分类： sports

KINGSTON, Jamaica — A spectacular display of youthful athleticism unfolded at the National Stadium on Tuesday as the Eastern Championship crowned its victors. Titchfield High School’s boys’ team delivered a dominant performance to seize the championship, while St Mary High’s girls’ squad secured a narrow but decisive victory in their category.

The boys’ competition was characterized by Titchfield’s overwhelming dominance. They amassed a formidable total of 367 points, establishing a massive 155-point lead over the second-place finishers, Oberlin High, who concluded the meet with 212 points. The top five was finalized by St Mary’s High in third (200 points), Port Antonio High in fourth (180 points), and Happy Grove rounding out the group with 169 points.

In a markedly closer contest for the girls’ title, St Mary High clinched victory with a total of 295 points. They faced stiff competition from Marymount High, who finished a mere 11 points behind with 284.33 points. Titchfield High earned third place with 227 points, followed by Oberlin High in fourth (183.33 points) and Port Antonio in fifth (162 points).

The championship concluded with breathtaking relay events that saw records shattered. The Titchfield boys’ team made a powerful statement by winning the 4×400-meter relay in a record time of 3:21.53 minutes, breaking a long-standing record of 3:21.71 minutes set by Glengoffe High back in 2004. On the girls’ side, Port Antonio High triumphed in the 4x400m relay with a time of 4:02.55 minutes.

The entire meet was a historic affair, featuring an astounding 19 new records. Jaquan Souden of Happy Grove High emerged as a standout double record-breaker. In the Class One division, he set a new benchmark in the high jump by clearing 2.06m, surpassing the previous record of 2.05m. He also dominated the long jump with a phenomenal leap of 7.30m, shattering a record that had stood since 2007. These performances establish Souden as a preeminent favorite for the upcoming all-island Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championship in March.

In a dramatic turn of events at the T20 World Cup, defending champions Australia suffered an unexpected elimination from the tournament following the complete washout of the Zimbabwe-Ireland match in Kandy, Sri Lanka on Tuesday. Persistent rainfall throughout the day at Pallekelle Stadium prevented any play, with umpires officially abandoning the match at 5:30 PM local time.

The abandonment secured Zimbabwe’s progression to the Super Eight stage alongside Sri Lanka from Group B, marking one of the tournament’s most remarkable underdog stories. Zimbabwe now advances to face cricketing powerhouses West Indies, India, and South Africa in the next phase of the competition.

Australia’s elimination comes despite having one remaining group match against Oman on Friday. The mathematical impossibility of overtaking Zimbabwe’s unassailable five points sealed their fate. The Australian squad had experienced a turbulent build-up to the tournament, losing key pace bowlers Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood to injuries and captain Mitchell Marsh missing initial matches due to a training injury that resulted in testicular bleeding.

Controversially, selectors omitted Test legend Steve Smith from the squad despite his exceptional form in the Big Bash League and proven expertise against spin bowling. Smith was belatedly added as cover but remained unused in the crucial must-win match against Sri Lanka, which Australia lost by eight wickets following a middle-order collapse.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza expressed pride in his team’s achievement while maintaining perspective. ‘We have come this far. We will celebrate but we have a game against Sri Lanka to come,’ Raza stated. ‘This is only a tick in the box and this is not the only thing that we set out for. Everyone loves an underdog story.’

Ireland’s captain Lorcan Tucker expressed disappointment at the manner of elimination: ‘Obviously very disappointed to go out in this fashion, but completely uncontrollable. Our batting failed throughout the tournament with crucial dropped catches against Sri Lanka proving particularly costly.’

The rain failed to dampen the spirits of Zimbabwe’s vibrant supporters, who maintained energetic celebrations throughout the afternoon. Their colorful presence and continuous singing provided a silver lining to the weather-affected day, earning special praise from Captain Raza for their unwavering support in challenging conditions.

ST ANN, Jamaica — Lime Hall Academy delivered a spectacular performance in their Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Championships debut, securing a commanding 6-1 victory against Progressive FC during Saturday’s Group A clash at Drax Hall. The former finalists and Premier League contenders demonstrated exceptional form with Sajay Anderson netting two late goals in the 80th and 90th minutes to cement their dominant display.

The match witnessed intense action as both teams finished with reduced squads after receiving red cards. Lime Hall established early control with Carlos Campbell opening the scoring in the 30th minute. Devante Redman extended the lead ten minutes later, while Diego McKenzie added a third goal in the 54th minute. Despite Fitzroy Allen’s consolation goal for Progressive in the 71st minute, Lime Hall’s Ceejay Gibbs and Anderson ensured an emphatic victory.

In other championship action, Humble Lion FC seized control of Group B with an impressive 5-0 triumph over Reno FC at Effortville Community Centre. Douglas Whitely shone with a second-half brace, supported by goals from Michael Moreland, Everald Swaby, and Aaron Weir.

The weekend matches produced several notable results: Meadforest FC rebounded from their opening loss to defeat newcomers Jamaica Defence Force 1-0, while Holland PYC secured a 1-0 victory against Duncans United. Sakka Browns Town claimed a 2-0 win over Baptist Alliance Sports Club, and Petersfield FC earned their first campaign victory with a 2-1 result against Falmouth United.

Sunday’s fixture saw Roaring River FC fight back to draw 1-1 with St Bess United, marking their second consecutive draw of the season. The championship continues to showcase competitive football across Jamaica’s emerging talent landscape.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Jamaica’s celebrated two-man bobsled team encountered a bittersweet conclusion to their event at the XXV Winter Olympic Games on Tuesday. Piloted by Shane Pitter with brakeman Junior Harris, the team demonstrated significant progress in their third heat at the Eugenio Monti Sliding Centre but fell short of qualifying for the final medal round.

After posting times of 56.68 and 56.72 seconds in Monday’s initial heats, the Jamaican duo rallied with a markedly improved third-run performance of 55.97 seconds. This effort elevated their cumulative time to 2:49.37, moving them one position upward to 22nd place overall. Despite this advancement, they narrowly missed the top-20 cutoff required to compete in the fourth and decisive heat.

The team’s Olympic journey now transitions to the upcoming four-man bobsled competition scheduled to commence later this week, where Jamaica will pursue another historic chapter in their winter sports legacy.

In related Caribbean representation, Trinidad and Tobago concluded their second Winter Olympics appearance with a 25th-place finish, registering a combined time of 2:51.05 minutes.

LISBON, Portugal — On the eve of a critical Champions League play-off confrontation, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho publicly addressed mounting speculation regarding a potential return to Real Madrid. The Portuguese coach, who previously helmed the Spanish giants from 2010 to 2013, emphatically stated his capacity to decline any approach from Madrid president Florentino Perez.

The two European powerhouses are set for a high-stakes showdown at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, with the second leg scheduled at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu the following week. This encounter marks a swift reunion after Mourinho’s Benfica secured a 4-2 victory against Alvaro Arbeloa’s squad during the Champions League group phase in January.

When questioned by journalists about his willingness to reject potential overtures from Perez, Mourinho responded with unequivocal clarity: “Can you say no? Yes. Yes you can.” The 63-year-old tactician acknowledged his “great friendship” with the Madrid president and enduring connections with the club, but swiftly redirected focus to his current contractual obligations.

Mourinho revealed his unique contract with Benfica contains a mutual break clause specifically designed during the club’s presidential election period in November 2025. “The only thing that exists is that I have another year on my contract with Benfica,” Mourinho emphasized. “It’s a special contract because it was signed in an electoral period to protect a hypothetical new president.”

Despite his evident affection for Real Madrid, Mourinho expressed strong competitive intentions for the upcoming match. “I would very much like to eliminate Real Madrid from the Champions League,” he stated, while simultaneously offering praise for opposing coach Arbeloa: “I would like Alvaro to win La Liga and for Alvaro to stay at Madrid for many years. He’s a coach with a lot of capability.”

Real Madrid’s squad approaches the contest with heightened determination, according to midfielder Eduardo Camavinga. “We want to play a great game with the spirit of revenge,” he declared, referencing their previous defeat. “Losing a game like that was tough for our fans.”

Manager Arbeloa maintained tactical ambiguity regarding star forward Kylian Mbappe’s availability, noting: “Kylian came with us, he will train and tomorrow you will see if he plays or doesn’t.” The French international has been managing knee discomfort that limited his participation in Madrid’s recent victory over Real Sociedad.