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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday, July 1, 2017
Persaud backing youth ahead of second Race of Champions By Stephan Sookram SUPERBIKER Kevin Persaud has backed his youthful approach as the determining factor when he takes the track aboard his superbike in the second National Race of Champions tomorrow at the South Dakota Circuit. Persaud, who was part of the team that toured Jamaica recently, is optimistic that there are more podiums in his future, especially with the work he has been putting in locally. The rider told Chronicle
Sport, “I’ve been getting in sessions from the last two Sundays as well as a couple days during this week, and I’m feeling really confident of putting out a good performance this weekend.” “The bike is working fine, just some suspension tuning, which we have been working on over the past week as we try to get the bike ready and raring to go for Sunday,” he added. He noted that track-wise, while he has ridden numerous race and practice laps around the South Dakota Circuit, he still feels that
practice is one of the key factors for success. “Competitor-wise, I think everyone is in for a treat on race day and there are obvious reasons why. Guys have been producing the times to show they are putting in the ground work, and that shows that there are threats on race day,” he opined. Persaud said, however, “I think my edge is that I am willing to go the extra mile, and do what it takes to get the win. I think that will give me the edge over my other competitors.” His bike is sponsored by
Palm Court, Chico Ramas, Motor Trend, R. Kisson Contracting Services and Miracle optical with the number 93 branding. Meanwhile, all things are on stream for the event, which begins at 08:30hrs. The sponsors include: Ansa McAl, Prem’s Electrical, B.M. Soat, Mohamed’s Enterprise, Ready Mix, Special Auto, Japarts, Ticket Master, Palm Court, KGM, MAC Batteries, S. Jagmohan Hardware Supplies and Construction, L Mahabir and Sons Cambio and Choke Gas Station.
Self-belief is key to Windies revival – Mohammed TAUNTON, England (CMC) – Veteran off-spinner Anisa Mohammed on Thursday urged her teammates to relax, rekindle their self-belief and simply express themselves, as the Caribbean side continued to desperately search for solutions to end their demoralising losing streak. Speaking in the wake of their latest defeat at the ongoing ICC Women’s World Cup – a seven-wicket loss to India Women at County Ground here – Mohammed said while the side comprised world class players, self-confidence was currently lacking. “We just need to relax and keep believing in ourselves. We need to find a way somehow to relax and recuperate, and keep believing that we are great players,” said the 28-year-old who has played in 103 ODIs. “I keep saying to the team: people say we are a great T20 team but this is the same team that helped us qualify automatically for this World Cup so we can win 50-over games as well. “We just need to keep
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believing in ourselves and go back to what worked for us in the past three, four years and come out in this World Cup. It’s time we pull everything together.”
Women on Thursday. Arguing that the side was a quality One-Day International unit, the Trinidadian Mohammed said the batters needed to up their game if the Windies
Anisa Mohammed
West Indies are winless since arriving in England a month ago, with losses to England Women, Southern Vipers and India Women in unofficial warm-up matches, and further defeats to Pakistan Women and South Africa Women in official warm-ups last week. Last Monday, they were steamrolled by reigning champions Australia in their opening match of the tournament before going under to India
were to improve their form. “I think we need to rotate the strike a bit more in the middle,” she contended. “I think we fell short by about 80, 90 runs but I thought that the opener (Smriti Mandhana) played really well. But we need to score some more runs if we want to win games in this tournament. “We have some of the greatest players in the world. I think players just need to believe in themselves and
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believe they can go out and do the job, and just go out and express themselves. As West Indians, we love to express ourselves and we just need to go out there and express ourselves.” Sent in, the West Indies batting collapsed yet again as they struggled to gather a modest 183 for eight off their 50 overs. In reply, India were reduced to 33 for two at one stage but recovered to easily reach their target thanks to Mandhana’s unbeaten 106. Mohammed said the Windies batters were good enough that once they got in, they could post big totals. “We still believe we could still score over 250 plus. As you can see from today, we have batters all the way down so it’s just a matter of players getting in and staying in and valuing their wickets,” she stressed. “It was important for us to get early wickets but defending 186 on a pitch like this we needed a lot more wickets. Unfortunately, the bowlers couldn’t pull it off today.” 09:35 hrs Omly Mine 10:10 hrs Alexios Komnenos 11:10 hrs Duchess Of France 11:40 hrs De Bruyne Horse 12:20 hrs Waldgeist 13:00 hrs Laws Of Spin South Africa Racing Tips Greyville 08:25 hrs Green Top 09:10 hrs Hakeem 10:20 hrs Edict Of Nantes 11:15 hrs Angel’s Power 11:55 hrs Well Connected 12:25 hrs Bela-Bela 13:15 hrs Lloyd’s Legacy 13:55 hrs Irish Pride
Team gives suggestions on coaching issue only when asked - Kohli CAPTAIN Virat Kohli has clarified that the Indian team offers its suggestions to the BCCI only when asked, as the board continues to look for a new coach after Anil Kumble’s resignation 10 days ago. Kumble had stated his partnership with Kohli had become “untenable”, even though Kohli had said at the beginning of the Champions Trophy that there were “no issues whatsoever” between the two. Kumble later said in his resignation that he was informed by the BCCI that Kohli “had reservations with my style and about my continuing as head coach”. “From a personal point of view I can’t pinpoint anything or give details,” Kohli said a day before the third ODI against West Indies in Antigua. “We, as a team, contrary to a lot of perceptions, only voice our opinions when asked by the BCCI for suggestions. So that is something we have always gone through as a process and that’s something we respect as a team. “It’s been asked together, it’s not like segregation of anything so we respect that process and that same procedure, if and when it takes place, we’ll give our suggestions to the BCCI. “The suggestions are given to the board who handle the procedure and there’s no point saying anything out in the open because that is for us as a team to convey to the board as and when we are asked, and it’s something I’ve mentioned before.” It became clear in Kumble’s resignation that there were “misunderstandings” between him and Kohli and ESPNcricinfo had reported a month ago that the captain, and possibly a few other senior players, had expressed a lack of confidence in their coach. Kohli has hardly opened up on the issue since then, mainly saying he has “total respect” for Kumble as a cricketer, and did not want to divulge details, to “maintain the sanctity of the change room”. Kohli stated on Thursday that the team was a “very closely-knit unit” and the players got along with each “really well”. He also said their focus right now was on the ongoing ODI series against West Indies, which the visitors lead 1-0 after the first match was washed out. “Right now we have a series at hand and this is what we are focused on,” Kohli said. “The process (of selecting the coach) is taking place and that is something that is in control of the BCCI and the process has always been in place. We, as a team, are focusing on this series right now and we are not focused on anything else at the moment. Our priority is coming here and winning this series, and preparing for the games that lie ahead of us.” Once Kumble resigned, the BCCI decided to invite more applications for the position of the coach, extending the deadline to July 9. Among the newer applicants is Ravi Shastri, who had applied for the position last year too, but lost out after the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman, picked Kumble for one year. (ESPNCricinfo) CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Saturday July 01, 2017) COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) & CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD-83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: Suzie Bates-106* (NZ) Lea Tahuhu (NZ) Today’s Quiz: Who was declared ‘Player of the Match’ in the first game of the Women’s World Cup 2017? What was the result of the ENG/IND game on the opening day of the Women’s World Cup 2017? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE