the illegality and dangers of burning in the dry season. 

Earlier that morning I had driven past yet another fire on Hutton Road, which had been lit by three men who were sitting on the side of the road. I stopped to let them know that they were breaking the law and reminded them of the fire risks, only to be met with blank stares followed by a request from one for rum, beers and chasers. The only reason that particular fire did not spread out of control as well was that it was still early in the morning and the seasonal winds had not picked up.

The tragedy of this story is that it was all completely preventable, (as are the vast majority of fires that decimate our environment every single year), only this time a life has been lost and other lives changed forever. 

Will it make one jot of difference? Will anyone be prosecuted? Fined? It’s $200 if you “get ketch” causing a fire—and how often does that happen? Isn’t it a $1,000 fine for using one’s hose? Madness! 

I despair at the stultifying ignorance and lethargy of the average Trinidadian who gazes passively and unseeingly on the burning hills and valleys, believing it to be a natural process. I despair as everyone parties blindly while this beauteous, blessed island quietly dies under clouds of smoke, pollutants and oceans of trash. 

Let us not allow Keith Campbell’s death to be in vain. Let us put in place some genuine, workable strategies to protect us and our land. 

Let us have a public forum where those of us who care have the opportunity to offer up strategies and ideas. Give us that chance. We have to do more.

Barbara Jardine
Lady Chancellor Road,
Port-of-Spain

The Internet has become a double-edged sword. How so? Well, even though it is a very useful tool in accessing information, the quality of my education is often compromised by social media. I am sure there are countless students who could relate to this. 

Everyday our brains are flooded with information. If you are pursuing a degree or any other form of tertiary level education, like myself, you understand the long hours on Google and YouTube, the tedious visits to the university library, negotiating, nagging and even begging your lecturer to make the information more easily accessibly to you, and the constant battle to remain focused—to get off your phone, off Facebook, off Instagram, Twitter, Tumbler, What’s app, SnapChat and other distracting forms of social media. 

It is preached constantly that one’s education is extremely important, however, one’s social needs could become a very big distraction. The Internet becomes your life as a student—a safe heaven for both work and play. 

The 21st century has become an era of technological and media enhancement. 

This indeed could be viewed positively for many economic, social and cultural reasons. But the flip side of this is that one is constantly bombarded by copious amounts of information, emanating from developed countries which have at times overshadowed local issues here in our society. 

To make things worse, even within your academic websites, with pure intentions of being relevant to your studies, there are a links to Facebook, a pop up to Twitter, etc, so one cannot truly get away.  

To deal with this students should make social media work for them by sharing, liking and commenting on Facebook issues relevant to their degrees, creating what’s app groups with people from their classes for additional help in studies, sharing pictures on their Instagram that will stir up meaningful discussion. 

Use the Internet wisely and always keep in my mind that this is a love-hate relationship.

V Johnson

In retrospection to the current issues facing the economy and the current cost of living, it may be wise for the Government to review its current course of action for getting out of this financial predicament. It may not be to further take out of citizen’s pockets what they barely have, as the majority of the population currently work for an amount close to that of the minimum wage. 

With the ever-growing issue of globalisation and the aid of technological advancements we can tackle the issue of the economy from a different angle. Instead of focusing on more taxes why not make globalisation work for us? Tourism may be the next best thing for rectifying the situation.

There is no doubt that current situations may have an effect on this however, but these situations are not beyond remedy. Take crime for instance—if crime was to actually be seriously tackled it could be reduced. Students graduating with social science degrees can be put to work and study crime not from foreign models but local models  to fit our society.

Secondly,  if emphasis was actually put on developing our tourism industry to make our beaches more appealing, we could attract foreigners to our country, to where they will pay top dollar to experience our culture, beaches, cuisine etc.

Thirdly, if we were to use technology to our advantage to promote our tourist industry on a global scale, for example, social media, documentaries and so forth, we can make our country more known to those who are looking for places for vacation.

This can also create a lot of jobs for citizens as today’s unemployment level is ever increasing. T&T is indeed a fortunate country to have so many things going for it. 

Oil has sustained us thus far but with the ever-decreasing prices, it is time the Government take a different approach to increase wealth and provide new jobs for citizens who are losing theirs on a daily basis.

Dane Ramsajan

The Criminal Justice System of T&T is suffering under the burden of enforcing obsolete laws that contribute little to the welfare and safety of our nation. While murder and violence paint our streets red with blood, police and prison officers are wasting precious time arresting and imprisoning people for trivialities like obscene language and the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

In a speech given by the Chief Justice, it was said that the monthly cost of keeping someone in prison is $13,000. This most likely does not take into account the administrative costs of arresting them or the time spent in court dealing with their case. 

We can safely infer that millions of dollars are spent annually, incarcerating people for offences that cause no serious harm to society. These wasted resources should be spent expanding the budget of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), which would speed up the prosecution of more serious crimes. 

The DPP himself Mr Roger Gaspard SC has recently stated that the limited budget for his department is one of the reasons for delays in the criminal justice system. 

Israel Khan SC, Chairman of the Legal Aid and Advisory Authority, was quoted by the Newsday on March 22, as saying “The Criminal Justice system is about to collapse” citing 10-year delays in dealing with the 700 indictments for murder presently before the courts.

Instead of ludicrous promises like “We bringing back hanging” politicians should come up with practical ways to improve the justice system. The Pratt and Morgan ruling by the Privy Council only stops hanging if there is a delay of more than five years between sentencing and hanging. Our justice system is simply too inefficient to implement the death penalty in accordance with the Pratt and Morgan decision.

In order to cut costs and increase the efficiency of our Justice System, I propose that legislation be tabled to remove the penalty of imprisonment for as many petty crimes as possible. 

Instead, make them ticketable offences and impose fines. This would generate income for the state while simultaneously deterring crimes. Fines would also serve as a good compromise to assuage the more conservative members of society, who fear moral decay if these laws are changed.

When the court system is no longer drowning in backlog due to minor crimes, resources could be better employed to deal with serious crimes, such as murder and rape. 

Jonathan Bhagan
Attorney