Tobago’s economy has traditionally been tourism driven, so the nature of their businesses and livelihoods are in many ways different from Trinidad’s. There are also nuances in Tobago and challenges that the island’s small companies and businesses face which Trinidad’s businesses do not encounter.

For this reason, exporTT launched a training initiative for Tobago businesses in February to help them get ready for export markets, says Crisen Maharaj, the agency’s Manager, Capacity Building and Programme Financing.

The 11 Tobago businesses on the programme are Tobago’s Own Company Limited, Anthea Treasure Trove, Teabago Teas, Springtime Food Production, Tavaco, Just Bee You Beauty Products, Nu Impact Solutions Limited, Aunty Met’s Mixed Bay Leaf Powder, Osanie Designs, Chenseya’s Fishing and Nola.

Tobago’s manufacturing sector is made up of mainly agro-processors in the food and beverage sectors and the potential of the island’s branded products is being supported by exporTT with interventions aimed at exposing entrepreneurs to the intricacies involved in providing an internationally competitive product.

Deborah Hoyte, Business Advisor for Services, Direct Assistance Grant Scheme (DAGS) at exporTT, said the export competitiveness and development programmes for Tobago came out of the recognition that companies on the island require a different focus.

“Trinidad companies have been exposed to a number of interventions which have built their export capacity over the years. They have experienced missions abroad through exporTT and financial assistance,” she said.

Maharaj said Tobago companies produce in smaller capacities from facilities that are not yet fully developed, so business plans have been developed to meet their specific needs

“It is not part of our mandate but it is a necessary step before we create exporters. We sent out a questionnaire, we identified 13 suitable companies to work with as the first cohort of the programme,” he explained

These businesses are involved in diverse activities, including tea, beauty products, hand made paper products, bath and body, soaps, fish processing and household chemicals.

“All are new to exports. Some may have sent abroad but not consistently and not large large shipments. They cannot count as exports, more like suitcase trade or smaller. Not a consistent supply of export produce,” Maharaj said.

He said some of the challenges Tobago businesses face include getting their products on international markets because there is no port in Tobago .

“The only way they could export directly from Tobago would be via air courier. With the companies we have now we are talking about consolidating shipments to come to Trinidad like smaller batches for the companies already on the project. This is to have them work together as one consolidated unit like a co-operative.”

Hoyte pointed out that the problem is even more complicated as apart from getting goods out of Tobago, there are problems to get raw materials into the island.

“The cost of going through the national couriers is very prohibitive and makes Tobago’s businesses very uncompetitive when compared to similar products in the market. That is one of the reasons that hindered their export development,” she said.

Hoyte said almost all of the manufacturers in Tobago do it out of their homes and despite limitations there is great potential with their products for national and export markets.

The week before Carnival, the Ministry of Culture staged a craft market at the National Academy for Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port-of-Spain and five Tobago businesses took part. Hoyte said the exercise as a success.

Innovative products

Maharaj said exporTT is looking at businesses with high mark up, small quantity and niche products.

“What they have are specialty items that could go into specialty stores at a high mark up with a good story to go. That is the type of focus we want to take,” he said.

For example, he explained, Teabago produces herbal tea products and has an interesting story to go along with the product. Tovaco—the original aboriginal name for Tobago—makes wine from local fruits.

“That is what Tobago is producing. They have an amazing repertoire of ideas. They are totally innovative,” Hoyte said.

However, exporTT is not doing it alone. The agency is working with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) and a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is currently being worked out which will cover capacity building, resource training and export promotion.

Training in progress

Maharaj said that exporTT’s training programme with Tobago businesses is going well and so far they have helped the entrepreneurs to develop business plans.

“We do not want a classroom exercise, we want a working exercise that they can follow and use as a road map,” he said.

Future training sessions will deal with marketing and branding. Hoyte said there are plans to showcase the best companies at this year’s Trade and Investment Convention (TIC).

The current training cycle ends in January 2019 and will be followed by another where exporTT hopes to attract businesses from the services sector.

According to Hoyte, although the businesses on the programme are not ready to export as yet, their understanding of what is required is much more advanced.

Today the most remarkable young people are the social entrepreneurs, those who see a problem in society and roll up their sleeves to address it in new ways. Bill Drayton, chief executive of Ashoka, an organisation that supports social entrepreneurs, likes to say such people neither hand out fish nor teach people to fish; their aim is to revolutionise the fishing industry. If that sounds insanely ambitious, it is.”

Nicholas D Kristof,
The Age of Ambition,
The New York Times,
January 27, 2008.

Bill Drayton aptly shares with us who is a social entrepreneur.

They are those individuals who combine best practices in entrepreneurship with a sense of social mission.

They step into society to serve where the market system has failed to provide for the poor, investing in the development and provision of basic amenities such as healthcare or education. It’s good to be a social entrepreneur and in T&T we need MORE social entrepreneurs.

In my last article, I pointed out through the Social Progress Report why our country needs more social entrepreneurs.

Following from that article, someone asked me: what’s the toolkit for becoming a social entrepreneur?

As your social entrepreneur guru, drawing from my research over the years reviewing case stories from global and local social entrepreneurs, I found they all possessed 5Ps which I can consider as a road map to becoming a social entrepreneur.

1 Passion: Social entrepreneurs are both community conscious and business savvy. They are driven by these dual objectives: make a living and make a difference. So, you are bound to face challenges and constantly develop new ways to improve your enterprise. If you are not really into it, you are likely going to harm the people you are trying to save.

As James Stephenson from Entrepreneur.com said, “do what you enjoy!” This is what separates social entrepreneurs from the rest of the startup world.

2 Purpose: Adnan Mahmud, co-founder of Jolkona, a Seattle-based impact investment firm, helps social entrepreneurs in Indonesia and his native Bangladesh succeed. Mahmud left a secure career as a project manager at Microsoft and never looked back. He states: “A successful social entrepreneur is someone who has found the right balance: doing good while doing well.”

3 Plan: You can have passion and purpose but if you don’t have a plan, then you can be journeying along many roads not sure where you want to go, or when you have actually reached your passionate destination that fulfils your purpose. It’s more than having an idea. You need to have your business plan according to Devin Thorpe, author of Your Mark on the World.

4 Partner: The success of social enterprises depends more than most ventures on building community. David Lavinsky, in Forbes magazine April 2013 writes: “One of the biggest mistakes business owners make is trying to do everything alone.”

When a new business lacks resources or skills, building your network through strategic partnership helps “both of you achieve more success.” Conflict Women Ltd, Founder and CEO, Asiya Mohammed, indicated: “Partnerships are vital to the social enterprise success. Seek out partnerships with companies, government agencies, foundations and like-minded organisations. You cannot go it alone.”

5 Profit: You can have your passion, purpose, plan, partners but if your social venture is not producing revenues, you cannot nourish, sustain or scale up that good purpose of providing for the poor.

Founder Stephen Edwards, of Transformation through Theatre & Technology, utilises the power of theatre and technology to support the personal growth of youths as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

He indicated: “Finding seed and growth capital is one of the most challenging factors for any entrepreneur.

For social enterprises, the dual purpose makes it even tougher to find investors. Despite this, if you want to improve the lives of more children through theatre and technology you have to produce to be able to pay your bills and reinvest in nourishing the social venture.”

Despite these challenges, the rugged, innovative, and creatively resourceful world of social entrepreneurship is growing by leaps and bounds.

In T&T, we need to begin recognising social entrepreneurs and developing the ecosystem that will support them just as we do for their cousins, commercial entrepreneurs.

Nirmala Maharaj is a doctoral candidate at the UWI-Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business. Her research is in social entrepreneurship. She can be contacted at 689-6539 or e-mail socialprogressinst@gmail.com

I am grateful that Trevor Sudama in the June 7 T&T Guardian took the time to reply to my contribution “Diversification and the politician”. However, I wish to make a few comments on his response.

First, he asked whether the method of CL Financial’s entrepreneurship and pattern of foreign portfolio acquisition is the model to be followed in diversifying our economy and earning foreign exchange. Sudama sees this as acceptable if there are no such opportunities in the local economy.

If there are then we should be using our energy sector earnings (as I claimed that CL was using) to invest in the local economy to produce goods and services for export or import substitution thus earning or conserving foreign exchange.

The fundamental requirement of a small open economy is to earn foreign exchange to provide the necessary imports that we are incapable of producing ourselves. There are many ways of doing this; one is by getting foreign investment in the energy sector to exploit the petroleum resource and we benefit from the rents and the little employment produced.

Another is from the on-shore sector exporting, which is marginal given the traditional buymarkup- sell risk averse attitude of the private sector, that depends on the foreign exchange earnings of the energy sector and yet another, investment in the world at large (which we are encouraging NGC to do) which is the method used historically by the metropole in the hinterland that created our regional economies; another is licensing abroad locally developed intellectual property in other product value chains. The mix of investment opportunities in our democracy depends on the players; the government, the private sector and the intellectual support available locally.

Sudama tells us that the greater part of the financial resources used to acquire interests in foreign countries came from local savings placed in Clico and not energy sector earnings per se. CL Financial could not invest saved TT$s to buy, say, a methanol plant in Oman. Hence its “saved” TT$s had to be changed locally into US$s which were predominantly earned by the energy sector.

Hence, as the theory tells us, economic development of our small open economy is driven, not by the TT$s printed by the Central Bank or those created by the local commercial banks, but by the foreign exchange that is saved (the difference between that earned and that spent on imports).

Sudama tells us that though insurance money is to be invested to earn income, it is not equity capital.

This is indeed the tradition and as a result we have thriving insurance companies with massive deposits, of no help in this recession and which provide no economic development.

What CL Financial attempted to do was to invest these low risk funds in higher risk enterprise with the systemic risk being managed by the diversity of the markets in which they were invested.

Still, CL and other major financial companies in the world were clobbered by the collapse, not of one or two markets, but the global economy. Other governments understood the value of their companies and bailed them out, ours did not.

Finally, CL Financial earned foreign exchange and paid its depositors in say, TT$s. This exchange left foreign exchange in the local economy as did paying its local taxes.

Discussing the allegations of criminal behaviour by CL Financial’s shareholders is above my pay grade.

MARY K KING
St Augustine
 

Wood joint venture Massy Wood is staffing up its local presence to meet increased customer demand for subsea oil and gas development solutions in T&T. The company recently appointed new subsea and export systems manager, Gail Henry, in the region to build additional capability and serve customers locally.

“Being a market leader with expertise around the globe and deep local roots, our company plans to be the premier independent solution provider for subsea and deepwater development in Trinidad and throughout the region,” said Bob MacDonald, CEO of Wood’s Specialist Technical Solutions business. “Massy Wood is also committed to developing local talent in the specialist subsea and export systems disciplines to serve the needs of this growing market.”

Wood clearly sees heightened interest by the global oil and gas industry in developing local offshore resources.

Gail Henry, subsea manager for Massy Wood, said: “Many major players view our country’s prospects as advantaged over other comparable plays.”

Henry cited three key reasons for optimism in the area.

First, T&T already has a significant and well-positioned infrastructure of offshore platforms and pipelines. These valuable facilities can accommodate additional development through step-out drilling and subsea tie-backs and tie-ins.

Second, the country has prospered from a long history of shallow water production success dating back to the early 1900s. This includes commercially viable performance from many gas assets lasting 20 years or more, making them especially attractive as a source of feed gas for Trinidad.

Third, with recent discoveries, T&T is now poised for development of some promising deepwater prospects. This natural progression to deep water could extend and solidify the country’s position as the leading producer in the Caribbean.

Henry moved to Trinidad in March to begin her role as subsea and export systems manager with Massy Wood. She has more than 25 years of experience delivering greenfield and brownfield subsea and topside projects, and strong local family ties.

“I’m so excited to be here to lead our excellent and rapidly growing Massy Wood team, especially given the favourable environment for offshore development,” she said.

“The momentum is almost palpable. You can feel the surge of support for future delivery of additional gas and oil production in a safe, efficient and environmentally responsible manner because people know it will benefit the people, the economy and the country of T&T.”

The struggle to maintain ones ideal weight is an ongoing challenge. How many of us can remember those teenage days when we ate literally anything without gaining an ounce.

The metabolism in those early days works at high speed. As time passes and this slows down, as we move into sedentary occupations and less active lifestyles, the pounds begin to sneak up in those unwanted areas—the tummy, the side obliques, and on the hips and bra line.

In a world obsessed with body image the psychological effects of excess weight can be overwhelming. Sadly it can lead to medical conditions such as anorexia nervosa which is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat.

Bulimia is also an emotional disorder in which bouts of extreme overeating are followed by fasting or self induced vomiting and purging. Unfortunately these conditions are becoming more widespread, particularly among teenage girls who are subject to peer pressure and see body image as an important element of their acceptance.

Ideally our main focus should be on the health benefits of nutrition and exercise rather than on weight loss.

Here in T&T, our penchant for fast foods has made us a nation in which obesity has become more and more prevalent, including among children. Obesity has been linked to several serious medical conditions like heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, osteoarthritis, breathing problems such as sleep apnea and asthma to name a few.

The Diabetes Association confirms that there are approximately 270,000 people with diabetes in T&T. Diabetes affects your body’s ability to produce or use insulin, a hormone that allows your body to turn glucose (sugar) into energy. Eye disease, cardiovascular and kidney problems, pregnancy complications, and nerve damage are just some of its effects.

So what can we do to trim those unwanted pounds? Begin with simple goals like brisk walking or swimming.

No matter how big or small your workout you will feel energized, strong, and confident afterwards. Remember ‘slow and steady wins the race.’ Focus as far as possible on eating fresh produce, whole grains, and lean protein, and make exercise a part of your lifestyle.

Mahatma Gandhi’s words hold true, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” We can achieve nothing without our health and nothing is worth losing it.

Joyce Meyer puts it well when she says, “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.”

Today we feature a powerful example of determination and commitment. I am indeed happy to be sharing the fitness story of Kalifa David-Lewis whose journey to weight loss and improved health is an example for us all. She is testament to the power of the human mind which makes us able to achieve anything we set our minds to. The benefits to be derived from a healthy lifestyle are worth the effort and discipline. Keep training!
 

KALIFA DAVID-LEWIS:

It is easy to start a diet, the hard part is making those healthy changes into a permanent part of your lifestyle.

At age 31 I found myself tired and unhealthy. Being 6’1” meant I carried my weight well and not look as large as many who were shorter, so I was quite comfortable in my own skin.

I have always considered myself an active person who would dabble in quick-fix diets from time to time, but even this became a challenge with my hectic school and work regime. A series of challenging life events led to my weight skyrocketing to an alarming 335 pounds.

I found myself blowing to walk up one flight of stairs with constant reminders from physicians that I was a prime candidate for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

Enough was enough and I finally made the decision to make the change where I incorporated exercise into my every day life and make healthier eating choices.

I was introduced to a weightloss programme that encourages healthier eating habits, this particularly appealed to me because I was never a fan of programmes that encouraged unnatural fixes to weight loss.

I began basically counting calories in everything that I ate and included a minimum of 45 minutes walking or running for a total of five days. At nights I would sit with my pen, paper, and calculator to ensure that my calorie count remained within the maximum amount of 1,200 calories per day.

This was extremely frustrating, my already hectic schedule had just increased, but like most things I see challenges as opportunities to be my best, so I soon mastered this process and it became a breeze. I started to see food in terms of calories and nutritional value, instead of just satisfaction and taste which usually leads to bad choices.

Mastering this process resulted in a weight loss of 45 pounds in eight weeks. This of itself was enough motivation for me to continue.

Weighing was an integral part for me, although frowned by most it helped keep me focused.

I have literally weighed every week on the same scale for three years. I never purchased a scale to keep at home since I fear becoming obsessed with the results. On those down days that resulted in poor eating and exercise the scale would always tell the truth, which allowed me to snap right back on track. To date, I have kept every single receipt that I pull out from time to time as evidence of my progress.

I realised that exercise that feels miserable is not sustainable so I had to find a workout I enjoyed in order to make physical fitness a lifelong habit.

I enrolled in a gym membership and after trying different classes and routines, I found a love for weight training and spin.

Finding this mix that I enjoyed has kept me consistent for years with a minimum of four training sessions a week.

But running really became my passion and I went from running only when being chased to completing several half marathons. I registered for most of the races which felt like I was in constant training but constantly motivated. I would get up on weekends at 4:30 am to facilitate longer runs, which I ran solo most times since it was difficult to find other people with similar zeal. It started out with completing these races as the main accomplishment but now I look forward to improving my times and testing my progress.

‘The hardest part is keeping motivated’ Sometimes the hardest part of the journey to any goal is keeping motivated.

After the first year, I had lost 120 lbs and to be honest, it seems like that was the easier part. 

After reaching a big goal, it’s easy to become relaxed and lose focus. Keeping up with a six-day exercise routine really became demanding, I had to forgo other activities and it felt like a life sentence.

Maintaining my ideal weight seems to be the real challenge, striking that right balance between diet and exercise. I am a sucker for snacks and I try to make better choices but not deprive myself.

My diet mostly consists of low carbs. I don’t count calories like I did in the past, since I am on a maintenance drive.

The struggle of keeping a healthy, balanced diet is real, I prepare most of my meals so I don’t get tempted. I eat very small portions several times during the day. There are times where I would actually stand and stare at the items in the snack lane in the grocery as if I was able to obtain some level of satisfaction.

I am constantly faced with the smart remarks of my friends that life is not meant to be like that, eat what you want. The times I do indulge, I know I have to work out twice as hard the next day and sometimes the thought of running that extra two miles for having a roti, for example, makes me say no.

An important aspect of maintenance for me is the motivating of my peers at my job. I try to create a culture of healthy eating and improved exercise habits, it makes the process easier since the chances of temptation is reduced. I even created little workout and diet challenges for my colleagues, which keeps me on track during the day. As for home, I control what I eat by keeping all junk food out.

My goals have become a moving target. As the weight continued to fall off I felt happy about the result and my motivation changed, I was now motivated by my appearance, the simple satisfaction of how my clothes fit, and more subtle changes to my physique.

In February of 2018, this soon changed, my brother died of a massive heart attack at the tender age of 40. I felt like I was next and no amount of physical exercise could save me. My pressure dropped and my pulse was extremely low. I sought the advice of a physician who later explained that a fit individual has a larger stroke volume, which meant a greater volume of oxygen is delivered to the body per heartbeat, hence the reason fit people have a lower resting rate. This was news to me and funny enough, I never really saw myself as being “a fit individual.”

My goals have now shifted a bit, my main goal is to be in the best physical, mental, and emotional shape of my life. I have increased and adjusted my exercise regime in the aim of achieving these targets.

I have discovered that the mind is a powerful tool. I can do anything I put my mind to.

To date, I have lost a total of 140 pounds but my journey still continues. Health and fitness is a dynamic process, never static. There will always be new mountains to climb, hurdles to overcome, challenges to set for myself, goals to achieve, and I look forward to them all because I know I will keep going.

Judy Alcantara

BA English Honours/Spanish CIAR Cert (Cooper's institute of Aerobic Research) Email: fitforlife@live.com Facebook: TheFitnessRevolutionTT 

Hers is the face you see and the voice you normally hear critiquing on politics and the economy.

But there is another side to Indera Sagewan-Alli—the ‘support-local’ activist, who’s speaking out candidly on the issue of growing, buying, and eating local, and its connection to sustainable diversification in T&T.

On her televised series, Diversification: Not Just Talk, which airs live every Wednesday on a Chaguanas-based television network, she gives an in-depth analysis on the topic and showcases entrepreneurs and businesses who have taken up the ‘total-local mantle,’ and are running with it.

Just type the hashtags #diversiftttnotjusttalk, #allahwebusiness,  #growcookeatlocal or #saveforex, in your Facebook, twitter, and instagram search bars and you will find videos, interviews and tips on kitchen gardening and buying local. Also found on Facebook are recipes and scrumptious total-local dishes by Sagewan-Alli and her mother, Chan, on their page, From Indera and Chan’s Kitchen.

She told the Sunday Guardian this initiative and several others are all flourishing and with a network of like-minded and newly converted people growing local at an accelerated pace, it is the hope through learning and sharing, mindsets will be changed and the population would begin to understand ‘people power.’

The economist, who has been blunt for years when it comes to economic diversification in T&T, reiterates there is life beyond oil and gas and she is frustrated with the redundancies of diversification becoming

vogue only when oil crashes and quickly returning invisible when gas flows again.

A passionate Sagewan-Alli argues, by the choices we make, by our silence when governments misuse our tax dollars, and by the acceptance of the neglect of agriculture, we are all guilty of failing the progress of sustainable diversification. “It is not big business using up scarce foreign exchange; rather it is about supporting businesses that maximise local content offering. The onus is on every individual when they choose foreign over quality local substitutes.”

She is adamant the “all-eggsin- one-basket” syndrome must end as T&T has to recognise the times are changing and it can no longer depend on one sector to drive the economy. Sagewan-Alli who underscores the plights of other support-local activists like agriculture economist Omardath Maharaj and Eat Local Challenge TT, said the policy makers were the biggest culprits as they continue to be backward in their thinking thus handicapping progress.

“Michael Porter, competitiveness guru, advises that economic clusters (groups of businesses producing basically the same or similar products) are a natural phenomenon, they exist because entrepreneurs know best where opportunities reside for investing, producing, selling, making money, and creating jobs,” she explains.

“The role of governments, universities, state enterprises, and institutions is to support the targeted growth and expansion of these clusters, which our policy makers don’t appear to understand.”

Sagewan-Alli said she spends a lot of time thinking about how economic diversification could generate sustainable high-paying jobs, revenues for the Government, and foreign exchange. While she admits there are no quick fixes, she believes there was too much stalling and ‘ole talk’ over the years keeping the topic of economic diversification in the future tense, when there is always ample opportunity for diversification to begin.

She speaks of the ‘bittersweet’ feeling she gets whenever she encounters ordinary people who understand the importance of sustainable diversification and are trying in their own way, building economic  clusterswith such passion and commitment despite the years of many road blocks, sometimes, even deliberately imposed on them.

“This is a national imperative and I am now convinced that unless we the people take responsibility for making it happen through the changing of mindsets, investment, and consumption patterns, we will never see economic diversification in T&T.”

Sagewan-Alli said diversification should also be the deliberate responsibility of businesses big and small, which made huge profits during the economic boom periods. She recommends it is time they move out of easy distribution and into real entrepreneurship, adding value to what T&T owns as nation building tools.

Through her activism, Sagewan-Alli said her end game was to create a people’s revolution of sorts that influences our actions and encourages consuming local as a first and best option.

“This is all ‘ah’ we business. There are so many untold success stories, we have plans to share these and to write the case studies that can replace the foreign cases used as teaching tools in our business schools,”

Sagewan-Alli says.

“We will call upon governments and other institutions to act and explain inaction, as there are things which they can only do to make diversification happen. We will do all of this transparently and under the glare of public scrutiny. Trinidad no longer has the luxury of time. We must diversify now!”

For more information on these initiatives, how to get involved or how you lend your support, send emails to: indera@inderasagewan.com.

Willi Chen is a businessman, playwright, poet, author, sculptor, inventor, painter and stage designer who once switched from running a café and bar to operating a bakery, before eventually going into the printing business.

Mr Chen, what on earth have you always wanted to do and have not had the chance to accomplish? “Make money.” Chuckles.

At 83, he does not always remember everything, but Chen’s wit is sharp, and his jokes appear out of the middle of nowhere, mid-sentence in an  interview or following a pause for a forgotten name or place or time.

Then there was the time he engineered a pile driver with a makeshift boom and concretefilled four-inch pipes powered  by a jeep to fill the land upon which now stands a two-storey Marabella building that now houses his printing business.

Downstairs, he occupies a small, busy office that appears to serve as a thoroughfare for staff fetching things. He endorses some cheques and offers one to the interviewer. Smiles and a follow-up offer of “Chinese fried bake” (meat pies) and wontons.

He has plans for a grand multi-media exhibition of all his work—books, scripts, paintings, prints, sculpture and a collection of line drawings. “Everything will be there,” the double national award holder says  is Chen’s opportunity to tell his own story.

The proposed exhibition is yet to be named, but it can well be “Willi Chen’s Story of Trinidad and Tobago” a tale that spans a lifetime of prolific artistic offerings from one of the country’s most remarkable talents. It is an occasion that has been long in the making and now Chen has his eyes set on a 2019 event. He hopes to use the facilities at the Central Bank in Port of Spain where his massive “My Solar Marinorama” steel mural is currently mounted.

In fact, the Central Bank has commissioned a refurbishment of the 30-year-old 64’ x 14’ mural and Chen has worked out a work schedule spanning weeks. Out of all the books, plays, stage sets, paintings and poems, he considers this work to be in the order of a magnum opus.

Back in 1988, the mural led a field of competing artists - including the celebrated Carlisle Chang (Chen’s artistic mentor) who placed second - to earn the right to have his art permanently displayed at the facility.

Since then, huge structures have been the name of his sculpturing game. The Triumphant Christ which adorns the front of the Christ the King Catholic Church in San Fernando and the now poorly-maintained Escriva Lighthouse Tower at the Point-a-Pierre roundabout are his work.

Yes, there have been books as well. Lots of them. Seven collections of short stories, three poetry anthologies, 11 plays and skits and two novels including the provocative Gosang—the Saga of a Trini-Chinaman, which explores race relations in 1930s Trinidad.

In Gosang, humour is an anodyne for the hurts of prejudice and conflict. More than one reviewer has hinted at an autobiographical undertone Chen has never openly denied.

Listening to the writer talk about his father’s “tempestuous” fortunes as a businessman, moving from rural village to rural village and town to town, there is little question that Gosang’s conflicted emotions are as intimate as they as artfully represented in the novel.

Today, Chen sits behind his cluttered, laptop-free desk the way Gosang stood behind his counter openly welcoming everyone “through the narrow door of his country shop.”

There are books on that desk.

Some for the interview, others filled with ledger sheets that keep financial score. Some with colourful labels and mock-ups.

Then there is a low-hanging, bright fluorescent light perhaps to examine artwork for print. When Chen leans forward to laugh or to stress a point, the lamp rests like a stretched crown on his reluctantly greying hair, two Virgin Mary statuettes perched atop the fitting.

There is a fading photograph of Chen and VS Naipaul on the wall overlooking the desk. Chen, in a dark suit and black hair slicked back, is standing and smiling for the camera. His more famous countryman looks shyly on, a medal held in place by a lanyard the colour of Chen’s red bowtie hanging over a grey woolen blazer. Sooner, rather than later, Chen is going to bring the story of his life’s work as creator extraordinaire to T&T and the world. The late Anson Gonzalez once described the tireless artist as “the benevolent Renaissance man of the Arts in Trinidad and Tobago.”

He, in turn, describes himself as someone who has never abandoned his dreams. “You have to work hard,” he tells the young photographer/ videographer. “Do what you think you want to do and keep along those lines. Don’t let people tell you this, that and the other. Put in the hours and stick with it.”

It’s a creed Chen clearly has lived by over a lifetime as a tireless all-rounder who, as a Jack of all trades, has attempted to master all.

The eagerly anticipated unveiling of the art exhibition Juncture: An Exploration of Identity, Place and Self, featuring the work of artists Donna Tull and Tremayne Frauenfelder, is this evening. The exhibition runs until June14 at the Art Society of T&T, located at the corner of Jamaica Avenue and St Vincent Boulevard, Federation Park, Port-of-Spain.

The exhibition is Tull’s debut presentation of her work to the public. Her work includes surface design using paint on pottery, acrylics on canvas and pen work to create works using stippling. Tull said she is most known for her work using stippling “which is using a pen to create dots and the whole image is created using dots. It gives you a very nice tonality and different degrees of value in the image and you get a nice kind of velvet quality and you can get some really great details.”

Tull also uses a technique called asemic writing to create images. Asemic writing refers to using letters randomly without making them into words. “What I do is I take different letter forms from different languages to create meaning. So for example, I used the Arabic and Hebrew symbols for peace to create a piece called The Path to Peace.

“I used a computer programme to rotate and scale the symbols in different configurations to make a design, which I printed on canvas. What the design does for me is that it shows that there are these two languages from two different nations that are trying to come together, and in the beginning it looks blotchy, but as you get towards the center, it creates a flower-like image.”

In addition to Arabic and Hebrew, Tull said she uses African and other indigenous writing scripts to explore ideas of cross-cultural communication.

Frauenfelder specialises in the creation of miniatures and dioramas, which he has been creating since childhood. The artist uses clay, cardboard, joint compound and gypsum mud to create his work, with a focus on colonial style houses. This will be his fourth exhibition.

“I decided to do this exhibition at this time to get my name out there, that’s basically the reason why,” said the artist. “I love what I do and I believe that God has blessed me with a talent so to me it makes no sense staying home and just doing these things without exposing it to the rest of Trinidad and so on.” He said he had stopped making miniatures for years, focusing on drawing with a variety of different media.

However in 2005, he again began building miniatures, and realised his skill had improved. He took a five year break, beginning again in 2010 and has resolved to never stop again.

Fraunfelder said he’s always loved the houses which he now replicates in miniature. He added: “They’re so charming, the windows, the wooden louvres, the height and the pitch of the roof, the fretwork, the shape, all the wooden designs inside and outside, they’re just more charming than any other house that you would see, that’s just my opinion. Apart from that I think as a child I always had a thing for the past, music, houses, dress, all these things, I had a thing for the past as though I have an old soul. So all of that is to say that is what attracted me to this style of house because they’re so charming and they carry with them so many stories and so on.”

Both artists are passionate about their art and the four-day exhibition will be an interesting one. For more details, call 622-9827.

Today’s opening reception runs until 9 pm, but gallery hours are 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Saturday.

Hollywood couldn’t have written a better strip, Bollywood couldn’t have acted it out better either.

At 12.50 pm yesterday, acknowledgements ran across the screen thanking Shane Dowrich, Keiran Powell, Devendra Bishoo, Roston Chase and the fast bowlers, as Windies defeated Sri Lanka in the opening Test of the Sandals Three-match series at the majestic Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.

Starting the final day on 176 for three and needing a further 277 to win or fight to earn a draw, the Sri Lankans were dismantled by a rampant local bowling outfit, as they were routed for 226.

n SCORES: Windies 414/8 dec & 223/7 dec vs Sri Lanka 185 & 226. If Sri Lanka was to get the world record winning target, a lot depended on the overnight batsman Kushal Mendis, who resumed on 94. He quickly got his fifth Test century out of the way but soon after received a brute of a delivery from Shannon Gabriel to leave the Park for 102. He batted all off 268 minutes, facing 210 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes.

When he left, skipper Dinesh Chandimal was the next to fly the flag for the Sri Lankans. He had retired on the fourth afternoon on 15 due to an upset stomach.

He saw the fall of the nightwatchman Lahiru Gamage for three, leg before to Bishoo and 10 minutes before lunch he was out. The right-hander played a horrible shot given the situation of his team and Roston Chase was celebrating his first wicket in the match.

Give him four balls again and he had the plucky little wicketkeeper- batsman Niroshan Dickwella in problems. Chase allowed him to reach first in line for lunch by sending him back leg before on the stroke of the interval.

Lunch was taken at 222/7 and from that point it was only a matter of time and on the team’s return to the field, the game was quickly wrapped up in spectacular fashion by the Barbadian Chase.

The lanky Christchurch man finished with 4/15 and Bishoo 3/48 to spark celebrations among the Test faithful present at the Oval.

Speaking after the match, skipper Jason Holder said: “We are elated over the win and we are not going to take it easy. We are going to be hard on ourselves moving forward.” The next Test starts on Wednesday at the Beausejour in St Lucia.

Holder continued: “The bowlers were fantastic and the batting was good, especially Shane (Dowrich) who gave us a wonderful century. Bishoo was excellent with the ball and Roston really came good for us.”

His opposite number Chandimal said that Sri Lanka lost the plot on the opening day with their fielding and he is hoping that his team can learn from the mistakes heading into the second Test.

Scoreboard

WINDIES VS SRI LANKA
Windies 1st inns 414/8 dec
Sri Lanka 1st innings 185
Windies 2nd innings 223/7
Sri Lanka 2nd innings
(overnight 176/3)
M Perera c Smith b Gabriel................................... 12
K Mendis c Dowrich b Gabriel...........................102
D Chandimal c Brathwaite b Chase.................... 27
A Mathews c Dowrich b Holder.......................... 31
R Silva c & b Bishoo................................................ 14
L Gamage lbw Bishoo...............................................3
N Dickwella lbw Chase.......................................... 19
M Perera not out........................................................3
R Herath c Hope b Bishoo........................................0
S Lakmal c Dowrich b Chase...................................1
C Kumara c Dowrich b Chase..................................0
Extras 3b, 4lb, 7nb................................................ 14
Total all out...........................................................226
Fall of wkts: 21, 45r, 123, 175, 189, 195, 218,
222, 225, 226, 226. Bowling: K Roach 15-3-57-
0, S Gabriel 15-2-52-2, M Cummins 12-4-23-0, J
Holder 14-6-24-1 D Bishoo 19-2-48-3, R Chase
8.2-1-14-4. Result: Windies won by 226
runs. Windies lead three-match series 1-0.
Man of the match: Shane Dowrich.

An all-around performance by Stacy-Ann King led T&T to a dominating 68-run win over the Leeward Islands, in its opening match of the Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze yesterday, at Sabina Park, Jamaica.

King finished unbeaten on 38 runs, steadying the innings for T&T, while wickets fell regularly around her. She later returned with the ball
to take two wickets for just 13 runs in her four overs.

The Leeward Islands started well enough with tight bowling and sharp fielding, preventing the T&T batswomen from scoring freely.

Reniece Boyce and Britney Cooper, who found herself in the middle early following the run out of debutant, Shania Abdool, without scoring, managed to patiently steady the T&T innings.

However, they contributed 25 and 24 respectively before Boyce skied one to Shebani Bhaskar at short cover off the bowling of Jenisen Richard. Cooper followed in the very next over, caught off the bowling of Sidella Bellot.

King, who replaced Boyce, was then joined by T&T skipper, Merissa Aguilleira. Aguilleira was the only T&T bat to stay any considerable time with the all-rounder, contributing 11 before becoming Amanda Edwards’ first scalp of the day.

Leeann Kirby was out on the very next ball, as Edwards got a hand to King’s straight drive and the ball found Kirby out her crease.

Rachel Vincent lasted seven balls and T&T looked to be in some trouble at 107 for 5 after 17 overs, but Shenelle Lord and King took seven runs off the penultimate over and 12 runs from Tiffany Thorpe’s final over to push T&T’s score to 132 at the end of their 20 overs.

In reply, the Leewards lost Terez Parker, LBW to Kirby’s first ball but Bhaskar opened her account with a cracking square cut for four that seemed to imply she meant business.

She would struggle to find runs throughout the rest of her innings.

However, thanks to a disciplined T&T bowling attack led by King (2-13), Mohammed (1-6) and Kirby (1-11).

Bhaskar would eventually finish unbeaten on 31, as she found herself without any support from her team-mates. Richards was the only other batswoman to get into double figures, finishing on 16 n.o. as T&T completed a comprehensive 68-run victory.

In the opening match of the tournament at Kensington Park, Barbados sealed an 18-run victory over the Windward Islands.

Batting first, Barbados were bowled out for 101, with WI all-rounder, Deandra Dottin top scoring with 40.

In reply, Windwards could only get to 83 for the loss of 8 wickets at the end of their 20 over-allotment.

Scores

T&T 132/6 (20 overs) (Stacy-Ann King 38 n.o, Reniece Boyce 25, Britney Cooper 24) beat Leewards Islands 64/5 (20 overs) (Shebani Bhaskar 31 n.o., Jenison Richards 16 n.o) T&T won by 68 runs
Barbados 101 all out (20 overs) (Deandra Dottin 40; Akeira Peters 2-9) Windward Islands 83/8 (20) (Qiana Joseph 14; Shamilia Connell 2-14)

EDITOR’S NOTE: Coverage is provided courtesy Caribbean Women Entertainment Sport Network (CWESN)—a non-profit organization dedicated to covering women in sport. Follow them on FB and Twitter @CWESN, IG @cwesportsnet or visit their website www.cwesn.com

National and Commonwealth Games sprint champion Michelle-Lee Ahye bagged another bronze in the women’s 100 metres at the Bauhaus-galan, the IAAF Diamond League athletics meet at Stockholm Olympic Stadium in Sweden, yesterday.

Ahye renewed her rivalry with Ivory Coast’s Murielle Ahoure and Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain and again followed the duo to the line in 11.11 seconds as she did at Thursday’s fifth stop of the Diamond League in Norway.

Then Ahoure won in 10.91 with Asher-Smith, who broke her national record with a time of 10.92, in second and Ahye was third in a season’s best 11.06.

This time around, Asher-Smith reversed placings with Ahoure and won in 10.93. Ahoure had to settle for the runner-up spot in 11.03. T&T’s Khalifa St Fort also raced in the dash and clocked a slower time of 11.35 to place seventh, compared to Thursday’s race when she crossed in 11.28 and finished last.

On Saturday at the JN Racers Grand Prix at the National Stadium in Jamaica, no T&T athlete finished among the top three finishers in their respective events.

T&T’s Kelly-Ann Baptiste came closest though, just missing out on a medal in placing fourth in the women’s 100m dash in a time of 11.27. Winning was Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in 11.10, American Jenna Prandina (11.14) was second and third was Ato Boldon-coached Briana Williams, also of Jamaica, in 11.26.

Renny Quow faced a tough field in the men’s 400m and placed eighth in 46.86. Winning was Grenadian Kirani James, the 2012 Olympic champion and the 2016 silver medallist, had a late burst to edge American Fred Kerley (44.36) at the line.

Sparkle McKnight crossed sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles with a 56.48-clocking. In the women’s 800m, local middle-distance runner Alena Brooks was seventh in 2:02.56, sprinter Emmanuel Callender finished seventh in the men’s 100m B race in 10.43 and Cleopatra Borel was sixth with a 17.39m-effort. On Thursday, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott opened his season with victory at a Finland meet.

He won gold in the men’s javelin with a 78.58m-effort. Over the weekend, a number of local athletes competed at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon.

University of Kentucky senior Kayelle Clarke just missed out on medals in both her relay events. The senior ran the third leg in her UK team’s fourth-place finish in the women’s 4x100m in 43.49 and later ran the anchor leg in the 4x400m to help UK place fourth in 3:30.52.

Zakiya Denoon also raced in the 4x400m relay final, running the third leg to help her Louisiana State University team to sixth place, clocking 3:32.08.

University of Alabama’s (UA) junior Portious Warren was also in action in the discus and she finished in 19th spot with her best throw, measuring 45.08 on the final day of the four-day meet.

Texas A&M freshman Tyra Gittens placed eighth in the women’s heptathlon with a score of 5,748 points the second best tally in her career. Heading into the final discipline, the 800m, Gittens had tallied 5,054 points after six events in the seven-discipline event. She did not do as well as she had hoped, placing 20th and last in 2:29.95 to earn a mere 694 points.

On Thursday, Warren and Gittens, had top-ten finishes in their respective field events. Warren achieved Alabama’s first top-10 finish in the shot put in 26 years. Warren finished ninth with an effort of 16.92m, the sixth-best mark in the school’s history. Gittens also placed ninth in the women’s long jump with her best leap measuring 6.38m.

Clarke raced in the women’s 200m and placed eighth in 23.56 in the third semifinal heat. The senior’s time placed her 23rd overall. On Friday, UA’s Ruebin Walters placed sixth (13.95) in the men’s 100m hurdles final while in the 400m hurdles medal race, Infinite Tucker of Texas A&M placed eighth in 50.76.

Shaniqua Bascombe of Cougars amazed on the second day of the National Gas Company (NGC) National Junior Championships yesterday at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo.

On the final day of the track and field meet hosted National Association of Athletic Administration (NAAA), Bascombe, 14, picked up her third gold medal in winning the girls Under-17 200m in a time of 24.05 seconds and achieved the standard (24.20) for next month’s World U-20 Championships to be held in Finland. She also surpassed the qualifying mark of 11.80m in the 100m, the day before.

Taking silver in the 200m was Brianna Lord of Abilene Wildcats in 25.00 and bronze went to Simplex’s Leah Bertrand in 25.19.

Later in the 4x100m relay event, Bascombe ran the second leg in combining with Jada Duprey, Peniel John and Caliyah Wallace to cop silver in 47.76 with Simplex team of Marie George, Bertrand, Kyah La Fortune, Kurlecia Francis, running in that order, speeding to gold in 47.61. Abilene (Alison Phillip, Patrice Roberts, Jada John, Lord) was the bronze medallists in 49.98.

Bascombe then linked with Wallace, Blossom Swift, Kershel Mc Intyre to place second in the girls open 4x400m relay (4:08.09) behind winner Memphis Pioneers’ Nicola Pesnell, Chelsea Ragoonanan, Kyla Walker and Rae-Anne Serville (3:58.13). In third place was Kaizen Panthers (Safiya John, Khadija Abraham, Shanika Belfon, Anika Joefield) in 4:08.53.

A number of athletes joined Bascombe in achieving the standard for the World Championships including Gabriel Guerra (Toco Tafac), the top three finishers in the boys U-20 200m final Timothy Frederick (Simplex), Ako Hislop (Kaizen Panthers and Pierce David (Memphis Pioneers) and Iantha Wright (Mercury).

Guerra broke the national junior record of 31.44m in the Hammer throw with his third attempt, reaching 34.98m to beat Geion Washington (Kaizen) into second (24.98m) and Jabari Mitchell (Mercury) into third (19.15m).

Back on the track, the boys’ U-20 200m final had spectators at the edge of their seats with Frederick winning in 21.13 with Hislop second in 21.23 and David in21.33 to achieve the World junior event standard of 21.35.

Wright did it in the girls’ version of the race with her winning time of 24.05 surpassing the 24.20-standard. Phoenix’s Ayla Stanisclaus was second in 24.37 and Tatianna Martinez (Mercury), third in 24.98.

There was no surprise in the Boys U-20 javelin throw as four-time Carifta champion, Tyriq Horsford taking gold with a 63.85-throw. Second was Selvon Rochford (Five Rivers Sec) with 56.35 and third, Jante Lewis of Mustangs with 52.15m.

Karessa Kirton ended with the most medals, increasing her gold medal tally to five and her overall count to six, after copping a silver in the Girls U-15 200m. The Cougars athlete won the Girls U-15 300m hurdles, clocking 43.64 to beat Point Fortin New Jets’ (PFNJ) Natasha Fox (44.58) and Kayla Caesar of Memphis (48.98), to the line respectively.

In the 200m, Fox and Kirton reversed placings with the former getting the gold with a time of 24.68. Kirton was the runner-up in 24.79 and in third was her Cougars clubmate Reneisha Andrews (25.09).

Later, running the third leg, Kirton partnered with Makeda Edwards, Reneisha Andrews and Kianna Llewellyn to get a victory in the girls U-15 4x100m relay in 49.75. Memphis (Kayah Charles, Afiya Croal, Janae Murray, Kayla Caesar) stayed on for second in 50.03, with Abilene (Teneka Bonnett, Nzinga Charles, McKala Lewis, Kadija Pickering) in third (51.25).

Cougars, who led at the end of day one, dominated again on the second day to be crowned the champion team with a combined score of 475 points from 95 events. The champion won three of six relays it competed in, placed second in two and third in one.

Memphis tallied 370 to finish a far off second while Kaizen placed third with 337. Abilene (194) and PFNJ (186) filled the other two spots, respectively.

YESTERDAY’S OTHER RESULTS

Hammer
Girls U-20: 1 Sherselle Murray (Tafac) 28.62m; 2 Angel Nixon (Rss Phoenix) 18.91m; 3 Maurica Stafford (Kaizen) 15.60m
Boys U-17: 1 Jamaal Alexander (Tafac) 40.39m; 2 Jayden Scott (Mercury) 27.06m; 3 Tyrese Murray (Kaizen) 24.61m
Girls U-17: 1 Tori McKenzie (Phoenix) 18.28m; 2 Addrianna Cordner (Kaizen) 17.49m; 3 Aaliyah Alexander (Kaizen) 16.63m
Shot Put
Girls U-20: 1 Ianna Roach (Memphis) 12.42m; 2 Shantel Licorish (Striders) 11.39m; 3 Tonya Chapman (Falcons) 10.78m
Boys U-15: 1 Isaiah Gemon (Cougars) 13.18m; 2 Tyrese Murray (Kaizen) 12.22m; 3 Timothy Simpson (Memphis) 10.35m
Discus
Boys U-20: 1 Konnel Jacob (Jaguars) 53.25m; 2 Christop Crawford (Falcons) 49.05m; 3 Clarence Hannibal (Falcons) 46.65m
Girls U-17: 1 Shakera Kirk (Falcons) 34.50m; 2 Jusoynia Fifi (Titans) 27.31m; 3 Tehealia Kennedy (Zenith) 26.10m
Girls U-15: 1 Ashanti Marcelle (Mercury) 24.25m; 2 Ce’Lise Adams (Zenith) 21.95m; 3 Addrianna Cordner (Kaizen) 20.95m
Pole Vault
Boys U-20: 1 Anderson Subero (Sangre Grande SE) 3.20m; 2 Kibwe Cromwell (Tafac) 2.50m
Boys U-17: 1 Nathaniel Mathura (DPAC) 2.20m
High Jump
Boys U-20: 1 Shaquill Benjamin (Zenith) 1.87m; 2 Franklyn Stanislaus (Kaizen) 1.87m
Boys U-17: 1 Che Saunders (Kaizen) 1.80m; 2 Justin Guy (Kaizen) 1.68m
Girls U-17: 1 Trishell McLaren (Tafac) 1.55m; 2 Shaniya Morgan (Neon Wolves) 1.49m
Boys U-15: 1 Aaron Antoine (Neon Wolves) 1.63m; 2 Le Bron James (Falcons) 1.60m; 3 Tyrique Dennis (Kaizen) 1.60m
Girls U-15: 1 Gianna Paul (DPAC) 1.50m; 2 Aalisha Jones (Oasics) 1.41m; 3 Tyler Shears (Tafac) 1.38m
Triple Jump
Boys U-20: 1 Kelsey Daniel (Kaizen) 14.20m
Boys U-17: 1 Lorenzo Luces (Tafac) 12.39m; 2 Dimitri Richards (Tafac) 11.98m; 3 Tyrique Dennis (Kaizen) 11.90m
Girls Open: 1 Jayda Williams (Simplex) 10.25m; 2 Trishell McLaren (Tafac) 9.83m; 3 Amber Mayhew (Goodwood High) 9.69m
Long jump
Boys U-20: 1 Safiya John (Kaizen) 5.76m; 2 Aquilla St Louis (DPAC) 5.54m; 3 Antonia Sealy (Unattached) 5.24m
200m
Boys U-17: 1 Shakeem McKay (Abilene) 21.87, 2 Malachi Heywood (PFNJ) 22.23; 3 Saeed Pompey (M/Jets) 22.70
Boys U-15: 1 Jesaiah Greenidge (Concorde) 23.45; 2 Naeem Nelson (Simplex) 23.65; 3 Keone John (Memphis) 23.72
800m
Boys U-20: 1 Jaden St Louis (Cougars) 1:57.08; 2 Andrii Campbell (Rebirth) 1:58.16; 3 Aarin Simon (Memphis) 1:58.33
Girls U-20: 1 Shania Le Matrie (Rebirth) 2:16.91; 2 Camile Lewis (S/Bullets) 2:29.89; 3 Chelse Ragoonanan (Memphis) 2:37.64
Boys U-17: 1 Mishak Peters (Abilene) 2:03.54; 2 Ryan Campbel (Pentecostal High) 2:04.23; 3 Ethan Forde (Cougars) 2:05.58
Girls U-17: 1 Rae-Anne Serville (Memphis) 2:17.60; 2 Kaylay John (PFNJ) 2:32.75; 3 Jamila Cox (Burnley) 2:33.47
Boys U-15: 1 Cyril Sumner (Memphis) 2:12.20; 2 Joshua Mascall (FAS) 2:13.89; 3 Khaylon Antoine (Cougars) 2:17.33
Girls U-15: 1 Christiemarie Maharaj (S/Bullets) 2:26.57; 2 Octavia Cambridge (Cougars) 2:26.70; 3 Shakiah Phillip (Memphis) 2:37.55
400m hurdles
Boys U-20: 1 Jaden St Louis (Cougars) 56.77; 2 Tyrese Rawlins (Wolves) 58.58; 3 Shakeel Francis (Warriors) 58.80
Girls U-20: 1 Joelle Baptiste (Concorde) 1:10.08
Boys U-17: 1 Justin Guy (Kaizen) 57.78; 2 Rinaldo Moore (Memphis) 58.13; 3 Brian Morris (Cougars) 1:00.60
Girls U-17: 1 Jada James (Titans) 1:05.21; 2 Shanika Belfon (Kaizen) 1:07.46; 3 Beyonce Moses (Phoenix) 1:11.89
300m Hurdles
Boys U-15: 1 Darius Joseph (Abilene) 43.80; 2 Antwon Frederick (Cougars) 45.18; 3 Kanye Ottley (Kaizen) 45.33
5,000m
Boys U-20: 1 Genesis Joseph (Health Olympians) 16:53.65; 2 Jediael Walters (Kaizen) 17:02.35; 3 Kareem Mason (Richard Jones RA) 17:14.40
3,000m
Boys U-17: 1 Antonio Blackman (Jubilee Stars) 10:28.11; 2 Caleb Moses (S/Bullets) 10:37.13; 3 Nkosi Toney (Pentecostal High) 10:45.14
Girls Open: 1 Teresa Otero (Richard Jones) 12:20.13; 2 Janeil Bailey (Richard Jones) 12:28.23; 3 Sophie Potter (Richard Jones) 12:46.71
Decathlon
Boys U-20: 1 Anson Moses (Falcons) 6,078; 2 Joel Andrews (D’badie Progressive) 5,915; 3 Aaron Caesar (Unattached) 5,567
Boys U-17: 1 Anthony Diaz (La Brea) 5,097; 2 Corde Gomez (Tafac) 2,982; 3 Antonio Wellington (IG Fastlane) 2,928
Relays
Boys U-20 4x100m: 1 Memphis 41.56; 2 Abilene 42.07; 3 Stallion 44.56
Girls U-20 4x100m: 1 PFNJ 47.80; 2 Memphis 48.23; 3 Rss Phoenix 57.08
Boys U-17 4x100m: 1 Cougars 43.26; 2 Abilene 43.30; 3 PFNJ 44.48
Boys U-15 4x100m: 1 Cougars 46.06; 2 Memphis 46.59; 3 Simplex 47.39
Boys 4x400m Open: 1 Abilene 3:16.77; 2 Memphis 3:17.18; 3 Cougars 3:19.97

T&T internationals, defender Carlyle Mitchell, and winger Cordell Cato both netted for their respective clubs in the United Soccer League (USL) on Saturday night.

At Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, 30-year-old Mitchell scored his first goal of the season, with his new club Indy Eleven, in the 55th minute on an assist from Spain’s Ayoze Garcia Perez to seal a 2-0 win over Atlanta United after England’s Matt Watson had fired in a 30th-minute opener.

Compatriot, striker Nathan Lewis was an unused substitute for Indy Eleven, now tenth in the Eastern Conference with 18 points from 12 matches.

However, Cato and his Charlotte Independence (20 points) was crushed 4-1 away to New York Red Bulls II at MSU Soccer Park, Pittser Field, Montclair, New Jersey, despite the speedy winger scoring the opening goal of the match, in the 23rd minute, his sixth on the season.

The loss left Charlotte Independence joint fourth with New York Red Bulls, Nashville and Charleston Battery.

English-born T&T defender Justin Hoyte featured for the entire 90 minutes in Eastern Conference leaders’ Cincinnati 2-0 defeat of fellow T&T player, Raleigh-USA-born Andre Fortune’s North Carolina at Sahlen’s Stadium, WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, North Carolina.

The win lifted Cincinnati to 26 points from 13 matches, three more than Louisville City while Pittsburgh Riverhound is third with 21.

T&T goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh was back between the uprights for defending champions Louisville City FC in a 0-0 draw with Bethlehem Steel at Goodman Stadium, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

The trio, defender Leland Archer, midfielder Atualla Guerra and defender Neveal Hackshaw and their Charleston Battery fell to a surprise 2-0 loss to Mekeil Williams’ Richmond Kickers at City Stadium, Richmond, Virginia to remain on 20 points, but now seventh.

The 27-year-old Williams, a former Colorado Rapids player had a solid match in defence for Kickers while the 22-year-old Archer, a former T&T Under-17 and Under-20 player was making his season debut and played the entire contest along with Hackshaw. Guerra who has seven goals on the season was suspended.

On Wednesday last, Hoyte, Guerra and Hackshaw all had their campaigns in the US Open Cup halted after their clubs suffered defeats.

The 33-year-old Hoyte was not among the 18-man roster of US Soccer League outfit, Cincinnati who fell 3-1 on penalty-kicks to US Major League Soccer’s Minnesota United after a 0-0 deadlock at Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio.

And at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, Kennesaw, Georgia, Atlanta United trounced Guerra and Hackshaw’s Charleston Battery 3-0 with goals from Andrew Carleton (14th), Ezequiel Barco (47th pen) and 64th minute Romario Williams item in front of a crowd of 9,742 spectators.

Hackshaw, who started on the left of a three-man defence was substituted in the 74th minute for Jay Bolt while inform Guerra, with seven league goals to his name in the US Soccer League came off in the 82nd minutes for Sierra Leone’s Victor Mansaray.

T&T senior men’s volleyballers squandered a first set win and fell to a 25-20, 28-30, 21-25, 20-25 loss to Guatemala in a virtual third place battle in the Norceca Men’s Challenger Cup at the November 19 Pavilion, Pinar del Rio, Cuba on Saturday night.

With the loss, T&T ended with a 1-3 record after getting a lone win over Costa Rica while Guatemala ended 2-2 to trail Puerto Rico (3-1) and champions Cuba (4-0) who clinched the lone ticket available to the FIVB 2019 League of Nations qualifying World Final.

Playing in Saturday’s early match, T&T, the three-time Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) champions started aggressively and won the first set.

The second went almost a similar pattern until the end when the Central American champions tied at 23 and overcame the more physically fit looking T&T team to come away with a 30-28 win and even the match at one-set all.

The second set win raised the passions in the Guatemalans, who never lost the initiative in the clash that lasted almost two hours as they came out victorious in the next two sets, despite T&T, which was without injured setter, Kameron Donald, getting a tournament- best 24 points from competition “Best Scorer,” captain Ryan Stewart, who enjoyed a brief stint in France a few years ago.

Marlon Phillip and former Finland-based Akim Bushe chipped in with 14 and 13 points respectively while Kwesi Daniel added nine, and USA-based Mikheil Hoyte, six for T&T who were with the services of two key players for the tournament in Portugal-based Marc-Anthony Honore and last CAZOVA Championship “Most Valuable Player” Brandon Legall.

Outside hitter, Carlos López was the backbone of his squad with 20 points, the only one to add double digits while Wagner Chacón got nine and Brandon Chinchilla, seven.

Despite the defeat, T&T dominated their opponents on spikes, 48-36, blocks 18-5 and service aces, 3-1.

However, the Sean Morrison- coached team committed too many errors, (48-25) which was key in the loss. Stewart said his team had been working well until the middle of the second set before they lost focus and made many mistakes.

He added: “In addition, the player who replaced our setter who was injured in the previous game was also injured and that new change was very difficult.

We did a good job, but I think we reacted very late.”

Morrison echoed the views of Stewart and also highlighted the fact that his team was missing two very key players who were not with the team.

He said, “today (Saturday) the best team won, we made a lot of mistakes, the loss of the second passer affected us too much, it was very difficult for my men to catch up, but I am very satisfied with all the work they have done in the tournament, despite the fact that we do not have two important players.”

In the night’s feature match, Cuba defeated Costa Rica 25- 13, 25-16, 25-16 to complete a 4-0 record and the top spot in the five-team competition.

The top scorer of the match was the opposite Miguel Ángel López (15), the only Cuban to play in a club in Italy, followed by the new attacker Marlon Yang (11), while for the Central Americans the one in double digits was also the opposite Gilberth Solano ( 13).

T&T, CAZOVA winners in 2010, 2014 and 2017, returned home yesterday and will resume preparations for the 23rd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia ( July 20 - August 3); the 13th Pan American Cup in Veracruz, Mexico (August 12-20); and the defense of their CAZOVA Men’s Championship in Suriname (August 4 – 11) later this week.

Stewart, Mohammed, Daniel pick up Norceca awards The T&T trio of captain Ryan Stewart, Joshua Mohammed and Kwesi Daniel all picked up individual awards at the awards ceremony.

Stewart was named the “Best Scorer” after he tallied 60 points over his four matches, six ahead of Guatemala’s Carlos Lopez Santiago while Mohammed copped two awards, “Best Libero” and “Best Receiver”, and Daniel, the “First Best Blocker”.

The trio joined Portugal- based “Marc-Anthony Honore as the only T&T men’s players to have captured Norceca Tournament individual accolades while Sinead Jack and Darlene Ramdin have accomplished the feat among the national women’s players.

Cuban Miguel David Gutiérrez, of the champion team, was selected the “Most Valuable Player” and Best Opposite while. Gutierrez, one of the six Cuban players inserted in professional leagues, was the third best scorer with 48 points (36 in attack, seven blocks and five service).

The “Best Spikers” were Eddie Rivera of Puerto Rico, and Carlos F. López, of Guatemala while the other “Best Blocker” was Liván Osoria of Cuba.

The “Best Server” awards net to Puerto Rican Eddie Rivera;”Best Digger” Costa Rican Luis G. Chávez and the “Best Setter,” Adrián Goide of Cuba.

Two weeks after the Anti-Gang legislation went into effect, Roman Catholic Archbishop Jason Gordon says unless T&T finds a way to love, respect and educate its youths, there will always be gangs.

Speaking to reporters after the consecration of the chapel of Our Lady of the Presentation, held at Presentation College in San Fernando Monday, Gordon said an intervention was needed within the family if gangs were to be eradicated.

Asked whether he believed there was a correlation between the passage of the Anti-Gang legislation and the spike in gang member murders, he responded, "Crime situation in Trinidad is in a difficult space. Many things that are being tried have not gotten to the place where we want it to go, which is zero murders by gangs."

He added, "The fact that the escalation of gangs continues (despite the new legislation) proves that we have not yet found the right solutions." 

He noted that it was not only the responsibility of the law enforcement to eradicate gangs.

"It takes every citizen coming together to get the right solutions. The church has its part to play and we continue to do that in our own communities. The priests are actively working in the different communities. The police, the government, national security is working. We have to reach into the families because it is in the families that we are having our deepest problems," he said.

Giving an analysis of gang recruitment, Gordon said, "A lot of these guys are looking for families. They are looking for love, for belonging and a place where they are recognized and respected. So they join gangs so they can find a place where they are respected and called family in all the wrong ways. So unless we find ways for them to be loved, respected, educated and brought up right so they can earn respect in positive ways, we are going to have the problem that we are having with gangs in our country. We all have to do what we can do to raise our young people into becoming model citizens in our country."

With regard to the increase in break-ins at religious places of worship, Gordon said he did not think such institutions were being specifically targeted.

"I think it is the secularization of the city and the country. This means that people no longer understand what is sacred. There was a time when you could leave your church, your temple or mosque open and go yet nobody would dare do anything because they understood this was a sacred space. Now that the sacredness of the country has gone and  in many people's minds there is nothing sacred, everything is up for grabs."

He said the loss of the sacredness of life had triggered a spike in crime.

Roman Catholic episcopal vicar and parish priest Fr David Khan also said he did not think the enforcement of the Anti-gang legislation had anything to do with the recent murders of known gang members.

"People have lost respect for humans and legislation have nothing to do with crime being on the increase. Similarly in times past when they thought the returning of the death penalty would have caused crime to subside it was proven that this did not deter people from committing crimes.

"When people have lost a sense of respect and care for humanity at large, crime will occur and this is the reason why the legislation will not slow it down. Likewise, the death penalty did not stop crimes from happening in T&T."

He agreed that there was a need to intensify police patrols at schools and places of worship.

Determined to get a new school before the next academic year, scores of parents and pupils from Princes Town Presbyterian No 1 & 2 schools staged a placard protest Monday, as they called on Education Minister Anthony Garcia to make good on his promise to rebuild their school.

The school structure at Edward Street has been torn down since last year but because of a dispute between the Ministry and the Presbyterian Primary Schools Board of Education, almost 900 pupils from the two schools are facing severe hardship.

During an interview, yesterday, president of the Presbyterian No 1 Parents Teachers Association Nola Ramjohn-Karim said her school was a top performing institution in the South Eastern zone but since the school was placed on a shift system with Presbyterian No 2, three years ago, standards have fallen.

She also said they were getting confusing information from the Board and the Ministry. 

"We are hearing that the land where the old school was built, is very valuable so the Board does not want to put back a school there. We are calling on the Board to meet with us," Ramjohn-Karim said.

She also said that in October 2016 after several rounds of talks with the Ministry, the Board finally granted permission to the Ministry to build the school.

In February, Minister Garcia assured parents that construction will begin. However, Ramjohn-Karim said nothing ever started.  The school building was demolished and the compound was padlocked.

"We have been begging the government to hear our pleads and to build the school. Our children are getting half day school. It is not right. Parents have to leave their jobs because they cannot make two trips back and forth to send their children on two shifts. The parents are frustrated. the children cannot bear this anymore," Ramjohn-Karim said.

She added that following the last protest outside the Ministry's offices in Port-of-Spain, representatives from the Board and the Ministry went to Presbyterian No 2 and discussed the erection of a prefabricated building on the lot behind the existing school which will accommodate 10 classes.

However, she said because of the sloping land, this idea was rejected.

She also said that a proposal was made to erect a shed in the quadrangle but this too was rejected. The parents said they will continue their protests this week. 

Efforts to contact the chairman of the Presbyterian Primary School Board Anthony Rampersad proved futile as calls to his office and cellular phones went unanswered.

However, Minister Garcia said he had no information from the Board that they no longer wanted a school reconstructed at the old site.

Garcia said the school cannot be rebuilt immediately because the government simply did not have the money to do so.

"As soon as we have funds available to us, we will rebuild the school."

 Asked if that will be in the new fiscal year, Garcia said, " I don't want to make promises that I cannot fulfill. As soon as funds are available, whether it is to rebuild or place additional classrooms, we will do so."

He said the Ministry was looking at all possibilities to ensure that students are housed under satisfactory conditions and the shift system comes to an end.