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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday November 2, 2015
Persaud retains Digicel Guyana Open Golf title By Rawle Toney
UNDER the sweltering heat at the Lusignan Golf course, Avinash Persaud retained his Digicel Guyana Open Golf Classic title when the curtains came down last evening on the two-day championship at the East Coast Demerara venue. Persaud started the final day (yesterday) with a Gross of 80 to easily take his sixth Guyana Open title, totaling a Gross of 154 and net of 150 to finish way ahead of the field of 67 golfers. A decent crowd was on hand to see Mohanlall Dinanauth and Rishi Sukhram who went into final day sharing a Gross 76, could
…Webster takes female championship
help but watch Persaud play some ‘Tiger Woods’ like shots on his way to securing another ‘Red Jacket’. Persaud’s brother, Avinda Kishore was second with a with a Gross 160 and a net 154, while Alfred Mentore finished third with Gross 161 and a net 147. Meanwhile, Shanella Webster was in superb form when she snatched the champion women’s trophy was the 2014 title holder Joann Deo to take home her first Guyana Open winner’s trophy. Webster scored a net of 148, beating Deo into second place (net 150) and sea-
sons campaigner Christine Sukhram who was in the lead heading into yesterday’s championship round with a net 73 but had to settle for third (net 151). Kevin Kelly, Digicel’s Chief Executive Officer, said that his company was delighted to once again play its part in sponsoring the Guyana Open again this year, and pledged Digicel’s continued support for the event. Lusignan Golf Club President Oncar Ramroop believes the tournament this year was much more competitive than previous ones,
and lauded Digicel for once again coming on board to sponsor the event. Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan; a former Club Captain, congratulated the Lusignan Golf Club for running off another success tournament and added that he believes that with Digicel has played in important role in bring the sport to the forefront in Guyana. Both Webster and Persaud expressed heartfelt thanks to Digicel for sponsoring the event and said that next year, they are looking forward to defending their titles.
Forde, Josiah-Tanner pull off wins for Guyana in South American 10k GUYANA’S ‘Little Kenyan’ Cleveland Forde continues to showcase his dominance by winning the first leg of the South American 10k on Saturday in Suriname. Forde stopped the clocked at 31 minutes, 54 seconds while Rupert Green of Jamaica finished third in a time of 33 minutes, 18 seconds. Guyana’s Cleveland Thomas was third in a time of 33:42s while Winston Missenger finished sixth to stop the clock at 34:56s. On the distaff side of the event, America based Guyanese Euleen Joisah-Tanner topped the field with a time of 39:43s while World CLEVELAND FORDE Championship representative for Guyana Andrea Foster finished second with a time of 41:48s. The event will now shift to Guyana on November 8 for its second leg where Forde is a nine time winner before heading to Panama for the third and final leg on November 15.
Caribbean region could be hurt by inadequate FIFA representation Champions Shanella Webster and Avinash Persaud with representatives from Digicel following the conclusion of the Digicel Guyana Open Golf Tournament.
Williams set for female umpire history ST. JOHN’S, Antigua – Jacqueline Williams will create history later this year, when she becomes the first female umpire to ever officiate in the Regional 4-Day Tournament. The 39-year-old from the western Jamaica community of Ashton in the parish of Westmoreland will stand in the middle with international umpire Peter Nero for the fifth round match in the WICB Professional League R4Day between Jamaica Scorpions and Guyana Jaguars from December 11 to 14 at Sabina Park in her nation’s capital of Kingston. (EDS: See schedule of appointments for Rounds 1 to 5 attached). “It’s a humbling feeling to know that I will have this opportunity,” said Williams. “I have put in the hard work over the last few years, it’s been seen and now it is paying off for me. “I still am pinching myself to know that it is real and will be happening. I am
not overawed at the prospect of standing in a match with male players – I have done it before at the club level – but it is still a learning experience for me and I am just open to all of the challenges it will bring.” Prior to this, Williams will have standby duties for the fourth round match between Scorpions and Leeward Islands Hurricanes from December 4 to 7 at the same venue. “I used to play the game and I was encouraged to become an umpire even before my playing days were finished,” said Williams. “I took it up in 2007 and it has been a lot of hard work, but I am happy with what I have been able to achieve so far.” Williams recently made her international debut, when she stood in the first One-day and first Twenty20 Internationals during the ongoing Pakistan Women’s Tour of the West Indies. “The experience I have
gained working with Joel Wilson, Gregory Brathwaite, Peter Nero and Nigel Duguid, as well as match referees Hayden Bruce and Michael Ragoonath has been invaluable,” said Williams. “It’s been an unbelievable experience and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them and learn so much in such a short period of time. The things that I have learnt I will also be looking to transfer that knowledge to other umpires in Jamaica, so that they too can benefit.” Wi l l i a m s i s b e i n g groomed by the WICB with an eye to possible selection on the international panel for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017 in England and Wales. She was one of four female umpires that joined two-dozen of their male colleagues in benefitting from a workshop last June in Trinidad.
Jamaica’s Jacqueline Williams set to become the first female umpire to officiate in a Regional 4-day tournament.
FORMER Trinidad and Tobago national player turned coach Keith Look Loy fears inadequate representation for the Caribbean in a restructured FIFA organisation. In recent years the Caribbean, as a region, has always has strong representation on the global football body’s board, with former FIFA Vice presidents Jack Warner and Jeffrey Webb, however, in the wake of scandals that have rocked the region the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) has lost representatives in top positions. For instance no CFU representatives have been selected in the interim CONCACAF leadership committee in the wake of the arrest of former CONCACAF president Webb. Look DAVID NAHKID Loy believes the situation could be a major blow for development of the sport in the region. Without proper representation Look Loy believes “the Caribbean would just be some islands in the sea now with no concern about them.” In the past under then CONCACAF president and Fifa vice president Jack Warner the region secured additional World Cup spots which saw both Jamaica and T&T qualify for the France 1998 and Germany 2006 World Cups Only last week the narrow chances of another former national player David Nahkid holding a top rank within FIFA was snuffed out after his bid for presidency was rejected for not having enough nominations and violation of the nomination rules. (Sportsmax.com)