Some people ignore the fact that apart from Eric Eustace Williams, a noticeable number of our successful leaders on the political spectrum, originate from Tobago.

Past President ANR Robinson and Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley head a significant list of political movers and shakers that includes Reginald Dumas, and in her heyday, Pamela Elder.

Is this fate or is fate merely the conversion of a series of relevant/random facts? Can an aspiring politician manipulate events in a small place like Tobago?

The very smallness of the Tobago population allows for several outcomes, some being negative. My case in point being that you do not need a doctorate to be able to manipulate events.

One only has to galvanise the attention of a few disruptive, easily hurt disappointed individuals and ramp up the levels of protesting.

Worrying about the local government election statistics is a waste of time. One does not need several thousands of citizens to vote in order to claim victory when statisticians can predict outcomes using samples questions to only a few hundred people. With the Tobago House of Assembly elections carded for some weeks away, the Peoples National Movement in Tobago, need to get their house together as Tobago’s uncrowned political pied piper, Watson Duke, appears to be now ‘hovering.’

A house divided will fall directly into the hands of the self named and self claimed new Chief Secretary of the THA in 2017.

I admit to long being a fan of the science fiction channels. Watson Duke appears to be allegedly as focussed on political ascendancy as the Borg in the long running Star Trek series.

He absorbs individuals and circumstances into his collective. Is it too early to ask if the PNM in Tobago have already been allegedly consumed? He did it with the Public Services Association (PSA). Has political resistance to Mr Duke’s ambitions in Tobago become futile?

Should this occur I can see Watson Duke holding out for decades just like Fidel Castro in Cuba and Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe.

And, be duly warned, you would not be allowed to switch channels in the political show in Tobago.

All who want to laugh, could laugh! On the silver screen, resistance is futile.

But then the records show that many intelligent people reside in Tobago.

Lynette Joseph

Diego Martin

Like every follower and fan of the T&T senior men’s team, Russian-based defender Sheldon Bateau is waiting with bated breath on the announcement of who will be the new man in charge of the senior men’s team ahead of upcoming international fixtures.

Bateau has been a starter in defence for T&T for seven of its eight 2018 World Cup qualifying matches, missing out only on the away loss to United States in September due to a double yellow card suspension.

And while the news of Stephen Hart’s exit as head coach has been the main topic in recent days, Bateau said the time is approaching for the team’s mission of qualification to be the main focal point again.

“It will be very important as of the next game, be it a friendly game or qualifications for Gold Cup to start thinking about our main business and about Panama and Mexico,”Bateau said.

“We still have a big chance to move higher in the group and the next set of games will make it easier or harder for us to continue this campaign with that possibility of qualification.

“I’m not worried because I know what we’re capable of but I think we just need to refocus and distance ourselves from the drama and noise currently taking place because regardless of what’s going on now or what was in the past nothing matters more than the next two games.

“At the end of the day the fans want results, so for players it’s also difficult but this is what we live for and why we play the beautiful game of football.”

Bateau paid his tribute to Hart for his contribution dating back to 2013, but according to the former Jabloteh defender, the team must move on and look ahead to embracing the new man in charge and continuing the qualification quest under his guidance.

“As a professional footballer the sacking of a coach or the transfer of a player is a normal thing.

“Whether they’re gone for a good or bad reason the job for the remaining players remains the same and this situation is no different for me.

“But of course he will be missed not only by me but the entire team.

“He restored a great amount of belief within the team and country to an extent and that’s something no one can take away from him.

“But like I said the job for the players remains the same and that’s getting to Russia,” Bateau continued.

And like his peers, the former national Under-20 captain is anxiously awaiting the announcement of the new boss.

“I have a career outside of national football so that’s where my focus is for now but of course I’m very interested in knowing who the next coach will be but it’s out of my control so I’ll leave it for the TTFA to decide and not spend too much time and energy on it.

“I definitely know it’s not going to be an easy decision at this stage in the campaign but myself and the team like to focus on the things we can control and from here on that will be our performances and preparations as individuals,” Bateau said.

Shaquille Smith was the toast of his team-mates as he got a decisive second-half strike to secure a 2-1 win for University of T&T (UTT) over Youth Stars, and with it the $140,000 T&T Football Association National Super League Championship Division title and promotion.

The action unfolded on Saturday evening at the Cyd Grey Sports Complex in Roxborough, Tobago.

Going into the final match day, UTT trailed Cunupia FC (32 points) by three points and just needed a win to grab the title and the lone promotion spot to the Premier Division next season on goal-difference.

Youth Stars, meanwhile also needed full points to avoid relegation back to the Tobago Football Association by finishing in the bottom three clubs.

The spectators hardly had time to get into their seats though when UTT took the lead in the third minute through Dillon Bartholomew but Youth Stars replied eight minutes later thanks to Akeel Sterling as both teams went into the half-time at 1-1.

The defining moment in the contest came in the 63rd minute when Smith regained the lead for UTT, after which it held on for the narrow win to take the crown ahead of Cunupia while Youth Stars (18 points) face an anxious wait to know if it will be relegated.

This after Prisons crushed Central 500 Spartan 5-2 led by a double from Kerry Frederick to end with 20 points while the match between Saddle Hill Hotspur (25) and Petit Valley/Diego Martin United (17) was abandoned in the 73rd minute, with the latter ahead 4-3 a and final outcome will be determined by the league’s disciplinary committee..

As it stands, Carenage United which dropped out of the league a few weeks ago has already been demoted back to the Northern Football Association and will be joined by one from the duo of Youth Stars and Petit Valley/Diego Martin United.

On Wednesday at UTT Ground, O’Meara Road, Arima, UTT trailed Cunupia FC (32 points) by six points with two matches in hand and needed a win versus Saddle Hill Hotspur to keep alive its dream of taking the crown and the lone promotion spot to the Premier Division for next season.

By the half-time whistle, UTT was well on its way as Kevaughn Connell (eighth & 32nd), Bartholomew (17th & 37th) and Theon James (23rd) were all on target for a 5-0 advantage.

Connell then completed his treble in the 55th before former Soca Warriors World Cup striker Stern John got Hotspur on the board in the 58th to trail 6-1.

Bartholomew was next to complete his hat-trick in the 73rd for a 7-1 cushion before Andre Rampersad (80th) and another former T&T international Hector Sam (82nd) scored in quick succession for Hotspur to reduce the deficit to 7-3, only for Smith to add an eighth item for UTT, in the 84th.

In Wednesday’s other match at Barrackpore Recreation Ground, host club, Barrackpore United Sports Club whipped Prisons 5-2 led by a double from Jesse Downing in the second and 12th minutes.

Saturday’s final round of matches also featured a fight for the division’s leading scorer title which in the end went to Youth Stars’ Hakeem Legall ahead with 15 goals closely followed by Barrackpore’s Mikheil Peters and UTT’s Bartholomew, with 13 each.

They are followed by Spartans’ Donavon Derrick (12), Cunupia FC’s Michael Yaw Darko (11), and Connell and Cunupia’s Stevon Stoute with 10 apiece.

As runners-up Cunupia FC will get $100,000, while Spartan take home $80,000 for third spot and Hotspur, $60,000 as fourth placed finishers.

The top five “Players of Year” will each collect $1,500 and the “Most Valuable Player”, $3,000.

Championship Division

Teams P W D L F A Pts

UTT 16 9 5 2 44 20 32

Cunupia 16 10 2 4 38 22 32

Spartans 16 8 2 6 33 30 26

Saddle Hill 15 8 1 6 32 34 25

Barrackpore 16 6 3 7 33 28 21

T&T Prisons 16 5 5 6 28 31 20

Youth Stars 16 6 0 10 34 33 18

P.V/D.M 15 5 2 8 23 33 17

Carenage 16 3 2 11 15 48 11

Saturday:

UTT 2 (Dillon Bartholomew 3rd, Shaquille Smith 63rd) vs Youth Stars 1 (Akeel Sterling 11th)

T&T Prisons FC 5 (Kerry Frederick 73rd, 81st, Anthony Parris 30th, Andy Alves 57th, Roland Walcott Jr 65th) vs Central 500 Spartans 2 (Keron Alexander 15th, Donavon Derrick 74th)

Petit Valley/Diego Martin United 4 vs Saddle Hill Hotspur 3 – Match abandoned in the 73rd minute with Petit Valley/Diego Martin 4-3 ahead

Wednesday

Barrackpore United SC 5 (Jesse Downing 2nd, 12th, Mikheil Peters 56th, Anton Charles 83rd, Renaldo Jack 85th) vs T&T Prisons 2 (Andy Alves 45th, 87th)

UTT 8 (Kevaughn Connell 8th, 32nd, 55th, Dillon Bartholomew 17th, 37th, 73rd, Theon James 23rd, Shaquille Smith 84th) vs Saddle Hill Hotspur 3 (Stern John 58th, Andre Rampersad 80th, Hector Sam 82nd) .

T&T’s Sheldon Lawrence will be back in the ring tomorrow in Caracas, Venezuela to finally face Colombia’s Jose Cervantes.

The local boxer was scheduled to face the Colombian twice back in October in a super middleweight bout but Cervantes backed out on both occasions. Instead Lawrence faced Venezuelan Elvis Franko, emerging with the victory. Then Franko came in as a substitute as Cervantes pulled out due to problems with his teeth. His dentist had advised him against fighting.

Later that month, Lawrence was again made to wait for the encounter with Cervantes as he cancelled. Replacing him was Venezuelan Jesus Bermudez and the T&T boxer made light work of him, scoring a first-round victory.

Cervantes said, “I didn’t want to fight Lawrence at such short notice hence the reason I have pulled out of the two fights I was suppose to fight him. I am in much better conditions now and Lawrence will have to be on top of his game to beat me.”

Lawrence responded saying: “I am more fit and am in better shape than my last four fights so I am not worried about Cervantes. I know him and I have been studying him so I know what to expect from him in this fight.

“I have stepped up my physical game and I am ready to get back on the winning trail. I am very focused on becoming the Commonwealth champion as early as January so I am using all these fights as experience to get ready for it.”

Lawrence enters the ring looking to rebound following his first loss in seven pro bouts, to Jamaica’s Jermaine Bowen last month at Barbican Beach Park in Kingston.

The judges had voted unanimously for the Jamaican at the end of their six-round middleweight clash.

Soon after T&T boxing promoter Boxu Potts was convinced his fighter Lawrence was the victim of an unfair decision, citing that Bowen received an unfair home advantage and promised to launch a complaint with Jamaica Boxing Board (JBBC) general secretary Leroy Brown.

Mexico’s cement giant, Cemex, this morning announced that it will be making a takeover bid for Claxton Bay-based Trinidad Cement Ltd.

Cemex, through one of its indirect subsidiaries Sierra Trading, is looking to acquire 132,616,942 shares at a price of $4.50 in cash per TCL share.

The proposed offer price represents a 33.13 per cent premium over TCL’s price of $3.38 at the close of trading on Friday.

Cemex currently owns 39.5 per cent of TCL, which announced at the end of October that its revenue had declined by 12.2 per cent for the first nine months of 2016, which it said had been caused by a "precipitous fall in construction activity in Trinidad and Tobago."

Sport at this point in time in its history is in a deep and intense battle to rise up from the fog of tradition and its status quo into the modern world.

The search for equilibrium between its values and the quest to make those values relevant. Hard as the task may be, it’s the realisation that the barriers of the mind in most cases are extremely high and fortified.

Knowing what to hold on to; what to adapt; what to change; what to let go. How do we move forward? Sport is in danger of being overrun by the sheer scale of the dynamism of most societies around the world.

Here in T&T and the Caribbean we aren’t immune. There are complex questions that demand simple answers and simple questions that require complex answers. It’s knowing the difference that is proving to at times be an insurmountable challenge.

Add to the equation geopolitical, sociocultural and socioeconomic realties, interpretations and guagmires. At times it seems to be not just a maze but a cul de sac. A mental and emotional dead end. The search for clarity.

Women and men at the roundtable surfing the waves of history and tradition.

Sport didn’t create racism, sexism, and homophobia—it just provides a platform. The real challenge is a culture of denial and privelege.

In the cloistered world of its euro centric moorings, the reality has not as yet come home. As such in most thought processes traditional group think it is both a barrier and a protection.

But this is not the time to sit idly and quietly and fiddle oblivious to the reality that not only is the emperor naked but Mt Vesuvius has erupted. The time for change is now.

But all is not lost as there are important and necessary steps and people who understand that doing nothing isn’t an option.

From November 28-30, some 100 participants from all 41 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) in the americas took part in a forum aimed at empowering and training women working in sport and the Olympic movement to excel as leaders.

The forum for “Women Leaders in Sport” in the Americas, co-organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Peruvian NOC and the Pan-American Sports Organisation (PASO) in Lima, Peru was more than a talk shop as hard questions were asked and frank conversations had, but the real proof is what happens next. What will be done to bridge the cleavage between talk and action?

During the three-day forum, the participants went through intensive coaching and training combined with discussions and mentoring sessions with the help of a team of professional trainers. Men and women leaders (presidents) in the region as well as Olympians also took part to support and contribute to the exchanges on gender differences.

The participants shared their views and helped to identify solutions which could help to make change possible.

However, the issue of diversity and inclusion can’t be complete without addressing the IOCs executive board need to be more diverse. In addition the opening up of the Olympic movement in a meaningful way to LGBTs (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender). These are discussions that must be had.

Diversity, equality and inclusion within the IOC and the Olympic movement can no longer be about tokenism or symbolism.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Brian Lewis is the president of the T&T Olympic Committee. The views expressed are necessarily those of the National Olympic Committee.

The forum for “Women Leaders in Sport” in the Americas, co-organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Peruvian NOC and the Pan-American Sports Organisation (PASO) in Lima, Peru was more than a talk shop as hard questions were asked and frank conversations had, but the real proof is what happens next. What will be done to bridge the cleavage between talk and action?

Anthony Bailey emerged as champion at the 20th annual Top Gun Handgun Shooting Championships at the Tucker Valley Range, Chaguaramas on Saturday. Bailey accumulated 911.5603 points after the ten stages of the contest to beat a field of the 25 of the best shooters in the country.

The Defence Force marksman reclaimed the title he first won in 2014 and improved on his sixth place finish last year. With the support of his father, son and wife cheering him on, Bailey won three stages—three, four and six - and showed great consistency, finishing in the top four in other seven areas. He was second in Stages one, five, seven, eight, nine and 10 and fourth in Stage 2.

“Today there were ten exciting stages and I am really grateful I was able to hold it together and come out with the victory. It was very humid and very taxing on your feet as we were walking about all day so I was a bit fatigued. However, I was able to hold my mental game together and take the victory,” said Bailey, thankful for the victory.

Defending champion Darren Jagpersad had to settle for second place this year with 805.2661 points. Jagpersad claimed Stage one and nine and was second in Stage two. He was third in Stages three and fourth in Stages four and five. Marlon Moses (720.4053) took third spot after securing Stage two and was second in Stages three and four and was fourth in stages one and six.

Bailey said that surrendering the title in 2015 spurred him to want to win this year.

“Losing last year was the motivating factor for me. Last year I was the defending champion and I came sixth and I was really disappointed after putting a lot of hard work but I was not able to win. So I went back to the drawing board and came out with the victory today.”

Bailey also praised the efforts of the second and third place finishers, saying: “Darren Jagpersad is master like myself and is a really good shooter also Marlon Moses. So I know those two would have been my main rivals today (Saturday). The competition was excellent the TRA and other shooting clubs put on really good show. “

Gerard Persad (720.4053), Avesh Phagoo (666.1206), Christopher John (633.3146), Mohammed Ali (609.3146), Nigel Marchand (606.4511), Jude Gordon (587.9816) and Dave Ramlal (583.5976) completed the top ten finishers.

Bailey was rewarded for his consistency as he was named the “Most Accurate Shooter” on the day ahead of Moses, Jagpersad and Phagoo and also was the “Top Military” competitor. Persad was the “Top Law Enforcement Officer” at the meet while Ramlal took home the “Top Senior” honours.

“I was happy with my mental performance, most importantly. Amidst all the humidity, fatigue, noise and complex stages I was pleased with how I held it together,” said the two-time winner.

Aneel Ramjit collected the “Top First Time Entry” trophy. Marchand (stage five), Phagoo (stage seven), Ali (stage eight) Persad (stage 10) were other stage winners.

Bailey took the lead after the mid-way stage of the competition. After the end of stages four, five, six, eight and nine in the morning session, Bailey was ahead of Jagpersad, Persad and Moses, Ali, John, Anderson and Kelston Anderson. Stages one, two, three, four and seven were held during the afternoon period.

Brian Armstrong was the best of the two Tobago shooters in the competition finishing 19th (519.0532) with Walt Reid in 23rd (361.5227). Armstrong was also third in Stage 10 and was fifth in the “Most Accurate” category.

AWARDS

Most Accurate—Anthony Bailey

Top Military—nthony Bailey

Top Law Enforcement-Gerard Persad

Top Senior—Dave Ramlal

Top First Time Entry—Aneel Ramjit

RESULTS
Overall

1 Anthony Bailey (911.5603), 2 Darren Jagpersad (805.2661), 3 Marlon Moses (742.8799), 4 Gerard Persad (720.4053), 5 Avesh Phagoo (666.1206), 6 Christopher John (633.3146), 7 Mohammed Ali (609.3146), 8 Nigel Marchand (606.4511), 9 Jude Gordon (587.9816), 10 Dave Ramlal (583.5976), 11 Kelsto Anderson (563.9743, 12 Ramadin Ramnarine (554.6243), 13 Ken Williams (540.2912), 14 Peter Frederick (535.6120), 15 Richard Hopkinson (529.8211), 16 Aneel Ramjit (525.2467), 17 Dale Singh (423.4351), 18 Kelvin Sebastine (521.5628), 19 Brian Armstrong (519.0532), 20 Nicolas Ali (426.4989), 21 Roger Umaid (378.0722), 22 Amarnath Bridgelal (266.3386), 23 Walt Reid (361.5227), dq Devanad Bhagwhansingh, Tarike Phillip

STAGES

Stage 2 (No Escape): 1 Moses, 2 Jagpersad, 3 Phagoo, 4 Bailey, 5 Ramnarine, 6 Persad, 7 Sabastien, 8 Ramlal

Stage 3 (Bring It): 1 Bailey, 2 Moses, 3 Jagpersad, 4 Persad, 5 Anderson, 6 Marchand, 7 Singh, 8 Hopkinson

Stage 4 (December To Remember): 1 Bailey, 2 Moses, 3 John, 4 Jagpersad, 5 Anderson, 6 Anderson, 7 Williams, 8 Persad

Stage 5 (Mission Accepted) : 1 Marchand, 2 Bailey, 3 Persad, 4 Jagpersad, 5 Ali, 6 John, 7 Gordon, 8 Phagoo

Stage 6 (Standards For Pro Only): 1 Bailey, 2 Phagoo, 3 Moses, 4 Frederick, 5 Armstrong, 6 Gordon, 7 Ali, 8 Jagpersad

Stage 7 (You Have My Attention): 1 Phagoo, 2 Bailey, 3 Hopkinson, 4 Moses, 5 Persad, 6 Ramjit, 7 Marchand, 8 Jagpersad

Stage 8 (An Affair To Remember): 1 Ali, 2 Bailey, 3 Anderson, 4 Persad, 5 Ramlal, 6 Singh, 7 Moses, 8 Marchand

Stage 9 (Unleash) 1 Jagpersad, 2 Bailey, 3 Phagoo, 4 Persad, 5 Moses, 6 Ali, 7 Gordon, 8 Hopkinson

Stage 10 (Not An Illusion) 1 Persad, 2 Bailey, 3 Armstrong, 4 Phagoo, 5 John, 6 Moses, 7 Jagpersad, 8 Ramlal

Most Accurate: 1 Bailey, 2 Moses, 3 Jagpersad, 4 Phagoo, 5 Armstrong, 6 Persad, 7 Frederick, 8 Ramnarine

Carenage United, the top team in the Northern Football Association for 2015, faces major challenges if they are to compete at the National Super League and the top-flight T&T Pro League in the future, its manager and owner Angus Eve believes.

The team was thrown out of the Championship Division of the Super League due to lack of funding and because their football ground at Haig Street, did not meet the required standard, as it fell short by a few feet. (It is recommebded by Fifa that football fields must be between 100 yards and 130 yards and the width between 50 and 100 yards.)

Yesterday, Eve who has been instrumental in ensuring the team qualify for the superleague, told the Trinidad Guardian the could club could raise the finances to fund the team through the tournament.

“This allowed players to seek jobs to take care of their families and eventually break the team up. After a while, we just did not have enough players to field a team for matches” Eve explained.

The team also suffered a major set-back when they were told their home ground did not meet the required standard to compete in the league.

“It is the same ground we have played all our qualification matches on. This was a real let-down for us as we had to play all our matches away which meant that we did not have the opportunity to generate revenue for the season. In fact we had to put out huge amounts of money when we had games but could not generate any in return” Eve said.

Tony Harford, the All Sports Promotion’s owner and managing director said in an immediate response, that his organisation cannot make changes to the rules of the tournament.

“The League’s technical director adjudged that the field at Haig Street was too small and could not be used. We cannot go againsgt him, as we are only running the tournament the way they want us to” Harford said.

He noted “I don’t expect the super league to be held responsible for Carenage’s failure. In fact, they are not the only team to have been affected by this, as just a year ago, La Horquetta suffered a similar fate.” The NFA president has called on clubs being affected by anything in the league to raise it at meetings, saying the Carenage club never once raised the issue at a meeting, although its officials were advised to make a case for it.

According to Harford, Carenage United were told their field was too small and they opted to use the Hasely Crawford Stadium as their home ground. The club is being asked to go back to their Regional Corporation and seek assistance in getting their field expanded.

“It is the same ground we have played all our qualification matches on. This was a real let-down for us as we had to play all our matches away which meant that we did not have the opportunity to generate revenue for the season. In fact we had to put out huge amounts of money when we had games but could not generate any in return” Eve said.

St Francois Nationals became the first team to seal a spot in the Northern Football Association (NFA) $22,000 Fruta Cup quarterfinals after it won for the second time in as many matches on Sunday.

Winners of its opening match against Harvard Sports Club 2-1 on Thursday last, St Francois National put in a much more dominant showing in hammering newly crowned FA Trophy winners, RSSR 4-0 at TSTT Ground, Queen's Park Savannah to improve to maximum six points in the three-team group.

For St Francois Nationals, Rondell John (16th), Kester Hewitt (25th), former national Under-17 midfielder Raheem Borde (61st) and Akyl Griffith (68Th got a goal each in the 70-minute contest.

Queen's ParK Cricket Club also had a chance to qualify for the last-eight after it wins its opener 2-1 victory over St Ann's Rangers 2-1.

However, Miscellaneous Laventille United had other ideas and clipped the Parkites 3-2 with all the goals coming in the second-half, at New Ground, Queen's Park Savannah. Miscellaneous Laventille now faces St Ann's Rangers in the final group match.

And in the other match on Sunday, beaten FA trophy finalists, Malta Carib Alcons rebounded from its 1-0 loss to Belmont FC by battling past Clint Marcelle Football Academy 3-2 at Queen's Royal College Ground, St Clair.

A day earlier, New Millennium won by default from Cosmos FC 3-0 while the encounter between Maple FC, the Premier Division champions and Morvant Elements was postponed after after a communication glitch between the teams and match officials prevented an on-time start .

At the end of the 70-minutes encounters, the outright winner gets three points while a penalty-kicks win is two points to the victor, and one for the loser.

The tournament continues with a double-header today (Tuesday) at Dibe Recreational Ground, Long Circular, St James when home-town club, Cultural Roots United host Morvant Elements from 6pm followed by Football Factory and Cosmos FC at 8pm.

Matches will also be played on Wednesday with the final preliminary match on Thursday when Morvant Elements play Maple at the Morvant Recreation Ground, Park Street, Morvant.

Following the conclusion of the five round-robin groups, the group winner will advance to the quarterfinals, along with the three best second placed teams followed by semifinals and the final carded for Saturday December 17 under lights at the Queen's Park Savannah.

NFA Fruta Cup results:

Saturday December 3:

Morvant Elements vs Maple FC, New Ground, QP Savannah - postponed

New Millennium 3 vs Cosmos FC 0 - by default

Sunday December 4:

Malta Carib Alcons 3 vs CMFA 2

St Francois Nationals 4 vs RSSR 0

Miscellaneous Laventille United 3 vs QPCC 2

Today's (Tuesday December 6) matches:

Venue: Dibe Recreational Ground, Long Circular, St James

Cultural Roots United vs Morvant Elements, 6pm

Football Factory vs Cosmos FC, 8pm

University of Southern California and 2016 Olympian Dylan Carter will be T&T’s lone representative when the 13th FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships splashes off today at the WFCU Centre, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada from 9.30am (10.30am T&T time).

It will be the first-ever FINA Short Course (25m) Swimming Championships to be staged in Canada and takes place at an arena facility among the best in its class in North America.

No stranger to intense competition and action, this 6,700-seat arena is the proud home of the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires, as well as the reigning champions of the National Basketball League of Canada, the Windsor Express.

The 20-year-old Carter, who is a career six-time All-American and three-time NCAA and Pac-12 relay champion is scheduled to compete in the 100m backstroke today and 200m freestyle tomorrow morning, with the semi-finals carded for the afternoon period of both days should he make the top 16. He expressed optimism at his chances at Worlds following some fantastic swims for his University of Southern California (USC) college team.

“Preparation has been phenomenal as I was with my college team last week in Austin Texas where I recorded several best times that ranked me in the top five in the NCAA right now”, Carter remarked. “So I am really optimistic about this week”.

The multiple national record holder and swimming’s nominee for the 2016 First Citizens “Sportsman of the Year” award, gave his USC Trojans the lead as he swum the fastest lead off time in the 800-yard freestyle relay clocking one minute, 32.62 seconds.

USC eventually settled for silver in this and the 400-yard freestyle relay at last weekend’s 2016 Texas Invitational.

The 400-yard freestyle saw Carter swim the fastest anchor-leg among all the teams. while he also won silver in the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly, and a gold in the 100 freestyle.

Carter’s T&T-based coach and former national swimmer Franz Huggins is encouraged by his recent performances and is hoping for a berth in the finals for his charge.

“Dylan just finished a successful weekend at the Texas invite where he swam 4 best times and is now ranked as the number one 200m freestyle in collegiate swimming, ahead of Olympic Gold medallists Clark Smith and Townley Haas. All those best times were achieved without shaving.”

Along with the 200m freestyle and 100m backstroke, Carter will also compete in the 50m butterfly on Friday and the 100m freestyle on Saturday, and Huggins is confident that Carter will give an excellent account of himself.

“The 200m freestyle is something I continue to encourage him to do, as I think it is his best event. With his renewed enthusiasm for it, he has been excelling at it. The 100m freestyle is the short version, which is what he swam at the Olympic Games while the 100m backstroke is a great event for him Short Course and the event he used to gain qualification to the meet. The 50m butterfly is what he got to the semi-finals in at World Championships in 2015 and also won a silver medal in at World Junior Championships in 2013.”

Dr David Salo who is the coach at USC, is accompanying Carter at the six-day Championships which ends on December 11, and according to Huggins, Salo has been working with Carter since 2013.

A new Secondary Schools Football League National Coca-Cola Inter-Col champion will be crowned today when favorites, Presentation College of San Fernando faces San Juan North Secondary at Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella from 3.30pm this afternoon.

Two hours earlier, Fyzabad Secondary will put its national Girls Inter-Col title on the line against St Augustine Secondary at the same venue.

While on paper the Shawn Cooper-coached Presentation College of San Fernando are heavy favourites, the South Zone champions will have to lift their game a notch to overcome a Jerry Moe-coach San Juan North line-up that has hit top form at the right-time.

Presentation College advanced to the final after slipping past Premier Division champions Shiva Boys Hindu College 2-1 on penalty-kicks after a 2-2 draw in their zonal final, followed by a 5-3 penalty-kicks defeat of Tobago’s Signal Hill Secondary in their National semifinal at the same venue on Saturday after 1-1 deadlock.

San Juan North, on the other hand, came from behind to beat St Augustine Secondary, 2-1 in the East Zone final, and followed up with an impressive 4-1 come-from-behind trashing of North champions, Trinity College of Moka, in their National semifinal at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo last week, with Renaldo Boyce scoring a beaver-trick for the winners.

However, for today’s encounter, both Presentation College of San Fernando and San Juan North will be without key personal for different reasons.

SSFL bans Pres player after 9 years of school

This as Presentation’s Kori Cupid, a national Under-20 defender is barred from participating in any further action in the SSFL league due to him having surpassed the number of years a student is allowed to compete in the SSFL, eight while this is his ninth year of schooling .

The decision by the SSFL Disciplinary Committee is also expected to have an effect on the final SSFL Premier Division table, both at the top with regards to the second placed team as well as the three schools to be relegated.

Presentation College had originally finished second on the Premier Division table, but due to the SSFL ruling on Cupid, last year’s winner Naparima College was elevated to second and a spot in the Big-Four semifinals, while Presentation College and San Juan North, qualified as finalists of the National Inter-Col competition.

In addition, there is also matter involving East Mucurapo’s Abdus Ramcharan which is before arbitration, after the SSFL ruled against the school.

San Juan North will be without captain Lukeman Brooks who was red-carded in the 38th minute of their win over Trinity Moka.

On Saturday last, in the Girls’ semifinal, title-holder Fyzabad Secondary edged Signal Hill Secondary 2-1 while St Augustine hammered Bishop’s Anstey Port-of-Spain 7-0 in their semifinal.

Signal Hill Secondary had trashed Carapichaima East Secondary 12-0 in the lone Girls quarterfinal

Today’s National SSFL Coca-Cola Inter-Col Final

San Juan North Sec vs Presentation (San F’do), Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, 3.30pm

Girls

Fyzabad Sec vs St Augustine, Sec,

Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, 1.30pm.

Later that night, with surprising swagger before an audience that generally and tragically ignored his short speech—the price of admission for the telecommunications company’s annual media Christmas party—Dr Walcott would amplify those sentiments.

“I am declaring here,” he told the small knot of people around him paying attention to his talk, “that we rule this space, and anyone else in the business should take heed.”

TSTT has killed off the ill-advised Blink brand (did they realise what on the blink means?) in favour of its much better known bmobile identity for customer services.

The telecommunications company will operate as a corporate entity known as TSTT, but all its customer facing services will now be branded with a new, flat design “b” logo which takes its inspiration from the graphic for the Bing search service but is a paper clip all its own.

At the morning media press conference, a silent, dark-suited squad from Republic Bank accompanied the financial institution’s managing director, Nigel Baptiste, but Mr Baptiste notably did not join the panel addressing the media contingent nor did he speak at the formal event, signing the paperwork with a professional smile and accepting a glass ornamental memento of the financial deal.

TSTT’s board has approved a $3.7 billion infrastructure and services improvement plan (http://ow.ly/PNWl306M5Pz) that is designed to make the company more competitive.

“TSTT and CAL are the two state agencies that operate public services that face international competition without any barriers of protection,” said TSTT chairman Emile Elias.

Elias noted that he had already told TATT to get a bush bath (he warns TATT about gru-gru bef thorns here - http://ow.ly/fX9l306M687) when the telecommunications oversight agency did not renew TSTT’s license.

“I can’t tell you what I did, but we did get the license.”

The TSTT chairman wasn’t done with his signature straight talk either.

“If I find that state agencies are giving business to someone else and not to us, there will be consequences. Because you are breaching the manual of public sector governance.”

Dr Walcott noted that the company had spent $900 million as capital expenditure on the project to date out of current cash flow. The balance of the budget for infrastructure improvement will come out of future cash flow over the five-year programme’s life.

TSTT is also quite cheerful about announcements it has scheduled for later this week. It is expected to announce favourable half-year financial results and an overdue revamp of its mobile package offerings, which it has been hinting about quite broadly at for months (http://ow.ly/cgad306M6W3).

The telecommunications company has made the four pillars of its improvement programme public since July. It will evolve and upgrade its technology, pursue greater than 20 per cent revenue growth, transform its customer service and realign its business processes.

Dr Walcott should be warned that the past is prologue.

TSTT’s history of technology implementation over the last ten years hasn’t been inspiring. The company stuck with Edge data technology too long and allowed rival Digicel to take a nine-month lead on them in the introduction of 4G technology. It probably didn’t help that virtually the entire board at the time was technology illiterate.

The company did a costly and extensive upgrade to WiMax just as the technology was becoming obsolete and when it finally implemented 4G, it was a version that sat on the borderline of 3G dataspeeds.

CTIO Roger Richards offered a pained smile at my recounting of these damaging missteps, but argued that the company’s current plans will replace ageing GSM technology with modern UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) based hardware, modernising existing systems to compliance with the newer protocol. The company has already begun offering handsome trade-ins for older phones that are incompatible with UMTS.

“Wherever it is too old, we are doing blank slate installations with the intention of implementing an LTE wireless broadband product that is a market leader in the Caribbean,” Richards said, “one with parity with anything available in the first world.

“These are not snap-your-finger solutions, but we are committed to customers in T&T feeling the impact of our investments as soon as possible.”

The company has already implemented HD voice technology on its network.

Dr Walcott acknowledged the peculiarities of TSTT’s staff profile, which is overstaffed in support of ageing systems and technologies and undermanned in innovation and new implementation projects

“As with the legacy systems, there is a skills gap,” he said.

“We are dealing with it through discussions with the union, retraining and restructuring and I would describe that process as 50 per cent complete.”

TSTT is following the Muhammad Ali playbook closely. Training hard for a year, talking big and bold on the verge of entering the ring again and by the end of this week, when TSTT fully throws off its robes, it will be much clearer which fight we’re going to see, the Fight of the Century—which Ali lost after taking a terrible beating from Joe Frazier or the Rumble in the Jungle—which Ali won after being battered fiercely by George Foreman.

Nine bands will vie for supremacy at the grand finale of the National Senior Parang Festival on Saturday at Arima Velodrome, Arima.

The National Senior Parang Festival made its return this year with a host of events that began on October 8 with a pre-launch. A festival show was held at Maracas/St Joseph Community Centre on October 15 and the official launch took place at the Arima Velodrome on October 28, a release said. The bands lined up for the semifinals on November 18 at the Palo Seco Velodrome, Palo Seco, and on November 26, the parish hall came alive with another festival which saw performances by five bands including Los Tocadores.

Nine bands will face the judges performing three selections, the annunciation (anunciacion) the birth (nacimiento) and a tune of choice.

The Secondary Schools Parang Festival champions will make a guest appearance, along with San Jose Serenaders. The grand finale of the National Senior Parang Festival starts at 8 pm (gates open at 6 pm). Admission is $100 and tickets go on sale at 11 am on the day of the show.

An accident at the corner  of the O'meara Road and the Churchill Roosevelt Highway has left six people dead.

According to reports, an Isuzu pick-up vehicle with four security officers was heading east along the highway when it came into contact with a grey Mitsubishi Lancer.

The impact caused the Isuzu to go airborne before slamming into the ground.

Initial reports indicate that three people, including two the security officers in the Isuzu died, while three of the occupants in the Lancer also perished.

We have gone too far with our dependence on this fast food culture of fried oily foods and carbonated gaseous drinks. We are truly becoming the land of oil and gas in more ways than one.

This is a call for us to rediscover our kitchens and the magnanimous health benefits that we can enjoy by eating home cooked meals. I remember growing up on home cooked meals with Saturdays as soup days and Sundays as the feast. We only ate fast foods on special occasions.

According to our Ministry of Health, obesity among primary schools students doubled to 23 per cent in 2009. These figures are based on statistics from the University of the West Indies and the Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute.

The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization published a report ranking T&T as the top Caribbean country with obesity. The 30 per cent obesity rate among the adult population is similar to the top global ranking of the United States and Mexico with 31.8 per cent and 32.8 per cent respectively.

Obesity, poor diet and poor lifestyle choices are linked to several long term health conditions. Some of these adverse conditions include premature death and illness including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, gall bladder disease, fatty liver, arthritis and joint disorders and some cancers.

Studies have shown that over the past four decades, consumption of food eaten away from home has risen alarmingly. These oily and gaseous sugary fast foods or high energy density foods are high in calories, fat, saturated and trans fat, sodium, sugar and simple carbohydrates.

This upward trend towards fast foods are based on behavioural, cultural, socio economic and environmental influences. Therefore a conscious effort has to be made by every citizen, taking personal responsibility for their individual health and parents for the health of their families.

Let’s increase our production of oil and gas as industrial energy for a healthier economy but reduce the consumption of oil and gas fast foods in our diet for a healthier population.

Ronald Huggins

St Joseph

As a proponent of overdue banking reform I am encouraged by the rumblings in powerful institutions like the Chaguanas and Couva/Pt. Lisas Chambers respectively on the deplorable state of our banking. But as one newspaper columnist readily admits, his June column on similar concerns drew little reaction and I humbly opine that bashing local banks will continue to draw no action whatsoever, even with the placid reverberations of our Chambers since our powerful banking behemoths run by the utmost arrogant and infallible of entrepreneurs see themselves as “fit and proper” to quote them, trading in a commodity needed by all facets of a society grossly devoid of consumer education, regulations and protection while enjoying the virtual tacit approval of a fraternal regulator in offering shamelessly long banking lines via undermanned teller booths while the combined profits of local banks surpasses $7 Billion annually as they constantly prey upon our overly tolerant population.

Consumers concerns are not only limited to predatory fees and charges, but the behind the scenes machinations, the misfeasance, malfeasance, the malevolence of our local arrogant so-called bankers engrossed in their colonial trappings, and the blatant abuses executed on our consumers. In this day of modern banking why are we still holding on to “Crossed cheques” wherein consumers are denied immediate access to their funds, forced to wait five working days for “release” when any cheque deposited today hits the paying bank the very next day.

The appalling level of banking services offered Trinidadians by Trinidadians running Canadian and other banks would never be tolerated by Canadian consumers, Canadian Citizens, the Canadian Government, or the Canadian Central Bank. PERIOD! With a population of 36 million, Canada only requires one ID as does America with 370 million. Our local banking culture is one of inherent mistrust of the very consumer banks inevitably depend on for their billion dollar profits which by demographics are far more lucrative here due to the lackadaisical and overly tolerant nature of our people and the ineptness of our regulators.

Gas stations provide an indispensable service to our nation yet absolutely no Government agency, no Central bank came to their defense offering support when they decided it was untenable to continue accepting credit cards at fees ranging from three to five per cent when the standard fee in North America is one per cent for service stations. To further add unconscionable usury, local banks are charging merchants from $400 to $600 monthly for each processing terminal used while retailers worldwide can purchase these machines outright anywhere from US$250 to $600 and have their bank programme it.

Since overdue banking reforms are not forthcoming from any Government or their banking regulators, the required changes in our despicable banking culture would only materialize when the real cornerstone of banking, the masses of ordinary poor depositors whose pivotal combined savings propels banking either truly understands their inherent consumer power and execute massive boycotts. Nothing else will!

Trevor Hosten

It took just a single goal for San Juan North Secondary to lift the Coca Cola National InterCol title for the second time in their history yesterday against Presentation College, San Fernando, at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella. San Juan North Secondary won the encounter 1-0.

Tiguana O’Brien stormed down the left flank and delivered a perfectly weighed cross for national under-17 stand-out Brandon Semper to meet sweetly with a glancing header past the goalkeeper on the stroke of half-time for the win.

The San Fernando Boys, who enjoyed a period of dominance in the second half, just could not get the ball in the back of the net. After the game San Juan manager Phillip Fraser said the victory has been a major boost for the people of the community of San Juan who have been viewed by many as people who always want. The San Juan boys who were without influential captain Luke Brooks who was red carded in the semifinals, were held at bay for most of the first 45 minutes, before they broke the deadlock. Kyle Thomas, who despite being injured in the 35th of the match and was the stand-in captain, played despite his adversity and marshalled his troops to victory.

Fraser said he was elated to have won the title, one which comes after they defeated St Augustine for the East title courtesy a Semper double and last week when they defeated Trinity College (Moka, Maraval) to advance to the national final.

“I was always confident we would have won the title because of the confidence I saw in the players. I had been smiling all of yesterday and people kept on asking me why, so I told them we were going to win the title. It is sending a message that corporate citizens who have been reluctant to help our team and our community financially, that the community can also produce something good.”

San Juan North, last won the title back in 2006 when they defeated Fatima College 3-2 in the final. Now they will focus on the coming Big Four title. “We are going to buckle down and prepare for the Big Four,” Fraser said.

St Augustine Secondary were crowned the Girls’ InterCol queens after they dethrone Fyzabad Secondary 3-2 in the opening match of the double header at the Mannie Ramjohn Stadium, Marabella, yesterday.

The win came from a double strike by the prolific Adanya Phillips and another item from Kedie Johnson that killed off all chances the defending champs had of a revival.

The St Augustine girls signalled early intentions of taking the title when Phillips opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, but Fyzabad leveled the score after an equally prolific Donnecia Prince fired past the St Augustine goalie in the 40th minute for a 1-1 scoreline at the break.

St Augustine took the lead for a second time two minutes after the resumption when Phillips fired them in front in the 47th minute, before Johnson sealed the win with another in the 64th. Prince also got her second goal of the game in the 80th but it could not prevent them from surrendering the title they won last year.