Reporter’s Notebook: ‘Conversating’ with our athletes
Call me a snob – an intellectual snob, if you please- but there’s nothing I enjoy better than hearing a young person, be it student, athlete, or otherwise speaking in what in my day was called “The Queen’s English.” I had the pleasure of speaking in an interview to national 400m champion Javon Francis recently, and while there were phrases in which he used the vernacular, for the most part, he spoke in complete sentences, using the English language. It was evident that this was a young man who wished to represent himself well, and the way to do that, for him, was to speak in standard English. Admittedly there are some things that are just easier to say in patois, and I use it often. However, it is grating to the ears to listen to some of our young students speak, and it is clear that they speak that way, not because they find it easier to express themselves in patois, but because they can do no better. And I’m not talking about speaking with a faux-accent either. Children as young as three and four, at a time when language is just being formed and it is imperative to speak to them in grammatical sentences, churning out words which I don’t even use in my living room. Is it then any wonder that when we hear them as 14, 15, or 16-year-olds doing interviews with the media that they can barely conduct themselves? The formative years when they should have been getting the practice needed by holding developmentally-appropriate conversations with their parents and other caregivers, their speech was being totally neglected. I have had this discussion many times with friends of mine. It’s just not something you would hear from say an American athlete at the same age. I spoke with World Youth 100m and 200m champion, Candace Hill, in Cali, Colombia last year, and although she was only 17, the young lady was able to express herself perfectly. She was leaps and bounds ahead of many of her Jamaican counterparts. I know many of us came from a generation when “children should be seen and not heard”, and self-expression is a practical skill. It is through the holding of conversations that one learns to converse. Some would say reading is important because it helps also to build a vocabulary, but I’ve heard many an adult use words which it was clear they had only ever encountered on a page.
Jamaica rekindled their hopes of making it to the final of the WICB Under-19 Championship with a 23 runs win over the Leewards Islands in their fifth and penultimate-round clash at Jamalco yesterday.Jamaica, having entered the contest in fourth position in the seven-team standings, first posted a competitive 267 for six off their allotted 50 overs.The Robert Samuels-coached Jamaicans then returned to restrict the Leewards to 244 with 13 balls remaining.Leading the way for Jamaica when they batted were Leonardo Friginette, opener Abijhai Mansingh, and captain Michael Frew, who all scored half centuries.Friginette, batting at number three, hit a top score of 60; Mansingh helped to lay a platform with 53; while Frew towards the end, chipped in with 56.Tyrone Williams, with four for 53, claimed the most wickets for the losers.Miguel Smith, four for 53Needing to win to keep any hopes of qualifying alive, Jamaica were then led in the field by Miguel Smith, four for 53, and front-line pacer Odean Smith, three for 47.This was against opener Alzarri Joseph, who got 97, and Kofi James, who chipped in with 33.In other matches, the marquee clash between Guyana and the Windward Islands saw the former coming out on top by 85 runs.Guyana first tallied 257 all out off 49.5 overs before returning to limit the Windwards for 172 off 39.3 overs.Meanwhile, at Manchester High, out-of-contention Barbados defeated Canada by 151 runs.Barbados netted 272 for four off the allotment of overs before returning to bowl out the Canadians for 121.The preliminary round of the tournament is set to come to an end today, with Jamaica playing Barbados at Chedwin Park being the feature.The other games will see front-runner Trinidad and Tobago tackling the Leewards at Ewarton, while Guyana and Canada will do battle at Manchester High.The final between the top two preliminary-round finishers will be played at Treasure Beach Sports Park, St Elizabeth.
ROAD WI SEH, racing for the first time since his unplaced effort in the June 13 Jamaica Derby, returned with a bang to win yesterday’s Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA) Trophy race over 1400 metres at Caymanas Park in post-to-post fashion. Installed as a 5-2 second favourite with champion apprentice O’Brien White aboard, ROAD WI SEH, who changed stables since the derby, moving from trainer Patrick Chang to Lorne Kirlew, held on well by 13/4 lengths from the 34-1 outsider, SEEKING HOPE. ROAD WI SEH was early in the lead from 90-1 outsider BRAVE PROSPECT and soon opened up approaching the half mile. He turned for home four lengths clear of SEEKING HOPE and ACTION MAN (7-1) and, although drifting out in the straight, kept on well to hold SEEKING HOPE at bay for his second win in six career starts. Although getting him a month ago, Kirlew said he was confident of victory. “I put in a lot of hard work to straighten him out,” he emphasised. “I had to rebuild him for this race and if you noticed how he drifted out approaching the furlong pole, there are still issues to be addressed, but I think he’ll go on from here,” added the second-generation trainer. ACTION MAN, the mount of leading all-time jockey Winston ‘Fanna’ Griffiths, finished another five lengths third, while the 9-5 favourite TARANIS, under leading jockey Shane Ellis, was fourth. A three-year-old chestnut colt by Adore The Gold out of Dream Watcher, ROAD WI SEH is owned by Outa Road Racing Stables and bred by Ham Stables. With no favourite obliging in any of the 10 races, the programme proved a nightmare for form players. GOLDEN BULLET (4-1), ridden by Orlando Foster for trainer Anthony ‘Baba’ Nunes, outfinished his front running stable-companion and even-money favourite, BAGS OF GOLD, to win the day’s secondary feature for the Aston Commock Memorial Trophy over 1700 metres, while former champion Wesley Henry and title-chasing Robert Halledeen shared the riding honours with two winners each. programme a nightmare
O’Hara is taller, with longer legs, and should have no trouble with the higher hurdle. Moreover, he will likely have the same hurdling coach as Mason. That’s Kevin Pryce, who sired dozens of fast timber toppers at Calabar High, before joining the Racers Track Club. In fact, the young prospect has been so good as a 4x400m relay runner that he should probably try the 400 metres hurdles. His former Calabar teammate, Javon Francis, once ran that event in 52.3 seconds and Francis doesn’t have O’Hara’s experience in the sprint hurdles. He’d have to learn to alternate lead legs, but after that, the sky would be the limit. That last flight of fancy isn’t likely. His new handlers, including celebrated sprint guru Glen Mills, are unlikely to relinquish his awesome sprint capabilities. That’s understandable, but his potential as a sprint hurdler is awesome, too. For some, his size and sprint speed makes him a candidate to be the next Usain Bolt, but there’s only one Usain Bolt. When you pull away the camouflage, he looks more like a big and powerful sprint hurdler in the mould of Olympic gold medallist Anier Garcia and the American pair of World champions, David Oliver and Greg Foster. It’s a look I could live with. – Hubert Lawrence has made notes at track side since 1980. No problem for him You may not know it, but Michael O’Hara is the best young sprint hurdle prospect on Earth. His sprint prowess is superbly camouflaged, but a closer look reveals that as a hurdler, he has enormous potential. With Jamaican sprinting aglow with the achievement of Bolt and company, O’Hara must decide whether to hurdle or not to hurdle. Tyler Mason, the 2014 World Junior runner-up, has graduated nicely from the high-school ranks with a 110-metre hurdle personal best of 13.32 seconds and fourth place at the Pan-Am Games. Jaheel Hyde has won the World Youth and Youth Olympic gold medals and has the World Youth record. O’Hara, however, has consistently beaten them both during their high-school years. In fact, in 2013 when Hyde won the World Youth title, he had been defeated by O’Hara at Boys and Girls’ Championships earlier in the year. O’Hara scorched his way into the record books with a time of 13.50 seconds. He has, in fact, won the sprint hurdles class one, two and three. That’s a distinction he shares with Kevin ‘MacGyver’ Mitchell, the Jamaica College Champs star of the 1990s. This year, at Champs, he beat Hyde in the most highly anticipated encounter of the entire meet. Here’s how he hides his hurdling prowess from view. While Mason and Hyde hurdled their way to prominence in summer junior international competition, O’Hara focused on the sprints. The returns were good. He won the 200-metre gold medal at the 2013 World Youth Championships and bronze at last year’s World Junior Championships. So it’s easy to forget that he hurdles. Mason made a smooth transition from the 39-inch high junior hurdle to the 42-inch barrier that faces seniors.
BEIJING, China:Rasheed Dwyer has had a strange season. Struggling for form, even at the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA)/Supreme Ventures National Senior Championships at which he finished fifth in the 200m. However, he exploded at the Pan American Championships in Toronto, twice logging sub-20 seconds times en route to a silver medal.Dwyer clocked 19.80 in the semi-final to break Donald Quarrie’s 44-year-old record before stopping the clock at 19.90 for second place in the final. He went on to win at the North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Open Championships, which also brings with it a wild-card entry for the World Championships.Only Justin Gatlin has gone faster than the Jamaican this year in the 200m. However, having finished outside the top three at the national championships meants he does not have an automatic qualifying spot in Beijing. He has been named to the 4x100m relay pool.However, Dwyer is not holding on to any disappointments and is instead focusing on making the most of his first experience at the World Championships to prepare him for next year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.”I’m really happy, this is my first major championships, I will take it as a motivation and not as a disappointment. I will use it as a stepping stone in my career and move forward from that,” Dwyer said.Looking forward”It’s a tremendous feeling to be in Beijing to compete for myself and my country. Unfortunately, I didn’t perform as well at the trials, but after that I ran some really good times, and the JAAA has seen that I deserve to be here, and I’m very happy about that,” he added.”I’m a member of the 4x100m pool so I’m just coming out here to put in the work and see the outcome.”Dwyer, who competes regularly in the 4x100m at the Penn Relays, said he is willing to undertake any task given, pointing to cramps as the reason behind his sub-par performance at trials.”Anything that I am given to do, I will do my best,” he said.”At trials, it was basically a physical problem. I got a cramp before trials and that was a really bad setback for me. Everything happens for a reason, though, and maybe God had a plan for me after the trials, and I came out and ran 19.80, and I’m really happy for that time,” Dwyer noted.
MIRPUR, Bangladesh (CMC):West Indies middle order batsman Marlon Samuels missed out on another half-century but has again led Comilla Victorians to another victory in the Bangladesh Premier league here on Friday.Samuels slammed an unbeaten 42 from 24 balls as Victorians coasted to an easy nine-wicket win over Rangpur Riders in the 11th match of the tournament at the Shere Bangla Stadium.Riders, sent in to bat, were bowled out for 82 in their 20 overs with West Indies opener Lendl Simmons scoring three runs and Sunil Narine picking up a wicket for 16 runs from his four overs.Samuels hit eight fours and a six and built a 55-run second-wicket partnership with Imrul Kayes as Victorians cruised to victory at 84 for one.Kayes was not out on 24.Samuels, who also took a catch to dismiss opener Soumya Sarkar for five, one of Nuwan Kulasekara’s four victims, was voted man of the match.He is now the second-highest scorer in the tournament with 142 runs, sitting 12 runs behind tournament leader Tamim Iqbal of Chittagong Vikings.
BIG GEORGE, with four-time champion Omar Walker riding for DaCosta, has won two of his last three races and is tipped to repeat in the third race over the straight for four-year-olds and up. He represents the in-form horse in a small field of six, and despite the presence of the recent course winner ANOTHER BULLET and lightly weighted COME DANCE WITH ME. BIG GEORGE, however, has most appeal with only 53.0kg. Having dropped two classes to contest the fourth race (claiming $180,000) over 1000 metres round, SUB STRUCTURE, with Nelson aboard, should score an overdue win at the expense of the fleet-footed CLASSICAL TRAIN in the field of 12. The last two races in the first SUPER-6 should be won by BATTLE SONG (loves the straight) under in-form Aaron Chatrie and GOLDEN GLORY (Odean Edwards up) to beat his improving stable-companion CLASSY AVIATOR (Chatrie up) in the sixth race over 1400 metres for maiden three-year-olds. BIGGEORGE TIPPED TO WIN FIRST SUPER-6 FANCIES (1) AWESOME DESTINY (2) SUPERTRONICS/MAN IN BLUE (3) BIG GEORGE (4) SUB STRUCTURE (5) BATTLE SONG/CLEARLY OURS (6) GOLDEN GLORY The Pick-9 had no takers at Caymanas Park last Saturday, and the carry-over to tomorrow’s meet stands at $1.2 million. Both Super-6s were caught by punters and start anew with guaranteed minimums of $750,000. The first Super-6 is from race one to six; the late Super-6 from five to 10. We look at the first Super-6, which commences with a restricted allowance race over 1500 metres, confined to native and imported three-year-olds, to be contested by seven starters. The ones expected to figure seriously are recent winner WILL IN CHARGE under leading jockey Dane Nelson; the American filly AWESOME DESTINY with champion jockey Shane Ellis riding for trainer Gary Subratie, and MY COMPANION, who will now have the services of 3.0kg claiming apprentice Odean Edwards after flopping behind ORPHEUS in the Sir Howard Stakes over 1200 metres last Saturday. AWESOME DESTINY was all the rage (3-5 favourite) on her debut over 1200 metres some weeks ago but could only manage third, beaten three lengths by CRUISING MOTION. Now better for the experience and the longer trip to her liking, AWESOME DESTINY is expected to recoup losses despite the presence of the Robert Pearson-trained native-bred colt WILL IN CHARGE, who looked improved when scoring over a mile in the good time of 1:40.3. AWESOME DESTINY should chase the expected leader STUNNER before going through approaching the home turn and holding WILL IN CHARGE at bay. SUPERTRONICS, to be ridden by Robert Halledeen for champion trainer Wayne DaCosta, went down fighting against the speedy YOGA recently and gets a glorious chance to go one better in the second race, a 4-y-o-and-up restricted allowance over 1100 metres (non-winners of two) in which eight will run. SUPERTRONICS has been knocking loudly at the door in recent weeks and should now win from MAN IN BLUE and BIMINI.
Hodgson backs Vardy LONDON (AP): England coach Roy Hodgson backed Jamie Vardy on Wednesday, saying the Leicester striker did not dive in the incident that led to him being sent off last weekend and sympathising with his angry response to the referee. Hodgson’s employer, the English Football Association, charged Vardy with improper conduct over his reaction to the red card in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with West Ham. “I don’t see that as a dive,” Hodgson said. “I think he was unbalanced. I don’t think it was a penalty either, I think he was unbalanced, running at that speed. “I think there was a very slight sort of contact with the defender, who was trying to cover.” Vardy confronted referee Jon Moss, jabbing a finger at the match official while appearing to express his anger at receiving his first red card of the season. “I sympathise with him, I think he was very, very unlucky,” Hodgson said. “But now he has had to swallow the fact that he has been made to leave the field and then, unfortunately, he has reacted like sometimes human beings react. “He hasn’t just said to the ref, ‘Thanks very much, I understand’ and shakes hands and ‘Have a good game’. He has called him a few names, but he is a human being and that can happen.” Vardy seems certain to be in Hodgson’s plans for the European Championship in June and July after leading Leicester’s stunning pursuit of a first-ever top flight title. LEICESTER, England (AP): Leicester striker Jamie Vardy has accepted an English Football Association improper conduct charge over his reaction to being sent off against West Ham. Vardy’s standard one-match ban could now be lengthened, potentially hitting Leicester’s bid for a first Premier League title. The team is five points ahead of Tottenham with four games remaining. Vardy tangled with Angelo Ogbonna before going down in the penalty area early in the second half on Sunday. Vardy angrily confronted referee Jon Moss after receiving his first red card of the season. At the time, Leicester were leading through Vardy’s 22nd goal of the season and went on to draw 2-2. Leicester also tweeted that it accepted an FA charge of failing to control its players after West Ham was awarded a late penalty. Former BPL player wins appeal LONDON (AP): A British court overturned the rape conviction of former Premier League player Ched Evans yesterday and ordered a new trial. Evans, a former Sheffield United and Wales striker, was in the packed London courtroom with his girlfriend when the verdict was read out by the Court of Appeal. Evans was convicted in April 2012 of raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel in Rhyl, north Wales. He was released from prison last year after serving half of his five-year sentence. The 27-year-old Evans had always maintained his innocence and took his case to the Criminal Cases Review Commission.
PATIENCE An elated Chung, reflecting on one of his biggest wins, told The Gleaner that the course took patience and composure. “Feels great! It was a course of patience. it was a longer-than-usual course. You had to concentrate a lot and hang in there,” he said. “We had 170 participants, and a lot of people bunched up at the top. I guess I was a bit lucky to shoot more than them,” the champion said. He was joined by Ladies Class winner Marguerite Harris, who defended her title from last year with a score of 67. Harris said that it was a nice course, “with some challenging birds,” saying that she was nervous but came through in the end. The B Class went to Nikolas Hudson (88), while Robert Subaran (83) and Evan Thwaites (82) finished second and third, respectively. C Class top spot went to Ryan Chung, scoring 86 via the Long Run method. Danzell Knight was runner up (86) long run and Alex Cunningham third with 84. Jamaica Sleet Club president Khaleel Azan called yesterday’s shoot a great indication of the growth of the sport, noting that there were record-breaking numbers in most of the categories. There were 20 participants from Montego Bay, while a few shooters flew in to compete. “This is my last event as Jamaica Skeet club president, and I am very pleased to be going out on a high,” Azan said in an interview. Billed as one of the most coveted titles on the local clay shooting calendar, yesterday’s NCB Capital Markets Sporting Clays delivered big on marksmanship among a record number of participants at Knolford Polo Ranch in Bog Walk, St Catherine. One hundred and seventy shooters turned out for the 16-course clay shooting tournament, with the day’s top gun, high overall champion being Bobby Chung, who hit a score of 92 out of 100 birds. Yesterday’s course was set with pin-point accuracy for a score of 90 by 19-time World Champion shooter Ben Husthwaite. It saw a number of seasoned shooters surpassing that mark, however. National champion, Shaun Barnes finished in the A Class with a score of 91, while former champion Christian Sasso was runner-up with 91. Richard Azan Jr followed with 90, while last year’s winner, Craig Simpson, fought to defend his title but ended with 89 for A Class third.
Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard PLAY LIST 02:14Carpio hits red carpet treatment for China Coast Guard02:56NCRPO pledges to donate P3.5 million to victims of Taal eruption00:56Heavy rain brings some relief in Australia02:37Calm moments allow Taal folks some respite03:23Negosyo sa Tagaytay City, bagsak sa pag-aalboroto ng Bulkang Taal01:13Christian Standhardinger wins PBA Best Player award Wayne Rooney hit by two-year ban after drink-drive guilty plea Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. OSG plea to revoke ABS-CBN franchise ‘a duplicitous move’ – Lacson Kerber, seeded seventh, crashed to a shock 6-3, 6-1 first-round defeat by Osaka in New York last month as defending champion. But a repeat never seemed likely on Monday as the German quickly took control.READ: Kerber goes from champ to 1st-round loser at rainy US OpenFEATURED STORIESSPORTSRedemption is sweet for Ginebra, Scottie ThompsonSPORTSMayweather beats Pacquiao, Canelo for ‘Fighter of the Decade’SPORTSFederer blasts lack of communication on Australian Open smogKerber, who has slipped back to 14th in the world since winning last year’s Australian and US Open titles, ripped forehands past her teenage opponent seemingly at will in the first set.Osaka’s game unravelled completely in the second, giving Kerber a welcome opportunity to work her way back to form after a poor run of results and to seal victory in an hour and 23 minutes. Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot to Naomi Osaka of Japan during the first round match of the Pan Pacific Open tennis tournament in Tokyo. / AFP PHOTO / Toru YAMANAKAFormer world No. 1 Angelique Kerber thrashed Japan’s Naomi Osaka 6-3, 6-4 at the Pan Pacific Open women’s tennis tournament on Monday to avenge a humiliating loss at the US Open.Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic suffered an epic Tokyo meltdown, meanwhile, as she was pulverised by China’s Wang Qiang, who inflicted the dreaded “double bagel” on the eighth seed to win 6-0, 6-0 and reach the second round.ADVERTISEMENT Steam emission over Taal’s main crater ‘steady’ for past 24 hours “It gives me confidence that I was able to turn it around,” said Nara. “Hopefully I can take that spirit into the next match.”Two-time champion Agnieszka Radwanska, seeded sixth, pulled out of the tournament with a virus, according to organisers.Wimbledon champion and new women’s world number one Garbine Muguruza heads a strong field in Tokyo featuring several top 10 players including Karolina Pliskova, Caroline Wozniacki and Johanna Konta.Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next MOST READ Margot Robbie talks about filming ‘Bombshell’s’ disturbing sexual harassment scene In ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ Comedy and Drama Collide How to help the Taal evacuees “I was trying to come out, focus on every single point and make it better than last time,” said Kerber.“Naomi is a tough opponent and a great talent. For sure she will have great success in the future.”The 19-year-old Osaka, born of a Haitian father and a Japanese mother, went on to reach the third round of the US Open after stunning Kerber.But the world number 44 almost appeared to be tanking at times at the venue for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, such was her lack of gusto. She committed 38 unforced errors — including a wild forehand on match point — in a performance she will want to forget in a hurry.Elsewhere, Japanese wildcard Kurumi Nara beat Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.ADVERTISEMENT DAY6 is for everybody It’s too early to present Duterte’s ‘legacy’ – Lacson LATEST STORIES Jake says relationship with Shaina ‘goes beyond physical attraction’ Mos Burger to open in Manila; teases with a pop-up View comments