Goalkeeper Shaquan Davis and strikers Kaheim Dixon and Bailey Cadamarteri have been included in Heimir Hallgrimsson's senior Reggae Boyz side for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League (CNL) semi-final contest against United States on March 21.

Though Davis, who represents Mount Pleasant and Dixon, of Arnett Gardens, both made their senior team debut in the recent friendly series against Trinidad and Tobago, it is their first time making the Reggae Boyz Nations League roster, while British-born Cadamarteri is being called to the Jamaican set up for the first time.

The six-foot tall 18-year-old, who plays for Sheffield Wednesday, alongside another Reggae Boy Dishon Bernard, also has Italian and Irish descent, but chose to honour his Jamaican heritage.

In fact, the rising English Championship sensation was interested in playing for Ireland, but doesn’t qualify, as his great grandparents hails from the Emerald Isle.

Still, their loss is Jamaica's gain and Hallgrimsson and company will be eager to put his skills to the test at some point in time in this crucial semi-final contest. 

Cadamarteri burst onto the scene this season with three goals in 11 Championship outings for the Owls and qualifies to represent Jamaica through his father Danny Cadamarteri, who played for Everton in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Meanwhile, a notable absentee from the 23-man squad is Aston Villa winger Leon Bailey, who misses out on a spot in the squad after he was suspended for breaking curfew during the last national camp.

Squad: Andre Blake, Shaquan Davis, Jahmali Waite, Richard King, Damion Lowe, Dishon Bernard, Michael Hector, Dexter Lembikisa, Tayvon Gray, Greg Leigh, Daniel Johnson, Joel Latibeaudiere, Bobby Reid, Karoy Anderson, Kasey Palmer, Renaldo Cephas, Cory Burke, Demarai Gray, Bailey Cadamarteri, Shamar Nicholson, Michail Antonio, Jamal Lowe, Kaheim Dixon

Jamaica were crowned the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup champions picking up the winners’ cheque for $20,000 USD despite a 5-wicket defeat to Guyana in their final match of the tournament.

Winning the toss and batting first in a match reduced to 44 overs per side, Jamaica slumped to 73 all out in 27.1 overs at St. Paul’s Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Rashada Williams top-scored with 31 followed by Chedean Nation with 20. Ashmini Munisar once again led the way for Guyana with figures of 3/11, followed by Nyia Latchman with 2/1.

Guyana made a meal of the run-chase, losing five wickets in the process, but 24 from Mandy Magru and 21 from skipper Shemaine Campbelle ensure they did enough to earn the victory, finishing on 74/5 in 17.4 overs.

Jaunel Deers picked up 2/4 while Neisha-Ann Waisome had 2/23 bowling for Jamaica. Guyana finished second earning them the $10,000 USD runners-up cheque.

The Windward Islands earned a 44-run victory over Barbados, thanks to an 81-ball 72 from skipper Afy Fletcher and 30 from Namia Marcellin as the Windwards posted 233/9 in their 50 overs.

This is the second game in a row that Barbados have conceded over 200 runs when bowling. Shamilia Connell was the pick of the Barbadian bowlers with 4/38.

64 from Kycia Knight and 49 not out from Aaliya Allyene took Barbados to 189/9 from their 50 overs, as the Windwards bowlers kept the scoring in check.

Qiana Joseph 2/21, Zaida James 2/22 and Jannillea Glasgow 2/24 were the Windwards bowlers who got the defence job done.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas finally earned a win and points in the final match of the competition when they defeated the Leeward Islands by 4 wickets.

Batting first, the Leewards posted 151 all out in 40.2 overs, thanks to 48 from Reniece Boyce and 39 from Tonya Martin. Caneisha Isaac had the best bowling figures for Red Force Divas of 3/33 followed by Steffie Soogrim 2/15 and Samara Ramnath 2/22.

Ramnath returned with the bat to score 35 in their run-chase along with 48 from Lee Ann Kirby as Red Force Divas reached 152/6 in 41.1 overs. Leewards captains Amanda Edward had their best bowling figures with 3/17.

The teams return to action on Sunday for the start of the T20 Blaze tournament, with three matches per day at Warner Park at 10am, 2:30pm and 7pm. The T20 Blaze will run from March 17- 25.

 

Jamaica women remain unbeaten after four rounds of the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup after they defeated the Windward Islands by 3 wickets at the St. Paul’s Sporting Complex on Monday.

Batting first, the Windward Islands were kept to 175/9 courtesy some spectacular bowling by Chinelle Henry who finished with figures of 6/31 in the match reduced to 45 overs due to a wet outfield.

Experienced all-rounder Pearl Etienne top-scored with 58 followed by the inform Jannillea Glasgow with 38 and skipper Afy Fletcher with 31.

Jamaica had a nervy run-chase as they lost seven wickets in the process. Rashada Williams played a patient 101-ball 72 and Natasha McLean hit a run-a-ball half-century as Jamaica reached 176/7 in 36.1 overs.

The Leeward Islands scored their highest total ever in the competition when they posted 255/5 from their 50 overs at Warner Park.

Half-centuries from Shawnisha Hector 56, Amanda Edwards 55 not out and Divya Saxena 51 along with 46 from Jahzara Claxton took the home team to challenging total against defending champions Barbados. Barbados’ bowlers had a tough time in the heat as they toiled against the Leewards. NaiJanni Cumberbatch had the best bowling figures of 1/33.

The experience of the Barbados batting lineup reared its head, as the three most senior batters got their team to the victory line.

Skipper Kycia Knight kicked things off with 42, but it was 88 not out from twin sister Kyshona Knight who shared in a 152-run partnership with Aaliyah Alleyne that took the match away from the Leewards.

Barbados got to the target in 46.2 overs to finish on 256/5. Shawnisha Hector finished with figures of 2/48.

Trinidad and Tobago Divas slump continue in this season’s competition, as they lost their fourth match in row to Guyana by 62 runs, to remain winless.

The Divas bowlers did well to restrict Guyana to 156/8 from their 50 overs. Karishma Ramharack once again led the bowling with figures of 3/26 followed by Lee Ann Kirby with 2/24. Guyana captain Shemaine Campbelle made 52 while Shabika Gajnabi added 33.

In their reply, the Divas were bowled out for 94 in 42 overs, Samara Ramnath top-scored with 20 followed by Shunelle Sawh with 18.

Ashmini Munisar spn a web on the Divas, picking up her first fifer to finish with figures of 5/15. Nyia Latchman had 2/24.

 

Amidst the turmoil that has overshadowed the ongoing Jamaica Women's Premier League (JWPL), there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the seven participating clubs to chase after, as one of those clubs will be the country's representative in the inaugural Concacaf Women's Champions Cup.

This Women's Champions Cup, the region’s first official women’s continental club championship, follows the successful conclusion of the inaugural Concacaf Women's Gold Cup, which was won by United States on Sunday. The preliminary round and group stage matches of the club tournament are scheduled for August, September, and October this year, with a final four centralized semifinals and final set for May 2025.

Hailed as another strategic move in women’s football, the Women's Champions Cup will be an annual competition that will pit the best clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean against each other, and will crown a regional women’s club champion. The tournament will also be the sole path through which Concacaf region clubs can qualify for the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, which FIFA has committed to launching in the near future.

Well aware of the gulf in class between other leagues around the region and Jamaica's Women's League, interim Reggae Girlz Head coach Xavier Gilbert welcomed the move by Concacaf, which he believes will offer some exposure for local players.

"It's important for local football, however, I don't think any of our local teams will be able to match up with the teams from Mexico or United States. Those clubs are professional clubs playing in a fully professional leagues, while ours is nowhere close to their standard," Gilbert told SportsMax.TV.

"But it is good, it is more football and more exposure for our local players. At the same time, I think it sends a signal of how important it is for us to look at what we are doing in terms of resources and surfaces for our local teams. So, it is good move by Concacaf, and I think it's for us now here in Jamaica to look at what we are doing and try to improve the quality of our league," he added.

The Concacaf Women's Club Championships will be contested by 11 clubs from member associations which meet Concacaf’s eligibility criteria. Clubs will qualify through their domestic leagues based on sporting merit through criteria which must be proposed by their member association and ratified by Concacaf.

As such, the qualification slots were allocated where Canada and El Salvador will have one club each lock horns in the preliminary round. The winner of that contest will join Jamaica, Costa Rica and Panama with one club each in the group stage. Of course, United States and Mexico, who boast professional leagues, will have three clubs each in the group stage.

The format for the Concacaf W Champions Cup will include a Preliminary Round (Canada club vs El Salvador club) followed by a Group Stage consisting of two groups of five teams, with each team playing a total of four group stage matches (two at home; two away) in August, September, and October. At the conclusion of Group Stage play, the top two clubs from each group will progress to a final four centralized event played in May.

Concacaf president and FIFA Vice president, Victor Montagliani said launching the Concacaf Women's Champions Cup is another exciting step in the confederation's journey of developing all aspects of women’s football in the region.

“When we launched our Concacaf W women’s football strategy in 2019, we focused on creating an enhanced calendar of national team competitions that benefited all of our Member Associations, and on providing opportunities for women and girls to develop a passion for football at all levels of the sport.  We have made significant progress in those areas, albeit with much work more to do, and the growth of leagues and clubs is an important next phase in our strategy. The W Champions Cup will provide a tremendous sporting opportunity for clubs in Concacaf, and we look forward to the first edition commencing in August this year, to crowning a first champion in May 2025, and to delivering an exciting pathway to the new FIFA Women’s Club World Cup,” Montagliani shared.

Club allocations: Canada and El Salvador: 1 club in Preliminary Round; Costa Rica: 1 club in Group Stage; Jamaica: 1 club in Group Stage; Mexico: 3 clubs in Group Stage; Panama: 1 club in Group Stage and USA: 3 clubs in Group Stage

Newly appointed Under-20 Reggae Boyz Head coach Jerome Waite, is looking forward to the challenge of possibly qualifying the country to its first Under-20 Men's World Cup since the Argentina feat in 2001. 

The veteran tactician, who heads Jamaica Premier League (JPL) outfit, Tivoli Gardens, and Manning Cup unit, Wolmer’s Boys’ School, was appointed as replacement for John Wall, who led the team through the first phase of qualifying with victories over Grenada, Martinique and Bermuda in St Kitts and Nevis recently.

Waite brings a wealth of experience to the position, as he previous led or assisted with teams at the Under-20, Under-23 and senior levels.

In fact, Waite was at the helm when the young Reggae Boyz went into the 2018 tournament without much preparation or expectation, but surprised the entire nation when they finished level on 13 points from five games with CONCACAF kingpins, Mexico, at the top of the group. However, Mexico qualified for the second round by virtue of a better goal difference than the Jamaicans, as only the group winner advanced.

Since then, Jamaica's closest run to qualification was when they made the quarterfinal of the 2022 tournament in Honduras.

"It is always a joy working with the national programme. It will be great going into the qualifiers with this group of players. Qualification will not be easy, but it is something that can be accomplished," Waite said.

Waite's appointment comes as Wall has been recalled from the Under-20 assignment by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

 

According to a press release from the JFF, Wall's focus will be on his role as assistant head coach to Heimir Hallgrímsson as the senior men’s team prepares for their Nations League semi-final fixture against the United States later this month.

“The Jamaica Football Federation has decided to recall coach John Wall from duties with the under-20 team, so he can better concentrate on assisting Hallgrimsson in preparing the senior men's national team for the numerous competitions ahead,” an official statement read.

Jamaica's young Reggae Boyz, who topped Group F, joined other group winners Cuba, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti and Canada in the Championship round where they are set to meet the six pre-seeded nations – United States, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic –ranked in that order.

The championship will be hosted in Guanajuato, Mexico in June, with the group draw set for April.

Suriname’s Robinhood, the Caribbean’s lone remaining representative in the Concacaf Champions Cup, will be hoping to extend their stay in the tournament, as they target a successful homecoming to overturn a two-goal deficit against Costa Rica’s Herediano in their second-leg Round of 16 contest, on Tuesday evening.

Herediano, who claimed a 2-0-win in first-leg action last week, are aiming to build on that advantage, but Robinhood have enjoyed a magical run to reach this point and will rate their chances highly to produce another big wave of the wand at the Dr. Ir. Franklin Essed Stadion in Paramaribo.

The Dutch-speaking Caribbean club emerged topped last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Shield, just to qualify for the Caribbean Cup, also topped the Caribbean Cup to qualify directly to the Round of 16 of this Champions Cup.

Through it all, Robinhood performed very well at home, winning all four matches in Paramaribo during the Caribbean Cup, while outscoring opponents 6-1.

Goalkeeper Jonathan Fonkel, who topped his peers for that award at the end of the Caribbean Cup, turned in a dazzling display in the first leg, as he pulled off a whopping 14 saves to keep Robinhood within touching distance.

In attack, Robinhood’s chances will be heavily reliant on Dimitrio Andro, who had the two best scoring chances of the first leg in which he also completed 34 passes.

Meanwhile, Herediano are riding a two-match winning streak in Champions Cup play and will be in pursuit of their first Champions Cup quarterfinal appearance since the 2014-15 edition.

Getsel Montes had the opening goal for the Ticos, giving him three in his last five Champions Cup matches, on top of leading the team in passes with 70.

Andy Rojas and Elias Aguilar were key contributors as well to the victory. Rojas registered five shots, four on target, while Aguilar completed 47 passes.

The Caribbean will also be represented off the field, as Jamaican Daneon Parchment and Tristley Bassue of St Kitts and Nevis will be the Video Assistant Referees (VAR) to Guatemalan Julio Luna, for the encounter.

Despite boasting an ultra-competitive side, Jamaica’s long jumper Wayne Pinnock is seemingly biding his time where a decision on joining the professional ranks is concerned, as he believes things will fall in place at the appropriate time.

Pinnock’s comments came after he claimed gold for Arkansas Razorbacks with a world lead and national indoor record-equalling 8.40m on Friday’s second day of the NCAA Indoor Championships in Boston.

The 23-year-old, who claimed World Championship silver in Budapest last year, joined James Beckford (1996) and Carey McLeod (2023) at the top of the country’s jump list with the mark.

“I know a lot of people are wondering why I haven’t gone pro as yet, but there is a reason for that and I believe it is going to come at the right time,” Pinnock said shortly after the dazzling performance.

The former Kingston College stalwart, who won the title in 2022 and was fourth last year, surpassed his previous personal best of 8.34m twice after he jumped 8.36m in the second round and then went further in the fourth round, before fouling his final two attempts.

His other distances for rounds one and three were 8.23m and 8.29m, as he won ahead of Florida State’s Jeremiah Davis (8.20m) and Malcolm Clemons (8.11m).

Pinnock’s record jump also moved him joint fifth on the all-time collegiate list with McLeod, and joint second on the UA all-time list, trailing only the school record of (8.43) set by Erick Walder in 1994.

“I prayed about this moment actually, so I came out here with a calm mindset. I know that everyone in the field is competitive, so I just knew I had to execute well and that’s what I did. I equalled the national record and I’m forever grateful for this opportunity to showcase my talent,” Pinnock shared.

Though slightly disappointed with the two fouls, Pinnock took heart from the fact that they were possibly over the 8.40m mark, and that has left him highly motivated as he looks ahead to the remainder of the collegiate season and possibly the Paris Olympic Games.

“I fouled two other jumps that were over 8.40m, but it’s a competition and competitions are all about execution. But I know if those jumps were counted it would have been further, so yeah,” he ended.

Jamaica remained unbeaten while Guyana and Barbados picked up their first wins of the season in round two action in the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup in St. Kitts on Wednesday.

Stafanie Taylor once again led Jamaica to a comfortable 9-wicket win over the Leeward Islands at Conaree Cricket Centre.

Batting first the Leeward Islands fell short of a 100-run total, as they were bowled out for 98 in 35.1 overs. Vanessa Watts and Taylor, with their off-spin, combined for 6 wickets between them.

Watts had figures of 3/15 while Taylor had 3/16. Reniece Boyce was the stop scorer for the Leewards with 37, followed by Shebani Bhaskar 14 and Shanwnisha Hector 14.

Experienced batters Rashada Williams and Chedean Nation then made quick work of the small target, to reach victory in 11.2 overs, to end of 99/1. Williams 29 and Nation 61 remained not out when victory was achieved.

Guyana earned their first win of the tournament with a handsome 44-run win over the Windward Islands at Warner Park.

Batting first a patient 61 off 102 deliveries from Shabika Gajnabi and 42 from skipper Shemaine Campbelle propelled Guyana to 207/8 from their 50 overs.

Carena Noel once again starred for the Windwards with her spin, taking 3/47. Nerissa Crafton continued her run of form with the bat with a quickfire 47 off 54 deliveries, but it was not enough as she ran out of partners to take their team to victory, as the Windwards were bowled out for 163 in 40.2 overs.

Plaffiana Millington, Ashmini Munisar and Nyia Latchman all had 2 wickets a piece, to finish with figures of 2/23, 2/31, 2/38 respectively.

In the final match, Trinidad and Tobago Divas suffered their second defeat in as many matches, when they lost by 8 runs to archrivals Barbados at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.

Batting first, Barbados 186 all out in 48.4 overs, thanks to a brilliant 93 from captain Kycia Knight.

Knight’s innings of 134 deliveries which included seven fours and a six, looked set to take Barbados well past 200 but tactical bowling and a batting collapse prevented that.

Karishma Ramharack once again led the Divas bowling figures with 4/20 followed by Samara Ramnath with 3/38.

In their run-chase, the Divas had 33 from skipper Britney Cooper, 32 from Ramnath and 26 from Lee Ann Kirby but the rest of the batters failed to fire as they finished on 178/8 from 50 overs. Aaliyah Alleyne and Keila Elliott had figures of 2/33 from 10 0vers each.

Round 3 matches see Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago Divas at Conaree, Guyana vs Barbados at St. Paul’s and the Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands at Warner Park.

 

 

(NB: The Nations League semi-finals will be broadcast live on Sportsmax)

Reggae Boyz head coach Heimer Halgrimsson has openly expressed his keen interest in inviting Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood to join Jamaica's national football team. Greenwood, currently on loan at Getafe, faces limited prospects for an England call-up ahead of Euro 2024, paving the way for potential international representation elsewhere.

The 22-year-old, who earned a single cap for England against Iceland in September 2020, found himself on loan at Getafe after Manchester United deemed it necessary for him to continue his career away from the club.

The decision followed the dropping of charges, including attempted rape, engaging in controlling and coercive behavior, and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, all of which Greenwood denied, by the Crown Prosecution Service in February 2023.

Eligible to play for Jamaica through his father, Andrew, Greenwood's potential representation for the Caribbean nation has been a topic of discussion, with reports suggesting the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) is open to the idea. According to current FIFA rules, the Manchester United academy graduate would be within his rights to change his international allegiance.

Speaking at a CONCACAF Nations League press conference in Dallas on Tuesday, Hallgrimsson confirmed the ongoing discussions about Greenwood's potential inclusion in the Reggae Boyz squad. "I really don't like to talk about 'what if,' but this, of course, has come to our mind,"  the coach said.

"I would love to have him in my team. Like all coaches, I would like to have the best players in our team, but it's always up to the player himself if he wants to do it," added Hallgrimsson, highlighting the player's autonomy in making such a significant decision regarding his international career.

Jamaica plays the USA on March 21, 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

It is hard not to be impressed by the sheer willpower and determination of Jamaica’s diving flagbearer Yona Knight-Wisdom.

While it is not surprising, as Olympians are often seen as the epitome of human performance given their incredible physical and mental strength, the manner in which Knight-Wisdom conducts himself is so businesslike that his financial challenges pale in comparison to his performances.

Despite having very little financial backing since he rose to prominence as Jamaica’s first-ever male diver to compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Knight-wisdom has never lost hope and continues to establish himself on the global stage.

But while his ambition and immense ability shines through like the noonday sun, Knight-Wisdom is once again left contemplating his future in the sport, as he believes the hard work and sacrifice that goes into a thriving career means very little without the necessary funding.

This, as the task of achieving the Olympic dream requires financial accessibility, which Knight-Wisdom seldom has, as he sometimes struggles to make ends meet where preparation for, and getting into competitions are concerned.

It is for this reason why the talented diver, who recently qualified to represent Jamaica at a third-consecutive Olympic Games, might not push for a fourth, as the sport has been cruel in returning dividends on his spend.

“There are many factors that I will have to take into consideration when looking at the future. I think my body would be able to cope with another four years because I’m very professional and committed to doing things in the right way,” he declared.

“The main question for me is value. Of course, it would be amazing to chase a fourth Olympic Games, but there isn’t much money in diving, it takes a lot of personal and financial sacrifice, and I need to figure out if there is enough value in it,” Knight-Wisdom told SportsMax.TV from his base in the United Kingdom.

Though Knight-Wisdom’s hardship isn’t unique, as many athletes look for ways to make ends meet while training, it is the grace and faith that the English-born diver, whose mother is Barbadian and father Jamaican, exudes as he represents the country with much gusto that stands out.

Like his admirers, Knight-Wisdom continues to bask in the fact that he will again represent the country at a third consecutive Olympic Games, as he recently secured an automatic quota spot to this summer’s Paris Olympics Games.

Unlike Rio in 2016 and Tokyo 2020, this qualification struck an emotional chord for Knight-Wisdom, whose progress was derailed by ruptured rectus femoris tendons in his left knee late in 2022, which required surgery and months of rehabilitation for recovery.

“Yes, the emotion certainly caught me briefly after the preliminary round. Competing against 70 other divers and doing a dive every 50 minutes or so was a major mental battle…when you know you can’t afford to make a big mistake with each dive, 50 minutes is a lot of time for your brain to play tricks on you,” Knight-Wisdom shared.

“The hard work I put in before my injury and the motivation to recover and get ready for 2024 meant that I was feeling good and confident coming into this event, so I’m grateful and relieved it has resulted in a positive outcome,” he added.

That confidence stemmed from the fact that Knight-Wisdom sets appropriate goals, which helps to track his progress and provides feedback about the areas of his dives that need to be strengthened.

Add to that the fact that he holds strict expectations which does not allow for areas of his dives to be weak, thereby ensuring that he gives a capital effort on each occasion.

Still, the results were not always what he expected along the way.

But given his unwavering commitment and determination to reap success for the black, green and gold, Knight-Wisdom kept plugging away at training knowing very well that it takes flawless routines to turn his fortunes around.

The 28-year-old has shown in the past that he possesses enough ability to rise to the occasion when it matters most, and that he did at the World Aquatics Championships, where he ended with a semi-final score of 368.95.

“My performances were actually a little lower than I was hoping for, though that is because I anticipated the qualification standard would be a little higher than it was in the end. My dives were good and solid throughout, with only one major mistake in the semi-final, but they all need to be refined and improved to attract even higher scores from the judges when I do them well. But overall, my performances were similar to how my training has been, so I have no complaints,” Knight-Wisdom said.

“This time round I think I was more expectant that I would qualify, even considering the injury. It definitely wasn’t a certainty, but I wasn’t relying on hope and belief as much as I was for Rio or Tokyo. I feel like I’ve done what most people, including myself, thought I would do. I don’t think many people will be shocked or surprised that I have qualified this time so it did sink in very quickly and I was straight to thinking how I can get better,” he reasoned.

That said, the lanky six-foot tall diver declared his intentions to possibly spring a surprise in Paris, provided he maintains a clean bill of health to improve on his current vein of form.

“I’d love to put myself in a position to produce a shocking result in the summer. I just need to keep doing what I’ve been doing,” he stated.

“This (qualification) was another stepping stone on my journey back to peak performance, a potential obstacle successfully negotiated, so I will just continue working on improving the finer details of my dives and on more consistent execution. My confidence will continue to build going forward which will be displayed in my dives,” Knight-Wisdom ended.

Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Angus Eve was pleased that they achieved their objective from the two-match friendly series against Jamaica, but expressed that the overall fitness of local players require significant improvements to meet international standards.

Eve's sentiments came after a goalless stalemate between his Soca Warriors and their Reggae Boyz counterparts in the second contest at the Larry Gomes Stadium, on Sunday. Jamaica won the first game at the Hasely Crawford Stadium 1-0 courtesy of a Kahiem Dixon strike.

While he singled out players such as Adrian Foncette, Rhondel Gibson, Kai Moos and central defenders Jamal Jack and Robert Primus as standout performers over the two matches, Eve, who gifted debut caps to seven players, pointed out that getting the local-based players to the desired standard remains a work in progress.

"Everything you do is about stages. Everything about life is stages. Every time you go up a level, the work is more intense. Every time you go up a different level, it means you have to be more prepared," Eve said in the post-match press conference.

"We have to look at what the international standards are and we have to work harder to get the players fitter so they will be ready to play sharper and faster. The football now is more athletic. Jamaica's coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, is saying the league in Jamaica is too slow. I find the same thing here," he added.

Still, with the friendlies aiding in his charge to gauge players, Eve is now in a better position to identify his final squad for their crucial Copa America qualifying playoff contest against Canada on March 23.

"Sometimes people ask for players to get opportunities, and these are the opportunities we have given to them over these two matches. You get to see who could stand up to physicality and stand up to the pace of the game and stuff like that. When I say our league is a little too slow, normally I get licks for it sometimes," Eve stated.

"I thought it was a good game of football. Jamaica were getting everybody behind the ball, and we were trying to break them down. One team was trying to win, and one team was trying to keep what they had. We were working on ball possession and trying to get in behind as much as possible to break them down. Clearly, they were working on their defensive shape and keeping things very tight, and that's basically what happened," he noted as he reflected on the second game.

Last March, the Soca Warriors visited Jamaica for a pair of friendlies, with attacker Reon Moore earning Eve's side a 1-0 win in the first game, before the teams played to a goalless stalemate in the second friendly. The results were a flip on this occasion.

"I thought it was a good competitive game for the local players, as we had good intensity. The exercise was good for both teams. Exactly what we wanted out of it is what we got," Eve ended.

Jamaica, Windward Islands and Guyana all kicked off the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup with comfortable wins in St. Kitts on Monday.

Jamaica were the most dominant on the day, securing a massive 200-run win over defending champions Barbados at Warner Park.

The Jamaicans first piled up an intimidating 289 all out off 46.5 overs thanks to a top score of 97 from Captain Stafanie Taylor and a rapid 93 from all-rounder Chinelle Henry.

Taylor’s knock came off 100 balls and included 11 fours and a six while Henry was more belligerent, making her score off just 69 balls and hitting nine fours and four sixes.

Natasha McLean also chipped in with 24 against 3-24 off 8.5 overs from Aaliyah Alleyne and 2-35 off 10 overs from Allison Gordon.

Jamaica then produced an excellent display of bowling to restrict the Bajans to just 89 in 37.4 overs.

Taylor completed an excellent all-round performance with 2-16 from 6.4 overs while Vanessa Watts took 2-24 from her full quota of 10 overs.

NaiJanni Cumberbatch top scores for Barbados with 22.

Full Scores: Jamaica Women 289 all out off 46.5 overs (Stafanie Taylor 97, Chinelle Henry 93, Aaliyah Alleyne 3-24, Allison Gordon 2-35)

Barbados Women 89 all out 37.4 overs (NaiJanni Cumberbatch 22, Stafanie Taylor 2-16, Vanessa Watts 2-24).

At Conaree Sports Club, the Windward Islands won a thriller against Trinidad & Tobago by two wickets.

The Windwards first restricted T&T to 185 all out off 48.2 overs after losing the toss and being asked to field first.

Lee Ann Kirby led the way for the Trinidadians with 59 off 40 balls including eight fours and a six while Samara Ramnath and Captain Britney Cooper made 28, each.

Windwards skipper Afy Fletcher took 3-40 from her 10 overs while Carena Noel provided good support with 2-18 from 5.2 overs.

The Windwards then recovered from being 53-5 after 14.3 overs to reach 186-8 off 49 overs and secure a fantastic win.

Malika Edward was the only top order batter for the Windwards to reach double figures with 22.

The bulk of the runs came from Jannilea Glasgow, Nerissa Crafton and Pearl Etienne who batted at six, seven and eight, respectively.

Glasgow top scored with 62 off 114 balls including seven fours while Crafton made 45 off 77 balls including four fours.

The pair embarked on an 86-run sixth wicket partnership before Crafton fell. Glasgow and Etienne then put together a 43-run seventh wicket partnership to all but seal victory.

Etienne made a quick 22-ball 23 including two fours. Karishma Ramharack took 2-19 from her 10 overs for T&T.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Women 185 all out off 48.2 overs (Lee Ann Kirby 59, Samara Ramnath 28, Britney Cooper 28, Afy Fletcher 3-40, Carena Noel 2-18)

Windward Islands Women 186-8 off 49 overs (Jannilea Glasgow 62, Nerissa Crafton 45, Pearl Etienne 23, Malika Edward 22, Karishma Ramharack 2-19).

Finally, Guyana secured a comfortable 56-run win over the Leeward Islands at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.

The Leewards won the toss and proceeded to bowl out Guyana for just 139 in 37 overs thanks to a fantastic 3-9 off seven overs from Shawnisha Hector as well as 3-21 off nine overs from Rozel Liburd.

Realeanna Grimmond top scored for Guyana with 38 while Shabika Gajnabi made 20.

Guyana then produced an excellent reply with the ball to dismiss the Leewards for just 84 off 36.5 overs.

Plaffiana Millington led the way with 4-10 from her 9.5 overs while Nyia Latchman took 3-25 from eight overs.

Full Scores: Guyana Women 139 all out off 37 overs (Realeanna Grimmond 38, Shabika Gajnabi 20, Shawnisha Hector 3-9, Rozel Liburd 3-21)

Leeward Islands Women 84 all out off 36.5 overs (Divya Saxena 18, Plaffiana Millington 4-10, Nyia Latchman 3-25)

 

The Jamaica Squash Association (JSA) and KPMG joined forces recently to launch the 24th KPMG League which will feature sixteen teams. The launch was held at the association's home base at the Liguanea Club in New Kingston. 

There was a mood of heightened excitement for this year's staging of the league after last year's successful post Covid-19 return. AGI was the dominant team then but there is one change to their line-up which could make the difference this year. 

Karen Anderson, president of the JSA said "we can expect exciting matches. We see some really strong teams that have registered for the event and I think we will see an upset or two and so we are extremely excited to see how the matches will play out over the two months of the event." 

The league will run on a handicap system which is used to level the playing field so that everybody will have a chance to play and do well.

The teams will play round robin matches in the first round of four teams per group. The top two teams will go to the quarterfinals where all matches going forward will be played on a knockout basis. The other two teams in the group will play in a plate final or final for the losing teams. 

Anderson announced that the association will introduce new software to run the league fully for the first time.

"The association will be running it using the software that we have, the SportyHQ software, which will help us to be a bit more efficient in getting our results out and in the efficiency of the play because now people can follow live. We are trying to be innovative in how we bring new and different to a league that has been running for 24 years." 

Additionally, Anderson welcomed new sponsor Wata to provide hydration throughout the league. She thanked title sponsor for this year's sponsorship of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This will allow for the association to take up the cost of staging all the matches while relieving the teams of the cost of hosting matches. 

Rajan Trehan, country managing partner of title sponsor KPMG credited the league for its continued high contribution to developing young players in the game of squash in the country.

"Over the period (of our sponsorship) it has developed into a very strong league and its one of the major events on the JSA calendar. We are proud because we believe in the development of youth as well as sports and we have adopted squash as one of the sports to make sure that we contribute in the development of squash in particular." 

He also said that KPMG will be around for much longer than the 24 years they have been sponsoring the league. 

One of Jamaica's best young player Sanjana Nallapati endorsed that league while saying that her game had improved because of her involvement in the league. "It (her game) was definitely better because we had a bunch of matches. Games are usually up to 11 but these were up to 21. Even though it was best of three, it tested our fitness quite a bit and the squash definitely improved quite a bit by the end of it." 

Dave Morrison of defending champion AGI (Advantage General Insurance) was upbeat about the league. "Last year was really satisfying. We have never always done well because the nature of the tournament is to ensure that regardless of the quality of players you have, it’s all eliminated or equalized because of the handicap structure. But last year we really came out with a certain level of determination and yes, I had to one or two times, I had to save the team but I will remind them that that's what I did but yes, we had a very, very exciting tournament last year. I really enjoyed it." 

The league will serve off on Tuersday evening at the Liguanea Club while it is scheduled to end on April 19 at the same venue.

 

Julien Alfred secured St Lucia’s first ever global gold medal, when she topped the women’s 60m final in a world lead equalling 6.98s, to fittingly bring the curtains down on day of the World Athletics Indoor Championships, in Glasgow, Scotland, on Saturday.

Alfred, who has a personal best of 6.94s, was always expected to continue her rich vein of form with a podium finish, but her gold medal prospects improved even more when her main rival Aleia Hobbs of the United States pulled out of the final with an injury.

Still, the 22-year-old Alfred showed her class, as she burst through the middle of Poland’s Ewa Swoboda (7.00s) and Italy’s Zaynab Dosso (7.05s), to finish tops.

"It feels good, I don't know how they are behaving right now, but I am sure they are happy. I have been working hard for such a long time to come out here and give my country their first ever gold medal and I am so happy, overwhelmed and ecstatic right now," Alfred said shortly after the race.

St Lucia’s Minister of Sport Kenson Casimir congratulated Alfred on the feat which has given the Eastern Caribbean Island much to celebrate.

“St Lucia's first ever global medallist in any sporting event and I think what makes it even more special is the fact that it is a gold medal at the World Indoor Championships. Of course, we are so proud, our entire nation is so proud. Of course, when you've won a medal, they say St Lucia wins it, so I can see every single individual really, really enjoying what we just witnessed today,” Casimir told SportsMax.TV.

“Of course, I want to say congratulations to her family, Julian is somebody from humble, humble, humble beginnings from Castries, St Lucia, and she's doing so well, and we just look forward to even bigger and better things later on this year at the Olympic Games,” he added.

On that note, Casimir declared his government’s intentions to continue throwing the necessary support behind Alfred as she continues to progress in her budding career.

“We certainly believe that there's more to come from Julien. She is young. She has worked really hard her entire life from coming from the Leon Hess comprehensive secondary school and going over to high school in Jamaica and then later on to Texas.

“She has really worked extremely hard and so as a government, we continue to put our resources behind her as she has transitioned so effectively into being a professional. And of course, with Coach Flo behind her from the University of Texas, we only expect bigger and better things from Julien Alfred,” he shared.

Earlier, Jamaica’s Rusheen McDonald clocked a new personal best 45.65s for bronze in the men’s 400m.

McDonald produced his usual late burst to secure his first ever indoor medal, and in the process became the first ever global male 400m medallist for coach Stephen Francis.

The event was won by Belgium’s Alexander Doom in a new national record 45.25s, ahead of World and Olympic 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm, who clocked a season’s best 45.34s.

McDonald's bronze is Jamaica's third at the Championships, as Ackeem Blake and Carey McLeod, also won bronze in the men's 60m and long jump respectively.

While pleased with their performance in a 0-1 loss to Jamaica in game one, Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Angus Eve is anticipating even more improvements from his Soca Warriors when the two teams meet in the second game of the two-match series on Sunday.

With Jamaican debutante Kaheim Dixon scoring the game's lone goal in the 58th minute at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Friday, Eve opted to focus on the positives in the exercise, which provided an opportunity for several local-based players to make their national senior team debut.

Eve gave debut starts Tiger Tanks Club Sando pair of left back Shervohnez Hamilton and midfielder Kai Moos, while AC Port of Spain's versatile wing back Liam Burns also got his first start for the twin island republic. The overseas-based pair of Kai Garvey and Justin Obikwu, who started at the left wing and centre forward positions respectively, also found favour with Eve, who felt the new players adjusted well in their first outing.

"It is going to be difficult for these guys (Garvey and Obikwu) coming from where they are coming from and trying to adjust in just a couple days of work. I thought they adjusted well. They tried to bring the strengths they had to the group," Eve said in a post-match conference.

"For the most part, I thought the group did really well. We gave up a really soft goal and we could not get ourselves back in the game. I think it was a lack of belief and that happens when players are not accustomed to playing at this level consistently. For effort, you must give all of the guys an A," he added.

Still, with the main objective being to identify players to fit into his final squad for the upcoming Copa America playoff fixture against Canada on March 23, Eve is expected to look at a different line up with hopes that they will be mor fluid and consist in their play to give the coaching staff much to think about.

"I thought it was a great exercise for the guys. When you look at the starting team, we had about six or seven players who were uncapped. We need more exercises like this to expose these guys and give them the opportunity because they have been doing well in the league," the tactician shared.

"So, it's now to give the guys who are more established a run out going into the playoff game. Rhondel Gibson was good on the ball and when he came on, the team started to believe a little bit more. He wasn't afraid to get to the ball and those are the type of players we are looking for to be that brave and show themselves," Eve ended.

The second game is scheduled for a 4:00pm kick off (3:00pm Jamaica time), at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar on Sunday.

NB: That game will be live on SportsMax.

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