Junelle Bromfield claimed her second gold medal and Jauavney James won a silver, both in the respective girl’s and boys’ 400 metres hurdles, yesterday, as Jamaica’s Commonwealth Youth Games team claimed a record haul of six medals at this year’s staging inside the Apia Sports Complex, Samoa.Bromfield took the gold in 1:00.78, while Jamaica claimed silver in a time of 51.43, as his teammate, Leonardo Ledgister, placed sixth.As the athletics section of the Youth Commonwealth Games ended, Jamaica finished in style, with four gold, one silver and one bronze. High jumper Lushane Wilson had won a bronze medal.The team also finished the Games among the top 10 of some 60 competing countries.St Elizabeth Technical High School’s Bromfield was the standout with a double gold in a 24-hour period, while Kevin Nedrick pulled off a stunning win in the shot put.Jamaica’s ‘A’ quartet of Leonardo Legister, Michael Bentley, Leon Clarke and Jauavney James won the boys’ 4x400m gold in three minutes, 13.45 seconds.Chef de Mission Alan Beckford congratulated the team’s performance.”It has been a fantastic experience,” he said.The Jamaica team presented Puma gear to a male and female athlete from Samoa as gifts.Jamaicans will return to action tomorrow, with swimmers Annabella Lyn competing in 800m freestyle and Joseph Black the 50m freestyle.The team returns on Sunday.
Western Bureau: Eighteen-year-old Joel Sterling shares the same surname with a very famous Jamaica-born England international, Raheem Sterling; and like the Manchester City attacking midfielder, he enjoys scoring goals. The Clarendon College striker has already struck a fine patch of form, netting five times in two matches in the 2015 ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup. His hat-trick against Group H rivals Edwin Allen that helped his team to a big 6-1 victory in the first match of the season was something special. He followed up that performance with a superb brace in Clarendon’s 6-0 rout of Kellits High on Wednesday. His talent is obvious and is definitely one to watch in this year’s competition. Sterling, despite his success so far, has remained grounded and humble. He told The Gleaner that while he scores the goals, victory is always a team effort. “When we win it’s never because I score. It’s because the team played a part in me being able to score. We are a tight bunch of players who believe in each other’s ability,” said Joel. “It is a great experience for me so far,” the first-time daCosta Cup player added. Sterling (Joel) clearly loves football but speaks of the need for a proper education. He is eyeing a scholarship to a United States-based college where he intends to further his education, but is in no way planning to stop playing football. He reasoned that football can help garner the scholarship he desires and is planning on a professional career. “But once I am through playing professionally, I will have a good education to fall back on,” the level-headed player noted. But five goals in two matches, while a decent return, the striker wants much more. He is targeting no less than 25 goals in what will be his only daCosta Cup season, and he has former Clarendon College star player Kevin Deere to thank. “I have Deere as my role model. He was a very good player here, and because of that, my game has developed,” Sterling reasoned. “We have a very good chance of defending our title, and I do not see us losing it. So the next game we are going out there to enjoy ourselves and play good, attacking football,” he said.
Big help is being provided for some so-called small sports through a thrust from the national sports agency, the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS). The initiative, called the Minor Sports Development Programme, will see the state body partnering with rugby, volleyball, softball, table tennis and basketball in several areas. Leaders of several of the national sporting associations recently met with INSPORTS’ administrative director, Ian Andrews, and discussed ways of improving the growth and development of the respective sports. “All of these organisations say they have these programmes going, but they don’t have the technical capacity,” Andrews noted. “If we can help them with the technical expertise and to get proper venues, then it would go a far way in lifting their sport,” he added, further explaining the need of raising their profile to spark interest and participation. Arising out of the meeting at the agency’s head office, consensus was arrived at with regards to critical areas of need. These are: – Technical support in the form of training coaches and game officials; – Facilities (playing fields and courts); – Equipment; – Primary school age-group competitions; – Meeting facility; – Administrative development capacity. “They’ve been pressuring us for help,” continued Andrews, who outlined that the associations welcomed the Minor Sports Development Programme initiative and pledged their support and cooperation to ensure that maximum benefits to the nation’s youths were forthcoming. Part of the development, he explains, is reciprocal, as they intend to increase the knowledge base to have more persons involved in the training process. “They can train our officers so that they can be certified and help with instituting these programmes,” Andrews said. Calvin Martin, vice-president of the Jamaica Basketball Association and president of the Southern Conference Basketball Association, “thinks the initiative is long overdue” and implored other sporting bodies to work hard at improving their game. “I’m hoping that all the other sports, besides basketball, push for more support,” said Martin. “We don’t have the networking, the resources and personnel and when INSPORTS comes on board, it helps to grow and develop some more. We want to host seminars and learn more about carrying out the day-to-day activities.” He added: “Their youth programmme should benefit mainly. For us, we have mini basketball for the Under-13s, which is our focus this year, and INSPORTS has pledged to support that. We’re starting out in Kingston, St Catherine and Montego Bay. We’re hoping to get into Mandeville as well, but we’re starting out small and see if we can grow. “Mini basketball has two components, one is aimed at the community and the other for prep and primary schools.” Martin, who is also a sports officer at INSPORTS, further noted that “basketball has always gotten support from INSPORTS”, but said they are shooting for increased backing. “We’ll also be looking for additional private partners. What the programme needs cannot be supplied by one entity,” he stated.
KINGSTON:The fourth annual CB Group UWI 5K Run/Walk and Smart Eggs Kids K is all set for tomorrow.Various stakeholders will run and walk in aid of student development at the University of the West Indies (UWI). Warm-up is expected to begin at the UWI Bowl at 6 a.m., with race time scheduled for 7 a.m. sharp.Patrons are encouraged to arrive by 6 a.m. for ease of parking, which will be facilitated on the University campus.Since its inaugural staging in 2012, the CB Group UWI 5K has raised over $38 million towards student development. The event is tailored for all generations and that is further emphasised with the running of the Smart Eggs Kids K for children 11 and under.The Kids K is scheduled for 8 a.m., following the 5K, to ensure parents and friends alike can join in cheering on the younger generation as they race the circumference of the combination of cricket and football fields at the Bowl.The race will be officially timed by Running Events’ My Laps bib tag timing system.Elizabeth Buchanan-Hind, executive director for the Institutional Advancement Division in the Office of the Vice-Chancellor and head of the 5K organising committee, is expecting another well supported, safe event.”We are expecting a great turnout as the university community has really bought into the event. The clubs, societies, halls, as well as commuting and alumni body, have all shown interest and the numbers continue to grow,” she said.”The Bowl will be ready to welcome the turnout comfortably and safely. Last year was incident free, and we expect no less this year, especially with our partners Running Events managing the race and officiating it will be of international standards,” said Buchanan-Hind.The 2015 edition of the race is being held under the co-patronage of Douglas Orane, CD, and Donette Chin-Loy Chang. To date, the race has helped the University of the West Indies offer over 75 scholarships to students and from part of the 2014 proceeds donated a thermocycler machine to the Jamaica Kidney Kids Foundation.The CB Group UWI 5K and Smart Eggs Kids K will seek to double the number of participants to continue funding the scholarship initiative and student-development activities at the UWI.
Barclays Premier League pointsPOS CLUB P W D L GF GA GD PTS1 Leicester City 13 8 4 1 28 20 8 282 Manchester United 13 8 3 2 19 9 10 273 Manchester City 13 8 2 3 27 13 14 264 Arsenal 13 8 2 3 23 11 12 265 Tottenham Hotspur 13 6 6 1 24 11 13 246 West Ham United 13 6 3 4 24 20 4 217 Everton 13 5 5 3 24 16 8 208 Southampton 13 5 5 3 19 14 5 209 Liverpool 13 5 5 3 17 15 2 2010 Crystal Palace 12 6 1 5 14 12 2 1911 Stoke City 13 5 4 4 11 12 -1 1912 West Bromwich Albion 13 5 2 6 12 17 -5 1713 Watford 13 4 4 5 12 14 -2 1614 Swansea City 13 3 5 5 14 18 -4 1415 Chelsea 13 4 2 7 17 23 -6 1416 Norwich City 13 3 3 7 16 24 -8 1217 Newcastle United 13 2 4 7 13 25 -12 1018 Bournemouth 13 2 3 8 14 27 -13 919 Sunderland 12 1 3 8 13 26 -13 620 Aston Villa 13 1 2 10 10 24 -14 5
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC): The career of beleaguered West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine lay in tatters yesterday after the International Cricket Council (ICC) banned him from bowling in international cricket because of an illegal action. The 27-year-old was reported following the third one-day international (ODI) against Sri Lanka earlier this month, and after undergoing testing at the Loughborough University on November 17, his action was found to exceed the 15-degree level of tolerance on “all variations of his deliveries”. Narine will be allowed to play in West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) tournaments, but will be forced to curtail all other international commitments. He is currently campaigning in the Bangladesh Premier League, and will now have to abort his campaign for Comilla Victorians. He was expected to leave Dhaka last night. “The International Cricket Council today confirmed that an independent assessment has found the bowling action of West Indies’ Sunil Narine to be illegal and, as such, the off-spinner has been suspended from bowling in international cricket with immediate effect,” the ICC said in a release. “In accordance with Article 6.1 of the regulations, Narine’s international suspension will also be recognised and enforced by all National Cricket Federations within domestic cricket events played in their own jurisdiction; save that, with the consent of the West Indies Cricket Board, Narine may be able to play in domestic cricket events played under the auspices of the West Indies Cricket Board. “The assessment revealed that all variations of his deliveries exceeded the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the regulations.” Under ICC regulations, Narine can ask for a re-assessment once he has modified his action. The development is a massive blow not only for Narine, but for West Indies, especially with the Twenty20 World Cup set to be played in India starting next March. He had opted out of the 50-over ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, choosing rather to continue rehabilitation on his action, after running into problems last year. Playing for Kolkata Knight Riders, Narine was first reported in October, 2014 during the Champions League Twenty20, and while he was allowed to continue playing, was reported again in the next game – the semi-final – and banned from bowling in the final. Though he was cleared in March this year after undergoing tests at the ICC-approved Loughborough University, the Indian Cricket Board forced the Trinidadian to undergo additional tests at Sri Ramachandra University in Chennai before he was allowed to play in the Indian Premier League. However, Narine was reported yet again for a suspect action during the IPL and subsequently banned from bowling off-breaks after an assessment of footage by the BCCI’s suspect bowling action committee and following more testing at Sri Ramachandra University. In May, he was cleared by the committee to continue bowling, but handed a final warning. Narine is currently the leading bowler in both limited-overs formats of the game. More tests
This routine is used when a person has collapsed and may be unconscious. The aim is to keep the casualty breathing until an ambulance arrives. Lack of oxygen very quickly leads to brain damage. D: Danger – check for danger, this could mean stopping the game. R: Response – shake the casualty gentle to get a response. If the casualty is conscious and can speak find out where the pain is. Stop any bleeding and support broken bones. Send for an ambulance. If the casualty is unconscious move on to resuscitation (A, B, C) A: Airways make sure the tongue is not blocking the airways. Loosen tight clothing, raise the chin and tilt the head backwards, remove obvious obstructions such as gum, or vomit. B: Breathing – look for signs of breathing. If the casualty is breathing, stop any bleeding and support broken bones. Place in the recovery position while you get help. If no sign of breathing move to C. C: Circulation – feel for the carotid pulse in the neck. A pulse will show that the heart is beating. If there is a pulse, give mouth-to-mouth ventilation to restore breathing. If there is no breathing, phone for an ambulance as quickly as possible. Give cardiac massage and mouth-to-mouth ventilation to restore circulation and breathing. Next week: Emergency Procedures This routine is used in the case of most soft tissue injuries. Such injuries must be treated as soon as possible after they occur to prevent them from getting worse. The purpose of RICE is to reduce pain, swelling and bruising around an injured area and speed up the healing process. Rest: Stop activity and support the injury in a comfortable position to prevent further injury. Ice: Put an ice pack on the injury for 10-15 minutes every hour. Remove the ice pack after every 15 minutes. This reduces blood flow and swelling. Compression: Wrap a bandage firmly around the injured area. This reduces internal bleeding. Elevation: Raise the injury above the level of the heart. This reduces internal bleeding, swelling and throbbing. We also need to continue to treat the injury properly throughout the recovery. First 48 hours: Ice 10-15 minutes every hour. Avoid using heat because it increases blood flow, avoid drinking alcohol, it increase swelling, avoid activity and do not massage. 48-72 hours: Apply ice and heat alternate for 5 minutes periods to increase blood flow to and from injured area. This encourage healing. 72 hours and after: Heat baths, hot water bottles etc, start rehabilitation activities. (Active movement, passive stretching and active strengthening). Rice should not be used for fractures and dislocations. These should be moved as little as possible and professional medical assistance sought. The R.I.C.E Principle DRABC Principle Treatment principles for common sport-related injuries The immediate action to be taken when an individual suffers an injury during physical activity is to get the person from the pitch or playing area and seek appropriate help. We can reduce the time before we return to sport by acting quickly when we are first injured. The following procedures are used: The following injuries are considered as dangerous conditions: – Concussions: Injury to the brain after a knock on the head. Sometimes there is a delay between the injury and losing consciousness. The casualty may be unconscious, sick or drowsy, get confused, stare and suffer memory loss. These signs may not appear until hours after the injury. – Shock: When enough blood is not circulating around the body due to fluid loss from severe bleeding or burns, vomiting, diarrhoea, or heavy sweating. The signs and symptoms are cold clammy skin, blue lips, rapid weak pulse, rapid shallow breathing, thirst, dizziness, nausea. The casualty may become restless, anxious and aggressive, may yawn and gasp for air and may even become unconscious and dies. – Hypothermia (freezing): The internal body temperature becomes dangerously low (below 350C). This happens when the body is being exposed to cold and wind or in very cold water for too long. The signs and symptoms are shivering, cold, pale dry skin, slow shallow breathing, slow weakening pulse, feeling confused and lacking energy. The casualty may collapse, become unconscious and die if not treated. – Hyperthermia (overheating): The body temperature has risen above 390C and can lead to several different conditions such as: • Heat exhaustion: the body temperature rises and water and salt is lost through excessive sweating. Signs of heat exhaustion includes headaches, lightheadedness, pale grey skin, weak rapid pulse, dizziness, muscle cramps. Shock may develop if water loss is severe. • Dehydration: this is like heat exhaustion, but less severe. The individual feels weak and dizzy through the loss of water and salts from the body. – Heat stroke: this is when the body suddenly stops sweating and the temperature rises out of control. This usually happens during long, vigorous physical activity in a hot and humid environment. The signs and symptoms are sudden lapses into confusion or delirium, rapid strong pulse and hot dry skin. He or she may become unconscious and die if not treated quickly.
GOOD CHANCE “I was asked in January to be part of one of the squads, but because I don’t want to limit my ability I took the contract for six months. But where fast5 is concerned I think we stand a good chance, it’s how you apply yourself on the day,” she explained. “Although we have had success in the longer version, I believe we have better success in Fast5 because we came second and third was our worst, so I found this is my calling in Jamaica and I am going to give it my best shot,” she said. “I never thought that I would be back in the national program, but I am back and I am elated. Coaching is my passion, where I go and coach I try to do it to the best of my ability. Now I am more experienced, when you talk about understanding the role of management and people who hire you to do a job. I can accept changes, I can make adjustments to who is in charge,” she said. Netball Jamaica president, Paula Daley-Morris, said her return to the fold should have a positive impact. “We want to have a separate coach for the Fast5 because it is such a different game, we needed someone with experience and a good track record and she (Francis) came to mind and we approached her and she accepted,” said Daley-Morris. “She has a lot of plans for the squad and the passion she brings is infectious. We are happy to have her back. She has had success like any of our other coaches, she is the one who got the silver in FASTnet, so she has the level and we are hoping she repeats it.” Continuing, she said: “We are making sure the best minds are around the game and we are providing them with opportunities not just for their natural talent, but for the good of the country.” National netball icon, Connie Francis, who was reappointed to the national netball program recently, said the experience she gained while outside of the Jamaica set-up will serve her well in a new role as head coach of the country’s Fast5 team. Francis, who coached the Sunshine Girls from 2006 to 2011, did a stint in St Lucia from 2012 to 2015, helping the eastern Caribbean to country to qualify for the Commonwealth Games for the first time in their history. She added that her involvement and assistance with the grassroots program there helped her realise she had a knack for developing talent. “It (job) will be a challenge because some players I would like (to have) in the squad may not be possible. So it’s about going around the island seeking talent. When I worked overseas I had to develop new talent and I realised that I have some ability to work on new talent and let them enjoy the game, so it’s about growth and having experience. “I want to see what these new girls bring, but I want to let them know that playing for the Sunshine Girls is a big task and whoever is chosen will have to give their best, so I am looking forward to really coaching them,” she told The Gleaner. Netball Jamaica gave Francis the option to choose the version of the game she wanted to assist with and based on her past experience she believes they have a greater chance of success in Fast5.
HARARE, Zimbabwe, (CMC):West Indies coach Hendy Springer has urged his men to be adaptable as they gear up for the challenge of the Tri-Nations Series against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka starting tomorrow morning.With the Caribbean side having not toured the African nation in nearly a decade, Springer said it was important the side was mentally prepared to face whatever conditions presented themselves.”The pitches were pretty good [back then] for batting. I don’t know now if things have gotten better or deteriorated, but we’ve got to [have] an open mind and to be able to accept the conditions and deal with the conditions that will be presented to us,” Springer warned.”The last time we went there we won the one-day series, but it’s a bit long now to say we can build on that momentum. The pitches in Zimbabwe and South Africa from my experience are a lot similar … but we’ve got to meet head on whatever confronts us.”WEEK-LONG CAMPWest Indies arrived here Saturday following a weeklong camp in Potchefstroom, South Africa, where Springer said the side were able to rest following the tough tour of the United Arab Emirates, as well as also get their preparation on track.With the preparation having gone according to plan, Springer said it was now for West Indies to focus on executing their plans in the series.”The only thing left is to get our minds in the right place to actually perform,” he pointed out.”We’ve had the benefit of some good opposition and the benefit of some good practice bowlers. I think we’ve done really well as far as preparation is concerned, and the only thing left again is to get our minds focused on the job and the responsibilities we are charged with.”West Indies enter the series on the backs of a 3-0 drubbing in the series against Pakistan last month, and Springer said they were hoping for better fortunes over the next couple weeks.
RJR Sports Foundation National Sportswoman of the Year 2016 nominee Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce strode into the Olympic year with a great 2015 season behind her and important goals ahead. In the year that had just ended, she had retained her World 100-metre crown and was rightly named Sportswoman of the Year. In the year to come, she had a chance to become the first woman to win the Olympic gold medal in the 100 metres three times. Restricted by injury, she sprinted through pain to win the bronze medal.That made her the most successful female 100-metre sprinter in Olympic history, outdoing the American pair of Wyomia Tyus and Gail Devers, who had both won the coveted title twice. Neither had endured long enough to face the starter in a third Olympic 100 final.Fraser-Pryce’s achievement is even more remarkable when a nagging toe injury is considered. She contributed a majestic anchor leg run to a 4×100 metre relay win at the Western Relays in February, but soon stories of pain began to emerge.”Training was going great in my background season. I was hitting the times and getting the work done and then, unexpectedly, I had a recurrence of an injury and it set me back quite a bit, but to be honest, as an athlete, you have to prepare for things like that mentally, so I am just trying to work through all the pain to try and get ready for the Olympics,” said Fraser-Pryce during a pre-meet press conference in May.”I had this problem last year, so it’s my second year running with this injury, but it has got worse,” she revealed. “We are trying to get that fixed, and right now, we are still trying to get pressure off the toe and see how best we can work around this.”Her time – 11.18 seconds – and her finish position – eighth – cast a huge contrast for a woman who had broken the 11-second barrier eight times in 2015. Yet it was a triumph. She was at last able to race, thanks to creative training schedules and shoes inserts designed to mitigate the impact of each painful footfall. A close 11.09-second win over World Indoor champion Barbara Pierre at the inaugural Racers Grand Prix in Kingston provided more encouragement.The first sign of how much the little dynamo was suffering came at the National Senior Championships. Racing behind a sensational Elaine Thompson, who joined her as Jamaican record holder at 10.70 seconds, Fraser-Pryce grimaced in pain once she had secured the runner-up spot and the right to defend her title in Rio de Janeiro, home of the 2016 Olympic Games. Her time of 10.93 was her fastest of the year, but the pain was mounting.By the time she got to Rio, she had been able to train and race, but according to Olympic head coach Maurice Wilson, the pain was back.”In the heats and semis, we saw when she came off the field, obviously in a lot of pain,” said Wilson. After a pluperfect 10.98 from the outside lane in the heats, she accelerated to 10.88 seconds in the semi-final, and 10.86 for bronze in the final, with Thompson and American Tori Bowie ahead of her.That was her 41st 100-metre run quicker than 11 seconds. The only Jamaicans with more are Merlene Ottey and Veronica Campbell-Brown.Wilson believes that the pain affected her efforts.”It’s going to create some doubt irrespective of how strong you are,” he explained, “and I personally believe that when someone can go to the Olympics with a major injury, based on what we were told, and come out with a medal, it speaks volumes of her courage.”Wilson’s observation is supported by another comment by the champion.”I am one of those athletes who are able to run through pain because I believe that all athletes, in order to get to where they need to, there is some amount of pain you will feel,” she underlined, “but I think I have surpassed my threshold, and I am just trying to stay focused and stay in the game.”Wilson also notes that the malady cost her valuable training time.”We must remember that this was a young lady who would have missed quite a number of weeks from training because of the injury,” he insisted.Despite the double-barrelled dilemma of pain and missed training, Fraser Pryce made history in Rio with her bronze medal. On the clock, she logged four sub-11 clockings during the 2016 campaign, with her fastest race of the season coming in the most important race of the year – the Olympic final. It’s no wonder she is again a nominee for the National Sportswoman of the Year Award.The awards ceremony takes place on Friday, January 13, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel.