Covid defeated sports in 2021

Jan. 1, 2022

Cricket

The Coronavirus of December 2019 (Covid-19) ruled in virtually all areas of life and very acutely in sports, especially, and Dominica most decidedly. Lots have happened but not much competition.

-It was quite noticeable that the Cricket West Indies under new leadership had blanked out Dominica decidedly from hosting any of their activities. And not only international or regional matches, but the CWI did not pay much due to our young players as they go about looking for the emerging best young players, and nothing to show for these efforts in the past two years and counting.

-Glen Joseph was re-elected president of the Dominica Cricket Association (DCA) for a 2nd two-year term in April. Clement Marcellin and Liam Sebastien were elected vice presidents.

-A surge in Covid-19 cases in July put a halt to all sporting activities including the DCA's island-wide T20 league. The DCA officially discontinued the competition towards the end of November.

-St Kitts & Nevis Patriots won the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) for the first time with victory over St Lucia Kings at the Warner Park in St Kitts in September. Vasbert Drakes was man-of-the-match with a championship-defining inning of 48* of 24 deliveries with 3 fours 3 sixes.

-The Player of the Tournament with the most runs was Royston Chase of Kings (446 runs at 49.56).

-Trinidad & Tobago Red Force won the West Indies CG Insurance Super 50 tournament in Antigua with a victory over Guyana Amazons in the final. Red Force who went unbeaten in their five league matches scored 352/5 and bowled out Amazons for 210 in 43.5 overs.

-Liam Sebastien was appointed a Windward Islands cricket selector.

Football

The Dominica Football Association (DFA) called off the remainder of its 2021 season and decided to share the prize money equally among the teams in the premier and division 1 leagues respectively. 2017 and 2018 champions Central C Credit Union Ltd Dublanc FC led the charge to the championship. Back-to-back defending champions Sagicor South East were still very much in championship contention.

-The Dominica Football Association (DFA) held its annual general meeting in July. The balance sheet and income and expenditure statement showed that the association had a liquidity position of $4.88 million at the end of the financial year ended December 31, 2020.

-Dominica came away with four points in their FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the Dominican Republic namely a 3-nil win vs Anguilla and a 1-all draw with Barbados. Dominica lost to Panama 1-2 and to the Dominican Republic 0-1. Panama topped the group with 12 points.

-Euclid 'Boots' Bertrand who played over more than 20 years for Dominica retired from that level of competition after the WC qualifiers.

-The DFA presented financial support to 13 football clubs in June amounting to some $165,000.

-Team Marigot won the DFA women's district football festival with wins in their three matches at the Stock Farm Complex against Team Kalinago (4 points), Team Woodford Hill (2pts), and Team La Plaine (1pt).

-After years of looking for insurance for football in the national league going back 30 years and more, that ambition became a reality. Glen Etienne announced in April that the DFA and Nagico Insurance had reached an agreement in which all players registered in all leagues of the DFA were covered with insurance.

-The DFA after more than a year appointed Ms Jasmine Vidal as General Secretary.

-Happi Bath Estate donated 16 football kits including 2 sets of goalkeepers' uniforms to the Roseau Primary School which is located in the Bath Estate community. Michael Joseph made the presentation to the principal, Mrs. Abraham.

-National player Julian Wade continued his professional career outside the Caribbean region with a stint in Europe with Brechin City in the Scottish highland League.

-Sagicor South East won the 2021 Nation's Cup with a 2-1 win over Happi Bath Estate at Stock Farm. Sydney Lockhart was the man of the match.

-The DFA presented the management of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium (WPSS) with a cheque for $83,000 towards the restoration of the facility.

Athletics

DOC President Billy Doctrove revealed at their AGM that the IOC/Olympic Solidarity had requested from the DOC under the stewardship of Felix Wilson-president and Philip White-treasurer to account for more than $300,000. The DOC had been able to locate documents which reduced the sum to about $200,000 after an extensive search by staff. The DOC could face sanctions if the matter went unresolved.

-Lafond won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games a couple of years ago and had qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan which was postponed to 2021 because of Covid-19. She made the last 16 in the TJ finals.

-D. Luke ran the 800m at the GC Sports Wear meet in Jamaica in 1:49.08min. He was just 3 seconds outside of the Olympic qualifying time.

-The Junior Carifta Games in Bermuda were canceled because of the pandemic.

-Mcguire Suarez won the last road race of the DAAA coming into the New Year to make it three road race wins in a row. Verna Auguiste who had been participating in road races for about 50 years was the oldest finisher aged 71 years. There was a five-year-old to claim the youngest racer prize.

-Treneese Hamilton represented Dominica at the World Athletics Championships in Kenya.

-Dominica and Olympians AC female athlete Isabella Charles died in August. Her specialties were shot put and discus.

Cycling

Chester Letang in the absence of national champions, teenager Kohath Baron, out of the country, won the first race of the Dominica Cycling Association which started on Goodwill Road to Canefield Airport and back seven times in March.

-Kohath Baron spent three months in Italy training with a cycling club in the hope of becoming a professional cyclist.

-Levi Baron, father of Kohath won the Goodwill Road to Colihaut and back road race at 1:49:40 hrs. Ajani was second 0.02 seconds later followed by Letang

-Talbert Lucien was deemed the rising star for 2020 by the cycling association, and Ajani Casimir, the most promising.

-Back home, Kohath Baron won the race from Goodwill Road to Layou and back three times (about 60 miles) in 2:10:19 hrs in June and from Goodwill Road to Bellevue Chopin in 35:25.15min with 13-yr old Ajani Casimir 2nd in 36:24.00min.

General

-Peter Letang, Government Band Director was elected president of the Dominica Table Tennis Association by a meeting represented by 43 delegates at the St Alphonsus Parish Hall in December.

-DOC Secretary Fenella Wenham was appointed a member of the Women's Sports Commission of PanAm.

-Former Dominican Olympian high jumper Brendan Williams was appointed chairman of the Commonwealth Games Athletics Advisory Commission.

-Young Vets defeated Snipers of Paix Bouche 20 pts to 12 in the final of the Melissa Poponne-Skerrit 3 on 3 competition at the newly launched Windsor Park Stadium Hardcourts. The champs received $2,000 and other prizes as did the ladies champions, So What Who beat Lady Ballers 14-5. Thomas Felix was the men's MVP, and he also won the 3-pt shoot-out. D Gordon was female MVP.

-Former vice president Peter Ricketts was elected president at a special meeting of team representatives at the DOC Building at Bath Estate on the evening of October 21.

-The Sports Division spent close to $38,000 in trophies and sports equipment to athletes and schools for the 28th Annual Schools Awards at the People's Pentecostal Church in Goodwill in August. Sports Coordinator Trevor Shillingford said that close to $60,000 was spent in hosting the schools' sports programme.

-Portsmouth Secondary School led the awards and prizes haul at the 28th Annual Sports Awards for 2020/2021 with 30. Dominica State College dominated in the U-20 age category with 22 prizes and North East Comprehensive School had 18 awards.

-Sineku Primary School (PS) led the charge with 13 awards. Grand Bay PS, Petite Savanne, Tete Morne and Wills Strathmore Stevens were also competitive.

-Massey Insurance presented the Sports Division with two cheques - $10,000 for hosting the secondary schools U20 competition and $1,000 for the winning school.

Acers won the women's volleyball championship of the DAVA 2-1 vs Sign Man Celtics with Anna Maria Xavier capturing the MVP award. KFC Young Vets won the men's competition vs Portsmouth Breakers 3-2 with Lincoln Riviere being MVP. Prizes were sponsored by Big Edge Financial Express.

-Albert Loblack was re-elected president of the DAVA.

-The DAVA also got their business league at the WPSS, and then came the Covid-19 Pandemic to Dominica in reality.

-Newly constructed hard courts on the foreground of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium (WPSS) sparked a spurt of activity for hard-court sports like basketball, netball, and volleyball from its commissioning on Sunday, June 7.

-Felix Wilson was re-elected president of the Handball Association amidst controversy. The HA was suspended from attending the DOC AGM.

-Dave Baron was elected president of the Dominica Tennis Association with Andy Carter as his VP. Others elected to the DTA were Sherika Piper-secretary, Genevieve Rolle-treasurer and Gregor Fortune-assistant secretary-treasurer.

-Celtics won the Dominica Netball Association Big Edge Financial Express ballorama which started the netball league at the WPSS.

Domino

Most Dangerous Public Enemies won the Rayneau Construction/Kubuli Beer Domino League by 382 points against Wake Up Stars (4,006-3,624) at Portsmouth to walk away with $4,000, trophy, and 5 cases of Kubuli Beer. Wake Up Stars received $2,000, a trophy, and 3 cases of beer. Rockers of Paix Bouche who played Focus for 3rd place received $500, a trophy, and 1 case of beer.