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www.caribbeantimesinternational.com | week ending JuLY 18, 2013
Limacol CPL can produce Young Guyanese tops International new generation of players, Powerlifting sub-juniors rankings says Windies coach
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he man who masterminded West Indies’ triumph at last year’s Twenty20 World Cup says he has high hopes that the Limacol Caribbean Premier League can produce a generation of players ready for the demands of international cricket. Speaking during a recent media conference in Trinidad for the just concluded Tri-Nation Series, West Indies coach Ottis Gibson lauded the inaugural Twenty20 tournament, noting that it had the potential to develop the type of qualities integral to success at the highest level. “It will help our T20 cricket because you have seen that about eight or nine of our guys are IPL stars,” Gibson said. “Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine are all IPL superstars and we hope that the CPL, while producing more superstars, can produce people that can
get used to fierce competition,” he stated. The six players identified by Gibson are all regional franchise players for the Limacol CPL, which opens at Kensington Oval in
West Indies coach Ottis Gibson (Jamaica Gleaner file photo)
Barbados on July 30 with what is expected to be a spectacular opening ceremony, followed by the first game between Barbados Tridents and St Lucia Zouks. All told, 24 matches will be played across the six franchise countries of Barbados, Guyana, Antigua, Jamaica, St Lucia and Trinidad and Tobago, before the tournament winds up at
Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad with the final on August 24. With an impressive array of regional and international stars decorating each side, heated rivalry is expected
throughout the Limacol CPL, and Gibson said this type of competition could only serve as a boost for West Indies cricket. “The one thing [I saw] watching the IPL this year is fierce competition. International sport is all about fierce competition, so hopefully the LCPL will produce more guys that are able to handle the pressure of that competition,” said Gibson. “Hopefully that is what the LCPL will do for West Indies cricket, as well as making a lot of [players] very comfortable financially.” Some of the biggest stars in international cricket – including Australian Ricky Ponting, Bangladeshi Shakibal Hasan, New Zealand’s Ross Taylor and Sri Lankan icon Muttiah Muralitharan – are among 90 players contracted to play in the CPL, with each franchise team comprising 15 players. (CPL)
TT rider elated with silver medal
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ational and Rigtech Sonics rider, Varun Maharaj continues to impress on the American endurance circuit, earning a silver medal on Saturday in the Men’s Omnium event at his first ever International Cycling Union (UCI) Grand Prix, at the Colorado Springs Velodrome. Maharaj was forced to endure two days of muscle-burning Omnium events and was pleased to have secured himself a spot on the US podium. The national rider concluded the opening day (last Friday) of racing tied on eight points with American Jake Duehring. However, the Duehring would get the
better of Maharaj on the second day to snatch the gold from the promising TT athlete. Speaking to Maharaj Sunday, the TT cyclists expressed pleasure with his most recent showing. “I feel good about my performance yesterday (Saturday). It would have felt better to win but it will come in due time. But to grab the runner-up spot in my first Grand Prix felt really great for me. My hard work is paying off.” Over the past two months, the national endurance rider has been training at the Valley Preferred Cycling Centre in Pennsylvania, under the expert tutelage of double-Olympic medallist, Erin Hartwell of
the US. The youngster admitted that his time in the US thus far has significantly boosted his athletic development. On Hartwell, Maharaj stated: “That guy is like a good luck charm. Any time I train with him I see great results. If I qualify for the World Cups, I’d really like for him to come with me as my coach or instructor.” Like Olympian Njisane Phillip, Team Drive Phase Sport athletes Quincy Aleaxander, Justin Roberts, Haseem McLean and Jovian Gomez, Maharaj is intent on contesting several other international meets in an effort to bag precious UCI points. (TT Newsday)
ighteen year-old strongman and recent Pan-American Guyanese gold medalist Gumendra Shewdas in the 53kg sub-junior class has made himself the favourite going into the World Sub-Juniors/ Juniors Championships from August 25 to September 1 in Killeen, Texas, U.S.A. The International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) in its recently released lineup of sub-juniors competing for the world title has seven of the world’s best U-18 lifters listed with their best totals achieved within the last twelve months and Shewdas leads the list. Shewdass’ old total of 477kgs, posted in February, was bettered by his Pan-American total of 497.5kgs. It is being touted by the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation (GAPF) that if Shewdass keeps improving he will give Guyana its second world title. The feat was first achieved by Winston Stoby in the Masters category. In a release from the GAPF on Monday evening, it stated it has exhausted its funds on
Gumendra Shewdas
the Caribbean and PanAmerican Championships and therefore significant corporate financing is needed to make Shewdass’ participation at the meet a reality. Shewdass is in his last year as a sub-junior and can bring glory to Guyana and his hometown of Corriverton. His expenses have been tagged at US$1700 for airfare, meals, accommodation, competition and drug testing fees. Shewdass also became the second powerlifter from Guyana to be selected for the World Anti-Doping Association (WADA)/Anti-Doping Administration & Management System (ADAMS) whereabouts programmes requiring him to be on 24-hour no-
tice for international outof-competition/in-competition-testing. Randolph Morgan is the other powerlifter. Powerlifting remains the only sport discipline in the country whose athletes are on the WADA’s drug testing programme ADAMS. No lifter has been tested positive to date. World Sub-Juniors top lifters 1. Gumendras Shewdas GUYANA 477.5kgs - (Best total posted recently 497.5kgs) 2. Dalton La Coe USA 455.0kgs 3. Azamat Asultanov RUSSIA 442.5kgs 4. Kazuma Arai JAPAN 435.0kgs 5. Alexei Kulakov RUSSIA 432.5kgs 6. Tetsuharu Katsuta JAPAN 405.0kgs 7. Erick Aguilar ECUADOR 377.5kgs
Mullings, Binnie triumph at All Jamaica Squash Championships
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oung squash sensation Alyssa Mullings made history and blazing Chris Binnie continued his dominance as the 2013 All Jamaica Senior Squash Championships wrapped up over the weekend. Fourteen-year-old Mullings rewrote the record-books by becoming the youngest female to win the Senior title. The reigning All Jamaica and Caribbean Under-15 champion beat arch-rival Mary Mahfood 11/8, 11/3, 11/8, to reach the winner's circle. In claiming the top prize, Mullings erased the 26-year-old record previously held by squash queen Karen Anderson, who won her first title at 16. "I'm a bit surprised to have won," Mullings said. "The senior competition is much tougher than the juniors, but I have been putting in a lot of hard work and it's great to see it paying off." In the men's competition, top seed Chris Binnie blew through the field to take his third consecutive All Jamaica title and his fourth overall. Binnie, who currently competes on the professional squash tour, flew into the island to defend
Newly crowned All Jamaica Senior Squash Champions Alyssa Mullings (left) and Chris Binnie (right) pose with Julette Hosang, Hi-Lyte brand manager, after receiving their trophies following the finals of the championship, which was held on the weekend at the Liguanea Club. (Jamaica Observer photo)
his title. Throughout the competition, the effects of his rigorous training and high level play were evident, and Binnie needed just about half hour to beat Bruce Burrowes, 11/7, 11/1, 11/6 and put another notch on his belt. "It's always great to win a tournament, but it's particularly special to win the All Jamaica because it gives me a chance to stamp my authority on the game here at home," Binnie said. "I didn't take anything for granted coming into this competition. There were some tough matches and strong opponents, and I'm looking forward to coming back next year
to defend this title again," he added. In the Men's Division B the title went to David Mullings, while junior player Sarah Conway won the Ladies B Division. All Jamaica Under-15 boys champion Tahjay Lumley took the title in the Men's C Division, and Yasser Wright won the Men's D Division. Gerry Wight was the winner of the Over 40 Men's competition; while Noel McKrieth claimed the Over 50 Men's title. Record-breaker Alyssa Mullings was the most outstanding female, while her brother David Mullings was the most outstanding male. (Jamaica Observer)