Harvards Rugby Club’s team retained its own self titled Rugby 7s tournament when it defeated Exiles convincingly in the men’s seniors final at CIC Grounds in St Clair, yesterday.

The Harvards men played undefeated through the tournament, winning its three-team Group A ahead of Defence Force and Police for a spot in the semi-finals.

Group B was won by Exiles ahead of Royalians and Moruga while Caribs won its group which also contained Rainbow and Harvards Two, and in Group D, UWI/Tobago emerged to complete the semi-final line-up of group winners.

There, Harvards trounced Caribs 20-0 and Exiles got past UWI/Tobago 24-12 to set up a meeting for the tournament title.

Eventual Most Valuable Player (MVP) Claudius Butts scored two tries in the final to set up Harvards’ 29-5 victory. Additional tries were scored by Joseph Quashie (1), Nigel Baddington (1) and Keston Earl (1).

Aasan Lewis and Shakeel Dyte produced successful conversions to complete Harvards’ scoring.

In the third and fourth place match, Caribs downed UWI/Tobago 20-5.

A day earlier, Exiles Under-19 team won the men’s division by outscoring Rydeus 32-12 in the title match while Harvards’ Under-19s comfortably defeated Northerns for third.

The Harvard Under-19 girls also had to settle for third following the completion of their four-team round robin competition.

Rainbow Rugby Club emerged as the top team followed by Royalians while a combined team comprising players from Easter Ruggers and Rydeus finished bottom of the pack in 4th.

Holy Name Convent won the school girls competition which was also played in a round robin format, topping Bishop Centenary College and St James Secondary School when all was said and done.

KEVON FELMINE

A police motorcyclist was seriously injured yesterday when he collided with a car along the South Trunk Road, La Romaine.

Reports stated that around 5 pm, PC Jones of the Highway Patrol Unit, was heading towards San Fernando when his motorcycle collided with brown Mazda 323 driven by construction labourer Edison Rahim of San Francique.

Eyewitnesses said Rahim was at the intersection of Potato Street and was attempting to cross the road when the bike crashed into the left front of his car. Jones flung off his bike and landed metres away. He suffered several injuries and was taken to the San Fernando General Hospital by an ambulance.

Rahim’s son, Dexter, said officers who responded to the crash told his father that he was wrong in the accident. He said police and ambulance attended to the injured officer but left his father and his workmate, Mark Ferreira, nursing injuries on the roadside.

Dexter said his father was working on a house in La Romaine and was going to Bhagwansingh’s Hardware to purchase supplies. On reaching Potato Street intersection, a van stopped to allow Rahim to cross the road, however, the officer had his siren on so Rahim stopped halfway, eyewitnesses said. Instead of swerving away, the motorcyclist collided with the car.

"When the police officers came, the first thing they said was that my father was wrong. Because of that, my father did not want to even tell them that he wanted help. Mark Ferreira’s head was busted and his foot swollen. When the ambulance came, they just assisted the officer and left my father and the other guy right there. I had to ask the police if they would assist my father. They told me that we were supposed to ask for help. He was here for an hour and more in real pain,” Dexter said.

An eyewitness said it was only when an off-duty female officer stopped and asked questions that Rahim and Ferreira were assisted and the accident scene was marked off.

The 63-year-old man accused of shooting two-year-old Candy Loubon and her cousins Wendell Mike and Shane Lemo has surrendered to police.

He was expected to be handed over to Moruga police yesterday where he will be questioned. Based on police’s investigation, the suspect may be charged with attempted murder or wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

Reports are that around midnight on Sunday, the suspect, who ran into the forest after the shooting on Saturday, contacted a relative, who is a police officer in the South Western Division. The officer went to the forest, off the Penal Rock Road, Moruga and took the suspect to the Penal Police Station. He was handed over the Southern Division police shortly after.

Meanwhile, Candy, who has pellets in her neck, near her spine, and in her leg, remained at the Paediatric Ward of the San Fernando Teaching Hospital. Her father, Jamie Loubon, said doctors still have not decided when they will perform surgery. He said they are consulting and based on her condition, they may discharge her in a few days with an appointment for surgery. Mike, 31, who was shot in the head and shoulder, also remained warded at the hospital.

Around 7.10 am on Saturday, Mike, who has a long-standing dispute with the suspect, went to his garden along the Penal Rock Road, Moruga. It was then the suspect shot Mike. Lemo, 26, who was next door, was shot in the leg. Paramedics removed a pellet from his leg, which was lodged just under his skin. Candy was standing in the yard of her home was also struck.

The T&T Chamber of Industry and Commerce is right to stand firm on the point of VAT refunds to businesses, as highlighted by the IMF.

The IMF report, published a few weeks ago, does cover the broader issue of tax due but not paid, and what that represents as a percentage of GDP, as highlighted by the government. But there’s no avoiding the other point they make.

To help refresh everyone’s memory, this is what the IMF report states regarding VAT refunds: “Delays in the payment of VAT refunds not only impact businesses’ cash flow, but may also affect compliance.” It goes on to state in a footnote: “Rather than remitting the net VAT, the government collects gross VAT and then requires a budgetary allocation to remit the refunds. This also suggests that total tax revenues may be overstated to the extent that refund arrears, which should properly be counted as a financing item, are growing.”

The point is simple: the tax model in the country allows the government to collect the full VAT amount and then refund the “overpayment” element of the tax back to businesses later on. As the IMF highlights, this is not only bad for business, but it can also mask the true tax income.

We notice and support the overtures by both the Chamber and the Ministry for dialogue on the matter. But one thing ought to be clear: the government cannot pick the “good bits” of the IMF report and ignore the rest as irrelevant.

And the issue over VAT is one of them. The VAT payment system is a real issue and ought to be dealt with by the government to avoid strangling businesses’ cashflow to benefit the government’s.

The road to nowhere

It may be a very small area and quite isolated from the rest of the island but the residents of Matelot deserve better.

The pictures published by the T&T Guardian yesterday, showing craters where passable roads should be and broken pipelines where normal pipes should run, are shameful and unacceptable.

This despite previous works done in the area to shore up the roads; and who knows why they all seemed to have failed.

Some of the challenges faced by the people of Matelot may be inevitable, as consequence of coastal erosion episodes that, slowly, go on reshaping our land. Most of them, though, are more likely to be the outcome of poor planning and execution. That’s no natural disaster. It’s a political one.

Get well soon

These are our wishes for little Candy Loubon, the two-year-old who had a lucky escape after being hit by shots fired at family members in Moruga on Saturday.

Candy’s pictures on the front pages of newspapers on Monday are also a sad reflection of how indiscriminate and senseless violence in this country has become.

If nothing is done, Candy will grow up facing more violence and crime, potentially seeing loved ones lost and a growing sense of crime.

We won’t solve the crime situation overnight but we owe Candy at least a beginning, so that her generation can pass on a much better, safer and peaceful country to the next one.

“It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

Fredrick Douglass (1817-1895)

Fredrick Douglass. Born a slave, escaped, world-renowned anti-slavery activist. Said that so long ago?

Stress, ordinary stress, is good. Stress, toxic, is bad. Stress is any uncomfortable “emotional experience accompanied by predictable biochemical, physiological and behavioural changes.” Stress is this feeling of strain and pressure that we talk about endlessly. We experience stress when we believe we can’t cope. By that definition we are under considerable stress right now. Government disdain, malingering in public places, police incompetence, legal shenanigans etc, is raising island stress to toxic levels. As a former PM once famously said, “Pressure does buss pipe.” When will the pipe buss?

Toxic stress differs from ordinary stress in that it is strong and prolonged activation of the body’s stress management system and in children, which is my concern, “in the absence of the buffering protection of adult support.” That’s why, by the way, we adults keep asking “who we go put?” It really means, “who go save us?” We are children looking for an adult saviour.

The sine qua non of toxic stress in children lies in the absence of an adult figure, someone who supports the child. It’s long been recognised that the mother is the environment every child craves. Moreover, given a choice, a child will choose a warm body with no food over a cold body with food. Nothing an infant can do makes sense except in light of the mother’s presence and the hormones that interaction between the child and mother produces. Warm human contact produces the hormone oxytocin which produces pleasurable sensations in mother and child.

The younger the child, the more toxic is the stress in the absence of the mother. The idea of the first 1000 days as crucial in the development of the child’s brain, is being replaced with the idea of the first 1000 hours (six weeks) of a child’s life, when the lifelong bond between mother and child is finalised. Or the first 1000 minutes (first day) when the mother is sensitised to the needs of her child. Or the first 1000 seconds (first hour) when the initial brain networks for human development are being fired. Since politicians and administrators in third world countries have not yet caught on to the first 1000 days business, it should take another two generations before they begin to react appropriately.

Anti-stress connections in the brain are stimulated principally through skin to skin, gaze attachment and olfactory stimuli. Skin to skin is the “new” norm for newborn care. Skin to skin means exactly that, mother’s skin in contact with baby’s skin, not clothes in contact with skin. Touch stimulates oxytocin production. So does vision. At birth babies can see about 12 inches away, the distance from the breast to the face. And it’s the smell of the mother’s dirty, sweaty skin, mixed with vaginal secretions, that most appeals to a newborn.

Skin to skin, mutual gaze and smell result in a dramatic rise in maternal and infant oxytocin and dopamine. This give rise to those pleasurable sensations in both mother and child. At the same time brain architecture is moulded in a certain direction so that response to stress in the future is manageable.

What happens if the infant undergoes toxic stress, ie separation from the mother? There’s a dramatic rise in the stress hormone cortisol. Prolonged cortisol levels creates abnormal connections in the baby’s emotional brain or amygdala. These changes appear to be lasting and result in abnormal emotional responses in later life. Think of that the next time you get a bad drive.

Insensitive parenting resulting in insensitive adults are a consequence of babies being separated from their mothers at birth and later on in the life of the child. Much of the inappropriate emotional behaviour of adults can be explained by that.

My grandmother has a saying, one that she evokes every December 25 after the thrill of gift-exchanging and gastronomic indulging has subsided; she says, “Before yuh blink yuh eye… Christmas go be here again.”

Taken at face value the declaration is rather premature if not a little foreboding, but I do think it contains a fair amount of wisdom as well. Not only does it speak to the fleeting sensation associated with the passage of time, but to how Trinbagonians are always looking to what enjoyments lie ahead regardless of what’s going on around them.

That being said, looking at how early the Yuletide season started, maybe my grandmother wasn’t so wrong after all. Before the month of November began parang could be heard on the radio and businesses were advertising special sales. Perhaps the trying experiences of this past year motivated our citizens to get a head start on the festivities. But the sombre truth, however, is that not everyone will be celebrating.

Because for families who have lost a loved one to tragic circumstances, Christmas time will never be the same again.

Remember Shannon Banfield? The 20-year-old bank employee who was murdered this time last year? For the few weeks after, the entire country was united in shock and outrage, crying out that “enough was enough” and demanding that something be done. But all those voices soon died down; the country moved on and Miss Banfield, whose name had inspired calls to action, became little more than just another murder statistic.

Of course, this cycle of tragedy, outcry, and forgetfulness occurs quite often in T&T. And would repeat itself following the gruesome murders of Rose Mohammed and her neighbour Videsh Subar (June), Dr Claire Broadbridge (September), and, as recent as two weeks ago, Pundit Sunil Ragbirsingh. It’s not that the population’s reaction to such events isn’t genuine, but that their proclivity for “moving on” is a morose indication that they’ve come to accept such tragedies as inevitable.

So why have we become a population of complacent complainers? The usual refrain is the self-deprecating maxim that “we like it so”. But that mentality ignores the concerted efforts that have been made to foment social and political change. Virtuous citizens have turned to starting petitions, orchestrating nation-wide shutdowns, and assembling outside of parliament. To date, none of those methods have had the desired effect and we are left with the “same ole, same ole”: politicians who ignore us, a public service that holds the country to ransom, and criminal elements who operate seemingly unchecked.

Democracies tend to tout the notion that “vox populi, vox Dei”—the voice of the people is the voice of God. But that only applies to the act of casting one’s ballot every five years; during the time in-between the electorate is left voiceless. This is a stark contrast to the before-mentioned groups who are never without the power to further their own agendas. The government has the power to make policies and enrich their financiers; the public service and trade unions have the power to plunge our country into chaos; and the criminals have the power to deprive us of our possessions and even our lives. What, if anything, are average citizens supposed to do?

Considering this imbalance, it’s no wonder then that Trinbagonians are the way they are—disenchanted with what’s happening around them and yet disinterested in trying to make things better. It’s easy to complain about something, or to identify a problem without offering a worthwhile solution; my last column read very much like that.

While I don’t presume to have any answers, I acknowledge that just adding to the noise isn’t doing a damn thing to help. I’ll try to keep that in mind if I revisit this topic in the future. But for now Trinidad and Tobago, Christmas is here once again. While it is indeed a season for enjoyment, do try and remember those who aren’t here to do the same.

Ryan Hadeed

As a true blue “culture man” with over 50 years under my hat, I am disgusted with the disrespect pan writers are facing, not only on the airwaves with meagre airplay, but many do not recoup their outlay for providing songs/music for the Carnival, Panorama to be exact.

A production could cost as much as $6000, even more. Many pan writers have thrown in the towel. I say kudos to deejays who give pan writers and their songs “ah play” on local radio. They know themselves.

Thanks! At times I am tempted to think a pan writer/singer gets no love in his own homeland, as he watches Jamaican writers and singers dominate the air waves. I am all for Caricom, but there must be equity.

However, I am calling on “Mr Dollar Wine” Colin Lucas, a former winner (the classic Pan Is Mine) of Pan Song Competition so pan writers/singers could “eat ah food”. He must find a way to revive the Pan Song Competition for Carnival 2018 with proper marketing and sponsorship. It can be done! Why is it other shows are doing well, and the pan writer/singer is sitting on the sidelines like a mangy dog?

Every year carnivalists jump and wine to pan writers songs, but at the end of the day pan writers walk away empty-handed, with only fame and name. Over the years the competition has been dead as a doornail.

Maybe, pan writer, musician, former bandleader, Colin, who is affable and popular like hops and ham, can jog the brains of pan writers and their singers, TUCO and Pan Trinbago.

When last I checked, there are over 1000 “pan songs” (and climbing) composed since Kitchie’s (Aldwyn Roberts) “Steelband Music” in 1936 to Dr Supie (Andrew Marcarno) “The Road” in 2017. Holy Moses!

Almost 50 years of compositions to celebrate the pan and events associated with it!

There are so many sweet pan melodies from pan writers, calypso bards: Anthony Williams, Kitchie, Sparrow, Terror, De Fosto, Shadow, Stamone, Black Stalin, Earl “Barney” Rodney, Lennox “Bobby”Mohammed, Bro Valentino, Colin Lucas,

Superblue, Ellsworth James, Crazy, Merchant, Duke, Pelham Goddard, David Rudder, Ray Holman, Alvin Daniel, Gregory Ballantyne, Larry Harewood, the late Edwin Pouchet, Ken “Professor” Philmore, Jason “Peanuts” Isaac, Dennis Smith, Len “Boogsie” Sharpe, Ray “Sugar Ray” Holman, Robert “Sugar Hand” Greenidge, William Ballantyne, Mark louquan, Seion Gomes, Liam Teague, Yohan Chuckaree, Clive Telemaque, and many others.

Mr “Dollar Wine”, the ball is in your court.

KEITH”CULTURE MAN” ANDERSON,
SANTA CRUZ

MCLEAN: KEITH B. C. passed away peacefully on Saturday,2nd December, 2017. Hus-band of Maud McLean. Father of Jean-Paul and Jean-Marc.Father-in-law of Dahlia and Marissa. Brother of Victor and Marlene McLean. Brother-in-Law of Jean-Claude, Marie-France, Juliette, Anthony Petit, Jean-Pierre Le Bouder and Deepak Kirpalani. Uncle ofmany. Funeral service for the late Keith B. C. McLean takes place at 11:00 a.m. on Thurs-day, 7th December, 2017 at  the Church of the Assumption, Long Circular Road, Maraval. Cremation at the St.James Crematorium, Long Circular Road, St. James. For enquiries call R. M. de Souza Memorial Chapel Limited 223-2007/637-2009.

RAMJIT, TAZARINE nee Jaggernauth also known as Tantie Nan died on Friday 1st December 2017 at 91 years old. Widow of Zard Ramjit. Mother of 4 Trevor (deceased)Dennis, Ann & Lincoln. Grand-mother of 6 Stacey, Rose Ann,Wendy, Laura, Camille, Arlene& Soraya. Great grandmother of 3. She was the sister of 4 Verai Jaggernauth & 3 broth-ers (all deceased). Dear aunt of Nyian Ramona Bake, Peter Jaggernauth & Esther Ragoo-nanan and many nieces &nephews. Friend of many. Relative of the Jaggernauths of Chaguanas. Faithful member of Aramalaya Presbyterian Church, Tunapuna. No wake will be held. Enquires at Belgrove Funeral Home Trincity.

MAHARAJ, PENELOPEDAWNE (née Francis-Lau)passed away peacefully on Tuesday 28th November,2017. Wife of the late Paul Maharaj. Mother of Cindra.Mother-in-law of Crispin. Funeral mass for the late Pene-lope Maharaj takes place at 10:00am on Wednesday 6th December, 2017 at Christ Church Anglican, St Ann's. Funeral entrusted to C&B. For enquiries, please contact Chancellor Walks Funeral Services, 287-0403/04.

WELLINGTON—A spineless batting effort sent West Indies crashing to an innings and 67-run defeat to New Zealand, as the Caribbean side tamely conceded the opening Test inside four days early yesterday morning.

Entering the penultimate day at the Basin Reserve brimming with confidence following an encouraging display on Sunday, West Indies’ enterprise deserted them as they collapsed from a promising 214 for two overnight to 319 all out in their second innings.

They were 231 for no further loss inside the first half-hour but dramatically lost their last eight wickets for 88 runs, to be bowled out about 50 minutes after lunch.

Opener and vice-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, unbeaten overnight on 79, top-scored with 91 while Shai Hope moved from 24 at the start to 37, but none of the Windies batsmen could muster the required commitment to stretch the contest into the fifth day.

Matt Henry added another scalp to end with three for 57 but it was his fellow seamers Colin de Grandhomme (2-40), Trent Boult (2-87) and Neil Wagner (2-102) who scythed through the middle and lower order to set up the comprehensive win.

The defeat was the seventh in 11 Tests on New Zealand soil for West Indies inside the last 17 years, and their third innings loss in four defeats straight defeats in Wellington, dating back to 1999.

For New Zealand, the win gave them a precious 1-0 lead in the two-match series, ensuring they extended their record of not having lost a series to the Windies at home in 22 years.

There were no signs of the collapse when Brathwaite and Hope were busy extending their third wicket stand to 65, as West Indies safely navigated the first half-hour.

Brathwaite had moved into the 90s and was in sight of his seventh Test hundred when he misjudging the length of one from left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, played back and was adjudged lbw on review.

He faced 221 balls in a shade over 3-1/4 hours at the crease and counted eight fours and a six.

West Indies then suffered two key blows when Hope was caught at gully by captain Kane Williamson off Boult—failing to keep down one that lifted—and Chase chopped on a cut at a wide ball from Henry to depart for 18.

On 273 for five, debutant Sunil Ambris (18) and wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich (3) steered West Indies to lunch on 286 without further loss, but the innings quickly unraveled thereafter.

Ambris poked aimlessly at the first ball after the break from de Grandhomme to give Ross Taylor a simple catch at slip and Dowrich followed in the next over also without adding to his lunch time score, caught at point off Wagner.

The end came swiftly for the Windies as Kemar Roach was hit plumb in front by de Grandhomme for seven, captain Jason Holder (7) miscued a pull at Wagner and was taken at square leg and Miguel Cummins was bowled by Boult for 14.

West Indies travel to Hamilton for the final Test starting at Seddon Park on December 9.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand vs West Indies
4th day, 1st Test
WEST INDIES 1st Innings 134
NEW ZEALAND 2nd Innings 520-9 decl.
WEST INDIES 2nd Innings
(overnight 214 for two)
K Brathwaite lbw b Santner 91
K Powell c and b Henry 40
S Hetmyer c Raval b Henry 66
S Hope c Williamson b Wagner 37
R Chase b Henry 18
S Ambris c Taylor b de Grandhomme 18
S Dowrich c Santner b Wagner 3
J Holder c Boult b Wagner 7
K Roach lbw b de Grandhomme 7
M Cummins b Boult 14
S Gabriel not out 4
Extras (b4, lb4, w6) 14
TOTAL (all out, 106 overs) 319
Fall of wickets 1-72, 2-166,
3-231, 4-257, 5-273, 6-286,
7-288, 8-301, 9-301, 10-319.
Bowling Boult 23-5-87-2,
Henry 24-6-57-3,
de Grandhomme 19-3-40-2,
Wagner 22-3-102-2,
Santner 17-7-25-1,
Williamson 1-1-0-0.
Result New Zealand won by an innings and 67 runs.
Series New Zealand lead two-match series 1-0.
Man-of-the-Match Neil Wagner.
Toss New Zealand.
Umpires Ian Gould, Rod Tucker; TV – Bruce Oxenford. (CMC)

Archie Stevens produced a semi ‘Eureka’ moment whilst analysing the ‘aged’ handicap over five furlongs of Southwell fibresand for today; this is nigh on a ‘cert’ if able to replicate any one of several efforts on the ‘deep stuff’ earlier this year, when trained by David Evans! On February 10th Evans ran Archie Stevens in a course and distance claimer; after this seven- year-old failed by a half length a claim was lodged and now the multi-raced ‘non-winner’ of his last twenty starts, is with trainer Clare Ellam.

True to form ‘Archie’ ran well and that time-handicap mark would see him beat thirteen rivals on this occasion, comfortably; ironically he hasn’t been raced on this surface since, despite running thirteen times for Claire!

Is this a patient policy, the sort that one loved to execute all those years ago when changing jockeys, different distances, etc, confused punters?

That is unlikely, Archie Stevens will have cost ‘new’ owners at least ‘fifteen grand’ in training fees; he’s certainly not worth such a sum and winning anything like it would be difficult but, not impossible.

He’s the sort of sprinter I’d have exploited, 100%, because we’re dealing with a genuine gelding.

Regular partner, Patrick Pilley, claims his 3lbs apprentice allowance off Archie Stevens and given the aforementioned spiel I’ll be backing the Pastoral Pursuits gelding, to win a tidy sum but not fifteen thousands!

Earlier Holiday Girl wont be a surprise if she finally wins at the sixth attempt when blinkered for the first time in a twelve-runner Maiden Stakes over six furlongs.

A ‘process of elimination’ case determined that only recent course and distance disappointment, Charlie’s Dreamer, and Ladies First, are serious rivals. The latter was a creditable close-up debut third in a strongly-run race on Wolverhampton tapeta but is trained by Michael Easterby, so difficult to read!

Eve Johnson Houghton has found a good opportunity for Holiday Girl, most interesting to see if headgear has the desired effect and she acts on the surface. To an extent backing winners at this Nottinghamshire venue is purely, guesswork for punters unless it’s possible to ‘know’ they will; the kick-back looks horrendous nowadays.

Glorvina is one of nine decs’ in the Juvenile Hurdle over two miles of ‘soft’ Fakenham, clear top-rated and a previous winner.

Trainer Charlie Mann has long been a ‘favourite’ and this column has enjoyed many of his winners; Glorvina is worth a serious eachway punt.

There are individuals who are manipulative, dishonest and disingenuous and who appear to believe in concepts such as good governance, accountability and equity, but that’s the furthest thing from the truth.

These individuals are impediments in the way of progress as sports in T&T is facing a difficult time not only because of economic and financial issues.

Unless, there is a significant mindset, attitude and culture shift, the light at the end of the tunnel will remain far away because too much time has to be spent managing egos rather than managing performance.

We must ask ourselves a few questions such as: How do we produce the best results possible? How do we help people achieve their goals and reach their full potential in their sport? How do we optimise the performances of our athletes, coaches administrators? The T&T Olympic Committee (TTOC) and The T&T Commonwealth Games Association (TTCGA) at this time in its history are athlete-centred and focused organisations. Serving in a support role is the centre—of our mindset and attitude—our objective is to add value to the athletes, coaches and affiliated sport organisations.

We strive daily to improve our effectiveness and efficiency as we move from vision to achievement.

It is of immense frustration to face the reality that—regardless of what people preach—in the end they are only interested in following the money and having access to that money.

Corruption, waste and malfeasance have had a devastating negative impact on sport in T&T.

Now that the country is facing its darkest economic and financial circumstances in decades.

While those who have benefited from the corruption and waste seek to hide in the shadows to continue to siphon money away from productive and progressive programmes and initiatives.

If we don’t have the money to do certain things at this point in time or at any point for a matter of fact. Let’s speak the truth and stop turning T&T into a fool’s paradise.

EDITOR’S NOTE

Brian Lewis is the President of the TTOC and TTCGA. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the TTOC or TTCGA.

PowerGen’s Anthony Laquis secured men’s veterans crown in the San Fernando (South Zone) Zone Table-Tennis Tournament when he battled past club-mate Bob Roopnarine in straight sets at Petrotrin Sports Club, Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre on Friday .

In the title-match, Laquis prevailed 16-14, 11-6, 11-8 to make amends in the Open Singles final to Catherin Spicer.

When play resumed on the final night of competition with quarterfinal matches, Laquis defeated Bertin Lorick 11-5, 11-8, 11-9; Clinton Cardinal stopped Brian Demming 11-8, 11-6, 11-5; Bob Roopnarine ousted Roger Evans 11-6, 11-8, 11-7 and Faiz Mohammed dumped Laurenston Special 11-4, 11-3, 11-5.

And in the semifinals, Laquis overcame Petrotrin’s Cardinal 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5 while Roopnarine rallied past fellow PowerGen player Mohammed 12-10, 5-11, 11-8, 2-11, 11-6.

When the tournament served off on Thursday, Laquis topped his three-player round-robin group with wins over Edwin Caines 11-6, 11-5, 11-6 and Special 11-5, 11-3, 11-13, 11-8 while Special defeated Cains 11-6, 11-7, 14-12 for the runner-up spot to book a last-eight spot.

In Group Two, Mohammed humbled Brian Demming 11-4, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4 and Vinood Maharaj 11-4, 14-12, 11-9 while Demming was second after he battled past Maharaj 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10.

Cardinal was the form player in Group Three and rallied past Mannie Bheemul 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6, Kazim Mohammed 11-6, 11-6, 11-4, and Evans, 7-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5.

Evans took second spot in the four-player group courtesy wins over Bheemul 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 11-7, 14-12, and Mohammed 11-7, 11-7, 8-11, 10-12, 11-1.

And in Group Four, Roopnarine took top spot after his victories over David Ramdin 13-11, 11-7, 11-4, Lorick 7-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-8, and Cyrill Balbosa, 11-4, 11-6, 11-7.

Lorick was second thanks to his victories over Ramdin 7-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8 and Balbosa 11-4, 11-7, 6-11, 11-2.

Also on Thursday night, third seeded Catherine Spicer of PowerGen sprang a surprise when she outplayed top ranked club-mate Anson Lowkie in straight sets 11-6, 11-9, 13-11 to lift the San Fernando (South Zone) Zone Table-Tennis Tournament Open Singles title at the same venue.

Earlier in the semifinal round, Spicer whipped Darrion Phillip 11-6, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9 and Lowkie overcame Wesley Dookhoo 11-5, 11-2, 11-5.

It was a tearful end to Pleasantville Secondary’s players—and in particular goalkeeper Celine Hypolite—who had six goals fired past her in a 0-6 defeat in yesterday’s Coca Cola National Girls InterCol final at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, by Bishop Anstey Port-of-Spain, which copped its first ever title.

The outstanding Ranae Ward spearheaded the win with a hat-trick, as well as a double from Brittany Williams and another from Kianna Alexander, whose powerful drive from a centre took a wicked deflection off defender Kayla Maillard before beating the keeper.

Hypolite was drawn to tears after the third goal and literally had to be persuaded to stay on the pitch by her team-mates.

Ward, who had played her last match for the school, was expectedly voted Player of the Match, which was coupled with a sub-par performance by the southerners.

It started as early as the ninth-minute when Ward found herself surprisingly alone from a through-ball and fired past a stranded Hypolite for the opener.

Shantell Murrel should have given her team a second goal in the 24th, when her pace down the left flank put her on a one-on-one with Hypolite. But this time the custodian was quick enough to stop Murrel on the first attempt and also on the follow-up.

Her team though appeared to have been asking too much of her when Kimberly Samboochan handled the ball in the box, and Ward beat her from the penalty spot in the 26th minute. Pleasantville’s failure to bring its ‘A’ game allowed Bishop’s captain Leah Dos Santos with two chances to extend the advantage, which she declined. In the 41st minute Dos Santos was picked out from a pin-point cross from the left side and with only Hypolite to beat, she fired a weak attempt that Hypolite touched wide before the break.

But Dos Santos made up for her previous missed chances when she was hacked down in the box only a minute after the resumption, and Williams picked her spot from the penalty mark and beat Hypolite for her team’s third.

Later Ward, with a searching run down the right flank centred perfectly for Alexander, whose thunderous shot cannoned off a defender before going into the goal for the fourth in the 73rd minute.

The goal increased the flow of tears down Hypoilte’s cheeks, as her disenchantment led to two other goals

WALTER ALIBEY
 

Feelings of joy engulfed the children from the T&T Equestrian Association’s programmes’, as well as, the Princess Elizabeth Centre and the Cascade School for the Deaf, last Sunday, as they competed in and watched a variety of equestrian events at the San Antonio Stable in Gran Couva.

The occasion titled “Bridles and Brunches” was a fundraiser and ‘fun day’ organized by the T&T Equestrian Association, and aimed at celebrating the special athletes of the association.

The children were awestruck as they participated in a variety of equestrian events such as, dressage test, capture the flag and pole bending events.

The show-stopping performance of the day saw both coaches and experienced riders compete in a “chase me Charlie” jumping competition, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed.

For their spirited efforts, after a fun-filled day, each child was given a ribbon, which was met with rousing cheers and applause from the audience.

One of the highlights of this year’s Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival was a pitch for local producers to collaborate on a UK TV series. Gecko is a TV series and feature film franchise created by Melwood Pictures based around the adventures of a calypsonian gecko, Ramon. The animated comedy will be a visual and musical treat for a global audience with a unique design, animation style and a mixture of original and classic Caribbean music.

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) recently hosted the pitch session in keeping with their desire to assist developing countries in boosting economic diversification in order to adjust to the new reality of lower commodity prices.

Krista Lucenti, Trade and Investment Specialist at the IDB, said: “Animation services are an area with great potential for outsourcing opportunities and its net foreign exchange earning capacity is definitely one that we support.

“The IDB recognises the vast potential that the creative economy as a whole has to offer and is delighted to see T&T positioning itself to further tap into the global animation sector.”

This unique animated TV comedy will see collaboration between a team of industry professionals, from T&T, the US and the UK. The highly labour-intensive process behind animation production means that work is very often shared across countries and even continents.

The multinational studios leverage various forms of partnership, co-production and joint ventures with global partners. From the point of view of the major studios, co-production can provide flexibility while working with small studios and bring new and fresh creativity from other countries.

Local animation production studio Full Circle Animation Studio will work with independent film production company, Melwood Pictures, to see Gecko realized. The Animae Caribe festival will be collaborating with industry players on this long term project to develop and enhance the skills of local talent to make this pioneering project become a reality.

Melwood Pictures founder, Max Howard head of the production company for the series, said: “I have been pitched many great ideas for animated feature films and TV shows, but Gecko stands out as breath-taking. Today, more than ever, we need to communicate a message of tolerance without prejudice. With Gecko, through animated entertainment, a positive message is delivered.”

Executive producer for Gecko is Trinidadian-born Baroness Floella Benjamin.

“Most of all Gecko will be there to give hope to those who have a dream and want to put that dream into action, that’s why I am so passionate about Gecko reaching the screen as soon as possible,” she said.

Festival founder, Camille Selvon-Abrahams noted: “This phase of Animae Caribe’s operations is about development. After 16 years of groundwork, we are primed to take on this project. We have all the ingredients to make this a reality, this is a game-changer for the creative economy. The outcome from this project will enhance the skills of UTT animation students, writers and musicians of the Caribbean.”

Concept creator Ramsay McBean, who previously visited Animae Caribe festival, said: “The Gecko TV series is a great opportunity to make a unique and fun show which also creates tremendous opportunity for artists, writers and musicians in the Caribbean. This begins with the workshops led by the very talented Bruce Smith.”

Disney’s Proud Family creator, Bruce hosted a one day intensive workshop on the writing and development process for a series, at the UTT Academy for Performing Arts on November 21 at the same time impacting the stories being developed for the Gecko Series. Local actresses Nikki Crosby and Carla Gonzales participated with direction from Richard Young for the script and character development for the film.

Animae Caribe Animation and Digital Media Festival took place November 20-25 and provided participants with hands-on exposure to international animators, directors and producers.

The bmobile Foundation celebrated the achievements of the Top 10 2017 SEA students at an awards presentation for them on November 24. TSTT CEO Dr Ronald Walcott hosted the third edition of the annual SEA awards at the company’s Head Office in Port-of-Spain before an audience of proud SEA students, their family members and bmobile executives and staff.

The children were presented with a bMobile Technological Support Package consisting of a Certificate of Commendation and a Technology Support scholarship comprising free mobile and wireless Internet devices and free services for the first five years of their secondary school enrolment. Each Technology Support Package is valued at over $25,000 and will be used to support the students’ secondary school education.

The top ten students in alphabetical order are Jaden Alexander; Lexi Balchan; Maya Banham; Kyēleigh Hagley; Rayshard Hosein; Jordana Mahabir; Sanjana Maharaj; William Malzar; Arianna Ramhit; and Chloe Seecharan.

Walcott, congratulating the students for their outstanding achievement, said: “Over 50,000 students have written the SEA exam since bmobile started these awards in 2015, and from then to now, we have given this award to 39 of these students. So today is a special day for you. You worked hard and made the necessary sacrifices and you should feel proud of your achievements so far.” He also commended the \
parents for the role they played in their children’s phenomenal accomplishments.

Walcott noted that every year since 2015, bmobile presented Technology Support Packages to 13 SEA students - the top ten students overall, as well as the top three SEA students in Tobago. “This is the third consecutive year in offering this award and this represents a total commitment of almost TT$1M in technology scholarships for the top performing students in Trinidad and Tobago,” added Walcott.

Said the CEO, “There is a lot of research that supports the view that ICT is one of the main drivers of national and economical development. As Trinidad and Tobago seeks to diversify its economy, the role and support of bmobile will become more pivotal in the creation and improvement of the communications technology framework in Trinidad and Tobago. In addition, for each successive year, we plan to continue to award the top performing SEA students with tangible support and encouragement for their SEA accomplishments and hopefully play our part in motivating even more students towards excellence.”

Lexi Balchan, the top 2017 SEA student, shared that she was really excited to receive the bmobile technology scholarship. She said: “I use the internet a lot now to do research to complete my school work and the package I got is just fantastic! It will really support me in my future studies. Thank you bmobile.”

Balchan’s mother, Lisa, added that Lexi has a very inquisitive nature and is always asking a lot of questions and researching different things. She said: “Now she can use her mobile phone to do her research anytime, anywhere, without waiting to get home or to the library. Internet service is really important to Lexi and her school work. This is an excellent opportunity for Lexi and a great gesture from bmobile.”

Rayshard Hosein, one of the top ten SEA students said: “I am extremely grateful that I received this award from bmobile which will help me a lot. I will be able to finish my homework faster and have more time to revise and focus on my studies. I think if bmobile continues to reward SEA students in this way, it will serve as a motivation for other students to work hard.”

Said Hosein’g father, Waxir: “I would like to commend bmobile and encourage them to keep doing this.” He added, “I know that Rayshard appreciates that this award is a result of his hard work. He will use the internet responsibly and I’m certain it will have a positive impact on his studies. I also commend bmobile for recognising the hard work of the youngsters here today and for giving them such a lovely and practical gift.”