President of the Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston Mark Neita believes their hosting of the induction of USA Ambassador Noah Nickolas Perry into the Cricket Hall of Fame could be an important moment for the development of Jamaica’s cricket.

Born in Jamaica, Ambassador Perry, an alum of Kingston College, helped promote the growth of the sport in the United States during his tenure as a New York State Assemblyman and earned him the right to be inducted. 

“I did everything I could to make sure that New York’s government recognized the importance of cricket to the Caribbean-American Diaspora and that we are given rights and privileges to use the public parks and public sites to play the game we love,” he said in his acceptance speech during the induction ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Club on Friday.

Neita is hopeful that as the US Ambassador to Jamaica, he will do the same in the country of his birth.

“I think it’s very significant. The fact is the United States of America is going to be the next big cricket market and when you have somebody like the ambassador, who is passionate about the game of cricket and is prepared to help, I think it bodes well for the future of a lot of our youngsters,” Neita told Sportsmax. TV.

“I certainly hope that now that he is an inductee in the Cricket Hall of Fame it will open up the channels for us to have a very robust discussion about cricket, how we can develop the game, how the connection between the United States and Jamaica can be strengthened, how we can get gears here at discounted prices because we all know that the duty on cricket gear is prohibitive sometimes for our youngsters to get fully clothed for a game.”

His last point about the cost of cricket gear was an issue brought up at the induction ceremony by Executive Chairman of the Hall of Fame Mike Chambers.

Chambers mentioned that gear costing US$400 (approximately JMD$61,000) that was donated in Jamaica attracted duties amounting to more than JMD$100,000.

Neita expounded, explaining that the exorbitant duty has put a damper on the sport in Jamaica.

“The fact of the matter is that the high cost of the gear has a very negative impact on our young cricketers,” he said.

“It is almost up to the club for us to help to support the cricketers with all their gear because the reality is this; for a young player, say 12 or 13 years old, to be fully suited with a cricket bat, pair of pads, helmet, thigh pads, boots you’re talking about 60 to 70 thousand Jamaican dollars, and most of that is duty.

I just had an experience recently where I brought in a pair of cricket boots for one of my young cricketers because it was unavailable here, it cost me 35,000 Jamaican dollars just for duty alone and the shoes cost 120 Pounds; I mean that to me is just ridiculous.

 “Look around, you have fewer people playing cricket, fewer schools playing cricket and so we need to start about how to do something for the sport.”

He hopes that Ambassador Perry will be able to help with matters such as this.

“And this is why this is so important. I am sorry there weren’t members of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) here but this is a significant moment for us and I think this ambassador is passionate about the sport and I am almost certain that he is going to be a big asset to turn back some of that negativity when it comes to pricing the gear and the connection between Jamaica and the United States, so this is very positive,” Neita said.

“We are excited about this. I think it’s a significant event and I think the future is very bright for this collaboration between the US and Jamaica in terms of cricket.”

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will be in Zurich this week after all.

Megan Tapper, the Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott produced podium-worthy performances at the 2022 ISTAF Berlin meet on Sunday.

There were victories for Tajay Gayle and Shanieka Ricketts at the XXXV Meeting Citta di Padova in Italy on Sunday.

US Ambassador to Jamaica Noah Nickolas Perry was inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame during a brief ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Club in Kingston on Friday.

Established in the United States in 1981, the Cricket Hall of Fame was set up to honour individuals who have contributed to the sustained growth and development of cricket in the United States and Canada and for individuals who have played at the international level who have had distinguished careers in the sport.

Ambassador Perry, who was born in Jamaica and attended Kingston College, through his work as a New York State Assemblyman, helped promote and sustain the growth of cricket in the USA during his illustrious career in that capacity.

The ambassador was gracious in acceptance of the recognition.

“I want to thank Ruby Harris-Singh, a neighbour and supporter in New York in my previous life as a politician and as a member of the New York State Assembly where I served for 30 years and honed a lot of public skills to support and work for the people, passing laws that impacted lives and with the intent to improve the quality of life but not forgetting that a part of the quality of life is the pleasure of being able to play sports you like,” he said, “and the game of cricket; I did everything I could to make sure that New York’s government recognized the importance of cricket to the Caribbean-American Diaspora and that we are given rights and privileges to use the public parks and public sites to play the game we love.”

He also thanked the Mayor of Kingston Delroy Williams and Melbourne Cricket Club President Mark Neita and Mike Chambers Executive Director of the Cricket Hall of Fame, and others who made the occasion possible.

“I am really honoured to be here and I want to thank the Cricket Hall of Fame for this recognition.”

After her loss on Friday to Shericka Jackson in the 100m at the Allianz Memorial van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels, 2022 World 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is taking a wait-and-see approach as to whether she will compete at the Diamond League meeting in Zurich in four days’ time.

Fraser-Pryce, who complained of a tight hamstring prior to withdrawing from the 100m in Lausanne two weeks ago, ran 10.74 for second after she was edged at the line by Jackson who clocked a meet-record 10.73 for victory.

Afterwards, Fraser-Pryce, who admitted at the pre-race press conference on Thursday that she was not 100 per cent, said she did not suffer an injury during the race but was being cautious regarding her participation in Diamond League final next week.

“I feel okay about today´s race. It wasn´t anything spectacular but I felt good I do not have any injury so that is the most important part,” she said.

“I am not sure about Zurich I will have to wait and listen to my body but today was really amazing. I love running in Brussels.”

Meanwhile, Jackson was obviously pleased to be the only woman to defeat her imperious compatriot.

“It takes a lot of hard work to beat Shelley-Ann. She's a tough cookie to beat,” Jackson declared.

 “So you need to keep working hard if you want to win. Tonight I had a good execution of my race, so I'm happy with that.”

Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran a new meet record to win the 100m hurdles at the Allianz Memorial van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday.

Shericka Jackson ran a meet record to hand Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce her first defeat over 100m this season at the Allianz Memorial van Damme Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday.

Jackson, 28, the 2022 200m world champion ran 10.73 to edge Fraser-Pryce at the line.  The 2022 100m world champion clocked 10.74 for second place.

Marie Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast was third in 10.78.

Aleia Hobbs of the United States, who ran 10.81 to beat Jackson in Lausanne, two weeks ago, clocked 10.91 for fourth.

American Sha’carri Richardson who ran 11.29 to defeat Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah in Luzern, Switzerland on Tuesday was fifth in 10.93.

Rushell Clayton’s good run of form continued on Tuesday when she won the 400m hurdles at the Palio Città della Quercia, Stadio Quercia in Rovereto, Italy.

After years of coming up short, an insatiable hunger drove Ashley Khalil to her first ever Caribbean Senior Squash Singles title in Jamaica last week.

When Chris Binnie won his 10^th Caribbean Senior Squash singles title last week, it felt a little more special than the nine others he had won. When the 33-year-old Jamaican dispatched Khamal Cumberbatch of Barbados 14-12, 11-5, 11-5 to win the 2022 title, it was the first time he was winning a singles title on home soil.

It is a feeling he will not forget.

“This is definitely up there for me because I haven’t won a title in Jamaica at the Caribbean level. I have always been winning them abroad,” he told Sportsmax.TV following his record-extending victory.

“All those times I had crowds cheering against me, my followers have just been watching through screens, so it’s great to actually win one here and to have the home support not matter what else was going on, they were so loud and getting behind me. It was great.

“I was super-excited about winning this 10^th title. I am just grateful to everyone and this great support system I’ve had throughout the years to actually get 10 titles. It’s been a long journey. When you start, you just think about winning one at a time and then all of a sudden as the years have gone on they have just accumulated so being able to show up every year, play at a high level still I am just thankful for all of that.”

That said, Binnie revealed that playing at home did not make it any easier as the quality of his opponents has been consistent over the years.

“Every year it’s difficult. I don’t think this was any different. You have players who come through always ready to challenge you, ready to keep you on your toes and so,” he said.

 “I was always ready. I was getting ready to play, getting ready to win and treat every game as if it was difficult and as a result, I was prepared and ready to get some good results.”

His opponents were tough from the get-go and it speaks to the depth of talent across the region.

“From the quarter-finals on, there were always difficult matches. Playing Chase McQuan from Trinidad and Tobago, a very good player; Alex Arjoon from Guyana in the semis and Khamal Cumberbatch from Barbados in the final, it shows that there is talent all over the Caribbean,” he said.

“In each of those matches, I had to do different things to win. I was happy to get through them.

“This is a strong region. We missed a couple of players this year due to different things but this was like a stronger semis of players that you would get. We continue to see young players come through like Khamal. He is one to watch for the future. I just hope I can hold him off for another year.”

Jamaican Olympian Simone Facey is now a certified coach of athletics.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will face the Trinbago Knight Riders in the final of the inaugural 6IXTY Men’s competition following victories over the Jamaica Tallawahs and Barbados Royals, respectively at Warner Park in St Kitts on Sunday.

Guyana won the overall team title at the 2022 Caribbean Senior Squash Championships that concluded at the Liguanea Club in Kingston on Saturday.

On Sunday, Yohan Blake and Kimberly Williams won the 100m dash and triple jump competitions, respectively, at the 2022 TrueAthletes Classic in Leverkusen, Germany.

Blake, who in June signalled a return to form this year following a 9.85 clocking at the Jamaica National Championships, his fastest time in a decade, sped to a 9.96 timing to miss out on the meet record of 9.93 set in July 2019 by Arthur Cisse of the Ivory Coast.

Nonetheless, the time was good enough for the 2011 world 100m champion to win comfortably ahead of the USA’s Cravont Charleston, who finished in second place in a time of 10.12.

Jeremiah Azu of Great Britain picked up the other podium spot after finishing third in 10.16.

Williams, meanwhile, won the triple jump with a mark of 13.92m.

The 33-year-old Jamaican has been well off her best this season. She has only managed a best of 14.29m this season, well below her lifetime best of 14.69m.

However, against a less than a stellar field, she proved to be imperious.

Mariko Morimoto of Japan leapt out to a lifetime best of 13.82m to claim second place while Nesa Filipic of Slovenia mustered her best effort of 13.78m for third.

Jamaican Olympic finalist Damion Thomas was second in the 110m hurdles running 13.46 to finish runner-up to the USA’s Eric Edwards, who ran 13.40 for the victory.

Norway’s Vladimir Vukicevic finished third in 13.61.