The Jamaican government will provide more than JMD$45 million in direct financial support to athletes preparing for this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.

Briana Williams said she is excited about competing at the New Balance Grand Prix on Saturday, February 13, saying she is in good shape and looking to do well.

The Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) has vowed to keep a watchful eye on its parent body, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) after pointing out that it had ‘misgivings’ with its management of the country’s football.

Among the concerns highlighted in a press release issued on Friday, KSAFA mentioned a lack of transparency regarding its restructuring proposal.  The local football bodies had clashed last year when the JFF had expressed the desire to implement wide-ranging reform to the island’s clubs and competition structure.

In addition, KSAFA expressed concerns regarding plans being in place for the start of the World Cup Qualifying campaign and youth development programs.  The body has resolved to establish a subcommittee responsible for monitoring and evaluating the actions of the JFF.

“At its meeting held to deliberate wide-ranging missteps of the local governing body, KSAFA was unified in expressing misgivings about the JFF’s plans to chart the course for Jamaica’s football,” the release read.

“KSAFA is committed to not only highlight the JFF’s missteps and to express misgivings, but is also insisting on greater accountability and transparency from the JFF.”

Justin Burrowes followed up his 68 on Saturday with a one-under-par 69 on Sunday to win the 2020 the JGA Heroes Weekend Golf Classic at Constant Spring Golf Club. 

 Burrowes, who was the only golfer to post under-par scores in the tournament, finished with a combined score of 137 for the tournament and was 10 strokes clear of runner-up and last year’s champion Sean Morris.

 "Today (Sunday) was pretty good again.  I shot one under, one worse than yesterday (Saturday) but still pretty good,” he said after Sunday’s triumph.

 “I played solid today for the most part.  I had one bogey today which was pretty good.  I am just happy to be able to follow up yesterday's round with another good round today and finish off with the victory.  I am very happy about that.”

 He did concede that the victory was not as easy as the scoreboard suggested.

 “The course again was not playing easy at all.  It was playing a little longer today, I found.  The air was a little more dense so it played a little longer but still I was just happy to be go out there and shoot another under par round and come out with the victory so I am just overall happy with out I played," he said.

 Runner-up Sean Morris posted scores 73 and 74 to end on 147 overall while third-placed Dr. Mark Newnham had a good second day after posting a 74 to go along with his first day score of 81 for a total score of 155.

 The Ladies winner, Jodi Munn-Barrow replicated her first-round score of 74 for a final score of 148 and was happy with how she played.

 "I ended with the same score as yesterday, 74, again today so I am pleased with it.  I actually finished better than I did yesterday so I am happy about that.  My game was fairly solid,” she said.

 “The course still played very hard and challenging so overall. I am quite pleased with the result of the two days.  I just have to keep focusing and practicing and looking forward to the next tournament." 

In the Men & Men Super Senior 7-12 handicap, Philip Gooden 158 (74, 84) came out ahead of Metry Seaga 174 (89,85), while Aubyn Ferguson 198 (97, 101) won the Men & Men Senior 13-24 category. 

The top three in the Men Super Senior 0-12 category were Dr. Guyan Arscott 162 (81,81); Carlyle Husson 164 (82, 82) and Michael Richards 177 91, 86).

The other Men Super Senior category (13-24) saw Larry Stewart scoring 187 (94, 93), Howard McKenzie at 192 (95, 97) and George Wright 199 (102, 97)

Among the juniors, Sebastian Azan 169 (84, 85) topped the 14-15 age group ahead of Matthew Grant 171 (87, 84) while the 11-13 category went to Aaron Ghosh 179 (92, 87)

On the female side, Samantha Azan 169 (85, 84) was the only junior player.  She played in the 11-13 age group.

Forty golfers competed in the classic this year under Covid-19 protocols and players submitted scores via a specially designed app.

Justin Burrowes shot a two under-par 68 to lead at the end of Saturday’s opening day of the JGA Heroes Weekend Golf Classic at the Constant Spring Golf Club.

Burrowes’ score would have been even more impressive had he not had two bogies on the back nine after logging four birdies in the first nine holes.

"The day was good.  I started really well. The course is in very good shape.  I am just happy with the way I played and I just hope that I can just finish off tomorrow with another good round," he said.

Sean Morris was five shots back having shot a 73 while John O'Donaghue sits in third on 78.

The female leader, Jodi Munn-Barrow shot a 74 but said she was happy with the day’s play even though she was four over par. "Overall, I am happy with today's game.  I just have to put down my head again tomorrow and see if I can through with another good score."

Sebastian Azan shot an 84 to lead the 14-15 age group while Ryan Lue’s 86 leads the Boys 11-13.   Samantha Azan shot an 85.

Philip Gooden leads the Men & Men Senior 7-12 handicap with a 74 ahead of Tommy Lee (80) and Bruce Lopez (87).

Dr. Guyan Arscott (81), Carlyle Husdon (82) and Wayne Chai Chong (86) make up the top three in the Men Super Senior 0-12 category.

Play resumed today at 8:00 am.

Michael Bernard’s colt Nipster shattered the champion owner’s top horse Wow Wow’s Triple Crown bid in delivering a 31-1 upset victory in Saturday’s Jamaica St Leger at Caymanas Park.

Ridden from off the pace by Linton Steadman for trainer Gary Subratie, Nipster swept to the front inside the final furlong and won the 10-furlong Classic by a length and a quarter over his stablemate and 1-2 favourite Wow Wow in a fast time of two minutes 06.00.

“It’s a bittersweet moment I must say,” a smiling Bernard said. “I really expected and wanted Wow Wow to win so he could continue on his Triple Crown journey, but it’s a wonderful feeling,” he quickly added after watching his two three-year-olds snatch first and second in the JA$3 million (US$21,000) event.

The 20-1 bet Oneofakind was a further half-length behind in third and the even-money second favourite Mahogany struggled to fourth.

Out of the starting gates in pouring rain, 1000 Guineas and Oaks runner-up Another Affair, one of four Subratie entries, shot to the front with Wow Wow, the 99-1 bet Green Gold Rush and King Arthur (8-1) tracking.

Another Affair quickened to lead down the backstretch by seven lengths followed by the 2019 Champion two-year-old Wow Wow and King Arthur racing as a team. Green Gold Rush was fourth and as they hit the six-furlong marker, Mahogany, who had entered the backstretch in 10^th spot, gained rapidly toward the lead and moved into fifth spot.

Nipster was still not among the front six at the half-mile as Another Affair’s lead shrunk to just over two lengths with Wow Wow poised to pounce while King Arthur and Mahogany closed in to challenge.

Wow Wow’s rider Robert Halledeen, anxious to keep the 2000 Guineas winner on the Triple Crown path, flew past Another Affair leaving the three-furlong marker with Mahogany on his heels and Wow Wow held command at the top of the homestretch.

Heading to the eighth pole, Wow Wow still led and appeared to be safely repelling Mahogany’s challenge while Oneofakind -- widest of all -- looked threatening and Nipster suddenly appeared with a sprightly rail run.

In a flash, Nipster collared Wow Wow and moved clear with the ecstatic Steadman standing tall in the saddle even before the finish as the colt logged his fifth win in 14 lifetime starts.

“From half mile out I saw he (Nipster) had a whole heap of gas that could last out and become a winner,” Steadman said after his second St Leger triumph.

For Steadman, who had also won the 2016 St Leger with Bigdaddykool, it was his first time aboard Nipster in a race but developed a connection with the Casual Trick-Nippit bred colt after two exercise gallops aboard him.

“The horse is an easy horse to ride, quiet and very easy to deal with. He is cool and kind and (as long as) a horse is cool and kind that’s a whole heap of horse,” Steadman added.

Nipster clocked the fastest St Leger win since War Zone’s race record 2:05.2 in 1996 while foiling Wow Wow’s Triple Crown bid.

“We are disappointed (for Wow Wow) but I am happy for the owner because he believed in the horse,” was Subratie’s take on Nipster denying Wow Wow the chance at becoming the third Triple Crown champion in four years – after She’s a Maneater (2017) and Supreme Soul (2019) -- at Caymanas Park. 

Former Reggae Boy Jermaine 'Teddy 'Johnson was among three persons shot in central Kingston on Thursday evening.

All three have been hospitalized and are said to be in stable condition.

A woman, who was also among the victims, is believed to be a netball player.

More to come...

With an eye fixed a sprint-double campaign at what would be her final Olympic Games set for Tokyo next year, two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was encouraged by her performance at the Velocity Fest 4 and 5 meets held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Cricket commentator David Brooks believes South Africa’s Jacques Kallis does not merit a place on the Sportsmax Zone’s Ultimate Test XI. This, despite the fact that the now-retired South African has scored a mammoth 45 Test centuries and more than 13,000 Test runs in what has been an outstanding career.

According to Brook, who provides cricket commentary on the Guerilla Cricket online portal, Kallis is simply not memorable.

“It’s not just the statistics. We’re thinking about the manner in which players score their runs, and for that reason, I just can’t have Jacques Kallis in there,” Brook said in explaining his reason for eliminating Kallis from the selection pool.

“We talk about players that empty bars, he wasn’t one of them. I can’t remember a single innings. I know that stats are there. I can’t put him in, I’m sorry.”

His comments drew laughter from the panel that included businessman and former Jamaica footballer Chris Dehring and regional cricket umpire Chris Taylor as well as hosts Whittaker and Mariah Ramharack.

Host Lance Whittaker was taken aback by Brooks’ reasoning. “Forty-five Test hundreds!” he remarked incredulously.

However, Brook remained resolute.

“Can’t remember a single one of them,” was his retort. “I may have seen a few of them, I just can’t recall them, and certainly not enjoyable or memorable in any way,” he said while making the case for Pakistan’s Javed Miandad.

“Whereas Javed Miandad, I can recall, playing shots all round the wicket, a genuine entertainer.”

(See Brook’s fill comments below)

Chris Gayle is best known for his power-hitting exploits in all formats of the game.

Jamaica’s sports minister Olivia Grange believes that the decision to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will provide the clarity the athletes needed even though they will be disappointed.

Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Entertainment, Gender and Sports has ordered that both pools at the Independence Park Limited be closed with immediate effect until further notice.

As she prepares for her third campaign at the Jamaica International Badminton tournament that serves off at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston on Thursday, Jamaica’s Tahlia Richardson is not thinking too far ahead.

A number of World Champions from the 2019 World Championships in Doha are reportedly being lined up for the Jamaica International Invitational set for May 2, 2020.

Repairs to the track at the National Stadium in Kingston will commence later this year following the correction to the throwing circle set to get underway this Thursday, February 27.