Before the completion of the 60m final at 2023 Millrose Games at the Armory in New York on Saturday, February 11, not many Jamaicans would have known about Travis Williams.
Ten-man Jamaica managed to hold on for a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica in Guatemala City on Thursday night and book a spot in the round of 16 in the CONCACAC U17 Championships.
Needing a draw or victory to advance, Jamaica helped in part by Cuba’s 4-0 drubbing of Guadeloupe on Wednesday, took a 1-0 lead into the break courtesy of goals from Alevavier Gooden in the 17th minute.
Adrian Reid doubled the young Reggae Boyz’s lead in the 62nd minute.
However, Gooden was sent off in the 73rd minute giving The Ticos, a man advantage in the final 17 minutes. They took advantage when minutes later when Roy Bustos netted in the 79th to make it 2-1 with 11 minutes to go in regulation.
Struggling from playing a man short, the young Reggae Boyz conceded a second when Sean Albriton found the back of the net in the 87th minute.
The result meant Jamaica finished second in Group G with four points behind Costa Rica and are set to face hosts Guatemala in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Meanwhile, in Group H action, Honduras defeated Haiti 1-0 courtesy of Russel Cruz’s goal in stoppage time at the end of the first half.
With the result, Honduras top the group with a perfect nine points from three games, while Haiti finished in third-place and a place in the next round.
Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Spain in their opening match of the Cup of Nations at Central Coast Stadium in Australia on Thursday.
Jamaica’s U17 team conceded two goals in the final 15 minutes to go down 2-1 to Guadeloupe in Group G action in the 2023 CONCACAF U17 Championships on Tuesday.
In the match played at the Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores in Guatemala City, Guadeloupe rally from a late 1-0 deficit to edge Jamaica 2-1.
Ronaldo Barrett had the Reggae Boyz in front 1-0 in the 41st minute, a lead that held until the final quarter-hour.
The Guadeloupe comeback started in the 78th minute when Willan Jacques found an equalizer to make it 1-1.
Les Gwada Boyz then got the winning goal in the 90th minute courtesy of Ylan Moloza for their first three points of the tournament.
Come Thursday, Jamaica must make sure to avoid a loss against Costa Rica in order to not be overtaken by Cuba and Guadeloupe in the standings.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica blanked Cuba 4-0 in the final game of the night.
The Ticos enjoyed a strong first half-hour, with goals from Roy Bustos (4’), Andryk Sandi (11’) and Victor Maroto (21’) giving Costa Rica a 3-0 halftime lead.
Akheem Wilson would tack on the fourth and final goal of the night for the Central Americans in the 79th to complete the 4-0 scoreline, sealing a place for his side in the Round of 16.
Over in Group H, Haiti 3 completed an emphatic 3-0 win over Suriname.
The Estadio Pensativo in Antigua was once again the spot for the games in Group H and it proved to be a happy day for Haiti, who defeated Suriname 3-0 for their first win of the CMU17.
All three goals came in the second half courtesy of Sebatien Joseph (53’), Schneilorens Lebrun (57’) and Samuel Lamare (83’).
In the other group game, Honduras defeated El Salvador 4-1.
In a duel of Central American rivals in the group’s second game, Honduras emerged victorious 4-1 over El Salvador thanks in part to three first half goals.
Edwin Munguia (15’) and Jordan Garcia (27’) gave Honduras a 2-0 advantage, only for El Salvador to pull one back in the 36’ through Christopher Argueta.
Honduras would answer, though, right before halftime in the 45+1’ thanks to David Herrera and then add a second half goal from Nayrobi Vargas in the 64’ for the 4-1 final.
With the result, Honduras have qualified for the knockout stage.
Jamaica opened their campaign in the CONCACAF U17 tournament with an emphatic 4-2 victory over Cuba at the Doroteo Guamuch Flores Stadium in Guatemala City on Sunday.
Playing 4-4-2, Jamaica opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Jahmani Bell buried a volley from inside the box.
The score remained 1-0 until half time.
Orane Watson doubled Jamaica’s lead in the 56th minute before Ashton Gordon put the side up 3-0 in the 70th minute.
Watson put the match beyond the Cubans in the 75th minute to give the Jamaicans a 4-0 lead.
Cuba were never without a fight, however, and got a consolation in the 78th through Didier Reinoso who scored a second in the 89th.
The win means Jamaica temporarily go top of Group G that also has Costa Rica and Guadeloupe.
Costa Rica will take on Guadeloupe later Sunday.
President of the Jamaica Gymnastics Association, Nicole Grant, is excited about the association’s ongoing partnership with Supreme Ventures that, she hopes, will help Jamaica conquer the world of Gymnastics in the future.
The Supreme Ventures Gymnastics Classic and National Trials will take place at the Jamaica School of Gymnastics in Kingston from February 11-12.
The juniors will be vying for one spot at the Junior World Championships scheduled for March 25-April 3 in Antalya, Turkey.
The seniors will be vying for five spots at the Pan Am Championships scheduled for Medellin, Colombia from May 22-29. The Pan Am Championships will serve as a qualifier for this year’s Pan Am Games scheduled for October 6-October 22 in Santiago, Chile as well as the World Championships scheduled for Antwerp, Belgium from September 29-October 8. This year’s World Championships will be used as a qualifier for next year’s Paris Olympics.
For the second year in a row, Supreme Ventures, through the connection made by the Jamaica Olympic Association, has signed on as the sponsor for the event, something that Grant is very thankful for.
“We have always been in a partnership with the Jamaica Olympic Association as we are affiliated. In Jamaica, we are a minor sport so the JOA has really helped us form these kinds of partnerships,” Grant said ahead of day one of the trials on Saturday.
“They connected us with Supreme Ventures and they were quite happy with what they saw last year. We did not disappoint them and, as a result, they have come on board for the second year in a row to work with us,” she added.
When asked what she expects from the athletes on display this weekend, Grant encouraged them to show spirit, noting that winning does not mean you will make the respective teams.
“I expect the girls to do the best that they can and show us what they have. Show us how they can fight because when you go out to major competitions you must have that fight,” Grant said.
“We want to see that. You do not necessarily have to win for us to select you. We have a selection process that we use but we want to see what you have to offer or what you are capable of,” she added.
Jamaica's reigning 800m champion Chrisann Gordon-Powell is pregnant.
Jamaica will face Lebanon in World Group II of the Davis Cup after the draw at the International Tennis Federation (ITF) office in London on Thursday.
The Jamaicans advanced to World Group II after defeating Estonia 3-2 in a playoff tie at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre in Kingston from February 4-5.
Lebanon fell into World Group II, where they will ne the seventh seed, after losing 3-1 to Ukraine in the Group I playoffs on February 2-3 in Poland.
The tie will be played in September and is a Lebanon home fixture.
President of Tennis Jamaica John Azar is pleased with the team’s performance in their recently concluded Davis Cup Group Two playoff match against Estonia at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre in Kingston from February 4-5.
The Jamaicans won the tie 3-2 to advance to group two of the Davis Cup for the first time in over 25 years.
“I think the team played incredibly well. It’s one thing when we as the national association set the big stage for them but it’s another thing when they actually come out and perform,” Azar told SportsMax.TV.
Rowland “Randy” Phillips got the ball rolling for the hosts with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Kristjan Tamm, a win that Azar said set the tone for the rest of the tie.
“Randy Phillips played the first match and set the tone for the players that played after him. He was incredible as he always is,” said Azar.
Match two saw Jamaican number one Blaise Bicknell come from a set down to beat Kenneth Raisma 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 and put the Jamaicans 2-0 up.
The Estonians got on the board in match three when Raisma and Jurgen Zopp got the better of John Chin and Daniel Azar in doubles 6-1, 6-2 before Bicknell secured victory for the Jamaicans after Tamm was defaulted after losing a first set tiebreak in match four. Johannes Seeman got a consolation 6-1, 6-0 victory over Jacob Bicknell in the fifth match.
Azar was also elated with the crowd turnout at the tie, the first time Jamaica has hosted a Davis Cup tie since 2007.
“I think it was what we expected and more,” he said.
“The crowd turned out in their numbers, were loud and very supportive and, as I’ve always said, when you have a home tie in any sport, the crowd can tend to be a bit of a deciding factor so we’re definitely grateful for those who came out and showed their support. There were a lot of Tennis fans in attendance but also a lot of sporting fans in general,” he added.
The team will find out their next opponent at the group two draw at the ITF office in London.
“We’re into group two which is a stage we haven’t been for over 25 years so we’ll see when the draw, which is done at the ITF office in London, comes out who our next opponent is. I think the next tie will be in September and we’ll see if it’s a home or away tie. Obviously, we’re hoping it will be a home tie and, if we’re that fortunate, we’ll look into expanding the capacity at the Tennis centre and hope for an even bigger turnout.”
For more than a century there has been a Jamaican athlete that has impressed someone, somewhere across the world. The early days of cricket tours in and out of the West Indies, international boxing cards, football, netball and host of other sports, served a bit of a signal to the world that Jamaica was and continues to be a big part of any sport conversation.
Ask any track and field fan, cricket (yes, believe it or not); netball, football, basketball fan and a Jamaican athlete’s name can come up.
Over time, sport has been funded by private and public means. What has been consistent though, is the first-class performance that has been maintained, sustained and enhanced by the athletes.
In 1995, the game changed somewhat, the Government of the day approved a plan to start the Sports Development Foundation. The SDF was established as an independent body to contribute to the development of the nation through sports.
With sport emerging (at the time) as a major contributor to the island’s economic activities, there was a thought that sport needed more. The agency in its early days focused on infrastructure and capacity building. The Mona Hockey Field (astro turf); several football fields, National Indoor Sport Centre were among some of the venues that were renovated, upgraded and built from scratch. The capacity building focused on administrative development of officials from at least 40 sporting disciplines.
As you read along, and you are in the business of sport, you can clearly identify the gaps for a country that has produced so many world-class athletes. So whilethe track and field performances have been outstanding to date, to gain and maintain the competitive edge and move ahead, there needs to be a re-thinking of how sport is:
Funded
Managed
Researched
Marketed
Re-Developed
It is with those five key areas, that my recommendations for Sport for Jamaica going forward include:
Boost the work of the SDF
Remove the S from CHASE (they can determine what to do with C-H-A-E)
Increase the staff numbers to include a:
Planner
Researcher
Marketer
Developer
It is clear that Jamaica’s technical talent is at a great level - coaches and athletes continue to break the ceiling of performance. Most of the major sporting events have consistent work being done with their technical staff.
The next level is needed and in another decade, if we are not careful, we will be chasing dreams in the key areas that will ensure that the next generation has access to the same enabling environment.
GC Foster, UTECH, UWI and Mico continue to train Sport Officials in education, management and preventative care; but an elite athlete cannot in 2023 & beyond, compete without the support of branding and marketing to take them to the top of their games.
In redefining how Jamaica as a nation treats this industry, there are also some policy decisions which should be happening simultaneously. SPORT should have its own Ministry.
This is what I envisage the team should look like from the policy and operational side
Ministry of Sport
Minister
Minister of State
Permanent Secretary
Director of Sport + 5
Sport Development Foundation (agency)
Managing Director
Directors of Marketing, Research, Finance
Corporate Planner (to deal with bilaterals, administration, academic development, infrastructure
Event Manager (incoming and outgoing delegations, permits, venue updates)
Change is inevitable if we want to be successful.
The research element of the business cannot be overstated, as it is the data we collect and how we use it to inform our next set of moves on and off the field that will determine our capacity to handle, manage and deliver a world class sporting industry run by those who are capable.
In the next column, I will pick the team who can and should be asked to deliver on this plan. Until then…
Carole
The 2023 Gibson McCook Relays will take place at the National Stadium in Kingston on February 25.
The meet is celebrating 50 years of existence and will return with 43 events in a 12-hour extravaganza.
PUMA, Television Jamaica, Wisynco and Digicel are the major sponsors along with 28 other business partners which have covered all 45 events for the meet.
Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Prof Rainford Wilks in expressing his delight is excited about two new events.
“The 60 meters open for Elite Men and Women should add to the thrill of the meet. We are also pleased with the planning for the milestone event.”
Back to its original schedule, which sees the meet starting at 9:00 am the morning session will have 20 heats and five finals up to 2:30; while in the afternoon session 40 finals are set to start from 4:00 pm.
The meet, known for its on time running, sees the last event the 4 X 400 meters High School Boys go off at 9pm.
The World’s fastest man, Dr the Hon Usain Bolt is the patron for the meet. At a press briefing, Bolt expressed his undying love for Jamaica and reflected on his own performances at the meet. Bolt last competed at that event in 2017 for the Racers Track Club en route to the World Championship in London the same year.
This year's staging continues with a full week of activities including a Church Service on February 19, the Howard Aris Memorial Lecture at UTECH on February 21 and an Awards Banquet at the Jamaica Pegasus on February 23 before the meet on February 25 at the National Stadium.
Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 20 at the ticket office at the National Stadium. Two categories are available for the grandstand: Finish Line - $5,000, Regular Grandstand - $3,500, Bleachers - $500.
Chairman Wilks would like to remind fans “this Gibson McCook Relays is where athletes from all ages compete.”
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that a delegation of 23 comprising eight students and two coaches each from Edwin Allen High School and Kingston College and three executive members from Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) will leave for Trinidad and Tobago on February 7, 2023, to participate in the Secondary School Relay Festival on February 9, 2023.
The participation of the Jamaican team at the Relay Festival follows a sports study tour by the Minister of Sport and Community Development for Trinidad and Tobago, the Honourable Shamfa Cudjoe, and a team of officials.
Minister Cudjoe and members of her delegation had met with Minister Grange, a technical team from the Ministry and its agencies, representatives from the Jamaica Athletics Administration Association (JAAA), ISSA, the University of Technology (Utech), GC Foster College of Sport and Physical Education, and the Ministry of Education and Youth. They also visited four high schools and a primary school.
Minister Grange said, “It is expected that this bilateral cooperation between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago will bear much fruit for both our countries.”
The Jamaicans will be competing in the 4x100m and 4x400m relays at the festival. Barbados and Guyana are the other countries that have been invited to send teams to participate in the Relay Festival.
The exchange activities are also being celebrated as part of the 60th Anniversary of Independence of Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
The delegation will return to Jamaica on Friday, February 10, 2023.
Leading 2-0 from Day 1 of their Davis Cup Group II tie, Jamaica went on to win contest 3-2 at the Eric Bell National Tennis Centre in Kingston on Sunday.
After Rowland Phillips won his match over Krisjtian Tamm 6-1, 6-1 and Blaise Bicknell defeated Kenneth Raisma 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Saturday, the Estonian doubles team of Raisma and Jurgen Zopp pulled one back on Sunday when they defeated John Chin and Daniel Azar in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 on Sunday.
However, things took a turn for the worst for the visitors in match four when Blaise Bicknell defeated Tamm by default to hand Jamaica an unassailable lead.
Blaise Bicknell won his tie-breaker against Tamm, who hit the centre-line judge out of frustration and picking up a default as a result effectively handing the Jamaicans the match.
The visiting team won some consolation when Johannes Seaman defeated Jacob Bicknell 6-1, 6-0 to end the tie 3-2 in favour of the Jamaicans.
Singles victories from Rowland “Randy” Phillips and Blaise Bicknell gave hosts Jamaica a 2-0 lead over Estonia after day one of their group two Davis Cup tie at the Eric Bell National tennis Centre on Saturday.
The day’s first match of the tie saw Jamaica’s Rowland “Randy” Phillips dominate Estonia’s top ranked player Kristjan Tamm 6-1, 6-1 in just one hour to give the hosts the lead.
“Very solid and consistent on my part,” said Phillips on his performance after the match.
Phillips noted that he did not expect such a one-sided match on paper as he is currently ranked 1387 in the ATP rankings while Tamm is much higher at 663.
“It went a lot better than expected. He’s a tough opponent and maybe he didn’t play his best today but I took advantage of my opportunities,” he said.
“I think the atmosphere unsettled him. The crowd helped me out a lot and gave me energy,” he added.
With Jamaica hosting a Davis Cup tie for the first time since 2007, Phillips also spoke about what it meant to play at home.
“Extremely special. It’s a dream come true. Looking over and seeing my family and friends after points kept me locked in and focused for sure,” Phillips said.
With Phillips already in the win column, it was time for Blaise Bicknell, Jamaica’s highest ranked player at number 769 in the ATP rankings, to take the court against Kenneth Raisma who is ranked number 1640.
It was the Estonian who was in the ascendancy early, racing out to a quick 3-0 lead before taking the first set 6-4.
Bicknell was not done, however, and rallied to take the second set by a similar score before overwhelming his Estonian counterpart in the third, winning 6-0 and securing the lead for the Jamaicans heading into Sunday. The match lasted an hour and 46 minutes.
Jamaica has a chance to clinch the tie on Sunday when Phillips and Bicknell take on Raisma and Jurgen Zopp in doubles.
The 34-year-old Zopp, who retired from professional tennis in 2020, achieved a career high ATP ranking of 71 back in 2012 and reached the third round of the French Open in 2018.
The match gets underway at 1:00pm (2:00pm ECT) and can be viewed on the SportsMax TV YouTube channel.
The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced the new Board of Directors of Independence Park Limited.
The Board will be chaired by Dr. the Honourable Michael Fennell with Mr. David Shirley as Deputy Chairman.
The other members are: Mrs. Annmarie Heron, Assistant Commissioner of Police Terrence Bent, Lieutenant Colonel Eldon Morgan, Ms. Stefani Dewar, Mr. Lenford Salmon, Mr. Carlton Dennis, Ms. Audrey Chin, Mr. Edward Barnes, Dr. Peter Charles, Ms. Shaneek Clacken and Major Desmon Brown.
The Board will serve for a period of two years with effect from 16 January 2023. Independence Park Limited operates, promotes, and manages sports facilities including the National Stadium Complex and Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium.
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