25
GUYANA CHRONICLE Thursday, April 20, 2017
Motorcade for returning ... Street, north into Oronoque Street, west into South Road, north on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive for their first stop at the Ministry of the Presidency. Following the courtesy call, the motorcade will proceed down several Georgetown streets, including Regent Street, and Avenue of the Republic, before ending at Olympic House on High Street, where there will be a media briefing.
Later Friday evening, the athletes will be guests of honour at the National Sports Commission Sports Award Ceremony scheduled to be held in the Savannah Suite of the Guyana Pegasus Hotel. The all-embracing welcome home for the athletes come on the heels of Guyana finishing fifth overall, of the 28 nations that participated in the Games. Guyana
claimed eight medals, including four gold. The highlight for the team was Linden’s Compton Caesar’s historic win in the Boys’ Under-20 100m dash, a title once held by the world great Usain Bolt. It was the first time in the history of the CARIFTA Games, which started in 1972, that a Guyanese has won the male 100m; an event usually dominated by
From back page the Jamaicans. Caesar also took the bronze in the 200m. The other gold medallists were fellow Lindener Chantoba Bright, overseas-based athlete Natricia Hooper, and distance runner Claudrice McKoy. McKoy also has a bronze medal from the Girls’ Under-18 1500m. There was, too, a silver medal for Anfernee Headecker.
Jason ‘The Prison Pride’ Barker – fighting for a second chance By Rawle Toney JASON Barker is an inmate of the Camp Street Prison incarcerated for the past nine of his 20 years sentence, but now, a nominee for National Sports Commission (NSC) Sportsman-of-the-Year award, he’s seeking a second chance to make a first impression. In 2008, Magistrate Chandra Sohan sentenced Barker and three others to a total of 30 years imprisonment for three counts of robbery under arms, three counts of attempted murder and possession of a firearm. Barker was 20 years old at the time when he admitted to the offences and pleaded with the magistrate at the Albion Magistrate’s Court to be lenient. Barker, a former soldier, told the magistrate that he had been charged in the past with stealing an AK-47 from the army. It was while incarcerated Barker picked up the sport of boxing, and why not? After all the now Caribbean heavyweight and superheavyweight champion said that every day, behind bars, it was a fight for survival. “I came up in a single home, single parent. She alone working, then I wanted to help, went
to drugs, started selling drugs, then the guns and because of the money and the situation home whereby we had nobody to give us anything and she was struggling. No work, and we still had to eat. So I turned to a life of crime - drugs, robbery and now I’m in prison,” Barker said in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport at the penal facility. Barker claimed both the Heavyweight and Superheavyweight titles when he participated in the Caribbean Championships in Barbados last year; something he said was far from his thinking, especially since he’s an inmate. Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) president Steve Ninvalle stated that Barker was nominated without hesitation given the fact “he has done, himself, the Guyana Prison Service and Guyana very proud. I am not certain but this may be the first time that we have actually had an inmate of the prison being nominated for such a prestigious award”. “I never thought that one day I would be champion in anything, honestly, when I came here (Camp Street Prison), I thought life was over for me and
I was just going to spend my time, survive however it is and just come out,” a sad Barker said. H o w e v e r, h e a d d e d , “When I came into the prison, the Prison Officer, Mr Graham, said I have good size to box and he introduced me to the gym. Eventually I get to like the sport and I just did my thing after then. “It’s about making up your mind to succeed and deal with the circumstances, be disciplined towards the sport and find yourself feeling like you have nothing to lose.” Known as the ‘The Prison Pride’, a name given to him by fellow inmates and guards, Barker, sorrowfully told Chronicle Sport, “Yea, I regret what happened, every day I regret what happened but I tell myself I’m changed now, so when I get back out there I wouldn’t be the same person. “From the time I’m in prison, I find myself being disciplined, getting to know life, getting to have faith, getting to believe in myself, because once you believe in yourself, you could make something out of life.” He added, “I never thought that I would’ve been nominated for anything and the guys in here they look out for me
and encourage me to focus on boxing. I want to be a world champion. This (boxing) is my life now and I hope people can now see me as a boxer and not a criminal.” Barker believes his life is much like Bernard Hopkins, the former Middleweight world champion, who at 17 years old, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for nine felonies, but also discovered his passion for boxing behind bars. In 1988, after serving five years of his sentence, upon release Hopkins turned pro and, the rest as they say, ‘is history’. “I’m a changed man, I’m not the same person that walked into this jail. Boxing saved me and I want to repay the people who believed in me to give me this chance to show the world my talent, especially my coach and president (Steve) Ninvalle,” Barker said. Barker will be up against Olympian Troy Doris, Guyana cricket captain Leon Johnson and motor racing champion Kristian Jeffrey, but the Camp Street inmate believes “even if I don’t win, to my fellow inmate, I’m already a champion, their champion. It would be great if I win yes, but if I don’t, the guys will be proud of me same way.”
British teenager has legs amputated after Formula Four crash (REUTERS) - British Formula Four driver Billy Monger has had his lower legs amputated after a horrific crash at the Donington Park circuit on Sunday, series organisers said yesterday. The 17-year-old, who smashed at speed into the back of another car that had halted on the
South Africa Racing Tips Vaal 08:35 hrs Subtle Force 09:10 hrs Jet Sailor 09:50 hrs Silver Class 10:25 hrs Al Azraq 11:00 hrs Brave Nomad English Racing Tips Newmarket 08:50 hrs Victory Angel
track, was trapped in the wreckage for more than 90 minutes before being extricated and flown to hospital. “Due to the injuries sustained and despite every effort, Billy has sadly had both lower legs amputated,” the FIA-sanctioned junior series, the first step on 09:25 hrs Salateen 10:00 hrs Brando 10:35 hrs War Decree 11:10 hrs Manaahil 11:45 hrs Daawy 12:20 hrs Mystique Moon Cheltenham 09:05 hrs Dusky Legend 09:40 hrs Antartica De Thaix 10:15 hrs Snow Leopardess 10:50 hrs Upswing 11:20 hrs Mr Clarkson 11:55 hrs Boa Island 12:30 hrs Melangerie
the single-seater ladder after karting, said in a statement. “He has been kept in an induced coma while undergoing surgery, from which he is expected to be woken in the next few days.” A crowd-funding site was set up to raise funds for the teenager’s Ripon 09:15 hrs Maggie’s Angel 09:50 hrs Nobrassnolass 10:25 hrs Royal Connoisseur 11:00 hrs UAE Prince 12:05 hrs Logi 12:35 hrs Pilgrim’s Treasure 13:05 hrs Seamster Irish Racing Tips Tipperary 12:10 hrs Dabulena 12:40 hrs Venice Beach 13:10 hrs Motherland
medical treatment and recovery, with Formula One drivers joining the motorsport community in expressing support on Twitter. “Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family,” said Mercedes’ triple world champion Lewis Hamilton.
13:40 hrs The Steward 14;10 hrs Game Puppeteer 14:40 hrs Lyreen Lad 15:10 hrs Aa Bee See American Racing Tips Aqueduct Race 1 Desert Duchess Race 2 Tasunke Witco Race 3 Surprise Wonder Race 4 One Penny Piece Race 5 Mo Focused Race 6 St. Louie Race 7 Tiznow’s Smile Race 8 Joywave