FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Port of Spain, Trinidad 8 July 2017

Ticket for the finals of the 2017 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) at the Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad are now on sale and available to buy through the Hero CPL website – www.cplt20.com. The four matches will take place between 5^th & 9^th September and will be the thrilling conclusion of Hero CPL 2017.

The Brian Lara Cricket Academy is a state-of-the-art 100,000sqft training and competition venue with a capacity of 15,000-seats. This fantastic facility will be hosting its first Hero CPL matches and the teams will be able to make use of the world-class outdoor nets and training complex while fans will be able to watch at the most modern cricket stadium in the Caribbean.

Tickets for the finals week of the biggest sporting event in the Caribbean start from just $30US for the eliminators, $35US for the Play-off and $40US for the finals.

The colour, vibrancy and excitement of the Hero CPL finals can’t be matched, and tickets should be picked up fast before they sell out.

Damien O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer of the Hero CPL, said: “We are delighted to be in Trinidad for the finals week this year, it is the vibrant hub of Caribbean cricket. The Biggest Party in Sport finishing at the wonderful stadium at the Brian Lara Academy will be a perfect end to the tournament, and what better name for the matches to be associated with than Brian Charles Lara!”

ABOUT THE HERO CARIBBEAN PREMIER LEAGUE: Since its inception in 2013, the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) is a franchise-based T20 format cricket tournament that combines two of the most compelling aspects of Caribbean life – dramatic cricket and a vibrant Carnival atmosphere. Over 149 million fans watched the 2016 season, combining broadcast and digital viewership, to make it one of the fastest growing leagues in world cricket. Jamaica Tallawahs are the current Hero CPL champions and the other competing teams are Barbados Tridents, Guyana Amazon Warriors, St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots, St. Lucia Stars and Trinbago Knight Riders. The 2017 tournament will run from 4 August – 9 September 2017. For further information visit www.cplt20.com.

-End-

For further information please contact:

Peter Miller

Mobile: +447769119636

Head of PR and Communications

Hero Caribbean Premier League

When Nigel Davis, 40, stepped up to claim the coveted Coach of the Year Award last Friday, during the 34th staging of the Jamaica Special Olympics National Summer Games, it was the culmination of years of hard work through trying circumstances.

“Being a slow learner means you’ll have to work harder to realise your dreams, but hard work usually pays,” declared the August Town resident, who in his formative years attended Mico Practising Primary and Junior High School, and later Randolph Lopez School of Hope.

“Growing up, persons in the community would tease me because I went to a special school, and people had it that only handicaps go there. Financially, my mother didn’t have it while I was growing up, but she always tried. My father would always help me out with snacks or a lunch money in my teenage years as well.”

Davis’ silver lining came in the 1980s upon a visit to the national arena, where he observed men roller-skating and developed a love affair he has described as “life changing”.

“I was so amazed with their energy and the engine-like sound that the shoes made that I approached them and asked how I could join, and that was it. At first, I wasn’t able to balance so well, but I eventually got better.”

Davis would later be selected to compete at a number of Special Olympics around the world in several sports and would launch his Special Olympian coaching career in the early 2000s.

As a coach, Davis’ greatest achievement is having conditioned Romaine Austin and Dave Oddman to historic gold-medal successes at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz, Austria, in March.

However, his fondest memory on the journey thus far is having started his own skating school in August Town in 2006.

Living his dream

“Nigel Davis Foundation Skating School is me living my dream. I would love the help from some companies to expand it to all parishes. As a result of my development and recognition, the treatment in my community is good now, no trouble. For others like myself I just want to say, don’t give up, don’t shy away from followering your dreams,” stated Davis, who is also formally employed to Parang Industries Limited.

Dane Richardson, chief executive officer of Digicel Foundation, the main sponsors of the Jamaica Special Olympics, declared that Special Olympics continued to inspire persons across the island, with and without disabilities, to give in to a higher calling both for themselves and the country.

In heaping praises upon the sportsman-turned-coach, Executive Director of Special Olympics Jamaica, Lorna Bell, stated that Davis was truly “phenomenal”.

“He’s Mr Special Olympics. Most persons are not so open to telling others that they’re special; he has no problem in admitting to you that he has a disability. There is nothing like acceptance. He has represented Jamaica in every single sport that we offer and he was the torch runner at the 2015 Los Angeles Special Olympics World Summer Games, alongside our local police officers. He’s very deserving.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20170705/mr-special-olympics-august-town-resident-soaring-spite-challenges

The final three bouts for the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender Boxing Series — Jamaica’s Ultimate Junior Middleweight Contender title — begins with the first of two semi-final bouts between old foes, former champion Sakima Mullings and perennial challenger Tsetsi Davis at the Mico College Auditorium today at 8:30 pm.

The Mullings-Davis clash going seven rounds headlines a three-fight pro-am under card that will provide action for up to 15 rounds.

To the quarter-final stages each fight was contested over five rounds, with the final for the Jamaica Junior Middleweight Contender crown and the major share of $3,000,000 set for a 10-round showdown.

The under card pro fight will feature Devon Moncriffe of Jamaica against Winston Mathews of Canada over five rounds.

Both Matthews and and Moncriffe lost narrowly in their opening fights of the Contender Series — Matthews to Mullings and Moncriffe to Phil Rose.

Meanwhile, the third fight on the card, which is an amateur lightweight skit over three rounds, is between Patrick Sahadeo of the Jamaica Defence Force and an unnamed Canadian who was yet to be confirmed up to press time.

It is a battle between the natural welterweight (Mullings) and the natural middleweight (Davis). At the weigh-in, both fighters looked keen to the tee, with Davis weighing in at 153 ½lb and giving the impression that he wanted to jump out of his skin. Yet, his trainer Wayne Sharp took umbrage against the quick return to the ring of his boxer: “Only one week between fights? That was not enough time for my boxer to fully recuperate from his last fight going five rounds. He should be fighting in the next semi-final instead.

“But”, he went on, “Tsetsi has trained well and will be just as effective in this fight as he was in his last encounter against Ryan Young, even though we had to cut our training schedule to fit into the time allotted to be ready again.”

Davis, who lost to Mullings in the 2014 Contender final, did not have much to say. But he promised “a memorable showing.

“I cannot say anything on how this fight will end. I would rather talk inside the ring and not outside. One thing I am sure of, I have work to do, so I’ve trained hard to work and get a good result. If my best is good enough then so be it. If not, then, I have still done my best.”

Mullings promised “I am supremely confident of a high performance. Davis had added different elements to his game and I am expecting another good performance from him. But I have high expectations for myself. We have trained well with high anticipation for whatever he (Davis) brings to the table. He is a strong and capable fighter, but we are supremely confident to meet those different elements he has acquired head on.”

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/davis-mullings-battle-for-place-in-contender-series-finale_103970?profile=1511

Sakima Mullings and Tsetsi Davis, the first and third-seeded Jamaicans in the 2017 Wray and Nephew Contender boxing series, both predicted victory yesterday, as they ended preparations for their semi-final contest, which will take place tonight on the grounds of Mico University College, Marescaux Road.

Mullings is a previous winner of the series, having taken the welterweight title in 2014, when Davis retired in the seventh round of their 10-round contest. Tonight’s action will start at 8.30p.m. with two amateur bouts, followed by a five-round contest between two previous participants in the competition, Devon ‘Concrete’ Moncriffe from Jamaica and Canada’s Winston Matthews. The seven-round semi-final battle, in the junior middleweight class, will follow.

Brimming With Confidence

Leading up to the fight, Mullings has been very confident, and has stated in interviews that he is not worried about the challenge from Davis.

“I beat him once before, and the result will be the same,” he has stated.

He also goes into the fight with a huge advantage, as he has not fought since May 31, when he defeated Canadian Larone Whyte by split decision, and has therefore had 34 days to rest and prepare. Davis on the other hand, last fought on June 21, when he had a split decision victory over Ryan Young, in what was regarded as one of the best contests in the competition so far. His recuperation and preparation time is, therefore, much less than that of his opponent.

What effect this will have will be seen tonight. Mullings is well prepared and has been working on different strategies to cope with what Davis has to offer. His camp has offered that he is prepared for any type of fight that Davis will bring to the table.

“If it is outside, we are ready and if it is close, we are ready to rumble,” the Mullings camp said.

Based on what has been presented by both boxers in the competition to date, indications are that both men will go after each other from close range.

Davis told The Gleaner yesterday that he is in great shape and is ready for the challenge. He is confident that he can pick up from where he left off against Young, and is ready to deliver. oth boxers have good jabs, but do their best work at close range, and a concerted body attack seems to be on the cards from both corners. Mullings attacks effectively with both hands, and his combinations usually bear the stamp of authority.

In his bout against Whyte, Mullings seemed to get winded in the fourth round, but stamina his camp says, will not be a factor tonight, as he is well prepared.

Davis showed resilience in his bout against Young, but the question as to whether he is back in ring too early, will only be answered when the action starts. It promises to be an action-packed encounter.

The Moncriffe versus Matthews preliminary bout has all the ingredients for a thrilling encounter. Both men stood toe to toe with their opponents in their losses, and were disappointed at the end.

They are both seeking redemption tonight, and this is good news for spectators, as they will be going after each other from the first bell.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170705/contender-clash-mico-mullings-vs-davis-first-semi-final

Prime Minister Andrew Holness (left), converses with Fr Howard Thompson (right) of Stella Maris Church in St Andrew during the church’s benefit concert and dinner at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston on Friday. Looking on is Archbishop of Kingston, Most Rev Kenneth Richards. Holness was the guest speaker. (Photo: JIS)

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/dinner-talk_103714?profile=1373

What has already been hailed as the best Wray and Nephew Contender series since its inception seven years ago, is set for an exciting finish, with two semi-finals on Wednesday, July 5 and 12 and the grand finale on July 26. There have been some interesting changes for these three shows. The first change is the venue. Instead of the Chinese Benevolent Association auditorium, both the semis and the final will be held outdoors, on the spacious grounds of Mico University College, on Marescaux Road in St. Andrew. This has been done to facilitate the large crowd of spectators expected to attend.

There is also an addition to the programme. Each night, there will be a second professional bout on the card. On July 5, Jamaica crowd favourite Devon “Concrete”

Moncriffe will clash with Canadian Winston Matthews, over five rounds, before Sakima Mullings and Tsetsi Davis clash in the first semi-final. Matthews is the boxer who fought the No. 1 seeded Mullings at the start of the competition and gave a very good showing. Mullings won the fight by unanimous decision, but it was a close hard-fought contest.

Matthews was disappointed that he did not get the verdict, and after the fight said publicly that he wanted to fight in Jamaica again.The promoters have given the opportunity to do so against a very good opponent. Moncriffe also bowed out in the first round of the competition, when he lost to Canadian Larone Whyte, by split decision. This too was a very competitive bout, and the match between these two fighters, will undoubtedly live up to expectations.

Eight-Round Bout

On July 12, last year’s Contender champion, Demarcus “Chop Chop” Corley will be challenged by Ramel ” Sub Zero” Lewis, another boxer who fought earlier in this year’s Contender series. This bout will be over eight rounds and will see Corley putting his boxing skills against the power-punching of Lewis. The semi-final that night, will be between Phil Rose from Canada and Richard “Frog” Holmes from Jamaica. On the final night, another former Contender champion, Kemahl Russell, will face Venezuelan boxer Mario Antonio Avendano over eight rounds. Avendano is a tested veteran, with a 30-11-1 record.

He has a lot of experience, and fought for the World Boxing Association welterweight title in 2011, but lost. This is billed as youth versus experience, and Russell, with a record of 10 wins and one loss,will be given the opportunity to see how well he can do against against a wily boxer.

The winner of the Contender series, will, in addition to the title, take home $2- million. The runner-up will get $500,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20170630/contender-series-set-exciting-end

A 76-year-old retired parish council worker from Trelawny, on Tuesday took home a cheque for $117 million for winning a share of the June 16 Super Lotto.

The pensioner, identified only as W Gordon from Granville near Falmouth, was masked in a red, green and gold tam with hanging locks covering his face.

Despite his sporting locks, however, Gordon confessed that he is a devout Methodist who attends church in Falmouth and believes that God had a hand in his luck.

“I believe in God and he supplies my needs. I am thankful. I don’t plan on moving or doing anything different. I will maintain my Christian fortitude,” he told the Supreme Ventures team.

Gordon told the Jamaica Observer at the handover event Tuesday at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston, that he retired from working in 1998, after being employed by parish councils, now municipal corporations, in his hometown of Falmouth, as well as in St James and Hanover.

He was not sure what he would do with his new wealth, but noted that he had bought another ticket already, in the meantime. He had said that he wanted to reach home in time that Tuesday to purchase a second ticket for that night’s draw, as he would not stop playing the game.

Gordon, who has been playing the local Lotto and the regional Super Lotto for more than 10 years, almost threw away the lucky ticket after being given the wrong results for the June 16 draw by a neighbour.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/76-year-old-christian-wins-117-m-super-lotto-jackpot_103278?profile=1373

There will be more room for Wray & Nephew Contender fans in the final three fights of the seventh season, as organisers of the event have shifted the location for the semi-final and final matches to the grounds of The Mico University College.

Mark Kenny, executive producer, Wray & Nephew Contender, noted that his team and sponsors, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum, are excited about the new location at 1A Marescaux Road in Kingston, because they believe the outdoor venue will allow them to better serve Contender fans.

“We’ve seen an increase this season in the numbers of persons who want to view the fights live on a weekly basis. We have projected an increase in demand for tickets and that led us to shift the venue for the semi-finals and final fights from the Chinese Benevolent Association to The Mico University College,” Kenny said in an interview recently.

He continued to emphasise, “It’s been a very successful series. We have outgrown our capacity there and we haven’t taken the Wray & Nephew Contender outdoors since year one, when the finals for season 1 was held at the Constant Spring Football Field.”

Kenny added that testing of outdoor venues for Contender fights was conducted prior to the start of this season in March, with four Road to Contender fights held in St Thomas, Ocho Rios, St Elizabeth and Kingston. These, he said, were all successful and well supported by fans.

Semi-finalists Tsetsi Davis and Sakima Mullings, who last fought against each other in the 2014 Wray & Nephew Contender final, will face off on Wednesday, July 5, while Richard ‘Frog’ Holmes will be up against Canadian Phil Rose on Wednesday, July 12. Winners from both semi-finals will fight for the 2017 title in the final on Wednesday, July 26.

Pietro Gramegna, Marketing manager, J Wray & Nephew Limited, expressed elation about the change in venue as this season of the Wray & Nephew Contender climaxes: “It’s been an exciting season, filled with overwhelming support from fans at the Chinese Benevolent Association in the last three months. Over the years, Wray & Nephew Contender has become a fixture on Wednesday evenings for many Jamaicans who either tune in via Television Jamaica or watch the fights live. Wray & Nephew Contender has embodied the unmistakable competitiveness of our Jamaican spirit. We are pleased that the semi-final and final fights will be held at a larger outdoor venue. This is a major step which will allow more boxing fans to be able to witness the fights live and feel more engaged in the event.”

Tickets for the upcoming fights cost $800 for general admission and $1,800 for VIP. A special season pass for all three fights costs $4,000. These can be purchased at Western Sports, Twin Gates Plaza; Total Dunrobin; and Jus Call Couriers.

The three remaining fights will be broadcast live on Television Jamaica at 9:30 pm.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sports/contender-series-semis-finals-set-for-mico-university_103275?profile=1511

With the crime monster claiming more than 60 lives since the start of the year in Clarendon, it would not be strange if this was cited as the biggest impediment to economic growth in the parish, but not so say some residents of Longville Park.

They say that the greatest impediment to economic growth in Jamaica is corruption and that much of this stems from unnecessary bureaucracy.

Kemeila Ewers was part of a group of residents who participated in The Gleaner‘s ‘On the Corner’ series with co-chairman of the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) Keith Duncan last Wednesday, and she was adamant that corruption is a clear and present danger.

TRY AGAIN

“We face too many barriers to get fundamental things done in our own country, and it frustrates you to the point where you just give somebody a money,” declared the educator, pointing to the illicit process in which persons make back-door payments in order to acquire a driver’s licence.

 

“The authorities keep telling you to try again, come back in a week or a month. So, while some of them aren’t outright telling you to pay, in essence, that is the aim. So, naturally, if persons know someone who’s willing to accommodate that, they will oblige to speed up the process.

ADDRESS FROM THE TOP

Ewers said, “However, a country like the United States, if you want to get an ID for whatever purpose, you have to go through the regular route. There’s no back door but the bureaucracy is minimal. The turnaround time is short.”

She argued that the issue of corruption is one which has to be addressed from the top down as those of a higher social strata continually use their power to manipulate those at the lower level.

“It’s the higher level that breathes corruption, and then it flows down to the little man or those who are marginalised. It shouldn’t be a case where you’ve graduated, there’s a job opening and you don’t stand a chance equal to that of someone who knows the boss or the member of parliament.

“Why place a vacancy in the paper, to have somebody apply for the post when you know you’ve already selected someone and the person won’t be successful? Its corruption, and if we don’t rid the country of it, there’s no way we can succeed economically because those who are worthy and deserving have to know someone to get somewhere,” charged Ewers.

The educator argues that there is a need for the various oversight bodies to be more aggressive in their duties to ensure transparency and accountability, a sentiment shared by Duncan.

“Corruption comes up on all of the indicators and pain points for investors who want to invest in Jamaica. It’s prevalent in our society. We see it in our processes daily, and we have to address it in a structural way down to the root so that the ease of doing business and the people’s level of comfort in doing business in Jamaica will be improved.

“The oversight bodies have to be fearless in executing their responsibilities from the top down. They have to hold all members of government, private sector, and anyone who engage, with both, to account around following the rules and guidelines of our society,” said Duncan.

syranno.baines@gleanerjm.com

Source: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20170626/corner-curb-corruption-longville-park-residents-point-greatest-threat

FOLLOWING their monthly meeting in June, the Economic Programme Oversight Committee (EPOC) is reporting that Jamaica has met all structural benchmarks under the Precautionary Standby Arrangement with the International Monetary Fund based on their review of results available up to the end of May.

Structural benchmarks are reform measures that are critical to achieving programme goals and are intended as markers to assess programme implementation during a review.

According to EPOC, the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) has also met the seven structural benchmarks for public sector transformation, public bodies and public service reform through end May 2017.

Revenue performance continues to be strong with figures showing tax revenue intake of $33.2 billion in April 2017. According to their June Communique, EPOC expects that similar drivers of over- performance experienced last fiscal year will result in improved compliance levels in this fiscal year.

EPOC noted that recurrent expenditure for the first month of the fiscal year fell marginally below budget by $1 billion while capital expenditure exceeded budget by $4.4 million.

“We note the positive start to capital expenditure, and, given its importance as one of the main drivers of economic growth, encourage the Government to continue this pace throughout the fiscal year. An important quantitative performance criteria is the primary surplus which stood at $6.61 billion at end April ahead of the GOJ target of $5.79 billion by $820 million,” the committee stated in its June report.

According to committee co-chair Keith Duncan, the adverse weather which resulted in a 2.5 per cent decline in the agricultural sector up to March 2017 is an area of concern.

“The lack of growth raised concerns around future growth, especially as it was compounded by flood rains which caused significant damage to an ageing infrastructure,” Duncan stated.

On the other hand, Duncan believes the reopening of the Alpart Plant in St Elizabeth will have a positive impact on the growth numbers going forward.

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/jamaica-meets-structural-benchmarks-under-imf-agreement_103144?profile=1373