Haiti and St Lucia maintained pole position in their respective League B groups as they registered their second win of the Concacaf Nations League campaign, while Curacao and Puerto Rico notched their first victories on Monday.

St Lucia edged Grenada 2-1, while Curacao blanked St Martin 4-0 in the Group B double-header at Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St. George's.

With the win, St Lucia moved to six points as Curacao rose to second on three points, same as Grenada, who slipped to third. St Martin is the only team in the group yet to get on the board.

Meanwhile, Haiti hammered St Maarten 6-0 and Puerto Rico clipped Aruba 1-0 in their Group C encounters at Estadio Centroamericano in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico.

Haiti now sit on six points and Puerto Rico inched up to second on three points, same as third-placed St Maarten, while Aruba remains at the foot of the standing without a point.

Curacao vs. St Martin

Curacao’s clinical victory over St Martin, kept their hopes of League A promotion alive.

Juninho Bacuna opened the scoring in the 10th minute when he outpaced defenders and slotted home on a transition play.

Gervane Kastaneer doubled the lead in the 13th when he converted on a second attempt after his initial shot was blocked.

Leandro Bacuna added a third in the 48th with a firm finish from deep inside the 18-yard box, before Joshua Zimmerman headed home from a weighted cross in the 65th minute to cap the win.

Haiti vs. St Maarten

Favoured to top Group C and reclaim their rightful spot in League A, Haiti moved closer to achieving the feat with another dominant performance.

Duckens Nazon led from the front with a second half hat-trick, while substitute Mikael Cantave had a brace.

Attys Christopher opened the scoring in the 40th when he headed home from a corner kick.

From there, it became the Nazon show, as he also headed home in the 59th minute, with his second and third coming in the 75th and 82nd minutes, respectively.

Cantave chipped in with strikes in the 77th and 85th minutes as St Martin had no response to the onslaught.

Grenada vs. Saint Lucia

This was always expected to be a close contest and it lived up to its billing with St Lucia denying their host.

Christian Forino Joseph broke the deadlock for St Lucia in the 13th when he got on the end of Alvinus Myers’ well-weighted corner kick.

Donavan Jn Baptiste then capitalised on Grenada’s defensive error to double the lead in the 21st minute.

Grenada pulled one back in the 51st courtesy of Lucas Akins.

St Lucia’s goalkeeper Vino Barclett was instrumental in his team’s victory as he pulled off six saves to deny Grenada an equalizer.

Aruba vs. Puerto Rico

Leandro Antonetti was the hero for host Puerto Rico in a tightly contested encounter.

Antonetti found the winner in the 73rd with a firm header to break their opponent’s hearts.

St Lucia, St Maarten, Grenada, and Haiti all opened their 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League accounts with victories in League B on Friday.

Grenada blanked St Martin 2-0, and St Lucia edged Curacao 2-1 in the Group B double-header at Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Over in Group C, Haiti were 4-1 winners over Puerto Rico, and St Maarten blanked Aruba 2-0 at Estadio Centroamericano in Puerto Rico.

St Lucia vs. Curaçao 

In what was the first-ever Nations League encounter between the two nations, St Lucia were the better team on the day.

Arkell Jude-Boyd broke the deadlock for St Lucia in the 24th when he fended off a defender on his way to poking an effort through the legs of Eloy Room in goal for Curacao to make it 1-0 at the break.

Jude-Boyd went close to extending the lead in the second half, but Room came up big for Curacao on that occasion.

However, St Lucia inevitably doubled the lead in the 55th through Caniggia Elva, who finished off a loose ball.

Curacao pulled one back in the 63rd when Joshua Brenet fired home from Leandro Bacuna’s pass.

St Maarten vs. Aruba

St Maarten and Aruba failed to separate themselves for most of the contest, as their respective goalkeepers Tyrell Richardson and Matthew Lentink were in good knick between the sticks.

It wasn’t until the 81st that Gerwin Lake broke the deadlock for St Maarten when he rifled an effort past Lentink, who had no chance at a save on that occasion.

Ronan Olivacce added a second for St Maarten in the 90+3, with an easy tap-in from Chovanie Amatkarijo’s pass.

St Martin vs. Grenada 

Grenada were always favoured to secure the three points and that they did.

It took them only five minutes to open the scoring as Lucas Akins capitalised on a defensive error.

The menacing Regan Charles-Cook made the points safe when he tucked home from close range in the 38th minute.

St Martin tried to stay in the contest but found Grenada’s defence and goalkeeper Chad Phillip in defiant mode.

Puerto Rico vs. Haiti

After being relegated from League A, Haiti is intent of getting back to the top and they demonstrated that with a comfortable beating of Puerto Rico.

Interestingly, it was Puerto Rico that struck first in the 29th when Gerald Diaz fired home from a rebound.

Haiti responded with a second half flurry, which was started by Danley Jean Jacques in the 51st.

Frantzdy Pierrot added a second in the 60th, taking his Nations League tally to eight goals, before Don Louicius finished off a tidy team build up in the 76th to put Haiti 3-1 up.

Duckens Nazon then capped the win with an 83rd-minute strike to put Haiti on course for promotion.

Jamaica’s young Reggae Boyz and French Guiana will contest the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys’ Under-14 Tier I final, following contrasting 3-1 and 4-3 semi-final victories over Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago at the Dwight Yorke Stadium on Friday.

Kelvin DJ Brown with a brace in the 52nd and 70+2, and one from Kyle Hussey (60th) got the job done for the young Reggae Boyz, who had to come from behind after Wilfredo Reyes Rivera (35th) sent Puerto Rico in front.

For the first time since the start of the tournament, which saw games played across 70 minutes, the young Reggae Boyz struggled to find rhythm as Puerto Rico enjoyed the better of play in the first half.

Trinidad and Tobago and French Guiana in action.

Puerto Rico displayed excellent combination plays in the middle of the park, leaving Jamaica’s Davion Clarke and Kenrick Brown to work extra hard. They eventually broke the deadlock when Wilfredo Reyes Rivera converted from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time to put Puerto Rico 1-0 up at the break.

Jamaica came out more spirited on the resumption and pulled level through Brown’s firm header, which gave Puerto Rico’s goalkeeper Martin Perez Colon no chance at a save.

Hussey then pushed the Jamaicans ahead when he fired home from deep inside the 18-yard box on the hour mark.

Brown then capped the win for the young Reggae Boyz when he again headed home in time added.

Barbados versus Turks and Caicos Islands.

The Jamaicans will take an unbeaten record into Sunday’s final against French Guiana, who edged host Trinidad and Tobago in a thrilling encounter.

Matheo Francois (9^th), Tyler Hartino (13^th), Enzo Cherica (19^th), and Guezo Atoukou (32^nd) were on target for French Guiana, who dominated proceedings in the first half.

However, Trinidad and Tobago showed grit and fight with Jeremai Nanton (11^th), Adasa Richardson (59^th), and Jahmiah Gibbes (70^th) getting on the scoresheet, but it wasn’t enough at the end.

Sunday’s final is scheduled for 6:30 pm at Dwight Yorke Stadium.

Bermuda versus Anguilla.

Meanwhile, Bermuda and Barbados will also contest the Tier II final on Sunday, after they registered 6-0 and 3-0 wins over Anguilla and the Turks and Caicos Islands, respectively.

Jeon Wolfe scored a hat-trick, and Z-Ani Jennings added a brace, while Chaz Edmead got the other for Bermuda in their lopsided encounter.

Barbados also showed class in their win courtesy of goals from Amari Small, Trey Baker, and Maleek Peters.

The 36th Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship (CAJGC) teed off in vibrant fashion on Tuesday evening with a colourful opening ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. Hosted by the Jamaica Golf Association (JGA), the event welcomed teams from eight countries to compete in the prestigious tournament.

This year’s championship sees participation from teams representing the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Trinidad & Tobago, and host Jamaica. The opening ceremony set an enthusiastic tone for the competition, which had been rescheduled from July due to the passing of Hurricane Beryl.

Jodi Munn-Barrow, president of the JGA, extended a warm welcome to all teams and expressed confidence in a successful tournament. "Everything is in place for a very good championship," Munn-Barrow stated, emphasizing the meticulous preparations made despite the earlier postponement.

Eduardo Figueroa, coach of defending champions Puerto Rico, expressed high expectations for his team, indicating their strong preparation and determination to retain the title.

Alison Reid, manager of the Jamaican team, acknowledged some logistical challenges resulting from the rescheduling but remained optimistic. "Some persons who planned to compete when it was scheduled for July are no longer available, and the team will have fewer numbers than previously committed," Reid said. "However, the team will still put on a good show."

Jamaica’s coaching duo, Jonathan Newnhan and Jason Lopez, also shared their confidence in the team’s potential. Newnhan highlighted the team’s thorough preparation, while Lopez pointed out the advantage of competing on the Caymanas Golf Course, where the team has been practicing extensively.

The Jamaican team features talented players including team captain Mattea Issa, Trey Williams, Aman Dhiman, and Ryan Lue, all competing in the Under-18 category. Players will also compete in the Under-15 and Under-13 categories for both boys and girls.

Peter Levey of the major sponsor British Caribbean Insurance Company (BCIC) expressed his company’s delight in supporting the event. "We are very happy to be on board for this year’s staging of the CAJGC as it represents a very good opportunity to support the development of youth sport," Levey remarked.

The championship boasts a wide array of sponsors including Restaurants of Jamaica (KFC), Sandals Foundation, WATA, CMK, Jamaica Pegasus, Fleetwood Jamaica Limited, R&A, Island Car Rentals & Tours, Digicel Business, Titlest, and several others, demonstrating strong community and corporate backing for the event.

The competition tees off on Wednesday at 8:00 am with the first of three rounds of 18 holes each, concluding on Friday. The closing ceremony will follow the final round, celebrating the achievements of the young golfers.

The United States continued their quest for a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal after securing their spot in the quarter-finals with a comfortable win over South Sudan. 

Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo starred for the 16-time champions, registering a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds in their 103-86 triumph at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium.

The USA led from the first quarter and never looked back, with 14 of Adebayo's points coming before half-time as their star-studded bench maintained their advantage. 

For South Sudan, Nuni Omot led the way with a game-high 24 points, but with a team boasting 12 NBA All-Stars, four NBA MVPs and six NBA champions, it proved too much for the Bright Stars. 

Kevin Durant (14), Anthony Edwards (13), LeBron James (12), Devin Booker (10) and Derrick White all finished in double figures to ensure there was no repeat of their close encounter with their opponents prior to the Games. 

South Sudan led the United States by 16 points in their pre-tournament fixture, but narrowly avoided a huge upset in London as they emerged 101-100 victors. 

The United States will face winless Puerto Rico in their final group game this Saturday. 

Meanwhile, in the other Group C fixture, Nikola Jokic made Olympic history as he helped Serbia ease to their biggest win at the Games following a 107-66 triumph over Puerto Rico. 

Jokic finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, becoming the first player in Olympic history to record at least 10 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in a single game.

Filip Petrusev also played his part in the victory, with Serbia knowing they must beat South Sudan in their final group game to qualify for the knockout stages.

The 2024 Caribbean Region Table Tennis Federation (CRTTF) mini and pre-Cadet Championship proved to be a fruitful one for Puerto Rico’s extremely talented group.

In the championships held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from July 1-7, the Puerto Ricans dominated both the Under-11 and Under-13 categories for both boys and girls.

They took all three medals in the Under-11 Mixed Doubles. Ryan Rivera and Valentina Rodriguez took gold ahead of Carlos Medina and Brianna Gomez while Kennuel Arroyo and Nahia Medina took bronze.

Rodriguez and Taviana Burgos combined to take gold in Under-11 Girls Doubles over the Dominican Republic’s Brendaly Jimenez and Shanya Polanco while Mia Ipia and Melany Quezada, also of the Dominican Republic, took bronze.

Rodriguez also took the Under-11 Girls Singles title ahead of aforementioned teammates Taviana Burgos and Nahia Medina.

The Under-11 Boys category was dominated by Jamaica as Malone Bird took gold in singles ahead of Puerto Rico’s Ryan Rivera and Trinidad & Tobago’s Zayden Sagramsingh.

Bird then combined with his brother Shacoil to take top spot in doubles ahead of Puerto Rico’s teams of Kennuel Arroyo and Ian Garcia and Ryan Rivera and Carlos Medina.

Puerto Rico also swept the medals in the Under-13 Mixed Doubles. Matthew Cao and April Cintron took gold ahead of Owen Shemesh and Isabella Castro while Angel Melendez and Brianna Rodriguez took bronze.

The Under-13 Girls Doubles title went to April Cintron and Brianna Rodriquez while teammates Isabella Castro and Ariana Aponte took silver. The Dominican Republic’s Mers Cabreba and Ana Sosa took bronze.

Cintron completed the treble with gold in singles ahead of Rodriquez and Cabrera.

Gold in the boys Under-13 Doubles went to Cuba’s Yadiel Hernandez and Andy Maqueira. The Dominican Republic’s Edwim Martinez and Eidhrian Paulino took silver while Puerto Rico’s Owen Shemesh and Jose Rivera finished third.

Cuba’s Maqueira also took gold in singles ahead of Matthew Cao and Edwim Martinez.

The Caribbean region’s best young golfers are set to descend upon Jamaica’s Caymanas Golf Course soon to participate in the 36^th staging of the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship.

Teams will start arriving in Jamaica on July 1 with the competition set to take place from July 3-5 with the first tee time set at 7:00 AM local time.

There will be eight competing countries and these include hosts Jamaica, defending champions Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.

Among these countries, there will be approximately 85 participants taking part in the championships split into the Boys and Girls 18 & Under, Boys & Girls 15 & Under and Boys & Girls 13 & Under categories.

The official media launch for the junior golf showcase was held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston on Thursday.

“The hosting of this prestigious event represents not only a celebration of golf, but it also fulfils our mandate by providing a platform for our junior golfers to hone their skills in addition to being a testament to the spirit of sportsmanship, camaraderie and youthful exuberance that thrives in our Caribbean region,” said President of the Jamaica Golf Association, Jodi Munn-Barrow, at Thursday’s launch.

Lead sponsors of the July 3-5 championships are BCIC Insurance Company Limited and their CEO, Peter Levy, expressed happiness to be a part of this competition.

“It’s an opportunity for us to reaffirm BCIC’s commitment to youth development through our title sponsorship of this prestigious event,” he said.

“BCIC has always believed in the power of sport to shape our society and we see this partnership as an investment in the dreams and aspirations of young golfers across the Caribbean,” he added.

Also on hand to give a glimpse of what to expect from the course itself was Caymanas Golf Club General Manager, Peter Lindo.

“Our picturesque little course in St. Catherine eagerly awaits the talented young golfers who will be representing their countries. Our course superintendent, Mr. Jerry Hardy, and out groundskeepers have been working meticulously preparing the course taking every measure possible to present optimal playing conditions,” he said.

“We’ve had some unusually hot dry weather up until last week and that little spell of rain has given us an even greener landscape. One of the challenges we’ve had over the years is the deterioration of our bunkers and Jamaica Aggregates Limited were very kind in donating sand which will go a very long way in the resuscitation of the bunkers,” he added.

Other main sponsors for the championship include Sandals Foundation, R&A, Fleetwood, ORCA Golf, Caribbean Golf Association, CMK Bakery and Digicel Business.

St Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic registered a maiden win in their respective Concacaf World Cup Qualifying campaign, as they brought the curtains down on second round action, on Tuesday.

Five players scored twice for their respective teams, including Guyana’s Deon Moore, Dominican Republic’s Rafael Mata and Dorny Romero, and Puerto Rico’s Jeremy de Leon and Wilfredo Rivera.

St Lucia vs Aruba

St Lucia and Aruba were the only teams that failed to separate themselves, as they played out a 2-2 scoreline in Group C at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Aruba got the perfect start they desired, when Walter Bennett headed home from close range to gift them a 22nd-minute lead, before Isai Marselia added a second from the penalty spot in the 43rd minute.

However, Ridel Stanislas (45+2) cut the deficit for St Lucia with a tidy finish from deep inside the 18-yard box, to make it 2-1 at the break.

Peter Pearson then pulled St Lucia level in the 66th minute to secure a share of the spoils.

With this, their first point of the campaign, St Lucia and Aruba occupy third and fourth positions in the group behind Curaçao and Haiti, on six points each, heading into the break.

St Kitts and Nevis vs Bahamas

St Kitts and Nevis edged Bahamas, 1-0, in Group B at Warner Park in Basseterre.

Ethan Bristow found the all-important goal in the 12th minute when he pounced on a rebound.

With the win, The Sugar Boyz inched up to third in the group, behind Costa Rica (six points) and Trinidad and Tobago (four points).

Guyana vs Belize

Guyana proved too strong for Belize with a 3-1 victory in Group D action at Wildey Turf in Bridgetown, Barbados.

After playing out a goalless first half, Deon Moore finished off an Omari Glasgow pass in the 66th minute to put Guyana ahead.

The Golden Jaguars doubled the lead a minute later courtesy of Liam Gordon’s dazzling solo effort which he finished off with a close range effort.

Moore completed his brace in the 71st with a flick of the ball inside the box to redirect Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s pass.

However, Carlos Bernardez pulled one back for Belize in the 88th, as he rose above defenders to head home Jahryl Smith’s weighted cross.

The win moved the Golden Jaguars up to third place in the group, behind Nicaragua and Panama, on six points each.