Bradley Jacks

Bradley Jacks

Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.

West Indies wicketkeeper-batsman Joshua Da Silva is thankful for some time in the middle as he aims to produce a better performance than he did when the West Indies toured Australia from November-December 2022.

During those two Tests, Da Silva had scores of 0 and 12 in Perth and 23 and 15 in Adelaide.

“Just trying to use the experience that I got last year. Didn’t do too great so I just want to do better than I did and get some runs on the board and keep well. Once I’m doing well hopefully the team is doing well and everybody chips in,” he said in an interview after day two of the West Indies’ three-day warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI at the Karen Rolton Oval in Adelaide.

The West Indies will enter the third and final day on 137-3 from 35 overs, leading the Aussies by 214.

Da Silva, who opened the batting in the second innings after batting seventh in the first, is unbeaten on 55 while Kavem Hodge, who got 52 in the first innings, is on 44.

“It was nice to get some time in the middle of course. Kraigg (Brathwaite) just asked me if I would like to the top and just have some time in the middle and luckily I took advantage of it and was able to get some time out there,” Da Silva said.

Of the 15 men in the West Indies Test squad, Da Silva is one of only four alongside Kemar Roach, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Alzarri Joseph to have played at least 10 Test matches.

In fact, the first Test, set to start on Tuesday in Adelaide, will be Da Silva’s 25th.

He said he enjoys being a source of information for the new members of the squad.

“It’s nice to be somebody they can ask questions about Test cricket. I’m still learning from them as well. Always good learning on the job and nice to lend my expertise as well,” he said.

Heinrich Klaasen was at his belligerent best to help Durban’s Super Giants secure an 11-run win over Kieron Pollard’s MI Cape Town via the DLS method in the Betway SA T20 at Kinsmead in Durban on Thursday.

MI Cape Town first posted a formidable 207-5 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Super Giants.

Opener Ryan Rickleton hit six fours and six sixes on his way to an excellent top score of 87 from 51 balls while Pollard, who replaced the injured Rashid Khan ad Captain for the tournament, hit a brutal 31 from 14 balls including four fours and a six in the latter part of the innings.

Guyanese all-rounder Keemo Paul took 2-31 from his four overs for the Super Giants.

The chase got off to a less than impressive start as Durban lost Quinton De Kock (5) and Wiaan Milder (5) within the first three overs with 12 runs on the board.

A 40-run third wicket partnership between opener Matthew Breetzke and Paul steadied proceedings a bit before Paul fell off the bowling of English speedster Ollie Stone for 15.

His wicket brought Klaasen to the crease and he put the team on his back with a magnificent 35-ball 85 including four fours and eight massive sixes.

Breetzke ended up making 39 off 24 balls.

The wickets of those two along with Nicholas Pooran for just 11 meant that the Super Giants were 177-6 off 16.3 overs when the rains came and ended play for the day.

Thankfully for the Super Giants, the Duckworth Lewis Stern par score was 166 at the time.

South African ace Kagiso Rabada took 2-23 from three overs for MI Cape Town.

 

Shamar Joseph’s rise from first-class debutant to a potential Test cap has been nothing short of remarkable.

The 24-year-old, who worked for a security firm prior to his switch to professional cricket, made his first-class debut in February 2023 for the Guyana Harpy Eagles against the Barbados Pride.

Joseph played in just three games and took nine wickets to help the Harpy Eagles lift the West Indies Championship title for the sixth time in eight years.

Though his numbers may not have been that impressive, he showed enough promise to be selected as part of the West Indies A squad for their tour of South Africa in December.

The South Africans won the series 2-1 but it was a coming out party for Joseph who was the joint leading wicket taker for the West Indians with 12 wickets at an average of 21.25 and a strike rate of 34.50.

That performance led to him being selected in the West Indies squad for their upcoming two-Test series against the mighty Australia.

“It’s amazing for me to be honest, knowing that I’ve been putting in a lot of work back at home and now getting the rewards for it, it’s been really nice for me,” Joseph said in an interview after day two of the West Indies’ three-day warm-up game against a Cricket Australia XI.

The first Test bowls off in Adelaide on Tuesday and there is a decent chance Joseph will be earning his maiden Test cap.

If he does end up making his debut, he will be hoping to make his family proud.

“They will watch and they will support. I know that support is out there for me so I will definitely do my best to make them proud,” he said.

He credits West Indian greats including the likes of Sir Curtley Ambrose and Courtney Walsh as his main inspirations as a fast bowler.

“I was intrigued by a lot of fast bowlers back then like Sir Curtley (Ambrose) and Courtney Walsh and these men so, I really love it. That works for me so I just continue doing that and it brings success for me,” he said before going into what he feels makes him successful as a fast bowler.

“I just adjust to conditions. Just stick to the basics and be consistent as much as I can. I just try to bowl fuller when the ball is doing much for me,” he said.

Joseph took 2-28 from his eight overs to help the West Indies restrict Cricket Australia XI to 174 in their first innings.

He bowled a few no-balls but he put this down to a bit of nerves.

“I think I was a bit too fast getting to the crease. I just had to adjust my self and get back to my rhythm and that worked well for me today,” he said.

The West currently lead by 214 runs heading into the final day on Friday and Joseph says he’s ready to go if needed.

“I’m just ready to go. Always prepared to fight the war ahead of me,” he said.

 

Too often, we wait until our pioneers are gone before we shower them with the praise they deserve.

The Jamaica Football Federation ensured this wouldn’t be the case on Monday when they held a ceremony honoring four stalwarts of football in Jamaica at the federation’s headquarters.

The first set of honorees included Geoffrey Maxwell, Leander Marshall, Everton “Bob West” McLeary and Allan “Skill” Cole.

According to Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts, this initiative was long overdue and is one that he plans to do annually.

“We really want to use this opportunity to express my personal views and those of the JFF. We would have previously planned similar exercises which really did not work out as we would’ve liked and we took a decision that we would select four or five persons annually,” he said.

“Here we are today showing our love and appreciation for the commitment, love, loyalty and the level of entertainment that these players and administrators have given to the sport,” he added.

Ricketts explained that this initiative is a part of the JFF’s efforts to re-connect with past players.

“The JFF is intent on ensuring that we re-establish a relationship with our past players and persons who would have given support to football over the years,” he said.

“Those were the days when service to sport, and especially football, was straight volunteerism,” he added.

Geoffrey Maxwell represented Jamaica as a defender before transitioning into coaching.

He guided Excelsior High to one Manning Cup title and two Walker Cup titles in the 1980s and also coached Waterhouse to the National League trophy in 1998.

Schoolboy football apart, Maxwell coached at the club level with Santos, Waterhouse, Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, St George's SC, the JDF, and Maverley/Hughenden, among others.

Leander Marshall served as president of the Portmore Football League for over 30 years.

Everton “Bob West” McLeary was a respected administrator to the JFF 30 years ago and sponsored a football competition holding his name. This was part of the KSAFA ecosystem.

Prior to his post at the JFF, he served as a Journalist and a Policeman. He was seriously injured after being knocked down by a vehicle when he was on his motorcycle on Mountain View Avenue in 1994.

Unfortunately, as a result of this accident and the head injuries he sustained, he wasn’t the same. McLeary helped to improve the quality of administration and getting things in place even when resources were not there. McLeary is currently at a nursing home in Manchester.

Allan “Skill” Cole is widely regarded as Jamaica’s greatest ever footballer.

At the peak of his powers, Cole was a midfield maestro local fans compared to Pele. He remains the Jamaica's youngest senior football international, donning national colors against a Brazilian team when he was only 15 years old.

In addition to his local exploits, Cole represented the Atlanta Chiefs in the NASL and Nautico in Brazil.

“First I want to thank the federation for honoring us,” Cole said on behalf of the honorees.

“I cherish these things because I remember in the early days when we were playing football and we didn’t get any form of honor. You see schoolboys today getting citations, plaques and all these things when they score goals, we didn’t get those things. The game has evolved and that is very good” he added.

Cole, who has had his fair share of health issues, made the point that people must be honored more while they are living.

“Honor us before we die. Don’t wait until we die before you honor us. It’s sad and it happens all over the country. Let a man live in his glory,” he said.

 

‘Creating Identity Through Sport’ was the topic of the keynote address given by international cricket broadcaster and former Sportsmax Zone host, Alex Jordan, at Barbados’ 39th annual National Sports Council (NSC) Awards ceremony on Friday.

In the presence of a number of the country’s sporting icons, past and present, Jordan made the point of just how storied the history of sport is in the country with a population of just 282,158.

“Barbados has long had a sporting identity of course. The three Ws, Sir Garfield Sobers, Greenidge and Haynes, need I go on?” she said before adding that sport “is a powerful tool that builds both self and community.”

A Bajan national youth breaststroke champion in her own right, Jordan gave a moving address outlining how sport has formed a major part of how she identifies herself today.

“The potential for sport does not start and finish with being the best athlete, there’s the driver, the coach, the chef, the physio, the statistician, the parent; we’re all forging an identity through sport,” she said.

“We have to cement who we are into our consciousness. We say we understand how rich of a history it is and how successful it is in developing our youth and our nation but we don’t focus nearly enough on it as a livelihood. This right now is a watershed moment for Barbados, a wonderful opportunity to really define modern Bajan sporting identity,” she added.

With that in mind, she is advocating that the stories of more Barbadian sporting icons be told. She mentioned methods such as documentaries and the formation of a visual hall of fame as ways this can be done.

“I want to plead to our nation to tell more of our stories. In order for us to really respect ourselves and feel pride in ourselves, we have to know ourselves. How can we know ourselves if we don’t tell our stories?” she said.

Two athletes Jordan mentioned by name that should be highlighted were seven-time champion jockey Patrick Husbands and Olympic swimmer Antonio Boyle, who is currently the Senior Vice President for Strategic Enrollment and Student Affairs at Delaware State University.

The son of a jockey, Husbands began riding as a young boy, turning professional in his home country where he rode successfully until emigrating to Toronto, Ontario in 1994.

In 1990 he became the youngest jockey to win the prestigious Barbados Gold Cup at just 16 years, 9 months on his mount Vardar.

Racing out of Woodbine Racetrack, in 2003 Husbands won the Canadian Triple Crown aboard the colt Wando and that year became his breakout year. Among his other notable wins, he rode Numerous Times to victory in the $1 million 2001 Woodbine Mile and Exciting Story in that same year's Metropolitan Handicap at Belmont Park in New York. He rode Arch Hall to three straight wins between 2004 and 2006 in the Sir Barton Stakes. In 2007, he was the regular rider on Canadian Horse of the Year, Sealy Hill.

On October 4, 2009 Patrick Husbands earned his 2,000th career victory at Woodbine Racetrack and on June 18, 2016, he brought up his 3,000th career victory at the venue.

Boyle had the distinction of competing as part of the Barbados Swim Team in the 1987 Pan American Games and the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea.

From 1994 to 2014, Mr. Boyle held enrollment management leadership posts at Kentucky State University, South Carolina State University, Florida A&M University and Alabama A&M University.

He was the vice president of Enrollment Management for Wiley College in Marshall, Texas from March 2016 to present. Prior to that, from November 2014 to March 2016 at Wilberforce University in Ohio, he served in a similar position initially and then was elevated to senior vice president of Enrollment Management and Student Services.

He has been at Delaware State since 2018.

“We need to tell their stories and we need to put it in schools. We need to establish a visual hall of fame. Can you imagine showing documentaries in school about Pat Husbands or the amount of horsing talent in Harts gap. What about Antonio Boyle? From St. James Secondary to senior VP in Delaware State University. He was the first generation of black working-class swimmers in this country,” she said.

“What do you think swimming and his success did to his sense of self? He was unstoppable in that pool as a teenager and he has been unstoppable in the field of academic administration ever since. It’s a massive story and we should tell it,” she added.

Jordan concluded her address by asking “what are we the best at but don’t yet realize?”

“Together, we can cement our sporting identity and use it to propel us forward so that we as a nation can keep punching above our weight,” she added.

2022 NACAC 100m champion Ackeem Blake will clash with American World champion Christian Coleman and Canadian Olympic champion Andre De Grasse in the men’s 60m at the Millrose Games in New York on February 11.

The 21-year-old Blake had a mixed season in 2023. On one hand, he lowered his 100m personal best to 9.89 at the LA Grand Prix on May 27.

On the other hand, Blake disappointingly failed to secure an individual spot for Jamaica’s 100m team at the World Championships in Budapest after finishing fourth in the 100m final at Jamaica’s national championships in July. He went on to be a part of Jamaica’s bronze medal quartet in the men’s 4x100m in Budapest.

Blake’s 60m personal best, 6.42, was done last season at the National Stadium.

The USA’s Coleman, in addition to his 2019 World Outdoor 100m title, won the World Indoor 60m title in 2018 and was runner-up in 2022.

He is the current world record holder in the event with 6.34 done at the US Indoor Championships in 2018.

Canada’s De Grasse has won a number of medals at the global level, most notably winning 200m gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and being part of Canada’s gold medal 4x100m quartet at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene.

He has a 60m personal best of 6.60 done all the way back in 2015.

Also in the field will be the USA’s 2018 World Indoor bronze medallist Ronnie Baker, Japanese record-holed Abdul Hakim Sani Brown and Puerto Rican record-holder Miles Lewis.

Two-time World 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams headlines a star-studded field assembled for the 60m hurdles at the Millrose Games set for February 11 in New York.

Williams shocked the world by winning her second World title last August with a 12.43 effort in Budapest.

She will be joined by countrywoman Ackera Nugent and fellow Caribbean star Devynne Charlton in the eight-woman field.

Nugent, who finished fifth at the World Championships in Budapest, dominated both the indoor and outdoor NCAA circuits last season.

She claimed the 60m hurdles title at the NCAA Indoor Championships in New Mexico in March with a brilliant 7.73 second effort, this after running a national record 7.72 in the semi-finals.

She followed that up with 100m hurdles gold at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Texas in June with a wind-aided 12.25.

Charlton is also well-credentialed both indoors and outdoors. She was a finalist in the 100m hurdles at the World Championships in Budapest, finishing sixth.

In 2022, she won silver in the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. That same year, she also took silver in the 100m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Also in the mix will be former World 100m hurdles record holder Keni Harrison, two-time World Indoor champion Nia Ali as well as Tia Jones, Alaysha Johnson and Masai Russell.

 

The year 2023 was a good one with the gloves for West Indies Test wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva.

The 25-year-old Trinidadian, who made his debut back in 2020 against New Zealand, recorded an impressive 31 dismissals in just six matches.

Overall, Da Silva has 98 dismissals in 24 Tests.

Of the 31 dismissals, 29 were catches and two were stumpings. Only Australia’s Alex Carey ended 2023 with more dismissals in Test matches.

Carey played 13 matches for the World Test Champions, recording 54 dismissals (44 catches and 10 stumpings).

The rest of the top five includes England’s Jonny Bairstow (30 dismissals in six matches), New Zealand’s Tom Blundell (29 dismissals in seven matches) and Pakistan’s Sarfaraz Ahmed (14 dismissals in four matches).

The West Indies Test squad successfully arrived in Australia on Saturday to begin preparation for their two-test series against the reigning ICC World Test Champions and World Cup winners.

The first Test will begin on January 16 in Adelaide before the teams move to Brisbane for the second Test to begin on January 24.

The ‘Men in Maroon’ will then turn their attention to three ODIs from February 1-5 and three T20Is from February 9-13.

The West Indies last won a Test against Australia way back in 2003 and their last series win came in 1993.

Full squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (C), Alzarri Joseph (VC), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

 

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight (135 lbs.) Champion Aljamain Sterling will try his luck in a new division when he takes on Calvin Kattar in a featherweight (145 lbs.) contest at UFC 300 in Las Vegas on April 13.

The 34-year-old Sterling, born in New York to Jamaican parents, will be looking to rebound from losing his bantamweight title via second round TKO to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in Boston on August 19.

Before that fight, Sterling was unbeaten in nine fights since a 2017 loss to former title challenger, Brazilian Marlon Moraes.

In 2021, Sterling won the title in controversial fashion after UFC 259 opponent Petr Yan was disqualified after throwing an illegal knee.

A year later at UFC 273, Sterling successfully beat Yan in a rematch before producing two more successful title defenses over former champions TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo at UFC 280 and 288, respectively.

His three successful title defenses are the most in the history of the UFC Bantamweight division.

UFC 300 marks the start of a new chapter of Sterling’s career with the move up to featherweight.

His opponent for the showpiece event, Calvin Kattar, is currently seventh on the UFC Featherweight rankings and is coming off a pair of losses to Josh Emmett (currently ranked #6) and Arnold Allen (currently ranked #4).

“I think this is going to be a banger fight,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel.

“I feel good about how everything’s been going. I’m loving the training right now. We’ve been able to add some new stuff to the game working on some technical things,” he added.

Sterling was usually able to use a wrestling-heavy style at bantamweight because of a size advantage over most of his opponents.

Most people would think that with a move up in weight, his style would change as well. Sterling says this will not be the case.

“My game is not going to change. I’m not going to change what got me to the show but it’s always good to evolve in case Calvin puts me in these situations where I’m forced to fight a certain way, we’ll be ready and that’s the most important thing,” he said.

As for the move up to featherweight, Sterling says he’s excited for the new chapter.

“I can’t wait. There are so many good fights, so many good guys. It’s going to be a dog pack to get through and, if I can get through this the same way I did at 35, that’s going to be a huge feather in my cap and something that I’m going to appreciate for the rest of my career and the rest of my life,” he said.

“It’s not easy changing weight classes. There’s a couple of things you have to get used to mentally. Coming from guys who are lighter where I kind of had my way in terms of grappling, it’s going to be interesting to see how this transition is going to pay off for me in the future,” Sterling added.

The fastest man to ever walk the earth, Usain Bolt, says he’s not worried about any of his world records being broken anytime soon.

The eight-time Olympic gold-medalist currently holds both the 100m and 200m world records.

Both marks, 9.58 in the 100m and 19.19 in the 200m, were set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

“I knew I was going to break the world record because I was in such good shape at the time and I was running great throughout the season,” Bolt said in an interview with World Athletics.

Athletes like Fred Kerley, Ferdinand Omanyala and Noah Lyles have both been vocal about trying to eclipse Bolt’s 100m world record but neither has come close up to this point.

Kerley, the 2022 World 100m Champion, has a personal best of 9.76. Omanyala, the 2022 Commonwealth Champion, has a personal best of 9.77 while Lyles ran his personal best 9.83 to win 100m gold at the Budapest World Championships earlier this year.

Lyles, however, who was named as the World Athletics Male Athlete of the Year for 2023 after taking three gold medals in Budapest, is not that far off the 200m world record with a personal best of 19.31 done to win the 2022 World title in Eugene.

“Not worried about any of them,” he said regarding the times.

“I think the hundred is going to be harder because it’s quicker and if you make a mistake during the race you’re not going to get it. It’s a lot more technical so I think maybe the hundred is going to go last,” he added.

Bolt also commented on still being known as the fastest man ever as well as his relationship with the fans over the years.

“It’s a great title to have. It’s something that I enjoy hearing and I enjoy knowing,” he said about the title.

“It’s always been so beautiful for me. They give me so much energy. I remember even through the World Championships in the pandemic I was like I could not compete in this. By myself in the stadium, I could not because I live so much for the energy and the vibes,” he added.

 

 

 

West Indies ODI Captain Shai Hope is looking forward to his first ever Indian Premier League (IPL) stint.

The 30-year-old Bajan was picked up by the Delhi Capitals at last week’s IPL Player Auction in Dubai for INR 75 Lakh (USD 90,500).

“I’m extremely delighted to be joining the Delhi Capitals family for my first ever IPL experience,” Hope said.

“I’m looking forward to creating lots and lots of memories with them,” he added.

Hope, over the last few years, has emerged as one of the best batsmen in the world in the One-Day-International format.

Since his debut in 2016, Hope has amassed 5132 runs in 121 matches at an average of 51.32 including 16 hundreds and 25 fifties.

In his last series against England, Hope became the joint-fastest West Indian, alongside Sir Viv Richards, to reach the 5000-run mark in ODI cricket.

Until recently, his form in the shortest format of the game was always questioned, with many critics pointing out his inability to score quickly enough as a top-order player.

He has had a resurgence in the format since being dropped from the West Indies T20 side after some lean returns in the team’s 1-4 home series loss to India from July-August 2022.

Since then, Hope has had some excellent results in the format. He represented the Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League from January-February this year, scoring 223 runs in seven innings at an average of 37.16 and an impressive strike rate of 136.80. He had a highest score of 91*.

Hope also played in the Pakistan Super League for the eventual champions, Lahore Qalandars, appearing in only three games and scoring 67 runs at a strike rate of 131.37.

It was Hope’s form in the 2023 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), however, that earned him a recall to the West Indies side and, quite possibly, his maiden IPL contract as well.

Hope scored 481 runs in 12 innings for the Guyana Amazon Warriors to end the season as the tournament’s top run-scorer. The Amazon Warriors went on to win their maiden CPL title.

He scored those 481 runs at an average of 53.44 including four fifties and a first T20 hundred, 106 against the Barbados Royals.

Hope then made his return to the West Indies T20 squad, producing scores of 45 and 22* against India in August before scoring 122 runs in five games to help the West Indies secure a 3-2 series win over defending World T20 Champions, England, earlier this month.

 

 

West Indies T20I Captain Rovman Powell praised his team’s ability to perform under pressure to secure a 3-2 series victory over England on Thursday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The West Indies won the first two games of the series relatively comfortably before England produced a pair of magnificent batting performances to tie the series heading into the Thursday’s decider.

The West Indians first restricted the English to 132 all out in 19.3 overs, their lowest score of the series.

The hosts then held their nerve to reach 133-6 with four balls to spare, securing another series win under Powell’s leadership in international cricket’s shortest format.

“I think we played very well today. After England came back in the series and put us under pressure, I think the guys responded like champions,” Powell said in a post-match interview.

He especially credited his bowlers for keeping player of the series, Phil Salt, in check. Salt hit hundreds in both the third and fourth T20Is. He made 38 on Thursday to finish the series with 331 runs.

"It was very important for us to control him. Yesterday we sat in our team room and tried to have some one on one discussions with the guys to try our best to come up with collective plans to control him. For the last two games they scored 70 in the powerplay to totally write us off," Powell said.

Powell added that he feels like his side are well prepared for next year’s T20 World Cup but mentioned that there’s still work to be done, particularly in the bowling department.

“I think we are prepared but we still have areas we need to sharpen up, especially our bowling. Two games back to back where England beat us badly as a bowling unit. Hopefully, over the next few months we can sharpen up and get those areas sorted,” Powell said.

Powell also heaped praise on opponents England, noting that the reigning World T20 Champions have an excellent chance of defending their title next year.

“England is a world class team and they have world class players to come into their squad so that is always going to boost them. All they need to do is get familiar with the conditions. Because they are such a quality team, if they get familiar with conditions they will be difficult to beat,” he said.

“We realized something with the English batters. Once you put them on the good wickets, they’re very good but when the pitch starts assisting the bowlers, it becomes a little bit tricky for everyone. For us Caribbean players, we’ve been playing on bad wickets for such a long time so we know how to play on it,” he added.

The West Indies’ next T20I assignment will be a three-match away series against Australia from February 9-13.

 

 

Difficulty in getting sponsorship, use of inferior equipment and poor coverage are some of the problems faced by the local throwing community according to renowned coach Michael Vassell.

In light of recent comments by national hammer throw champion Nayoka Clunis regarding a lack of financial support from the local track & field governing bodies, attempts were made to contact a number of Jamaica’s throws athletes and coaches to see whether or not they have had similar experiences.

For context, these were Clunis’ comments on social media two weeks ago.

“Nobody wants to talk about the lack of funding or sponsorship that track and field gets. If you’re not ranked in the top 5, people don’t take you seriously. I am ranked in the top 30 (27 to be exact), while some countries would jump at the opportunity to help develop my talent…. not mine. They don’t help with anything outside of airfare and stay at national representative meets. Yes, I’ve been pleading for assistance from JAAA, JOA, even the minister, and no one is willing to help! How are athletes to survive!? It cost me $120 for a massage and $150 for chiro and I can only afford one, once a month! So, when you all see athletes like me not getting to that next level or not performing up to standard it’s because we are not getting the help we need to be great. I’m not asking for the world I’m asking for the basics to survive, that’s it!”

The 28-year-old represented Jamaica in the hammer throw at the World Championships in Budapest in August, failing to advance from qualifying with a best throw of 58.10m, a far cry from the 70.17m effort she produced at the National Championships just a month earlier. 

SportsMax.tv reached out to a number of other athletes and coaches looking for opinions on various issues faced by field event athletes in Jamaica and, while a number of them declined to comment, coach Vassell obliged and shed some light on some important topics centered around the Jamaican throwing community.

The first issue Vassell brought up was difficulty in getting sponsorship for his Throws Only meet.

“We have a preference for track in Jamaica. We believe in track and we love track. I have a Throws Only meet which has gotten to the point now where we have been doing this for 20 years and it has shown to benefit Jamaica in where we have produced medalists at the world level and all of these people are what you would call alumni out of these throws meets,” he told SportsMax.tv.

“We can say it has an impact but, having been around for 20 years, it is still a struggle to find sponsors for the meet, a meet that is used by coaches and schools to test their athletes. It is still a struggle to get sponsors,” he added.

The current Girls head coach at Excelsior High School also brought up the issue of the lack of access to top-class equipment due to high costs.

“Track & Field throwing depends on implements. You need proper implements to throw. Where do you get these implements? Are they world class? A training javelin will cost you US$200. A real good javelin can cost you US$3000,” he said.

“These things are what you call cost prohibitive. It also means that even the suppliers in Jamaica like Carl Chang at Western Sports who has been really supportive of throwing events, he buys implements but again, because of the cost, he can’t buy top of the line implements because if he does nobody can afford to buy them,” Vassell added.

The question was then asked regarding whether or not a possible solution would be for the local track & field governing bodies to provide top-class equipment for the athletes to have access to year-round.

“The governing body provides implements for competition,” Vassell said.

“They ensure that there is world-class competition equipment available to use. That, in most cases, is the extent of their support because they tell you that, while they’re in charge of that, there role is not to develop the sport like that to provide implements,” he added.

He went on to say that while some athletes may have sponsorships and be provided with world-class equipment free of cost, lesser athletes mostly have to rely on athletes or coaches coming from overseas.

“Some of the lesser athletes are dependent on maybe some of the guys coming from college overseas might leave an implement or some of the coaches from foreign might come down and leave two implements for the kids because to get good quality implements is expensive!” he said.

Vassell also noted that the use of the lesser quality equipment has a direct effect on some of the performances we see from Jamaica throwers at big meets around the world.

“Jamaica being what it is, if I buy a US$3000 javelin and throw it and it hits the ground and breaks in two, where does that leave me? Nobody really wants to make that kind of investment. You can get away and buy some javelins for $300 and use them but when your throwers go to the international meets and are exposed to world-class high-level implements, then they don’t perform as they can because they’re not used to them,” he said.

“A javelin is weighted to fly a certain distance whether that’s 60, 70, 80 or 90 metres. A 70m javelin thrower cannot take up an 80m javelin and throw it 80m because the strain that it puts on his elbow and his throwing arm is totally different from what the 70m javelin does,” he added.

When brainstorming possible solutions to this lack of access, Vassell circled back to the first problem, getting more sponsorship.

“We’re trying our best to navigate these challenges. You find sponsors. I remember Mr. Chang from Western Sports sponsored me for one of my throwing meets and he gave me some implements. These implements were used as prizes. So, people won an event and got an implement as the prize,” he said.

Vassell also addressed the way field events in general are covered at televised track meets.

“The purists will love the field events because they are exciting. They have rounds; they have lead changes; they have one man starting out in the front and ending up fifth; you have one man leading with one round to go and ending up fourth; you have people moving from eighth to first in one round but, because of how it is shown, it’s not exciting for a lot of people because you don’t see these lead changes,” he said.

“When it’s on the TV they’re showing the 100m because nobody has the time to show the discus that is also happening where the lead changed four times in the last round,” he added.

He also made reference to his throws only meets.

“When we have our throwing events, we have people qualifying for Olympics and World Championships and throwing world leads. When the seniors are throwing, everybody is watching. Everything is on pause and they are the stars of the show but, because a lot of people don’t know about it, they just push it by the wayside.”

Vassell says his dream is to one day put on a shot-put competition in the Half-Way-Tree square in Kingston as a way to draw more public attention to field events

“One of the things that Diamond League organizers do, for instance, is they’ll have the shot put the Friday evening like in the middle of a square or something like that. I’ve had this idea in my head all along to have a shot-put competition in the middle of Half-Way-Tree,” he said.

“Again now, we’d have to get sponsors because if you want to make that exciting you’d have to have world-class shot putters so you’d have to have prize money. You get like three of the top throwers out of North America, two good sponsors. Give the winners US$5000 or $6000 as a prize and who knows, they might come,” he added.

 

Alzarri Joseph, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford and Shai Hope were the only West Indians selected at Tuesday’s 2024 Indian Premier League Auction in Dubai.

Joseph, who has previous IPL experience with the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Titans, was the most expensive West Indian as well as the fifth most expensive player, going to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for 11.5 crore (USD 1,386,000 approximately).

West Indies T20I skipper Rovman Powell was the first player up for grabs on Tuesday, going for 7.4 crore (USD 892,000 approximately) to the Rajasthan Royals after a bidding war with the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Sherfane Rutherford was the next West Indian to be picked up, going to the Kolkata Knight Riders for 1.5 crore (USD 181,000 approximately).

ODI skipper Shai Hope earned a maiden IPL contract, going for 75 lakh (USD 90,500) to the Delhi Capitals.

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc is now the most expensive player in IPL history after being sold to the Kolkata Knight Riders for 24.75 crore (USD 2,982,000 approximately).

Starc broke the previous record of 20.50 crore (USD 2,470,000 approximately) set earlier in the evening when the Sunrisers Hyderabad outbid the Royal Challengers Bangalore for Starc’s teammate and World Cup-winning captain Pat Cummins.

New Zealand All-rounder Darryl Mitchell went for 14 crore (USD 1,687,000 approximately) to defending champions Chennai Super Kings while Indian pacer Harshal Patel went to the Punjab Kings for 11.75 crore (USD 1,412,000 approximately) to round out the top five buys.

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