Former West Indies Cricketer Morton Killed In Car Crash In Trinidad
Tributes have flooded in for former West Indies Test player Runako Morton, who was killed in a car crash in Trinidad Sunday.
The 33-year-old Morton played all three forms of international cricket for the West Indies, last representing them two years ago.
Reports said he was driving home alone on his way home from a match when the tragic accident occurred in central Trinidad.
West Indies Cricket Board president Dr Julian Hunte gave the official reaction to his death.
“Runako’s passing, still in the prime of life, leaves us all in shock,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as we all try to come to terms with his loss.
“He will be remembered as a fierce competitor on the field who gave no quarter whether he was playing for West Indies, Leeward Islands, Nevis or Trinidad and Tobago.”
Former captain Chris Gayle tweeted: “We lost a True Warrior WI Cricketer Runako Morton – May his soul rest in peace!
While former teammate Wavell Hinds also used his Twitter blog to express his feelings.
“Gone far too soon brother Runako. I will treasure the great memories for sure. RIP. God knows best.”
Morton, who hailed from the tiny island of Nevis, scored 573 Test runs at an average of 22.03 and 1519 in one day internationals (ODI) at 33.75.
His Test debut came against Sri Lanka in Colombo in 2005, and he made his maiden ODI hundred against New Zealand a year later.
But despite being an acknowledged talent, Morton was unable to cement a regular place in the West Indies team in any format.
In other cricket news Monday, former New Zealand captain Chris Cairns has began his High Court action in London against former Indian Premier League chairman Lalit Modi.
Cairns, 41, is suing Modi for substantial libel damages over an “unequivocal allegation” made on Twitter that he was involved in match-fixing.
The disputed tweet was picked up and reported on the cricket website Cricinfo, but they were forced to remove it by Cairns and pay him damages.
However Modi refused to apologize and pleaded justification, maintaining that the charge was true. The case, without a jury, is expected to last two weeks.
Virgin Islander Linval Joseph To Play In 2012 Super Bowl
When he would return to visit his father in St. Croix, Linval Joseph and his brother, Isaac, would make a makeshift basketball hoop out of a piece of board and a milk crate, attaching it to a telephone pole. Growing up in St. Croix, the Joseph boys would have to be creative when it came to entertaining themselves, whether it was tying a wagon to their bikes and riding it uphill or roasting the fruits that would grow in the family’s garden, they made it work. When they would come back to the island, they saw the same billboard.
“Every time we used to come to the islands, we would always see this billboard that read, ‘Welcome to St. Croix, the home of Tim Duncan,’” Isaac Joseph says. “We used to say that we hope we could have our own billboard someday saying, ‘Welcome to St. Croix, the home of Linval or Isaac Joseph.’”
The billboard isn’t up just yet, but Linval Joseph is already on his way to NFL and Virgin Island history. When Sunday’s big game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots gets underway, Joseph, the Giants’ second-year defensive tackle from East Carolina, will be the first NFL player born in the Virgin Islands to play in a Super Bowl.
“Oh my goodness,” says Ernestine Johnson, Joseph’s mother, learning of the news. “I never even thought about it. He’s so low-key, though. You would never know he was in the NFL.”
Joseph, a 6-foot-4, 323-pound nose tackle who is arguably the strongest Giant on the team, would be hard not to notice, even if he wasn’t making history. He’s just the 10th Virgin Island-born player in NFL history, the two most notable being former Pro Bowlers Renaldo Turnbull of St. Thomas and Hanik Milligan of St. Croix. And the 23-year-old’s entry into the fraternity of Virgin Island-born athletes in the big three American professional leagues to play for or win championships is a much-needed addition to the small club. Aside from Duncan’s run of four NBA titles between 1999 and 2007, there have been three Major League Baseball players to win World Series championships – Joe Christopher did it for Pittsburgh in 1960, Elrod Hendricks got a ring in 1970 with Baltimore, and Midre Cummings was a part of Arizona’s lone championship club in 2001. As a matter of fact, Raja Bell and his 2001 Philadelphia 76ers’ NBA Finals loss remains the only time that a Virgin Island-born pro athlete in a big three American sports league whose team made it to the championship has not won it all.
For those of us who follow soccer, take a look at some off camera filming of Guinness Football Challenge’s new season. African footballing greats Marcel Desailly, Kalusha Bwalya, Jay Jay Okocha and Rigobert Song were just messing around between takes and some footage of these players guiness soccer trick shots were captured.
Netball, Widely Popular Sport In The Caribbean, Featured In The New York Times
Netball, a game similar to basketball, which is virtually unknown in the United States, but is widely popular amongst West Indian women.
Netball is a ball sport played between two teams of seven players. Derived from early versions of basketball, it developed as a distinct sport in England in the 1890s. By 1960 international playing rules had been standardised for the game, and the International Federation of Netball and Women’s Basketball (later renamed to the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA)) was formed. As of 2011, IFNA comprises more than 60 national teams located in five regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas. Netball is most popular in Commonwealth nations and is predominantly played by women.
Games are played on a rectangular court with raised goal rings at each end. The object of netball is for teams to score goals by passing a ball down the court and shooting it through their team’s goal ring. Players are assigned a specific position that defines their role within the team and restricts their movement to certain areas of the court. During general play, a player with the ball can hold onto it for only three seconds before shooting for a goal or passing it to another player. Netball games are 60 minutes long; the winning team is the one that scores the most goals. Variations of netball have been developed to increase the game’s pace and appeal to a wider audience.
Finding Hope On The Soccer Fields Of Haiti – CNN Heroes – Patrice Millet
Finding Hope On The Soccer Fields Of Haiti – CNN Heroes – Patrice Millet
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) — Five years ago, Patrice Millet learned he was in the advanced stages of a rare bone cancer. A stem cell transplant was his only hope for survival.
The businessman from Haiti underwent the procedure in the United States. After nine months of treatment and recovery, his cancer was in remission. Millet returned home in May 2007 determined to start living the life he’d always wanted: helping children from Haiti’s poorest slums have a brighter future.
“Every day you see so many kids in need — so many bad stories, tragic stories,” said Millet, 49. “All my life, I wanted to do something good for my country, for the kids. (So) I said, ‘This is the time. I have nothing to lose.’ “
That summer, Millet sold his construction supply business and started a program called FONDAPS, which stands for Foundation Notre-Dame du Perpétuel Secours (Foundation of Our Lady of Perpetual Help). The program uses soccer to help children stay out of trouble and learn valuable life skills. Millet calls it “education by sport.”
“I want the kids to be very good citizens,” he said. “In soccer … you need to give, you need to receive, you need team spirit, discipline, sportsmanship. … It’s not all about soccer, it’s about life.”
Millet started by focusing his efforts on children from Solino, one of Port-au-Prince’s most dangerous slums. But going into the neighborhood to recruit young participants was risky.
“My wife didn’t want me to go. She said gangs (would) kill me.” But Millet was undeterred.
“I said, ‘I’d rather die doing something good than die in bed.’ “
While Millet was first greeted with suspicion, he was eventually accepted by the locals and children flocked to join his program. Today, hundreds of children have benefited from FONDAPS.
Puma have worked together with Paris retailer Shinzo and taken inspiration from sprinter Usain Bolt to create this limited edition Puma Bolt Near Future sneaker. The end product is clean and makes for a strong statement highlighted by the the ecological materials and production process. as well as the Jamaica inspired colorway. Eco friendly leather, cork sockliner, recycled foam last, reground rubber outsole and more compromise a great piece.
Gael Monfils Wins Early At This Year’s Wimbledon 2011 Games
The opening day proved successful for France’s protagonists, with Gael Monfils kicking off with a solid if unspectacular win over Germany’s Matthias Bachinger. It was a bit of a struggle, for France’s protagonists, with Gael Monfils kicking off with a solid if unspectacular win over Germany’s Matthias Bachinger, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3
Gaël Sébastien Monfils (French pronunciation: [ɡaɛl mɔ̃ˈfis]) (born 1 September 1986) is a French professional tennis player. He is currently the highest ranked French tennis player, and currently ranked 8th in the world ATP rankings. He was the runner-up at the Paris Masters in 2009 and 2010 and a semi-finalist at the 2008 French Open.
Gaël is nicknamed “La Monf”, or occasionally “Sliderman” due to his unusual sliding technique, especially on clay surfaces. He is of Caribbean heritage: his father, Rufin, a former football player employed as an agent for France Telecom, comes from the island of Guadeloupe, France. His mother, Sylvette, comes from the island of Martinique, France and is a nurse. He also has one younger brother, Daryl.
Courtesy of Wimbledon.com
Image courtesy of AELTC/ S.Wake
Gael Monfils Wins Early At This Year’s Wimbledon 2011 Games
They brought the world to its knees, and a nation to its feet. Fire In Babylon is the breathtaking story of how the West Indies triumphed over its colonial masters through the achievements of one of the most gifted teams in sporting history.
In a turbulent era of apartheid in South Africa; race riots in England and civil unrest in the Caribbean, the West Indian cricketers, led by the enigmatic Viv Richards, struck a defiant blow at the forces of white prejudice worldwide. Their undisputed skill, combined with a fearless spirit, allowed them to dominate the genteel game at the highest level, replaying it on their own terms.
This is their story, told in their own words.
Starring Viv Richards, Michael Holding
Directed By Stevan Riley
Produced By Charles Steel, John Battsek, Exec Produced by Ben Goldsmith and Ben Elliot
Fire In Babylon is now in select markets starting this may May, and a DVD release is slated for Jun 6th.
Forged In Adversity: Haiti’s Teen Tennis Hope Aims For The Top
Vickie Duval has been tipped to be the next Venus Williams, but tennis was the last thing on the teenager’s mind when the devastating earthquake struck her native Haiti in 2010.
Duval’s father, Jean-Maurice, had stayed home to run a medical practice while his daughter chased her dream of grand slam glory by living and training in the United States.
In the trail of devastation left by earthquake on January 12 last year, Jean-Maurice was trapped under the rubble of his home and business and feared that without urgent medical attention he would die.
“One morning we got a call from him and he was (trapped) under the house,” his 15-year-old daughter recalled in an interview with CNN’s Open Court.
Jevaughn Minzie Loses CARIFTA Games 200m Race While Showboating, Emulating Usain Bolt
Jamaica’s Under-17 athlete Jevaughn Minzie loses 200 meters race because of showboating emulating Usain Bolt at CARIFTA Games in Montego Bay. He was beaten by Trinidad’s Machel Cedenio, who won the race in 21.43 seconds.
Protests In Haiti Over Move By Jamaica To Send Back Footballers
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Hundreds of people have marched through Haiti’s capital Port au Prince to protest the removal of the country’s football squad from the youth tournament in Jamaica on health grounds.
Jamaica’s Ministry of Health recommended to CONCACAF under 17 tournament officials last week that the Haitian squad be forced to withdraw. That followed tests that showed at least two players had tested positive for malaria.
Jamaica said the decision was “unavoidable and necessary in order to safeguard public health”.
However, Yves Jean Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, called the decision an outrage.
Saturday’s protest reportedly drew about 1,500 people and the Jamaican flag was burnt by protestors.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica, the opposition People’s National Party patriots group condemned the burning of the Jamaican flag by protesters in Haiti.
In a release to the media the group described the desecration of the national flag as a terrible insult.
“Under no circumstances can such behaviour at any level be countenanced. Even if the Haitian people are angry about the perceived treatment of their team members and officials who were recently withdrawn from the CONCACAF U 17 Tournament, there is absolutely no justification for this ungracious action,” the release stated.
“We are, however, equally of the view that an immediate apology would be established in CARICOM if an official apology is not forthcoming from the Haitian authorities,” the group said.
American investors are financing trainers and building academies in the Dominican Republic in exchange for as much as half of players’ major league signing bonuses.
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Investors from the United States believe they have found an exotic new prospect: Latin American baseball players, some as young as 13 and many from impoverished families.
Recognizing that major league teams are offering multimillion-dollar contracts to some teenage prospects, the investors are either financing upstart Dominican trainers, known as buscones, or building their own academies. In exchange, the investors are guaranteed significant returns — sometimes as much as 50 percent of their players’ bonuses — when they sign with major league teams. Agents in the United States typically receive 5 percent.
The investors include Brian Shapiro, a New York hedge fund manager who, along with Reggie Jackson, tried to buy the Oakland Athletics several years ago; Steve Swindal, the former general partner of the Yankees; Abel Guerra, a former White House official under President George W. Bush; and Hans Hertell, a former United States ambassador to the Dominican Republic.
Other, less prominent investors have had no previous connections to baseball or the Dominican Republic. Those investors include a real estate lawyer from New Jersey, a dentist from California and a computer salesman from upstate New York.
Educators and Major League Baseball officials worry because there is no oversight of the investors’ academies, and they question why the investors want to be part of a system that takes teenagers out of school and has been involved in scandals over steroid use and players lying about their ages.
“If the investment is benefiting the player in some way and improving his circumstances, providing, as I said, educational opportunities, etc., then it can be a good thing,” said Sandy Alderson, who oversaw the revamping of baseball’s operations in the Dominican Republic until he was named the Mets’ general manager last month. “But generally speaking, there is no assurance that is happening.” Read the rest of this entry »
World renowned big wave surfer Ian Walsh travels to Jamaica to take in part in Under My Wing, a workshop designed to help young athletes develop and hone their skills.
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“Helele” – VELILE & SAFRI DUO” is the offical trailer song forthe world cup on RTL
With the FIFA World Cup heating up even further, we decided to post this.
“Helele” – the single wil be released 21st or 28th of May. “Helele” – VELILE & SAFRI DUO” is the offical trailer song for the world cup broadcasted on RTL. Safri Duo, is an internationally acknowledged percussion duo that focuses attention towards the dance- and club environment., TV Station RTL got 9 games of the world cup exklusive an will start advertising that in beginning of may! There will be a lot of TV Shows in the next month in germany. On the 7th of may they will performe in LET’S DANCE a prime time RTL Show. Video will be made end of april in southafrica.
Radio promotion starts this week. An album of Velile is already in work. It will be her debut album and the starting point of her music career. She was perfoming nearly 8 years as a main artist of Disneys Lion King in germany. Since this project with Safri Duo she wants to concentrate now on the music business. The album will contain about 12 new pop songs in Zulu languague.
