18-man strong U-21 Hockey squad to rep GUY at Junior Pan-Am Championships

After months of intense training and continuous fitness and skill tests, the Guyana Hockey Board has approved an 18 member under 21 men’s team to represent Guyana at the Junior Pan American Championships, scheduled for Barbados from April 10th to 18th, 2023. The team consists of 14 players who traveled to Barbados in December last year and defeated the host country’s junior team in a four-match series, there are also 4 newcomers who will be making their international debuts. Guyana’s first group match will be against the USA on April 10th followed by Barbados on April 11th and concluding with power house Canada on April 13th.

Speaking on his expectations of the team, Head Coach of the national men’s programme, Robert Fernandes said, “All credit to the boys for putting in the work, I think we have a great group of youngsters who are capable of executing at a high level. I’m confident that we will be competitive and hopefully pull off some upsets to advance from the group phase.” The team has been working on strength and conditioning with former national Rugby Captain, turned physical trainer, Theodore Henry. Fernandes noted “We were struggling for a while after our long-time trainer Barrington Browne migrated, but Theodore has had a great impact on the boys’ fitness since he started working with them. Our philosophy is that “we cannot control the absence of an artificial turf to train and play and our inexperience, but we can control how fit we are and how hard we work on the field.”

Flash Back to Guyana’s under 21 men’s team which defeated Barbados in a three-match series in December 2022

Although fairly well balanced, the team’s strength comes from their midfield three of Shaquan Favorite, Tahrea Garnett and Shakeem Fausette. The dramatic improvement of players like Oshazay Savory, Simeon Moore and Vladimir Woodroffe has also contributed to the high expectations surrounding this team. The players will be accompanied by Manager and former national captain Marisha Fernandes, Coaches John Abrahams and Robert Fernandes, as well as team doctor Charlyn Elliot.
The team is grateful to our local sporting bodies for their financial support and will be reaching out to Corporate Guyana for assistance in making this journey a successful one.

National Junior Men’s Team
Jamal Gaskin, Raoul Whittaker, Baraka Garnett, Daniel Woolford, Jabari Lovell, Javid Hussain, Leroy Geer, Nandalall Persaud, Oshazay Savory, Quinn Tobin, Samuel Woodroffe, Shakeem Fausette, Shaquon Favorite, Simeon Moore, Tahrea Garnett, Vladimir Woodroffe, Warren Williams & Yonnick Norton.
Standby Players – Donnel Alleyne & Robert Marcus

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Squads announced for third round of West Indies Championship

Members of the West Indies Test squads from the recent tours to Zimbabwe and South Africa are expected to feature in the upcoming matches in the West Indies Championship. Cricket West Indies (CWI) announced the six franchise squads for the third round of matches which start on Wednesday 15 March.

Left-handed batter Alick Athanaze will return to captain Windward Islands Volcanoes against Jamaica Scorpions, who will have experienced batter Nkrumah Bonner back in their line-up for the match at the Guyana National Stadium.

Devon Thomas, the versatile wicket-keeper/batter, has been named in the Leeward Islands Hurricanes 13-member squad for the match against Barbados Pride at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. The third match of the third round will see Trinidad & Tobago Red Force hosting the Guyana Harpy Eagles at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

Entering the third round, Athanaze is among the leading batters with 244 runs (average 61). He made his maiden first-class century (141) against Guyana Harpy Eagles last month. He is second spot behind Trinidad & Tobago Red Force skipper Daren Bravo who has scored 261 runs (average 87) – which included twin centuries against Leeward Islands Hurricanes.

Third in the list are young openers Kimani Melius of Windward Islands Volcanoes and Matthew Nandu of Guyana Harpy Eagles, who both have 204 runs (average 51). Both scored breakthrough maiden first-class centuries in the first round – Melius made 192 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force and Nandu got 126 against Barbados Pride. Melius will however miss the third round with an injury.

In the bowling, the leading wicket-taker after two rounds is Akeem Jordan, the Barbados Pride pacer, who picked up 12 wickets and was named in the Test squad for the tour of South Africa. Next is Veerasammy Permaul, the experienced Guyana Harpy Eagles left-arm spinner with 11 wickets – which included his 500th at the first-class level for his country. Three bowlers are tied on 10 wickets – Rahkeem Cornwall of Leeward Islands Hurricanes, Ryan John of Windward Islands Volcanoes and Bryan Charles of Trinidad & Tobago Red Force.

Every West Indies Championship match will be streamed LIVE on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Fans can follow every game from their mobile devices, computers or connected TVs, including access to live ball-by-ball scoring on the windiescricket.com match centre.

The new Headley Weekes Series will follow the West Indies Championship and will feature three matches and three teams. Team Headley and Team Weekes will select from the best performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI. The new West Indies Academy will provide the third team in the new Series.

WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP ROUNDS 3 – FULL SQUADS:

Barbados Pride: Shane Dowrich (captain), Camarie Boyce, Jonathan Carter, Dominic Drakes, Jonathan Drakes, Chaim Holder, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Shayne Moseley, Roshon Primus, Ramon Simmonds, Shamar Springer, Kevin Wickham

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Leon Johnson (captain), Antony Adams, Kevlon Anderson, Anthony Bramble, Ronsford Beaton, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Matthew Nandu, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul, Kemol Savory, Kevin Sinclair, Nial Smith

Jamaica Scorpions: Paul Palmer jr. (captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Tevin Gilzene, Derval Green, Nicholson Gordon, Patrick Harty, Leroy Lugg, Kirk McKenzie, Abhijai Mansingh, Jamie Merchant, Marquino Mindley, Ojay Shields, Aldaine Thomas

Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Jahmar Hamilton (captain), Colin Archibald, Larry Audain, Sheeno Berridge, Rahkeem Cornwall, Karima Gore, Montcin Hodge, Kofi James, Jeremiah Louis, Kieran Powell, Akeem Saunders, Devon Thomas, Hayden Walsh jr.

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Daren Bravo (captain), Bryan Charles, Jyd Goolie, Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Justin Mannick, Jason Mohammed, Vikash Mohan, Uthman Muhammad, Khary Pierre, Keagan Simmons, Jeremy Solozano, Tion Webster

Windward Islands Volcanoes: Alick Athanaze (captain), Sunil Ambris, Teddy Bishop, Kenneth Dember, Larry Edward, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Johan Jeremiah, Ryan John, Shermon Lewis, Preston McSween, Jerlani Robinson, Tevyn Walcott

WEST INDIES CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

ROUND 1

Guyana Harpy Eagles beat Barbados Pride by 183 runs

Windward Islands Volcanoes drew with Trinidad & Tobago Red Force

Leeward Islands Hurricanes drew with Jamaica Scorpions

ROUND 2

Barbados Pride beat Jamaica Scorpions by 6 wickets

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force drew with Leeward Islands Hurricanes

Windward Islands Volcanoes drew with Guyana Harpy Eagles

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

GNS – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

BLCA – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

QPO – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

ROUND 3: 15 to 18 March

Jamaica Scorpions v Windward Islands Volcanoes at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride at QPO

ROUND 4: 22 to 25 March

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Jamaica Scorpions at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Barbados Pride at QPO

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA

ROUND 5: 29 March to 1 April

Guyana Harpy Eagles v Leeward Islands Hurricanes at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA

Barbados Pride v Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO

Headley Weekes Tri-Series

All matches to be played at CCG, Antigua

Match 1: 19 to 22 April: Team Headley v West Indies Academy

Match 2: 26 to 29 April: Team Weekes v West Indies Academy

Match 3: 3 to 6 May: Team Weekes v Team Headley

Holder’s 81* keeps West Indies afloat on 13-wicket day

South Africa 320 and 4 for 0 (Markram 1, Elgar 3) lead West Indies 251 (Holder 81*, Coetzee 3-41, Rabada 2-19) by 73 runs

South Africa have a generous lead of 73 after dismissing West Indies for 251 inside 80 overs on a 13-wicket day at the Wanderers. Jason Holder’s half-century – the highest score for a West Indian batting at No.8 or lower in South Africa – and his 58-run final-wicket stand with Gudakesh Motie helped West Indies concede only almost half the deficit they did at SuperSport Park last week and demonstrated the application the rest of the line-up lacked.

Holder, who was batting with the assurance of a player set for a fourth Test century, kept West Indies competitive after twin collapses. They slipped to 51 for 4 in the morning, recovered thanks to a 52-run fifth-wicket stand between Kyle Mayers and Roston Chase and then lost four for 59 in the middle order to much all the good work of their seamers in the first 16 minutes of play.

Alzarri Joseph struck twice and Mayers once as West Indies dismissed South Africa’s last three batters in 18 balls, with South Africa adding only nine runs to their overnight score of 311. All told, South Africa lost their last eight wickets for 72 runs. The form of their middle order will also give West Indies reason to believe they remain in the game.

On a pitch with extra bounce on one end and turn on the other, batting was always going to be tricky but South Africa also showed up sharply in the field to make it even more difficult.

After only scoring one run in their first 19 balls, West Indies were anxious to rotate strike so when Kraigg Braithwaite tapped Mulder into the covers, he set off a single. But he didn’t bank on Temba Bavuma’s quick reflexes. South Africa’s captain swooped in from mid-off, pulled off a one-hand pick-up-and-release and hit the stumps at the striker’s end to find Tagenarine Chanderpaul short of his ground.

From the other end, Kagiso Rabada extracted extra bounce with a short-of-a-length beauty that found Braithwaite’s outside edge. Elgar had to take the catch low down at first slip and got his hands underneath it to leave West Indies 22 for 2. Gerald Coetzee took over from Rabada and got the second ball of his second over to straighten on Jermaine Blackwood, who was squared up and nicked off.

Chase and Reifer put on 23 runs in 25 balls – thanks largely to big gaps in the field as Bavuma sought to crowd the batters against the spinners – before Coetzee struck again. Reifer tried to flick Coetzee past Tony de Zorzi at short leg but inside-edged onto his pad and de Zorzi took a good catch.

After stabilising the innings before lunch, Chase and Mayers batted with a good blend of caution and aggression for most of the first 10 overs after the break. They capitalised on anything overpitched and turned the strike over sedately but sensibly to stage a small recovery. Their partnership had grown to 52 runs before Chase tried to take Mulder on and failed. He advanced on a full delivery and inside-edged onto his pads before the ball rolled back onto his stumps. A distraught Chase sank to his knees, perhaps knowing he had opened the door into the lower order, with West Indies still 217 runs behind.

Joshua da Silva’s arrival saw the re-introduction of Rabada for the first time since his opening spell but it was Mayers whose patience he tested, particularly after drinks. After spending 76 balls to score 27 runs, Mayers wanted to get a move on and threw his bat at any width Rabada offered, even as he was beaten. After one over in which he looked like he could be dismissed off every ball, Mayers wafted at one too many and edged to Elgar at first slip. When he was dismissed, West Indies were still five runs adrift of the follow-on.

Jason Holder’s first runs, a gorgeous straight drive, ensured South Africa would have to bat again and he soon outscored da Silva, who broke the shackles post tea. He was on 16 off 56 balls when he cut Keshav Maharaj for fours in successive overs and South Africa seemed to be losing their shape slightly. Simon Harmer pulled it back when he bowled da Silva through the bat-pad gap to open up the tail. Maharaj had Alzarri Joseph caught at silly point.

Holder and Kemar Roach put on 31 runs in 40 balls and both of them took on Maharaj. Roach’s fun ended when Coetzee was brought back and he tried to cut but edged to Elgar at first slip.

Holder went on to bring up his fifty off 79 balls with an authoritative sweep that carried for six.

With Gudakesh Motie a more than capable No.11, Holder continued to play his shots and was especially profitable with the slog against the spinners. Their partnership reached 50 runs off 59 balls as West Indies continued to frustrate a South African attack that seemed to be waiting for the second new ball. They did not get there because, with three deliveries to go, Motie holed out to short cover off Simon Harmer, leaving South Africa with three overs to face to close out the day, which Markram and Elgar managed without too many troubles.

(Story by Firdose Moonda from ESPNcricinfo)

GTTA goes with youth & experience for CAC Qualifiers & Caribbean Championships

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) has named the Men & Women’s national teams that will be representing Guyana at the Central American & Caribbean (CAC) games Qualifier and Senior Caribbean Championships. The events will be held from 16th to 19th March and 20th to 25th March respectively.

For the Men’s Team, the following players have been selected: Shemar Britton, Jonathan Van Lange, Joel Alleyne, Elishaba Johnson, and Paul David. The Women’s Team comprises Chelsea Edghill OLY, Natalie Cummings, Priscilla Greaves, Thuraia Thomas, and Jasmine Billingy.

The GTTA selection committee, has carefully chosen the players based on their performance in recent local, regional tournaments and overseas engagement at club and circuit level. The GTTA believes that the mixture of seasoned players and youth during this transition period along with their continued preparation have what it takes to represent Guyana well in these tournaments with emphasis on the CAC qualifier.

The players have been training daily for the events, these sessions include practice and physical training. The GTTA is grateful for the support partnerships which is aiding in providing the team with the necessary resources and support to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the competitions. As part of the training ,the association has also been working with the players to develop their mental toughness and strategies, which are crucial in high-pressure matches.

The GTTA President, Godfrey Munroe, expressed his confidence in the selected teams, saying, “We are very proud of the players that have been selected to represent Guyana at these important events. We believe that they have the potential to do very well, and we will continue to support them in any way we can. We wish them all the best and hope that they will make Guyana proud.”

The Men’s Team CAC games Qualifier and Senior Caribbean Championships will take place from 16th to 19th March, while the Women’s Team CAC games Qualifier and Senior Caribbean Championships will be held from 20th to 25th March. The GTTA is encouraging the people of Guyana to come out and support the national teams as they compete against the best players from the Caribbean and Central America.

West Indies Championship rounds 3-5 scheduled for Trinidad and Guyana

Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced the match schedule and venues for the final three rounds of the West Indies Championship, the region’s first-class four-day red ball tournament, which will be played in Trinidad and Guyana.

Two rounds have been played so far and the tournament will resume on 15 to 18 March with Trinidad & Tobago Red Force hosting current West Indies Championship leaders, Guyana Harpy Eagles at Brian Lara Cricket Academy. The other two matches in the third round will see Leeward Islands Hurricanes face Barbados Pride at Queen’s Park Oval¸Trinidad and the Jamaica Scorpions facing Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Guyana National Stadium. The fourth round will be played from 22 to 25 March with the fifth and final round from 29 March to 1 April.

Roland Holder, CWI’s Manager of Cricket Operations said: “The first two rounds of matches last month offered great excitement and we are delighted to see the resumption of the West Indies Championship. Based on what we saw in the first phase of matches, we can expect more keen competition among the six teams as they vie for the prestigious Headley/Weekes Trophy. There is a lot to play for, as players also have the opportunity to compete for places in the Headley/Weekes Series which will follow at the end of the West Indies Championship and prepare to compete for spots on the international stage.”

Heading into the third round, Guyana Harpy Eagles lead the points table after being unbeaten in their two matches to date, with defending champions Barbados Pride in second.

Every West Indies Championship match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Fans can follow every game from their mobile devices, computers or connected TVs, including access to live ball-by-ball scoring on the windiescricket.com match centre.

The new Headley Weekes Series will follow the West Indies Championship and will feature three matches and three teams. Team Headley and Team Weekes will select from the best performers in the 2023 West Indies Championship and players outside the starting West Indies Test XI. The new West Indies Academy will provide the third team in the new Series.

Team Headley and Team Weekes are named in honour of West Indies pioneers and legendary batting greats George Headley and Sir Everton Weekes, whose names are also honoured on the Trophy for the winners of the West Indies Championship. All three matches will be played from 18 April to 6 May at the Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua.

RESULTS

ROUND 1

31 January to 3 February

Windward Islands Volcanoes drew with Trinidad & Tobago Red Force

1 to 4 February

Guyana Harpy Eagles beat Barbados Pride by 183 runs

Leeward Islands Hurricanes drew with Jamaica Scorpions

ROUND 2

8 to 11 February

Barbados Pride beat Jamaica Scorpions by 6 wickets

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force drew with Leeward Islands Hurricanes

Windward Islands Volcanoes drew with Guyana Harpy Eagles

FULL MATCH SCHEDULE

GNS – Guyana National Stadium, Guyana

BLCA – Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad

QPO – Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad

ROUND 3: 15 to 18 March

Jamaica Scorpions v Windward Islands Volcanoes at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Guyana Harpy Eagles at BLCA

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Barbados Pride at QPO

ROUND 4: 22 to 25 March

Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Jamaica Scorpions at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Barbados Pride at QPO

Leeward Islands Hurricanes v Windward Islands Volcanoes at BLCA 

ROUND 5: 29 March to 1 April

Guyana Harpy Eagles v Leeward Islands Hurricanes at GNS

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force v Jamaica Scorpions at BLCA

Barbados Pride v Windward Islands Volcanoes at QPO

Headley Weekes Tri-Series

All matches to be played at CCG, Antigua

Match 1: 19 to 22 April: Team Headley v West Indies Academy

Match 2: 26 to 29 April: Team Weekes v West Indies Academy

Match 3: 3 to 6 May: Team Weekes v Team Headley

Holder: Every team apart from big three barely playing any Tests

Jason Holder became the second West Indies player after Sir Garry Sobers to take 150 Test wickets and score 2500 runs but does not think he will be able to break Sobers’ record because of the dearth of Test cricket facing teams like West Indies.

“The way world cricket is going now, apart from the big three, every team is barely playing any Test cricket,” Holder said after the second day’s play between South Africa and West Indies in Centurion. “We average six to eight Test matches over the last three years. This year we’ve got six, next year around six. You have to be in the XI for every single game to get anywhere close to 100 Tests.”

Holder is playing his 61st Test and with West Indies only due to play India (two Tests at home in July) this year, and 24 more Tests in the current FTP, even if he plays in all of them, he will not catch up with Sobers’ 93. Nor is Kraigg Brathwaite, who debuted in May 2011 and has 83 Tests, likely to catch up with Joe Root, who started playing Tests in December 2012 and already has 129 caps to his name.

“We’ve seen Kraigg Braithwaite, for example, over the years he still hasn’t gotten to a hundred [caps],” Holder said. “Kriagg was playing long before Joe Root but Joe Root has probably gone 130 Tests. It just shows you the amount of cricket England plays in comparison to us.”

Despite his concerns over the calendar, Holder was resigned to West Indies’ fate. “It’s beyond our control. We’ve just got to deal with what’s in front of us and try to make the most of it.”

Like Holder, South Africa’s Anrich Nortje, who took his fourth five-for in his 19th Test, on Wednesday at SuperSport Park, also does not think he will earn as many caps as some of his former countrymen.

“Playing four Tests in a year, you don’t think much about it (milestones). You just think okay there is a Test match somewhere. I probably will never get to 50 Tests. That will take me another seven years. Some countries in the next few months, they play 20 games. It’s hard,” Nortje said. “You can’t compare what the greats have done in the past, they played a lot of Test cricket. That’s the main format. We play four games, eight games or ten games over two years. It’s very limited and when we do get the opportunity, it’s nice to come out and focus on what we have to do.”

South Africa play fewer Tests than everyone other than Ireland and Zimbabwe in this FTP cycle (May 2022 to April 2027) and, after this West Indies series, only have one more Test in 2023 – against India at home. That leaves little opportunity for Kagiso Rabada, currently their seventh-highest wicket-taker on 270 wickets, to go past Jacques Kallis, who has 291, or even think about topping Dale Steyn’s 439. It also leaves Nortje, on 69 wickets, unsure of when he may get to 100 but he admitted it’s not something that keeps him up at night.

“I am not going to say I am dreaming about when I am going to get the next opportunity [to achieve a milestone],” Nortje said. “I’m just focusing on the cricket and when you get here [to a match] that’s when the switch goes on.”

(Story by Firdose Moonda from ESPNcricinfo)

EDITORIAL: Squash, a successful sport or enemy of the common man?

Guyana’s unprecedented 13th overall team championship in the 2022 Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA), which was attained on local soil, has brought the discipline front and centre in the ever-evolving sports discussions.

Thirteen overall titles -12 of which were secured in a consecutive manner – are unmatched in the CASA region, as the Guyanese continue to rule the roost at the junior level. In the senior CASA ranks, Guyana can lay claim to four overall team titles.

On the individual front, Nicolette Fernandes, Guyana’s best sport export during the last two decades, has captured six women’s senior CASA titles. She also won gold at the 2006 CAC Games, 2010 South American Games, a historic 2022 Pan Am Senior Squash Championship title, a World Masters Over-35 title among other silver and bronze medal acquisitions.

The squash community, though small, and which is led by the Guyana Squash Association (GSA), must be commended for its unparalleled levels of success at the regional strata, a feat unmatched by most local federations, particularly at the junior section.

However, for all its Caribbean success both at the senior, but primarily at the junior division that resulted in deserved praise and adulation, the issue which has brought the sport under the proverbial microscope, is its lack of inclusivity on the local front.

The subject matter up for discourse is not on the diversity of thought or ethnicity, but the multiplicity of class, a singularity that has quietly engulfed the sport since its local inception.

American football coach, and former player, Mike Singletary, who won Super Bowl XX, once said, “Do you know what my favourite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” Visionary words indeed!

Squash is associated with excellence. Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) Vice-President Godfrey Munroe uttered this position. Empirically, the manner in which the sport is administered cannot be faulted and its subsequent and ensuring success is a by-product of such structures.

Interestingly, GSA President, Owen Verwey, at the official opening ceremony of the 2022 championship, said that the discipline provides an avenue for networking, a benefit that can be utilised in business and investment as well as career opportunities and endeavours.

While the monologue also alluded to the spirit of competition as well as the human and social tenets and by-products of competitive play, a large portion also seemed more destined or fitting for a chamber of commerce forum.

However, it is easy to administer and govern a sport that historically, is predicated on wealth and is only afforded to a sliver of the populace. For all its success, squash has been at the forefront, intentionally or otherwise, of competitive and public discrimination.

How else can you justify a sport not having any public clubs which are accessible via the simplest of avenues to all and sundry? The Georgetown Club, a hub and bastion for the elite since its inception, and the subsequent pretenders and wannabes, cannot be viewed as a proverbial port of entry for everyone.

The National Racquet Centre certainly doesn’t have a public club but modestly houses the facility for the sport which is readily and easily accessible to the federation for local, and international campaigns, as well as possible training.

It is rather unfortunate, and frankly disappointing that no executive in recent memory has ever publicly pushed for the establishment of public clubs, which will directly impact the growth of the sport in a positive manner.

And what is the excuse for not seeking such an objective? It is disheartening to believe or even suggest that the inability to formulate such a plan for the communal growth of the discipline was intentional; an unholy effort to maintain and publicise an elitist status.

Squash’s success means nothing if the sport cannot be accessible to everyone… a reality that certainly exists and seems destined to continue, given the silence of its current and past administrations on plans to integrate the sport at the community level.

Would children from impoverished communities be welcome at the sport’s current mecca, the Georgetown Club, to learn the basics and eventual intricacies of the game? The answer eludes the writer of this missive. Their mere presence, unfortunately, might create a somewhat uncomfortable sensation for all parties, given their humble social class.

Even hockey, a sport that shares a somewhat similar cultural phenomena with squash, has adapted to not only survive, but grow and improve the overall quality of the discipline.

The national men’s team is evidence of such a civic and encompassing approach. Why has squash not opted for this same mantra? Are they afraid that the glint and status associated with discipline, which can be described as a hobby of the wealthy, and exercise for the affluent, will be diluted?

No idea or concept is above scrutiny. As such, squash should not be spared any criticism despite its successes. In life, valuable currency is the ability to reason. Therefore, is squash really just a beacon of excellence or is it a refuge and a resort for the bourgeois, nouveau riche, and social climbers?

Hiding in plain sight, the sport has become an overlooked coefficient and an unintentional and serendipitous partner in discrimination. This is palpable by the cadre of individuals who represent the country at the championships, and the personnel who parade and have access to the venue.

Despite not being accessible to a majority of the population, this niche discipline is afforded the opportunity to access GOA funding and government assistance, a mechanism or subvention which is made possible via the regressive taxation of the common man.

It should be worth mentioning here that squash has been named by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport as one of the 12 core sports that are eligible for official support. Of course, one wonders how a sport that lacks the accessibility of the other 11 [Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Football, Hockey, Lawn Tennis, Rugby, Swimming, Table Tennis, Track and Field, and Volleyball] be designated as such.

Frankly, how does an interested adolescent from say, Sophia, gain access to the ‘hallowed’ halls of the Georgetown Club to engage in the discipline? If memory serves correctly, the vetting process for acceptance is not a casual affair.

Curiosity also compels one to ask how come boxing, which is the only sport to have medalled at the Olympics, or chess, is not on the list of core sports. They both are certainly more egalitarian in their acceptance of all-comers and likely no more of a strain on the public purse. For example, in the case of chess, competitions can, and have been held online.

And on to this business of sponsorship and adulation coming from the GOA… squash is not even listed as an Olympic sport according to the International Olympic committee. So what is the real connection here?

Let us return briefly to the matter of core sports. How about golf? How did it get leapfrogged by squash? Golf has been endorsed fully by the Ministry of Education, is part of the sports curricula in many schools, and is deemed eligible for study at the CXC exams in the Physical Education subject area. It is also an Olympic sport. However, one doubts that the sport has received a similar embrace from the GOA.

Maybe the perception is that their mere presence, that of the working-class clan, might ‘corrupt’ a discipline, which has always boasted an elitist aura. This issue certainly is not rooted in race or diversity, it is an observation about class, an occurrence which is ever present on local shores given our ethnic makeup, and at times political leanings.

For all the limitations, challenges, and barriers, deliberate or unmeant, Squash can be viewed through a ‘colonial lens’ as the last stand or defence of high society against commonality.

The mere fact that several of the competing nations were unable to field complete squads during the team section of the tournament is indicative of the sport’s status within the region. It is essentially an outlier within the sporting spectrum – a pastime of the wealthy.

TATA IPL 2023 BOWLS OFF MARCH 31

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday announced the schedule of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.After staging IPL across Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad in the last edition, the 16th season of the IPL will revert to the home and away format, where all the teams will play 7 home games and 7 away games respectively in the league stage.

A total of 70 league stage matches will be played across 12 venues over the course of 52 days.The 16th season of the marquee event will kickstart on 31st March 2023, with a blockbuster clash between Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings in Ahmedabad at Narendra Modi Stadium – the largest cricket stadium in the world.1st April, 2023 will be the first double-header day of the season, where Punjab Kings will square off against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mohali and Lucknow Super Giants will take on Delhi Capitals in Lucknow.

The TATA IPL 2023 will have 18 double headers, with the day games starting at 3:30 PM IST and the evening games starting at 07:30 PM IST. Rajasthan Royals will play their first two home games in Guwahati before playing the remainder of their home games in Jaipur. Punjab Kings will play their five home matches in Mohali and then, play their last two home matches in Dharamshala against Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals respectively.

The schedule and venues for the Playoffs and Final will be announced later. The summit clash of the TATA IPL 2023 will be played on May 28, 2023.

Powell, Hope named new WI white-ball Captains

Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced Shai Hope as the new captain of the West Indies Men’s One-Day International (ODI) team and Rovman Powell as the new captain of the West Indies Men’s T20 International (T20I) team.

Shai Hope is the new West Indian ODI skipper

Hope, the wicketkeeper/batter and Powell, the batting allrounder, and will take over from Nicholas Pooran, who stepped down from the positions last November following the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

The first assignments for both captains will be the upcoming tour of South Africa in March where the West Indies face the Proteas in three ODIs and three T20Is from 16 to 28 March, following two matches in the ICC World Test Championship. Each captain will be heavily involved in strategy and planning leading up to the next ICC World Tournaments. In ODI cricket, the West Indies are likely to need to qualify for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, with the qualifiers scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe in June. In T20I cricket, the West Indies will be hosting the next ICC T20 World Cup with the USA in June 2024.

Hope is selected as ODI captain after demonstrating strong leadership on and off the field and experiencing the vice-captain role over a number of Series since 2019. He became vice-captain for a second time in June 2022 and played his 100th ODI for the West Indies against India in July last year. Hope has played 104 ODIs and was recently selected in the ICC ODI Team of the Year for 2022.

Hope said: “It is a tremendous honour and privilege to be appointed captain of any West Indies team. To lead a team that is of such incredible significance not only to myself and my teammates but to our legion of fans the world over, is something one dreams of as a child. The rich history and legacy that our region and our brand of cricket is so famous and loved for, requires no intricate explanation. I would like to thank CWI for entrusting me with this immense opportunity. To navigate West Indies cricket in the right direction will be my fundamental priority and a task that I shall be unwaveringly committed to. With the support of my team-mates and our dedicated fans, I look forward to a long and fulfilling tenure as captain of the West Indies One-Day International team.”

CWI’s Selection Panel recommended Powell as T20I captain, referencing his demonstrated leadership acumen and tactical ability when acting as the West Indies T20I vice-captain and as captain for Jamaica in 2022 with double success in both regional competitions. He led Jamaica winning firstly the Caribbean Premier League with the Tallawahs in September before captaining the Jamaica Scorpions to the CG United Super50 Cup title in November.

Powell said: I’m truly humbled and grateful to be given this amazing opportunity to lead the West Indies. For me, this a huge vote of confidence and I see this as the greatest honour of my career. To be asked to ‘carry the flag’ for the people of the Caribbean, there’s no bigger role in cricket in the region — a job previously held by some of the greatest servants of West Indies cricket. I also want to thank CWI for allowing me to guide the team in the coming years as we set sights on the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which we will be jointly hosting with the USA next year. I’m a passionate cricketer who believes in leading from the front and always giving 100 percent. “

Match schedule in South Africa

21 to 24 February: vs South Africa Invitational XI at Willowmoore Park, Benoni

28 February to 4 March: 1st Test at SuperSport Park, Centurion

8-12 March: 2nd Test at the Wanderers, Johannesburg

Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)

Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom

Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion

Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)

Jamual John DECIMATES field to win inaugural Greaves Cycling Classic

By Michelangelo Jacobus

At the inaugural edition of the Alanzo Greaves Cycling Classic on Saturday at the inner circuit of the National Park, fans were treated to a spectacle rarely seen in the Guyanese cycling . The outright dominance of a race by arguably Guyana’s current best cyclist, Jamual John.

No competition! Eventual race-winner Jamual John distanced himself from all his competitors enroute to victory.

Along his way to taking first place, John reset the record for the fastest lap around the National Park’s Inner Circuit and the overall time taken to finish the 30-lap race.

The fastest lap came in the final lap of the race, one minute & 55 seconds while John crossed the finish line with the clock at one hour, six minutes, 17.82 seconds.

At the start of the race, Jamual along with Briton John who shares the same surname and a few others easily distanced themselves from the pack, with each lap offering up $1000 for the leader, the Johns and Romello Crawford shared the lead for the first half of the race before Jamual took the attack to the peloton and broke away… never to be caught. He ended up with 16 Preems (sprint prizes) and lapped his nearest challenger, Briton, twice in the process. In addition to the Preems, Jamual walked away with $5000 for the fastest lap of the race and an added cash prize from organizer Alanzo Greaves for lapping the peloton twice.

The chasing peloton.

Finishing in second place was Briton, while Crawford came home third with Robin Persaud fourth, Christopher Griffith fifth and Alex Mendes sixth in that order.

The Greaves Cycling Classic, the brain-child of former National Cyclist Alanzo Greaves is set to be a weekly feature. Greaves revealed that while he is now permanently out of action due to leg injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, he is all about giving back to the sport.

The next edition of the Greaves Cycling Classic is set for February 18 at the same venue.