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GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday, April 28, 2017
Lanferman’s lone strike lands Silvertown/ Valley/Alleys Stag Bowl title and $1.2M By Joe Chapman
NATIONAL forward Delon Lanferman played his heart out to deliver the dagger shot 50 minutes into the 2017 Stag Bowl Final that would give his team Silvertown/ Valleys / Alleys a 1-0 victory over Wisroc/Block 22 --renamed Rock22--and the title of CBR HotShots Entertainment Inter Ward champions which was played at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground on Wednesday. The Linden Town Week football event saw the winners landing a first prize of $1.2M, of which $200,000 is for a community based project, while Lanferman, for being the Most Valuable Player and Top Scorer of the tournament,earned himself an additional $60,000. Playing in front of a fairsized crowd,five minutes into the first half the Wisroc/
Delon Lanferman copped the Most Valuable Player award and was also top scorer of the tournament.
Block 22,who converted their name to Rock 22,saw their goalkeeper National Prospect Jonathan Copeland being brought into action early with a good clearance and then a fine hold as Silvertown/Alleys /Valleys
applied early pressure. Ten minutes into the opening period Lanferman again tested Copeland and the 16-year-old junior national brought off a neat save. Seemingly in control, another close shave was seen when ball would run free outside the goal after no one was able to finish on a build up inside left. However, there was a good chance for Rock 22 being able to pressure Silvertown/ Valley/ Alleys but a defender was there to redirect the corner away from the citadel. This was followed with a volley which was blocked by defender Benny Neblett on the line and as the tension mounted,the Silvertown/ Valley/ Alleys goalkeeper Kellon Major was again brilliant in bringing off two more saves as the first half ended. One minute after play
resumed the Rock 22 side missed a chance to go ahead, but soon after Silvertown/ Valleys/ Alleys would with the lithe looking Lanferman breaking out from just inside left into the Rock 22 half,eluding his marker and darted inside right to shake past one defender. Then in one fluent motion as another was approaching Lanferman slammed a flat shot,beating the startled Copeland to his right as the ball pierced through past the right upright to score in the 50th minute. But it was not smooth sailing for Silvertown/ Valley /Alley’s custodian Kellon Major, who was forced to bring off another good save and punch out one on the trot from close range five minutes later. In the 55th minute Rock 22 came through with a nice buildup as the hard working
Trayon Babb was tormenting the right wing back for Silvertown/Valleys/ Alleys,but his crosses were not getting the kind of finishing expected. In the 58th minute a shot by the Silvertown Valley Alleys went over the cross bar and Rock 22 countered as Babb on the right wing would feed Mark McClean in the ensuing play, but again nothing was registered. As the intensity rose,the Silvertown /Valley/ Alleys had to stave off the forays by the Rock 22 team. Major first brought off another save and after another try collided on to the crossbar, on its way out another Rock 22 player connected and Major again was able to make a save. Towards the end of the game,Major would remain the difference between the Rock 22 boys getting a goal and he stood outstanding to
ensure his side came away eventually with a nail-biting 1-0 win. The lion’s share of the top prizes were taken by the Silvertown /Valley/ Alleys as, apart from Langeferman with the two top awards, teammates Konata Manning copped the Best Midfielder,and Solomon Austin the Best Defender award, while Major copped the Best Goalkeeper award and Rock 22’s Manager Akani Blair copped the Humanitarian Award. President of the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Wayne Forde;Mayor of Linden,Carwyn Holland,and promoter and former national player Rickland ‘Tallo’ Hutson,along with a representative from main sponsors Ansa McAl Trading among others, presented the various trophies, replicas and medals for the winners that evening.
Hamilton says inspired by Serena’s response to Nastase By Alan Baldwin
SOCHI, Russia,(Reuters)-Triple Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has hailed Serena Williams as an inspiration after the world’s top female tennis player hit back at comments made by former men’s number one Ilie Nastase about her unborn child. Nastase was quoted by Romanian and some British media last week as saying in response to William’s pregnancy announcement: “Let’s see what colour it has. Choc-
olate with milk?” Williams responded on Instagram, in a statement that Mercedes driver Hamilton repeated to his 4.1 million followers on Thursday, condemning the Romanian’s remarks, which she called “racist”. “Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? You may shoot me with your words...you may try to kill me with your hatefulness, but still like air I will rise,” she wrote, quoting from a poem by the black American writer Maya Angelou.
Triple Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton
Jamaica rebound from thrashing to beat El Salvador JAMAICA’s Young Reggae Boyz rebounded from their 5-0 thrashing at the hands of the United States to deliver a 3-1 beating on El Salvador at the CONCACAF Under 17 CHampionship in Panama on Wednesday. The Young REggae Boyz were bolstered by the return to form of Kaheem Parris, who scored a brace (83rd and 90+1st minutes), to turn what looked like a certain draw into victory. Before that, El Salvador
had cancelled out a Jamaican advantage through a goal from Alexis Cerritos in the 53rd minute of play. Jamaica had earned a 17th lead through Ricardo McIntosh. The result did not mean much on the Group C table, as the United States and Mexico, who were locked in battle, had better goal differences than the Jamaicans and so were at the top of the table, the defending champions, holding a onegoal advantage.
Jamaica now has three points in third and await a result in the US-Mexico encounter to know if they will move any further. The difference in goals though, suggests the Jamaicans will stay put. El Salvador, after suffering their second defeat, are almost certainly out of the competition, but could win their last game and hope for other results to go their way in what would be an unlikely turn. (Sportsmax)
Hamilton, who has ‘Still I Rise’ - the title of the same poem - tattooed across his back, is friends with Williams and invited her to last year’s Mexican Grand Prix. “I’ve only just heard about it today,” the Briton, who has West Indian ancestry, told reporters at the Russian Grand Prix when asked about the story. “I’m very much with her in what she said and I thought it was beautiful what she wrote, as a powerful independent black woman I just think she’s awesome.
“She’s not only one of the greatest people I know, she’s just a born leader...reading what she’s written just inspires me and hopefully inspires others.” Williams won the Australian Open in January, her 23rd grand slam title, while pregnant. She is now taking maternity leave for the rest of the tennis season. The world’s highest paid female athlete announced her engagement to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian last December.
Pakistan call off tour of Bangladesh (REUTERS)-Pakistan has called off their scheduled cricket tour of Bangladesh this year, the country’s board chairman Shaharyar Khan has said. Bangladesh last toured Pakistan in 2007-08. Pakistan has since travelled to Bangladesh in 2011 and 2015 and were scheduled to play two tests, three ODIs and a Twenty20 International in July and August in the South Asian country. Khan said Bangladesh
had failed to reciprocate Pakistan’s visits with the Bangladesh Cricket Board turning down an invitation to play two T20 internationals in Pakistan. “We had spoken about the possibility of hosting them (Bangladesh in Pakistan) this year,” the PCB chairman told ESPNcricinfo. “Pakistan have now toured Bangladesh twice without them reciprocating, and we feel we cannot tour Bangladesh for the third
straight time. “Therefore, we have decided to postpone the tour, and will explore another window in the next year or so.” At least 10 gunmen fired on a bus carrying Sri Lanka’s cricket team in 2009 with rifles, grenades and rockets, wounding six players and a British coach, and killing eight Pakistanis. Since then, Pakistan has been forced to play most of its “home” games in the United Arab Emirates.