Alvin Corneal, a former national player and coach, has welcomed the 2026 FIFA World Cup being held jointly by the United States, Mexico and Canada, but he believes there could be major challenges for T&T and the Caribbean during the qualification process.

Yesterday at the 68th FIFA Congress in Moscow, it was announced that the US bid received 134 of 200 votes cast, or 67 per cent, while Morocco tallied 65 votes (33 per cent) to effectively hand the new 48-team world cup to the Concacaf region. One member association voted not to choose either of the two bids.

Corneal, a FIFA analyst for many years said this new development would mean the remaining Caribbean and Concacaf countries will compete for just one spot which will be a tremendous disadvantage to T&T and other regional territories.

Corneal is suggesting that the FIFA should make two spots available for the Concacaf region which will give Caribbean teams a fighting chance of at least one. With Mexico, USA and Canada earning automatic entry into the world cup by virtue of being hosts, Concacaf big guns Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala or Panama could be well placed to take the lone qualifying berth.

Corneal also expressed concerns that visa issues with the United States in the past, may pose a major form of discomfort at the World Cup. “I know fans should be okay with entry into Mexico and Canada, but in the past there were major concerns for people gaining entry into the US because of visas,” Corneal told Guardian Media Sports.

The increase in the number of teams from 32 to 48 will make the staging of the 2026 world cup in three countries possible Corneal said, but he believes the possibility of serious challenges may exist due to the inexperience of the Concacaf teams in hosting world cups. Mexico staged the world cup twice in 1970 and 1986, while the US held its only world cup in 1994 which Brazil won.

David John-Williams, the T&T Football Association (TTFA) president, said it’s always good to see the World Cup in our Confederation.

According to the local football boss: “It is going to be an exciting World Cup played in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Obviously my concern is the fact that automatic places for these three countries could be a bit unfair unless properly discussed with other countries within the Confederation. That is something that needs to be addressed, needs to be talked about and needs to be ventilated properly.”

The three countries will bring the tournament to North America for the first time since 1994. Voters were persuaded by promises of record crowds, record revenues and, perhaps crucially, a record $11 billion in profit for FIFA, world football’s governing body.

The 2026 tournament will be the first time the World Cup is being hosted by three countries, and the first time it will comprise 48 teams. Most of the tournament will take place in the United States. Of the 80 matches, ten will be in Canada, ten in Mexico and 60 in the United States.

WALTER ALIBEY
 

National netballer, Samantha Wallace continued her impressive form in the Suncorp Super Netball League when she led New South Wales Swifts to a narrow 51-49 defeat of Adelaide Thunderbirds at Quay Centre, Sydney, Australia, on Saturday.

Coming off her best match of a the season in which she scored 43 goals from 48 attempts in a 64-54 defeat of Collingwood Magpies, the 24-year-old Wallace scored ten of 12 attempts in the first quarter and England international Helen Housby added, five from five attempts for a 15-14 lead.

The second period was more of the same for the Wallace and the Swifts and she added further 13 goals from 16 attempts while Housby got three from five for a 16-11 second quarter win and 31-25 half-time advantage.

The Thunderbirds brought Sasha Glasgow into the third quarter for her first netball this season, and a 9-6 run to cut the deficit to two goals as Wallace was limited to seven goals from as many attempt and Housby only managed half of four efforts on goal.

Despite some late turnovers the Thunderbirds were able to win the quarter 12-9 and win their first bonus point of the season to trail 37-40 heading into the final term, and within a few minutes of the start of the final period, Thunderbirds slashed the gap to just one, with Wallace replaced by Sophie Garbin.

The game then looked set for a thrilling finish as with two minutes left, the Thunderbirds levelled the scores and effected a steal for a chance at the go-ahead goal seconds later.

However, intercepts from Paige Hadley and Abbey Mc Culloch ended their late run, though, and secured the win for the Swifts.

There was some consolation for the Thunderbirds, who claimed two bonus points for winning the third and fourth quarters—their first competition points of the season.

Wallace ended with 30 goals from 34 attempts over three quarters of play to carry her season tally to 161 from 183 attempts, Housby netted 15 from 20 and Garbin, six of nine while for Thunderbirds, Jamaican Shimona Nelson converted 33 from 39 attempts, Abigail Latu-Meafou 12 of 14, and Sasha Glasgow four of eight.

The win improved Swifts to 4-2 on the season and 26 points in fourth spot, nine behind table toppers, West Coast Fever (5-1) while Giants Netball (4-2) and Sunshine Coast Lightning (3-3) are second and third, respectively, with 28 points each.

Mc Collin’s Mavericks slip up at Team Bath

England-based national women’s team Goal Shoot, Kalifa Mc Collin had a quiet afternoon as her benecos Mavericks slipped to a 45-54 loss at Team Bath in the England Vitality Netball Super League at University of Bath Sports Training Village, Bath, Somerset, England on Friday.

With both teams in the battle for a top four finish and playoff spot, a tense encounter was expected and the host, five-time tournament champions were soon in control, only just with a 16-14 first quarter lead.

The second quarter was more of the same as Mavericks duo, Mc Collin and Karyn Bailey were confronted by a stifling defence from Team Bath who again won the quarter, 14-11 for a 30-25 half-time cushion.

Mc Collin and her team-mates did their best to claw their way back into the contest but Team Bath won the third quarter as well, 13-10 to push their lead to 43-35 before closing out the final quarter, 11-10 for a 54-45 triumph.

Mc Collin ended with 16 goals from 18 attempts and Bailey was a perfect 29 of 29 attempts in the loss for Mavericks who dropped to 10-4 and 30 points in fourth spot, the same as Team Bath, which trails on goal-difference.

Wasps stayed top of the ten-table despite losing only its second match of the campaign and now sits at 12-2 and 36 points, level with Loughborough Lightning which has played a match more (12-3) while Manchester Thunder is alone in third with an 11-3 mark and 33 points.

Reigning national women’s Under-21 and Senior singles champion, Brittany Joseph and Under-18 champion Chelsea Fong both won two matches apiece to lead WASA ‘A’ over Arima Table Tennis Club, 5-4 and on the brink of the Division Two crown in the East Zone Table Tennis A-1 and A-2 Tournament on Tuesday night.

Joseph, a three-time senior national champion, began with a 12-10, 15-13, 11-4 win over Emmanuel Chuniesingh to get WASA ‘A’ on level terms at 1-1.

This after team-mate Ambika Sitram-Watson fell to Abraham Francis 3-11, 11-6, 1-11, 6-11 before Joseph went under to Francis by default due to an injury, and then returned to beat Kibwe Lee 11-4, 11-9, 11-5 to put her team up 5-2 and certain of victory.

Fong got her wins over Lee, 12-10, 15-13, 11-4 and Arima captain Chuniesingh 11-4, 9-11, 4-11, 13-11, 12-10 but was beaten by Francis 11-9, 11-4, 7-11, 6-11, 11-9 in a dead-rubber.

Sitram-Watson had the other vital win for WASA ‘A’, 13-11, 11-5, 11-2 over Lee, while the other wins for Arima came from Francis, 11-3, 6-11, 11-1, 11-6 against Sitram-Watson, who was also beaten by Chuniesingh, 11-9, 6-11, 7-11, 9-11.

With the victory, its third from as many matches, WASA ‘A’ carried its record to maximum nine points, one behind D’Abadie Youths which ended with a 3-1 record, while Arima Table Tennis Club is third with a 2-2 record and eight points.

Last night, WASA ‘A’ went into its final match versus Arima Hawks (1-2) with five points with victory cementing a hold on the title.

On Monday night, in the A-1 Division, former five-time national champion Reeza Burke and Arun Roopnarine both played unbeaten in leading Arima Hawks to a comprehensive 8-1 defeat of D’Abadie Youths.

Burke outplayed Michael Nanton 11-8, 11-7, 11-6; Everton Sorzano 11-8, 11-7, 8-11, 11-4 and Sherdon Pierre 11-8, 6-11, 11-9, 11-7, while third ranked locally Roopnarine defeated Sorzano 11-7, 11-9, 11-9, Pierre, 11-3, 15-13, 11-6, and Nanton, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9.

Wellington, Arima Hawks’ third player on the night was also impressive in beating Nanton, 11-4, 6-11, 11-6, 11-5 and Sorzano, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9 after losing his opener to Pierre, 10-13, 1-11, 6-11.

It was the first win for Hawks to go to three points, three adrift of unbeaten WASA ‘A’ while D’Abadie is next with a 0-2 mark and two points, one more than WASA ‘B’.

Last night, Hawks faced WASA ‘B’ and the latter also battled D’Abadie Youths, both at WASA while today, WASA ‘A’ meets Hawks in what is expected to be a title decider.

T&T has put its seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Guyana behind them. This according to T&T skipper Merissa Aguilleira.

T&T was upset by Guyana on Tuesday, in the second round of competition in the Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze, currently being held in Jamaica.

While acknowledging that her team has put itself a bit on the back foot, the West Indies wicket-keeper/batswoman explained that it’s an all too familiar position that her side has gotten themselves out of before.

“After losing against Guyana yesterday, we know the position we have put ourselves in so we have no choice but to make sure and win the rest of our matches,” said Aguilleira.

“For the past couple of years we have been putting ourselves in this position and sometimes, it just brings out the best in us and hopefully it works just as it has in years gone by.”

Understanding that her team must now win all its remaining matches if it has any hope of defending its title, she says the goal now is to stay focused, but also enjoy their cricket. The team she says has already regrouped, acknowledged their mistakes and is looking forward to moving on positively.

“Yes, it was really disappointing for us, but the mood in the camp is great, we came together, we sat down, we had some fun, we relaxed, we put it behind us and now it’s all about moving forward. There was nothing really to go back to the drawing board about, but just minor mistakes we made at certain points and we will be looking forward to defending our title.”

T&T won’t be in for a smooth ride though, as the Bajans, who they face from 10.30 am today, have stayed on top of their opponents in the first two rounds. While they stumbled a bit against the Windward Islands in their first match, being bowled out for 101, but returning to win by 18 runs, they dominated the Leeward Islands in a brief but exciting ten-wicket win on Tuesday.

Barbados packs an arsenal of five West Indies players, including the world No 1 T20 all-rounder, Hayley Matthews, hard-hitting, Deandra Dottin and WI opening bowlers Shakera Selman and Shamilia Connell.

Speaking ahead of the match, Matthews explained that while Barbados has what it takes to overcome T&T, they also know it won’t be easy.

“We know Trinidad will be our hardest match up so far, but we also know that we have a very strong team and we are capable of beating any team in the competition,” said Matthews. “Obviously in the last two years, they’ve dominated the tournament so we know that if we can get over T&T it would be a major step for us towards winning the title.”

The 20-year-old said her team is confident that it can win, especially coming off two wins and commended her side for the team effort its has exhibited thus far in the competition and hopes Barbados can carry it into its remaining matches.

Also in action today are Jamaica versus Leeward Islands from 3.30 pm and Guyana against Windward Islands. Both the Leewards and Windwards are without wins in the competition so far, while Guyana lost to Jamaica in their opening match and the hosts remain unbeaten.

Editor’s Note:

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

Already on the back foot in this series, having lost the opening Test to the Windies in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, Sri Lanka awoke to the news that they will have to do without former captain Angelo Mathews and Lahiru Gamage as they are now travelling back home for different reasons.

Mathews goes home for personal reasons while Gamage is out through injury. The big right-hander suffered an injury to the finger when he was hit on the glove by a Shannon Gabriel thunderbolt. Gamage had some on-field treatment and continued batting, finishing with three off 49 balls, as Sri Lanka lost by 226 runs.

The Sri Lankan management has sent out for two replacements and they left Sri Lanka last evening for the blue waters of the Caribbean. However, given the distance they have to travel, there is no way possible they can reach these shores in time for the Test. The men coming in from Sri Lanka are Dhanuska Gunathilaka and Dasun Shanaka.

In the interim, the Sri Lankans can call on Dhananjaya de Silva, Kasun Rajita or Asitha Fernando who are here with the team. The Sri Lankans travelled to the region with 17 players and not the normal 15 and it will now work in their favour.

Meanwhile, the teams held their workout at the Beausejour the venue for today’s clash and the Windies are reporting that all is fine and well within their camp.

Skipper Jason Holder will be hoping that his team can register their second back-to-back Test win in four years. The last time this was achieved, was way back in 2014 against Bangladesh in the Caribbean.

The pitch here is expected to help his ambitions as it is expected to be similar to what obtained at the Queen’s Park Oval. With the Windies quicks in-form, the visitors will be wary as they did not handle them well in Trinidad, falling for 185 and 223 in their two efforts.

The last time a Test match was played here was against India in 2016 and it assisted the faster bowlers, as India won the game. Traditionally the pitch here has played well, giving results to anyone willing to put in the hard work and it is expected to play the same again today.

Rain has been in and around the Gros Islet area over the past few days and is expected to worsen over the weekend, which means that interruptions are expected. The authorities in St Lucia moved away from playing cricket at the Mindoo Phillip Park because it was apparently built in a rain belt. This is why the Beausejour came into being. They built this ground in what is known as a ‘dry’ area so they are hoping that the rain does not play a big hand.

Play on the first day gets underway at 10 a

TEAMS

Windies: Jason Holder (captain), Devendra Bishoo, Kraigg Brathwaite, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Jamar Hamilton, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Devon Smith.
Sri Lanka: Dinesh Chandimal (captain), Kusal Mendis, Mahela Udawatte, Dhananjaya de Silva, Roshen Silva, Kusal Perera, Niroshan Dickwella (wk), Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Akila Dananjaya, Lahiru Kumara.

Just as I predicted, the West Indies won the first Test match against Sri Lanka at the Queen’s Park Oval, on easily the best pitch that has been produced in the region for a long time. The batsmen were able to play their shots and if the bowlers bent their backs, they would extract something from the surface.

Kudos to the ground curator. It was five days of absorbing Test match cricket and after the Windies got over their early match jitters, they dominated the match from after tea on the first day, right up to the luncheon period on the final day. We will summarise the series after the final Test match, as today pride and place must go to the biggest sporting event on the planet: the 2018 edition of the FIFA World Cup.

With 32 teams in eight groups contesting a trophy worth USD $38 million, winning the World Cup is any footballer’s dream. My only regret is that it comes around every four years; I really wish it was shorter, maybe every three years, but the wait is always well worth it.

Firstly, let’s examine the teams in group A: the hosts Russia, together with Uruguay, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Uruguay with Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani up front should win the group, while it appears to be a toss-up between Egypt and Russia for the second spot. The Egyptians may be too heavily dependent on Mo Salah and with the luxury of home support, Russia may take it.

In group B, Portugal and Spain stand out. Portugal come into the tournament as European champions and should be brimming with confidence, but I can’t see them getting the better of Spain as the Spaniards possess a good all round quality team.

In group C France will waltz away as winners and should go far in the tournament as they are extremely talented. Denmark, even though they had to qualify by playing in a play-off against Ireland, should pull through ahead of Peru and Australia.

Group D without a doubt is this tournament’s group of death. Any two of the four can go through as Argentina, Iceland, Croatia and Nigeria all have the ability to win against one another. However, any team with Lionel Messi in it, you just have to fancy and in Argentina, there are many match winners. The other three teams are evenly matched. Iceland will fight for every ball; so too will the Nigerians with their physical strength, however, although Croatia finished runners-up to Iceland in their European group qualification, I feel they may well turn the tables on their Icelandic counterparts and take this group’s coveted 2nd spot.

Group E sees the tournament favourites Brazil, who should have absolutely no problems in topping this group. I cannot see Costa Rica, who only lost on penalties at the quarter-final stage back in 2014, repeating their valiant progress. Therefore, I fully expect Serbia to come out of this group ahead of them and Switzerland.

Group F sees another tournament favourite in Germany—the defending champions—having a slightly tougher group than Brazil, but should also face no hurdles in winning this group. The other three teams in Mexico, Sweden and South Korea should make the runners-up position quite competitive but somehow I feel Mexico with their experience, should get the better of the Asian qualifiers—South Korea—and the tough Swedes.

Colin Murray

Today’s start of the World Cup will showcase Russia to the world well beyond the thousands of football fans who have travelled there to witness the matches that will be taking place over the next month. Already, it is being described as the costliest football competition in history with Russia expected to have spent US$13.2 billion by the time the tournament ends.

Football fans alone are expected to add some US$3 billion to the Russian economy during the course of this World Cup.
 

Organisers have predicted that the total economic impact of the World Cup could be as high as US$30.8 billion by 2023. It certainly yielded benefits for the host city when it was staged in Los Angeles in 1984 and that edition is widely regarded as one of the most successful and profitable in recent history.

A more recent sporting event, the London Olympics, generated US$5.2 billion in revenue.

All this illustrates the extent to which major sporting events on the scale of the World Cup attract global audiences and generate multiple revenue streams for organisers and host countries. The money from gate receipts, merchandise sales, sponsorships and licensing agreements, not to mention sums paid for television rights, amount to billions of dollars.

However, the bulk of this revenue doesn’t necessary end up in the coffers of the country’s hosting these mega sporting events. According to report by the Economist, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) takes more than 70 per cent of television revenue from the games—a significant increase from the four per cent collected between 1960 and 1980.

FIFA, the governing body for football, generated almost US$5 billion in revenue from the 2014 World Cup, with approximately half of that money coming from television rights.

It is significant that these sums are guaranteed to the world sporting bodies even through they contribute nothing to the costs of staging these event.

On the other hand, data shows that while host countries enjoy some short-term economic bump due to temporary jobs, as well as increased spending on goods and services in the run up and throughout the staging of the contest, medium to long-term gains are not substantial—if there are even such gains.

Herein lies some important lessons for T&T where sport tourism was identified by both the current and previous governments as a key sector for economic development.

Indeed, there is a great deal of money in sport and it goes well beyond what is earned from global events. Consider the extent to which the value of some teams seem almost the exceed the economies of some nations, or the huge sums earned by star athletes well beyond their winnings in the form of endorsements and other financial opportunities.

However, based on this country’s small size and limited sporting and accommodation infrastructure, hosting an event of the scale of the World Cup is not even a remote possibility. T&T can—and has—hosted a smaller version, the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in September 2001. It was described then as an acid test for the country and all aspiring small host nations and, yes, there were significant costs incurred in preparing for the event.

For that tournament, four FIFA-standard stadia—three in Trinidad, one in Tobago—with a total seating capacity of 37,500 were constructed. Several small grounds were upgraded for use as practice pitches, as was the already existing Hasely Crawford Stadium with new seating and a flood-proof playing field.

That event was touted then as a golden opportunity for international exposure, yet here we are almost two decades later not able to really quantify the dollar and cent benefits, if any, that came from hosting that tournament.

The one tangible was the addition of those four stadia, part of an increased stock of sporting facilities—recently expanded to include a new National Cycling Velodrome, National Aquatic Centre and the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, which hosted last year’s final of the CPL T20 Cricket—all now available for sporting events.

However, simply having such facilities doesn’t mean that all is in place for sport tourism.

The sticking point for T&T might be in development and proper maintenance of other necessary infrastructure such as hotels and efficient and reliable transportation networks, roads, telecommunication, airports and other facilities. Proper medium and long-term planning is key and development objectives must be properly identified and pursued.

Already in place, however, is a National Sport Tourism Policy which identifies steps for “development of a range of niche tourism products to maximise the economic benefits of tourism.” This is under the purview of the Ministries of Sport and Tourism, the Tobago House of Assembly and various implementation agencies.

The policy is very expansive on the possible benefits, stating:

“Economic benefits may include revenue generation from the increased demand for hotel accommodation, transportation services, food and beverage, entertainment, television and media coverage, advertising and health and medical services.

“Moreover, sport tourism can help reduce the level of poverty in communities through the development of small- and micro- business enterprises and the up-skilling of community members to welcome, host and serve the sport tourism visitor. Sport tourism can also contribute to other forms of tourism such as ecotourism and community based tourism. Ecotourism tour packages can be developed and promoted amongst sport tourists. Similarly, communities have the opportunity to promote authentic cultural and heritage products to their visitors.”

All this sounds good on paper. The true test will be in implementation.

Seeing the sector in full operation might not be too far off, if we are to draw anything from the fact that Finance Minister Colm Imbert spoke about it in his 2018 budget presentation, underscoring the Government’s commitment to boosting that sector and sports in general as part of the economic diversification thrust.

Imbert said the Government planned to appeal to the private sector and to citizens to expand their support for sporting activities on a sustained basis, by attending events or financing activities and programmes, “in order to play their part in this national effort.”

Over the next four weeks, during your viewing of matches and other World Cup-related events, see it also as an example of a mega sport tourism event where the thousands of visitors now converging on Russia are enjoying more than just football matches. Not only is Russia on show but its capacity as a destination for visitors is being put to the test.

The billions of dollars that the Vladimir Putin administration invested to host this event could yield benefits if that nation continues to attract visitors and comes out of World Cup 2018 as an attractive venue for other major events, sporting or otherwise.

For T&T, while the chance to host a World Cup is unlikely, this nation is just weeks away from hosting the 2018 CPL T20 final.

Having signed on host those finals for the period 2017-2020, the Government has committed to annual expenditure of $ 6.7 million —half being paid to CPL in cash, with the remainder for local services, including the cost of the Brian Lara Stadium, ground transport, hotel, police and fire services and other necessities.

The country earned $23 million in revenue and garnered 37.6 million in viewership worldwide from the 2017 edition and expects even greater financial benefits this time around and for the duration of this agreement with the CPL

Experiences gained from these events will indicate whether there is indeed a bright future for this country in sport tourism.

For now, though, let’s just all enjoy the World Cup and witness the power and influence of sports.

As the world embraces cryptocurrencies and other financial technologies, how far behind or advanced is T&T?

Is this country poised as a Caribbean leader, or is it a follower to world giants?

More importantly, is there infrastructure here to support the advancements now gripping the world?

There questions were brought to the fore during a seminar presented by the Bankers Association of T&T (BATT) and Deloitte, Trinidad, Understanding Financial Technology Disruptors: Demystifying the Hype Versus Capabilities, at the Hyatt Recency, Port-of-Spain.

Among those in attendance was CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce of T&T (AmChamTT) Nirad Tewarie, who agreed that T&T can be a leader but felt the right environment must be created, especially if the country is expected to move to first-world status.

“Right now cryptocurrency is a space for the educated investor but unless we create the environment for people to get involved we are really going to leave it in the space of those who have the resources,” he said.

“Right now to get a mobile wallet —a crypto wallet—we have to go outside and we have to have the resources and the foreign exchange to go outside to get into the system. We should be considering that, especially since we already have crypto wallet developers in T&T who cannot use their products in T&T. Thankfully with the Internet they can go outside which speaks to the point of infrastructure.”

Tewarie emphasised that such support systems will push this country in the right direction by ensuring the right cables and connectivity are in place.

“We now need to look at our digital infrastructure. It’s something we just need to do,” he urged.

In terms of tradeability, Tewarie pointed out: “Right now the TT dollar is not very tradeable and if we have crypto it’s more tradeable internationally.

“We can’t use it to pay for services and goods in small ways but it’s much more tradeable. How do we as quickly as possible get the regulatory environment that will allow us to do it?”

Additionally, he noted, blockchain technology has the power to improve government services and reduce corruption in the public sector.

“If we use the blockchain technology to do loaded cards much like visa cards that are locked to specific vendors it can reduce corruption.

“Think of that in the context of contracts for public works and verification. There will not be delays in payments and also ensure there are no inflated payments for work not done. The application potential is huge in the public sector as well as in the private sector,” Tewarie explained.

A measured approach

Arvinder Bharath, senior manager, financial technology and information security at the Central Bank, said cryptocurrencies and blockchains are getting a great deal of attention because they have the ability to change and create transformation. However, this in itself poses risks.

“The Central Bank is taking a measured approach. We need to find the balance between risks and rewards,” she said.

“We are examining the technology very carefully and its application in financial services. We are engaging with our peers regionally and internationally and are closely working with the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada and with other banks who are actively experimenting with this technology. We will work closely with them to do our own experiments over time.”

Technology enhances convenience but currently cryptocurrencies and blockchain are fragmented, making it somewhat onerous to establish policy across the board, Bharath explained.

“There are many different forms of this technology out there and until those standards are established we cannot set policy, issue guidelines or build protocols.

“You therefore also cannot train people to develop skillsets to develop these things in all of the variance of the technology,” she noted.

At the same time it also threatens resilience as anything that has the ability to transform also has the ability to destroy or at least threaten, she added.

“As our exposure to technology grows, the risks of those technologies also grow in the same kind of proportion… sometimes by a magnitude.

“There are many areas of risks to consider top amongst those is cyber risk because these technologies are not in a room anywhere. They cannot be controlled by walls, they are out there in cyber space,” Bharath said.

She noted that the World Economic Forum 2018 highlighted cyber attacks and data fraud or data theft as two of the top five risks.

“This is not going to get better as we adopt technology more deeply and become more and more reliant on it. We need to be managing the risks that are associated with it,” she advised.

Bharath said such discussions must be a shared responsibility as no one in authority can manage it on its own. Technology is based on infrastructure of utilities like telecoms, cables and wireless.

“All of the utilities that actually support our normal data centres need to support these at the national level, at the global level.

“Our ability to connect even to the Cloud is as good as the infrastructure within the country. If it is that our wireless goes down, as good as the Cloud infrastructure might be we will not be able to connect to it,” she said.

Next month the Central Bank will be hosting a closed conference on Fintec among central bankers in collaboration with international agencies. Discussions will focus on concerns, lessons learnt and opportunities.

Fintech is any technology that impacts financial services and systems. It encompasses an array of technologies, including Cloud computing, mobile wallets, electronic payments, big data, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrencies, and distributed ledgers.

Another conference on Fintec in the cyber area is carded for January next year.

Will Cornelissen, Deloitte Partner, Canada, said blockchain has the ability to enhance small island states by breaking down barriers and making systems more accessible, ultimately enabling such countries to achieve greater independence.

“If we had a blockchain entrepreneur in T&T they will be espousing the view that blockchain is a technology that unlocks the potential to democratise a number of systems.

“So the small player has equal access to systems that were previously inaccessible to. Blockchain can assist small countries to move way from mandates from larger countries,” Cornelissen said.

Echoing similar sentiments, BATT president Nigel Baptiste said there is need for self education.

“There’s no reason why we can’t be a leader. I think we are fooling ourselves if we are waiting on someone to educate us in this area. The regulators will play a role but information is widely distributed and available for everyone via the Internet. So nobody really has an excuse,” he said.

One of the advantages for T&T, Baptiste said because of this country’s small stature, it has less to lose compared to larger territories and bigger financial institutions when it comes to bringing disruptive technology into play.

“I’m hopeful that in T&T we will see this as an opportunity. It could be an avenue for us to become a much more active player in this concept of being the international financial centre if we really are to make a dent in that,” he said.

“We have to try newer technologies because everybody is out there doing everything that we are doing at a much bigger scale so we have to be willing to try something that others are not but obviously doing it with the right framework in place.”

The discovery of 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the deep water offshore Trinidad’s east coast and the plan by Government and its industry partners BHP Billiton and Royal Dutch Shell to fast track its development is welcome news, but the questions are: at what price and can the downstream sector can afford to pay for it?

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced that Cabinet was considering ways to have the field developed as a “matter of priority.”

He said: “What we are discussing—and it’s close to conclusion—is because of the country’s need for gas at this time. We can’t follow the same template we used to before. We want to move from exploration to production as quickly as possible because we are not producing as much gas as we consume bearing in mind the number of plants we have on the ground.”

He added: “What we discussed with BHP is to change the production sharing contract arrangements that we have now and not focus solely on exploration in the area where we have already seen success, but to remodel our contracts so that BHP can move very quickly into development of the Le Clerc wells.”

Rowley further explained that he was talking about development of the Le Clerc prospects rather than immediately further exploring the block.

“So that the gas that has been found at Le Clerc can be brought to market as quickly as possible. The company has agreed to do that and so we are going to have to work out the technical details. These are very technical and legal matters and we are very advanced in those discussions. We are told in anticipation of the conclusion of those discussions with the government there are rigs on the way to delineate the Le Clerc field and to move as quickly from the Le Clerc field to go from exploration to production.”

The reality is that T&T has installed capacity of 4.3 billion cubic feet a day and only 3.6 bcf/d is available to consumers. In other words, when you add up all the users of natural gas, inclusive of electricity, LNG, methanol, ammonia, urea, melamine, other petrochemicals and manufacturing, the country needs to not just produce but have available for use more than 4.3 bcf/d. This is not the case.

This has led to shortfall, companies producing less than their name plate capacity, loss of revenue, lawsuits, plant shut downs and higher prices for natural gas.

Several executives at the Point Lisas Industrial Estate, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are in negotiations with NGC for new contracts, say they will not be able to afford the deep water gas.

The claim is that because the gas is in deep water and is more than 100 kilometres from the nearest infrastructure with the average cost per well of close to US$100 million, there are indications that such gas would be landed at Point Lisas upwards of US$5 per mmbtu. At that price the plants will have to be shut down because they cannot compete with shale producers in the US who are paying on average just above US$2 per mmbtu.

Lecturer at the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business Mariano Browne agreed that deep water gas is likely to be too expensive for downstream companies unless BHP and its partner can find crude oil with it in Block TDAA5.

“I would think that the cost of bringing the gas to market will be prohibitive unless they can get black oil and condensate with it. In any case we are not talking about this coming to market in any reasonable time period,” Browne said.

He pointed out that Prime Minister Rowley was sufficiently vague by talking about the earliest possible time in order to give himself room for the delays that are sure to occur. In any case, Browne is sure the gas cannot come to market before the next general elections are due.

Le Clerc is the first deep water discovery in the Caribbean and is mainly natural gas although it is thought that in the field there will be discoveries of more condensate and black crude.

June is traditionally the month of graduations and weddings. Last week I dealt with the topic of life after graduation from a financial perspective. This week we are onto the topic of money in the context of a relationship.

Money and the way we engage with money—both individually and as a couple—are fundamental aspects of any relationship. There is, of course, the obvious notion that you need money at some level in order to engage in a relationship. Whether it is a date or any other type of social interaction it inevitably involves spending money and a lot of what passes for entertainment is designed to accommodate these types of interactions.

Once a relationship gets closer there is the traditional cost of an engagement ring and following that the cost of a wedding. These significant one-off expenses then flow seamlessly into the cost of building a life together which includes owning a home, possibly two vehicles, preparing for and then raising children and eventually growing old together and retiring while catering for each other’s medical and care needs in old age.

When you put it all together there is extensive room for disagreement and conflict and this is why money is often cited as a fundamental issue in the break up of many a relationship.

Many times when relationship advice is being given, especially to young people, the perspective is that you should find yourself first before you can engage with someone else in a relationship.

Part of that search also includes an understanding of what money means to you and how you relate to money. If you don’t understand that upfront then you are setting yourself up for many challenges, even disappointment into the future.

Views on money

Money is a tool that allows us to acquire other things that we may desire. So understanding more about our desires is a key part of understanding our relationship with money. This is because how we spend money and what we spend money on is an essential part of our values and those values need to at least be respected and ideally need to be compatible with the values of our closest relationships.

For example, lets say you grew up in a home where there wasn’t much to go around, but more than that, as a child you were the one who had to take responsibility for some of your siblings.

In that environment you may often find yourself having to sacrifice some of what is yours in order to protect and make sure others have. In that environment you are conditioned as you go through adult life to save and accumulate. In so doing, you are not only seeking to protect yourself but also those around you that you care for.

Here money represents a source of comfort and security. You derive more from having it than from spending it. It is not necessarily about being greedy since you may not want more just for the sake of wanting more but you want more for the security that it brings.

A person who has this relationship with money will find it more difficult to, for example invest in the stock market because the variability of returns may cause many sleepless nights. For them getting into the stock market is practical only after they have attained a level of financial security, not as a means of obtaining financial security.

Now consider another personality, one who is accustomed to being the centre of attention or at least enjoying the moment. For them money is not about providing security but rather money is a tool for enjoying life in the moment because it’s all about the now. They may be more impulsive in their spending and would rather spend on something they enjoy now than see money sitting in a bank account.

For all intents and purposes, tomorrow will take care of itself and for them that is a truth because that’s exactly what has happened up until now. For this person investing is for the purpose of having the opportunity to enjoy more at a faster rate. There is no point in waiting for retirement, what if retirement never comes?

How do you think a couple with these contrasting relationships with money will fare?

Joint thinking

Certainly you will agree that they need to individually have an understanding of their relationship with money before getting into a committed relationship. One may seem selfish and greedy to the other, while the companion may be viewed as careless and irresponsible. Yet both are well intentioned and there is merit to their views about money and how they use money to express their respective values. In fact, if both individuals are able to understand and respect their partners view about money then it can make for a stronger relationship because one can help the other to achieve a level of balance.

As they go through life in partnership complexities abound and compromises will be required. One partner living on the edge because they lack the security that money brings and the other feeling frustrated that they can’t enjoy the things they want to enjoy will over time take its toll.

Their outlook on money influences almost every decision, as it has consequences for taking a vacation versus setting aside that money for retirement or saving to buy a house versus being willing to rent and move from place to place as required.

Once you have understood your relationship with money then you would be in a position to explain why you want to do things in a particular way. It is at this stage that you can then engage in joint discussions and come to some level of agreement on the way forward.

This is the time to then decide whether you keep your funds separate or co-mingle and to what extent. It is also the time when you are able to make joint financial decisions and establish priorities as a couple.

Everyone needs a level of financial independence but in an interdependent relationship a balance of “mine” verses “ours” is required. That balance will differ from couple to couple depending on their respective views and attitudes.

The challenges that occur in relationships are primarily the result of misplaced or unmet expectations. Money is a key area where expectations that are not in sync can lead to conflict.

“Why did you buy that when you know we are trying to save?”

“I can’t enjoy anything you want to save everything?”

Add to that mix the issues around spending money on alcohol and gambling and the addictive qualities that these circumstances bring about and you can appreciate the fundamental role that money plays in maintaining a strong and lasting relationship.

Ian Narine can be contacted via email at ian.narine@gmail.com

It is one the world’s oldest artforms. Stories can instill a value system unto a people through the messages and lessons communicated. It provides a connection to the past as traditions are inherited from the routines or practices of the characters, and like most other artistic expressions, its reach transcends the barriers of gender, race, and socioeconomics.

The storyteller himself or herself becomes part of our memory of a tale; one’s expression and intonation can take a story from being mediocre to unforgettable. Storytelling has undoubtedly been a popular pastime in T&T and has played an integral role in shaping our cultural landscape, with calypsoes, pichakarees (East Indian social commentary songs), and the spoken word all taking their cue from the elements of this tradition.

Eintou Pearl Springer is no stranger to the local storytelling community. Apart from being the brainchild of our National Heritage Library at Nalis, a recipient of the Hummingbird (Silver) Medal for her contribution to the arts, and helping to mould this country’s literary and theatre foundations, Springer is a Master when it comes to storytelling. For these reasons she was chosen as the Mentor to facilitate a short programme on The Art and Practice of Storytellin’ for this year’s Mentoring by the Masters Programme of the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts.

On Saturday, June 2, Springer and her fellow mentees journeyed to Gilibia Trace in Raghunanan Road, Chaguanas, to share in the East Indian storytelling experience. The destination- the Hindu Prachaar Kendra, where Springer and longtime colleague Raviji, a past Mentor himself and cultural activist, teamed up to deliver a discourse featuring the Kahaanis (tales) and kathas (discourses from ancient religious texts) of the East Indian tradition.

To appreciate the kahaani, Seeromani Maharaj-Narinesingh of the Kendra sang a soul-stirring Pichakaree (Mission to the Caribbean), where Dharti Maataa (Mother Earth) is sending the jahajis (ancestors) to the Caribbean, whispering to them to build a legacy in their new home. The song provides recollections of the Indentureship struggles and despite these hardships, Dharti Maataa implores her worshippers to “sow good sanskaar (virtues) in every parivaar (family).” The entire chapter of our country’s Indentureship journey was captured in these few verses, and the mentees were able to develop an appreciation of the Pichakaree artform from this rendition.

Pavitra Jaimungal also presented one of her many fascinating Kahaanis (tales) at the session, dressed in her signature dress and orhni (shawl) pinned in the traditional manner as worn by our female East Indian ancestors. She is one of the few, if not the only person in the country, with the ability to replicate a hybrid language of the World War era where English married Hindi and Bhojpuri.

Jaimungal has been trained to present stories depicting the life and times of this historic period, and one would find similarities of her style in the song “Rosie gyal what yuh cooking for dinner.” The Mentees themselves were certainly appreciative of this rare opportunity to travel back in time and share in the storytelling tradition of this era.

One of the most common forms of storytelling in the East Indian diaspora is the Ramayan Katha, and an excerpt was presented by Geeta Vaahini, President of the Kendra, to bring closure to the session.

The Mentees were fascinated by Vaahini’s recollection of one of Hanuman’s (the incarnation of strength) encounters as he journeyed to Lanka, and even eagerly chimed in on the “Jai Kaar” (proclamation of victory). Using her presentation as a reference, Raviji reiterated the importance of facial expressions and hand gestures used to bring to life the energy and sentiments of a story.

In her concluding remarks, Springer shared one of the reasons why stories survived throughout history, and used the example of the Akan tribe of Ghana who perpetuated the Anansi stories — “there is a link between resistance and cultural survival. The Akan people were the most warlike people who were brought to the Caribbean, and they waged war from Suriname, to Tobago, the Bahamas, Antigua, Jamaica, Barbados, and in Suriname… When the Akan people went to war, they had their symbols and went with the strength of their culture, to die or to be victorious”.

The lesson to be learnt here; always have pride in one’s culture.

Whether it was through war, or aboard Indetureship vessels to the Caribbean from India, the stories that came to these shores have certainly left a lasting impression on the minds of our past, present and future generations. The Mentoring by the Masters Programme has a responsibility to cradle these traditions and to ensure that next wave of Masters do justice to the various cultural artforms in T&T. The mentees expressed their gratitude for this “eye opening” experience, and all sat together with the Kendra family for a meal of pholourie and pepper roti.

Artist Tamara Tam-Cruikshank’s debut exhibition — Where Old Stones Are Set: The Poetics and Politics of Cultural Memory in the Built Heritage of Port of Spain, Trinidad — examines the relationships between the layers of the built environment as well as the natural and built environments. The exhibition continues until June 29 at Soft Box Gallery, 9 Alcazar Street, Port-of-Spain.

The exhibition, which is submitted in partial fulfillment of a Master of Philosophy degree in Cultural Studies at the UWI, uses the layering of images to make the viewer consider how the national environment influenced the colonial and post-colonial architects and architecture.

Tam-Cruikshank said her work looks at how the architecture we see everyday determines our sense of place and how we think about our heritage. “It’s really about place and meaning and the layers of meaning.

We venerate built heritage, but what does it really mean to us?

“I think we should question and think and attach our own meanings, because we’re told we need to love this heritage, treasure it and protect it but where did it really come from?

And how did it influence the whole place?

“I think that we can look at the place, the natural landscape, the natural setting and climate and all of that and we could see patterns developing in the architecture.

So it’s like an exchange, so when the colonists came, they may not necessarily have wanted to be influenced by the environment that they were in, but they had to be in some way, like using fretwork because they needed the air to flow through the house, etc.”

The artist said some of her work looks at the materials used to construct the architecture, such as yellow bricks, blue limestone and the concrete pavers in Independence Square, and she attempts to peel back the layers of meaning within them. “What does it mean to have this kind of architecture in our landscape? The yellow brick came as ballast, which I associate with slavery and colonisation and colonialism, so that’s the historical connection.

“Then there’s like blue limestone which came from the hills of Laventille which is often mixed with the yellow brick to reinforce it and that to me symbolises this kind of material marriage which is unique to Trinidad. I’m just saying colonisation was this meeting point of cultures and places and a whole new place had to be created.

“Then there’s concrete, as in the concrete pavers and the pillars of the Treasury, which represents this modernisation and this sense of Trinidadian independence, the pavers for instance on the Promenade are in this red, white and black colour and then they’re also in this wavy pattern and that area was the seashore at one time, so it’s peeling back at all those layers.

It’s really about deconstructing the history and past and looking at the connections between material and architecture and the past and memory, how we remember the past.”

Tam-Cruikshank said she thinks the approach is to save whatever old architecture is present, without knowing how it fits into the culture. that Trinidad doesn’t know its history well enough to teach it properly, so instead. “I don’t think we know our history well enough to teach it, so we speculate as to what things mean and where they come from. In my view, we have this nonchalance and this kind of laid back attitude towards built heritage on a whole and probably a love-hate relationship with it.”

In celebration of Alta’s 25th anniversary, Alta students around the country were asked to write about the impact the organisation has had on their lives. Since 1992, Alta has provided classes around the country for thousands of Trinidadians who struggle with reading and writing. Alta students enroll in the programme at many different levels of literacy and leave when they have accomplished their literacy goals. While it is difficult to manage work and family life alongside Alta classes, students continue to persevere and in all cases see changes in their lives after attending Alta classes.

In the coming weeks, Alta will share their pieces through this column. This week, two students from the Tranquility Government Secondary School venue share how Alta has impacted their lives.

Student Name: Dean

“I came to Alta Spelling Programme to improve my reading and spelling skills because I thought my academic skills were not good enough to suit my new job and life style. My expectation is to learn and improve and to build on my reading and spelling vocabulary. Since I came to Alta things are turning out exactly the way I wanted, I can see a lot of improvement in myself. I’m spelling words with a lot more confidence and reading more now. The experience is great, the teachers are warm, welcoming, patient, always willing to assist us with any difficulty.

The change in my life and my family life is tremendous; I can help my eight-year-old daughter with school work. I am feeling much better now. My plans for the future are much brighter.

Alta is doing a very good job. I appreciate it so much, good job to all the teachers and I want to say thanks to you all. My future plan is to take CXC Exam, learn two languages Spanish and French, Computer graphics, or even be an Alta teacher.”

Student Name: Tennille Millington

I am Tennille Millington. I am 37 years old and I came across Alta on the radio. I always wanted to better myself and this was the opportunity to do so. Going to Alta taught me to overcome my fears and also made me more confident in myself. That is what I expected.

My Alta class has turned out the way I wanted because I learned a lot from my teachers and the class is a good place to help you achieve much more. I am spelling better than before. I would like to tell anyone who is having problems to read to go to Alta. They will help you but you also have to help yourself. Alta has allowed me to relate to my friends and family in terms of speaking to them and writing business letters.

I feel a little better about myself because some things are better to do on my own. I can read some books better than before.

My plans have not changed because I still need to do more as an Alta student so I said to myself more practice is needed.

Volunteer, Donate or Sponsor-a-student. Call 621-5708 or email altapos.tt@gmail.com for more info. Keep up to date with ALTA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: ALTA

Nestled comfortably at the Buccoo Integrated Complex, Tobago Dorothee Hatzky-Wuenstel and her husband Frank Wuenstel are teaching nationals the fine art of jewelry making. The couple moved from their native Germany over a decade ago and have made Tobago their home.

They offer classes in Art Clay jewelry-making, with certification; as well as services in 3D Printing and 3D printed, and castable wax-model from personalised CAD design.

Frank, a trained goldsmith, expanded his vision to create the Academy of Jewelry and Art in 2011 with the objective of combining traditional processes with modern technology. The duo has conducted training with YTEPP in the trade of precious metal design. They also lend support to the National Training Agency as a lead body member for developing curriculum in the jewelry industry and assists the UWI with their jewelry workshops.

Guardian Media recently visited one of the workshops held in the rural community of Tabaquite where participants were using a product called Art Clay to create silver jewelry. Dorothee, who is a certified Art Clay teacher and artist at Tobago Gold Creation Limited, explained that Art Clay technology allows for unique designs since Art Clay is molded and shaped into patterns and ornaments.

She explained: “Art-Clay Silver is a fine silver powder mixed with cellulose based binders and water, originally produced from recycled pure silver. When fired, the binders burn away, leaving a fine silver piece.

There are no allergies attached as the end-product jewellery is pure silver and contains no base metals like nickel which causes the allergy in jewellery.

“It is easy to step into jewellery making with a precious metal for beginners with Metal Clay. Metal Clay is available in silver, gold, copper and bronze. It is ideal for hobbyist but also the professional goldsmith can challenge himself for new design possibilities with this innovative material. Once you dip a toe into Metal Clay, and you get addicted, there is a possibility for further education in a Level Certification.

The Level Certification is a seven-week class where several techniques and projects need to be accomplished, with classic goldsmith knowledge and Metal Clay knowledge combined ”

Dorothee added that the artist can also use various moulds with pre-determined designs. The creation is then fired in a kiln where the binder melts and the silver remains fused to form an item of jewelry.

Frank, who is CAD/CAM designer, noted that the academy is providing vocational education focusing on the latest prototyping technology and digital fabrication. He added: “We also offer a unique services for jewelers to ease up their manufacturing process to make a 3D print in high resolution wax.

“The Digital Manufacturing process is more cost effective and time-saving, still unique in its design possibilities. By sending us the design idea in picture or drawn, we use the latest digital manufacturing technology to design for the clients a ready to cast wax-design.”

Sri Lata Nankissoon, 27, of Princess Town who attended the class in Tabaquite, said she started classes with the duo in Tacarigua. Nankissoon said: “I have been a student with Dorotheè and Frank since 2016.

They are amazing teachers who are extremely generous with their knowledge of this fine skill.”

Nankisson continued: “Art Clay is, in essence, self expression molded into timeless silver. I learn something new every day because they constantly challenge and guide me to achieve greater projects.”

The Wuenstels can be contacted via email info@academy-jewelry-art.com

After partnering with the non-governmental organisation Restore a Sense of I Can (RSC), to implement a Digital Citizenship Programme for four secondary schools in February this year, the Digicel Foundation collaborated with the RSC to host the first National Tech Expo at the Chaguanas South Secondary School, on Friday, June 1.

The National Tech Expo exposed over 100 students and teachers from Chaguanas North, Chaguanas South and Palo Seco Secondary to alternative careers in the field of PC repairs, Digital Media, Robotics, GIS Mapping and Gaming.

The excited students were keen to visit the various booths being exhibited at the Tech Expo where they gained hands-on experience as they tried out many of the technology items on display. With internet safety being a paramount global concern, the students displayed a positive outlook on the use of technology and how it can have a great impact on their lives as well as others.

The Expo is just one of the components of the Digital Citizenship Programme which also includes development of tech clubs that allow students to get involved in all things IT. The programme also encourages philanthropy among the students, where refurbished personal computers are gifted to organisations in need.

Digicel Foundation has invested $110,000 to implement the Digital Citizenship Programme at Chaguanas South, Coryal Secondary in Trinidad and Roxborough Secondary and Mason Hall Secondary in Tobago.

•Continuing from yesterday’s Group analysis of the 2018 Fifa World Cup which kicked-off in Russia.

Group F sees another tournament favourite in Germany - the defending champions - having a slightly tougher group than Brazil, but should also face no hurdles in winning this group. The other 3 teams in Mexico, Sweden and South Korea should make the runners up position quite competitive but somehow I feel Mexico with their experience, should get the better of the Asian qualifiers - South Korea - and the tough Swedes.

Belgium and England will easily come out on top in Group G as I can’t envisage neither Panama nor Tunisia causing any problems.

Belgium with so many gifted attacking players, will win the group with a very plucky England side moving on to the round of 16.

Group H is another tough group but I will stick my neck out here and go for the African Group D winners - Senegal - to get home ahead of Colombia but make no mistake; Japan and Poland will seem like hell to the top 2 teams but I expect them to prevail.

In the round of 16 there should be a couple of mouth-watering clashes as I expect Portugal to have it tough against Uruguay, and England should be pushed all the way by Senegal.

It is in the quarter final stage where one can start to separate the big boys.

It should serve up a repeat clash of the Euro 2016 final between Portugal and France; Brazil vs Belgium should be an epic encounter so too Spain vs Argentina and the old enemies Germany and England.

So if all goes to form, we should have a France vs Brazil and Germany vs Argentina semi-finals. I expect Brazil to oppose Germany in the final with this highly talented Brazilian team to avenge their humiliating 7 -1 defeat they suffered to the Germans on home soil back in 2014.

Whatever the outcome of the 2018 World Cup, it should be a great spectacle for all. Enjoy, fellow football fans! We’ve waited four long years!

Colin Murray

T&T’s Kalifa Mc Collin and her benecos Mavericks suffered a major blow in their quest to qualify for the 2018 Vitality Netball Super League play-offs after losing 47-52 to Manchester Thunder at Hertfordshire Sports Village, in Hertfordshire.

The visitors had to dig deep to hold-off several comebacks from their hosts but the win means they take three vital points back to Manchester.

Currently Wasps Netball leads the ten-team table with a 13-2 record and 39 points, just ahead of Loughborough Lightning (13-3) and Manchester Thunder (13-3) on goal-difference while Team Bath (11-5) is fourth with 33 points, three more than benecos Mavericks (10-5), the other team in playoff contention with 30 points.

They are followed by Severn Stars (6-10), Surrey Storm (5-11), UWS Sirens (3-13), Team Northumbria (3-13) and Celtic Dragons (2-14) with 18, 15, nine, nine and six points respectively.

Thunder which dominated the first quarter and led 18-10 reached half-time 31-23 to the good after an evenly matches second quarter.

Tomorrow, Mc Collin and her teammates face Lightning in a must-win contest if they are to stay in playoff contention.

WASA ‘A’, minus an injured reigning national women’s Under-21 and Senior singles champion, Brittany Joseph, went under to Arima Hawks’ 8-1 in their final round-robin match, but still lifted the East Zone Table Tennis Tournament Division Two crown on Wednesday night at WASA Sports Club, St Joseph.

At the end of their four matches, both WASA ‘A’ and D’Abadie Youths ended with 3-1 records and ten points, however, WASA ‘A’ won their head-to-head battle narrowly, 5-4 and were declared champions.

For Hawks, which ended with a 2-2 record and eight points, the same as Arima Table Tennis Club, but fourth due to a head-to-head loss, Rawle Parsons and national women’s team player, Linda Partap Boodhan each won their three round-robin encounters while Lamani Clarke won two of his three.

Parsons defeated national Under-18 junior champion Chelsea Fong 11-4, 12-14, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7; Ambika Sitram 11-9, 11-6, 11-4 and Nyla Bissessar 11-5, 11-2, 11-2, while Partap-Boodhan had wins over Sitram 12-10, 11-3, 11-6; Bissessar 11-5, 11-2, 11-5 and Fong 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 11-7.

Clarke outplayed Bissessar 11-1, 11-7, 11-2, fell to Fong 11-7, 6-11, 11-4, 9-11, 13-15 before he rebounded to humble Sitram 11-6, 15-13, 11-7.

Also on Wednesday night, in Division One, former five-time national champion Reeza Burke, Arun Roopnarine and Anson Wellington also played unbeaten in Arima Hawks 9-0 mauling of WASA ‘B’ 9-0 to improve to 2-0 ahead of their decider with WASA ‘A’ at St Joseph last night.

Burke brushed aside Kirk Mohammed 11-6, 11-7, 11-2; Michael Fong 12-10, 11-6, 11-4, and Ancil Russell 11-0, 10-12, 11-5, 11-8.

Roopnarine eased past Russell 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 12-10; Mohammed 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 12-10, and Fong, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8. Not to be overshadowed, Wellington toppled Fong 11-8, 11-9, 11-5; Russell, 8-11, 11-8, 10-12, 11-8, 11-5, and Mohammed 11-7, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9.

And in the other Division Two encounter, D’Abadie Youth outclassed WASA ‘B’ 7-2 led by Everton Sorzano three wins from as many matches.

Sorzano outlasted Fong 11-8, 6-11, 7-11, 13-11, 11-8; Russell 11-4, 11-6, 11-7 and Mohamed 11-8, 11-5, 12-10.

Michael Nanton beat Russell 11-9, 11-8, 11-9 and Mohammed 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 4-11, 11-8, before he was beaten by Fong 4-11, 5-11, 8-11 while Sherdon Pierre rallied past Mohammed 10-12, 11-7, 11-9, 11-5, went under to Fong, 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 11-6, 13-15, but outplayed Russell 11-2, 12-14, 11-4, 11-3.

CURRENT EAST ZONE TABLE TENNIS STANDINGS
Division One:
Teams P W L Won Loss Games Dif Pts
Arima Hawks 2 2 0 17 1 16 6
WASA ‘A’ 2 2 0 15 3 12 6
D’Abadie Youths 3 1 2 11 16 -5 5
WASA ‘B’ 3 0 3 2 25 -23 3
Division Two:
Teams P W L Won Loss Games Dif Pts
WASA ‘A’4 3 1 18 18 0 10
D’Abadie Youths 4 3 1 21 15 6 10
Arima TTC 4 2 2 21 15 6 8
Arima Hawks 4 2 2 26 10 16 8
WASA ‘B’ 4 0 4 5 31 26 4