A strong Marian Academy unit defeated Queen’s College 3-2 in a specially arranged friendly Badminton series on Tuesday at the Marian Academy Badminton Court.

Players from the two schools strike a pose with Chris Bowman (centre), Sport Coordinator of Marian Academy

In the Boys’ Singles, Narayan Ramdhani of Marian Academy defeated Cecil Abrams of Queens College 21-4, while in the Girls Singles, Priyanna Ramdhani of Marian Academy defeated Varsha Boodram of Queens College 21-17.
In the Boys Doubles, Cecil Abrams/Omari Joseph of Queens College defeated Jonathan Mangra/Ronald Chang  Yuen of Marian Academy 21-11 while in the Girls Doubles, Ambika Ramraj/Nadine Jairam of Queens College defeated Meshonn Persaud/Angelica DaSilva of Marian Academy 21-14. In the Mixed Doubles, Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani of Marian Academy defeated Omari Joseph/Ambika Ramraj 21-12.
The Queen’s College players were welcomed by Chris Bowman, Sport Coordinator of Marian Academy, while the competition was organised by national coach, Gokarn Ramdhani.
Next week it’s the Queen’s College’s players turn to host the teams in a return encounter.

By Ravendra Madholall in Toronto

Left-handed opening batsman Devon Smith strongly believes that application is of paramount importance to score runs in any version of the game when batting.
The former West Indies cricketer made this statement recently in Canada where he featured for an International X1 against an Asia XI in a T20 Exhibition match.
In the game, the 30-year-old Grenadian accumulated 69 quick runs but his effort was in vain as Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya-led team won by three wickets.

Devon Smith

“I think application is always the key to score runs in all three versions of the game, T20, 50-over and Test cricket; you have to be patient and start to play your game from ball one and then try to accelerate,” Smith reckoned.
Smith last represented West Indies in 2011 in a home series against Pakistan, but since then his form has dipped significantly. However, his performances for Windward Islands have been excellent and that has given him the confidence of regaining his spot on the Caribbean side.
“I want to playback for West Indies again; yes I had a great opportunity but that the way the game goes but as I said that application is very important to make runs; I [am] indeed confident I will reach back at the top,” Smith revealed.
Quizzed about his participation in the charity match for the International Combination and playing at the massive Rogers Centre in Down Town, Toronto, Smith said he felt a surge of elation when he learnt that he will be representing the Mark Boucher-skippered side.
“I was delighted to be named in the squad and playing among some celebrities and more satisfactorily scoring a top-score of 69 was also a good feeling; I think it was a great game even though we lost, but we played good cricket and I am looking forward to come back and play here soon rather than later,” Smith reasoned.
His fellow West Indian and the great Brian Lara was selected to represent the International team but did not show up on the field but was spotted in the dug-out, while Barbadian fast bowler Tino was the other Caribbean representative a part of the International set up.
Smith mentioned his innings was pleasing, hitting several fours and sixes. His association with Zimbabwian Brandon Taylor at the top order was also satisfactory.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the game; batted with a good batsman and shared a fine partnership was excellent; it was disheartening to lose the match but that is cricket; my fellow West Indian and colleague Tino (best) was also fantastic with the ball getting four wickets,” Smith, who played 33 tests, 42 ODIs and 6 T20s for West Indies, declared.

Colonel John Lewis has been elected president of the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU), replacing Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento.
The Union held its Annual General Meeting on Monday with Nascimento and outgoing Secretary Roxanne Thomas-Alleyne not seeking re-election.

Christopher ‘Kit’ Nascimento

Outgoing Senior Vice-President, Robin Roberts, did not stand for election to this post, but was available for election as a member of the Committee.
Nascimento was the first elected president of the Union in 2002. He resigned in 2006 when he was elected head of North America and West Indies Rugby Association (NAWIRA) in 2006 and was re-elected president of the GRFU in 2010.
The new executive reads: President Colonel John Lewis, Senior Vice-President Mike Mc Cormack, Junior Vice-President Alwin Etwah, Secretary Ariane Mangar, Treasurer Leonardo Butcher, Assistant Secretary/Treasurer Nicole Nero, Public Relations Officer Gem Madhoo-Nascimento, and Match Secretary Peter Campayne.
The Committee Members are Robin Roberts, Joseph Rahaman, and Grace Jarvis.

- Team wings out today for international friendlies

By Avenash Ramzan

As the Golden Jaguars continue on their journey to the 2014 football World Cup in Brazil, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) has come on board as a major stakeholder by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Guyana Football Federation (GFF).
At a small, but significant ceremony at the GFF office in Campbellville yesterday, acting president of the GFF, Franklin Wilson, along with General Secretary Noel Adonis, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz and DDL’s representatives Alexis Langhorne and Almira Kassim signed the MOU, thereby declaring DDL as an official partner of the Golden Jaguars in the lead up to the third round of the World Cup Qualifiers.
As part of the deal, the company will refuel the players with several of its products, including Pepsi, Gatorade and Diamond Mineral Water. Financial assistance is also part of the package.

Done deal! DDL Sales Manager, Alexis Langhorne (second left) and Golden Jaguars’ Head Coach, Jamaal Shabazz (extreme right) sign the MOU in the presence of (from left), GFF General Secretary Noel Adonis, GFF president (ag) Franklin Wilson and DDL’s representative Almira Kassim (Photo: Avenash Ramzan)

Speaking of behalf of the company was Sales Manager, Alexis Langhorne, who said DDL is pleased to partner with the GFF and the Golden Jaguars in the quest for World Cup glory.
“At DDL we are always looking for opportunities to support our sportsmen and what better time to do so than at this auspicious moment. This is a proud time, not only for the Jags, but for all Guyanese as our boys have worked hard to raise the level of their performance which has brought them to this juncture,” Langhorne said.
“DDL and Pepsi have always placed emphasis on sports and its development and signing this MOU is testimony to this fact.”
Calling on other companies to follow in the footsteps of DDL, Wilson added that the Golden Jaguars is a Guyana team and not a GFF unit, and all Guyanese should rally behind the players as they seek to create history by qualifying for the World Cup Finals for the first time.
“It’s vital for us to really create the kind of impact we know we can have at this level. The technical staff and the players would have been doing a tremendous job on the field of play, and I must say that DDL through the Pepsi, Gatorade and Diamond Mineral Water brands would have been supporting [us] even before signing this MOU today [yesterday],” he explained.
Coach Shabazz, in welcoming DDL, echoed similar sentiments, adding that a collective effort is needed to ensure the Golden Jaguars travel all the way to Brazil in 2014.
“Players and coaches make a lot of sacrifices; not all the players are professional players…and the federation is burdened with a heavy, heavy financial responsibility because when players are in camp they have to leave their business and family, they have to get stipend, and to motivate them, they have to get bonuses. It is one thing to feel good about playing for your country, but you can’t take that to the supermarket,” Shabazz reasoned.
Meanwhile, the team will depart today for Jamaica to take on the ‘Reggae Boyz’ in an international friendly on Friday, while a game against host Panama is fixed for Sunday.
Shabazz also revealed that during the final stage of preparation, the Jaguars will be involved in another closed door game, this time at an undisclosed location in South America.
Following the Jamaica clash, the predominately youthful Jaguars team, in another installment of the two-tier approach, will travel to neighbouring Suriname to tackle the host in three matches on May 23, 25 and 27.
The Golden Jaguars have been placed in Group B alongside Mexico, Costa Rica and El Salvador. Their first match is against Mexico on June 8.
Group A comprises USA, Jamaica, Guatemala, and Antigua and Barbuda, while Group C is made up of Honduras, Cuba, Panama and Canada.
The top two teams from each group will move forward to the region’s traditional ‘hexagonal’ stage. The six teams will then meet in a home-and-away format with the top three moving forward directly to the World Cup Finals.
The fourth-placed team will face a home-and-away intercontinental play-off for a potential fourth CONCACAF spot at Brazil 2014.

International middle distance track star, Marian Burnett, arrived in Guyana from Florida late Monday night ready to represent her home turf where she started her illustrious career in the early 1990s at the President’s/Jefford Classic on Sunday.

A fan greets Guyana and Linden’s international middle distance track star, Marian Burnett (left) upon her arrival at CJIA

Burnett is familiar with the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground in Linden, given the fact that it is the venue she had first caught the eyes of athletic luminaries. Now, several years later, and with many accolades to boast about, Burnett returns to compete in Linden.
She will compete in her favourite events, the Women’s 800m and 1500m with the 1500m being dubbed an international event with the participation of Kenisha Pascal from Grenada and athletes from Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname included in the race.
Apart from those athletes, Burnett will have local support from Jevina Straker and Alika Morgan, who have been two of the consistent up-and-coming local athletes in recent times. The Women’s 1500m will be one of the many scorching events expected Sunday.
Burnett indicated that she is happy to be home to compete after such a long time and after taking a break to concentrate on family. She returned to the track sometime in February with the goal of qualifying for her third Olympic Games, scheduled for London, England.
The diminutive but powerful Burnett will not be an easy contender when she competes before an expectant crowd in the Mining Town. She disclosed that she is on a mission to get back amid the top 10 middle distance runners in the world and wants to be impressive.
Burnett competed at both the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and 2008 Beijing Games. She has the distinct privilege of being a NCAA Indoor Champion in 2002 for Louisiana State University and a former world leader in the 800m and 1500m events.
The three-time national ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ has a personal best time of 4:17.91 in Rio de Janeiro in 2007 in the 1500m and 1:59.47 in the 800m. Those are world class times from a senior female world renowned athlete by any stretch of the imagination.
Burnett is excited to be competing at the President’s/Jefford Track and Field Classic, and will be formerly addressing the media today; she’s expected to make several courtesy calls and was seen working out in the streets of Linden where she is based for the meet.

President’s / Jefford Track & Field Classic III…

E-Networks Inc. is the latest business entity to preserve its relationship with the third edition of the President’s / Jefford Track & Field Classic.

E-Networks Chief Financial Officer / Company Secretary Deonarine Sarjoo (left) hands over the cheque to Co-Organiser Edison Jefford yesterday

During a presentation ceremony conducted at the Camp Street location, Chief Financial Officer/Company Secretary Deonarine Sarjoo handed over a cheque for an undisclosed sum to Co-organiser of the Classic, Edison Jefford, who in his remarks, thanked the entity for its continued support which has been maintained over the three years of the event’s existence.
“I want to thank E-Networks for continuing its support for this event that is certainly growing with the expressed interest and confirmation of both Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago to compete in this the third edition,” Jefford said.
E-Networks Inc. is a leading institution in the Information Technology sector that has managed over its short period in existence in revolutionising the information technology sphere through its wireless digital communication system, providing broadband wireless access throughout a large section of the Demerara grid.
Sarjoo speaking on behalf of the entity disclosed that the company’s support for sports is not a new development, pointing to the assistance given to the Classic from the inception.
“We’ve been involved in sports from many levels and this is so because we feel that sports could be used as a vehicle to break down the racial and social barriers within our country and at the same time offer positive images of our country and those are some of the primary reasons why we are on board.”
He also said he was heartened to hear that more overseas-based athletes will be coming to participate in the event and this is an indication that the Classic continues to grow in stature and popularity.
The addition of Guyana’s distance star Marian Burnett, who now joins compatriot Aliann Pompey as some of the high profile athletes to add their presence to the Classic lends credence to the fact that over the short period, the organisers have done a marvellous job in creating what has to be accurately described as one of the leading meets on the athletic calendar.

CCI FIDE Rating Tournament…

National senior Chess champion Taffin Khan took over the lead from his father David Khan with a convincing victory last Saturday in the Caribbean Container Inc. (CCI) FIDE-rated tournament at the Ocean Spray Hotel.
The two were paired in the sixth round encounters. The elder Khan conceded defeat after about 30 moves in the match with his son. The national champion took advantage of his opponent’s unsafe king which was forced to roam the board in the midst of a relentless attack. The veteran player gave up his queen to save the king but it led to a further weakened position and the loss.
Meanwhile, national Junior champion Haifeng Su won his match with fellow junior Anthony Drayton but Su is still behind junior player Cecil Cox, who leads the juniors.
The points’ standing after six rounds read: Taffin Khan (5.5), David Khan and Cecil Cox (5), Shiv Nandalall (4), Anthony Drayton (3.5), Haifeng Su (3), Ryan Singh (1.5), Kana Khan and Ron Motilall (1) and Sham Khan (0.5).
The six junior players are up against four FIDE-rated seniors to obtain ratings with the world governing body. The World Chess Federation (FIDE) will grant the ratings based on the younger players’ performance in the tournament.
The remaining three rounds are scheduled to be played this weekend. Round seven is scheduled for Saturday at 16:30 hours at the Ocean Spray Hotel, while rounds eight and nine and the presentation of prizes are set for Olympic House on Sunday.

The organising committee of the Independence Day 20/20 tournament scheduled for the Albion Sports Complex on May 26 has released the names of three of the four teams slated to participate at the event.

Veerasammy Permaul

Berbice Titans, Hits & Jams Superstars and the Berbice Karibee Elephant Boyz are those teams.
Titans would be led by West Indies A captain Veerasammy Permaul with Test leg spinner Devendra Bishoo as his deputy while Shawn Pereira will lead the Berbice Karibee Elephant Boyz with former West Indies Under-19 pacer Keon Joseph as his deputy.
The Georgetown based Hits & Jams Superstars has as its captain former Guyana 20/20 wicketkeeper Tyrell Tull while Robin Bacchus is the vice captain.
Berbice Titans – Richard Ramdeen, Joemal La Fleur, Khemraj Mahadeo, Keon De Jesus, Jonathan Foo, Rajiv Ivan, Delbert Hicks, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Michael Newland, Brendon Bess, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Stephen Latcha. Manager is Mark Lyte and Coach, Hubern Evans.
Karibee Elephant Boyz – Harrinarine Chattergoon, Kandasammy Surujnarine, Keith Fraser, Veerapen Permaul, Kevin Ramdeen, Eon Hooper, Jason Sinclair, Shawn Pereira, Clinton Pestano, Keon Joseph, Mark Lionel, Daneshwari Prashad, Renwick Batson and Linden Austin. Anil Beharry is Manager with Julian Moore as Coach.
Hits & Jams – Tyrell Tull, Vishal Singh, Andrew Lyght, Trevon Griffith, Steven Jacobs, Jetendra Sukhdeo, Robin Bacchus, Christopher Barnwell, Shemroy Barrington, Amir Khan, Ronsford Beaton, Carlos La Rose, Elton Barker and Andre Stoll. Manager is Sherlock Atwell and Coach, Gavin Nedd.
Funds raised from the match will be used for charity and cricket development in Berbice.

By Melinda Bishundyal

DeSinco’s Group of Companies’ Lipton Tea Cup organisers have honoured former Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) president Chetram Singh for his contribution to cricket in Guyana, at the Everest Cricket Club ground last Sunday after the cricket match.
The Lipton Cup one-day tournament against Ghandi Youth Organisation (GYO) and Everest was held in commemoration of the arrival of East Indians to Guyana. One of the items on the programme was to recognise and honour an East Indian who has contributed to the sport. The list ranged from cricketers, sports journalists, umpires, scorers, commentators and groundsmen.

Chetram Singh receiving his plaque from Frank DeAbreu, proprietor of DeSinco Group of Companies

Proprietor of DeSinco Group of Companies, Frank DeAbreu, said he is not surprised that the committee decided on Singh, as he has given a lot to cricket to Guyana over the past 30 years, and the GCB’s success was at its peak under his rein. Singh has been on the GCB over two decades and also served as a director on the West Indies Cricket Board.  He received a plaque and a DeSinco hamper.
Meanwhile, Everest trashed GYO by seven wickets for the inaugural Lipton Tea Cup. The 50-overs match was reduced to 20 overs due to early morning showers. Everest won the toss and sent GYO in to bat. GYO never looked comfortable at the crease before eventually crumbling at 68 all out in 17 overs.
Captain Surendra Hiralall and Anthony Ifill were the only batsmen that reached double figures with 16 and 28 respectively. They were destroyed by former national youth player, Troy Gonsalves who is Everest skipper who snatched 4-2 off three overs.
Everest chased down the target in 9.3 overs losing only three wickets in the process. Saheed Mohammed and Chanderpaul Hemraj scored 32 and 33 respectively adding 52 for the second wicket.
DeAbreu told this publication that he is very pleased with the preparation and outcome of the event. He lauded Everest for their hospitality. He was also thrilled that Sport Dr Frank Anthony, Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, and Clive Lloyd, among other esteem persons were present at the game.
He noted that even though the rain reduced the length of the game, the day was a productive one and he is looking forward to making next year’s tournament even better, adding that more sports personnel would be honoured.
A similar tournament will be launched in August to recognise the freedom of slaves. That tournament will be called the Lipton Tea Emancipation Cup. The teams that will be competing are GYO and Demerara Cricket Club (DCC). Like the Indian Arrival anniversary tournament, the Emancipation tournament will recognise an Afro- Guyanese that made a contribution to the game.

The Guyana 15s team leaves for Barbados on Friday to contest their first game in round two of the Southern Zone of the 2015 Rugby World Cup NACRA Regional Qualifiers.

Ryan Gonsalves

Guyana is in a must win situation to ensure they remain in the contest for the finals of the Southern Zone Qualifier when they play Trinidad and Tobago at the Providence National Stadium on June 2. Trinidad and Tobago defeated Barbados 30–3, two weeks ago in TT.
Should Guyana defeat Barbados, the winner of the Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago game will play the winner of the Northern Zone for the NACRA Caribbean Rugby World Cup Regional Qualifier finals in two weeks.
Bermuda defeated Guyana in the finals of the NACRA Caribbean Fifteens Championships last year in Guyana but the locals had previously defeated Trinidad and Tobago at home and Barbados in Guyana.
The Guyana team for the Barbados game will be without its National Rugby Sevens star players, Claudius Butts, who is injured, Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers who are in Trinidad and Tobago, and Rupert Giles who is in England.
The Guyana team has, however, been joined by Ryan Hinckson and Delon Downer who are presently playing rugby in Trinidad and Tobago.
The newly elected President of the GRFU, Col. John Lewis, will serve as Manager; Head Coach is Theodore Henry and Barrington Browne in the team’s Fitness Trainer.
Guyana: Ryan Gonsalves (Captain), Troy Arjune, Alain Crawford, Jason Tyrell, Avery Corbin, Ryan Dojoy, Dwayne Schroeder, Delon Downer, Rondell Mc Arthur, Leon Greaves, Rodwell Hutson, Elwin Chase, Peabo Hamilton, Blaize Bailey, Ryan Hinckson, Delroy Gordon, Terrance Daniels, Germaine Prowell, Cyon Kitt, Claude Alexander, Rickford Cummings, Joseph Rahaman.