分类： sports

In a dramatic reshaping of Trinidad and Tobago’s football landscape, Signal Hill Secondary School has emerged as a formidable force that has permanently altered the competitive dynamics of the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL). Under the guidance of head coach Downie Marcelle, the Tobago-based team came within touching distance of claiming the 2025 premiership title, ultimately falling 2-1 to traditional giants Naparima College in their November 27 showdown.

The significance of Signal Hill’s campaign extends far beyond their final-match disappointment. Their seismic victory over Presentation College on October 11 at Manny Ramjohn Stadium served as a watershed moment that compelled Trinidad coaches to scout the Tobago outfit with unprecedented seriousness. Naparima’s coach Angus Eve resorted to intensive video analysis to decode Signal Hill’s high-intensity, aggressive style—a testament to their disruptive impact on the established football order.

Marcelle’s philosophy centers on structured gameplay rather than raw athleticism, implementing clear pressing triggers, purposeful transitions, and a continuity system fed by his Ball Blasters Youth Academy—recent national U-17 club champions. This methodology has produced a squad where most starters share championship pedigree and tactical cohesion.

The psychological dimension of their campaign proved equally crucial. Marcelle’s innovative approach included team-building exercises at the beach and cricket matches to maintain rhythm during postponed fixtures. The team adopted Jamaican reggae artist Popcaan’s ‘Firm and Strong’ as their anthem following the Presentation victory, creating an emotional soundtrack that fueled their conviction throughout the season.

While acknowledging the legendary legacy of former coach Bertille St Clair—whose teams built Signal Hill’s reputation through bullish brilliance and produced talents like current national team coach Dwight Yorke—Marcelle recognizes that tangible silverware remains the final hurdle to full restoration of the fear factor associated with Signal Hill’s glory days.

With the Tobago Zone Intercol finals against Speyside Secondary approaching at Dwight Yorke Stadium, and their sights firmly set on making history as Tobago’s first SSFL premiership champions in 2026, Signal Hill has delivered an unambiguous message to Trinidad’s football establishment: the rising tide of Tobago football represents a permanent shift in the balance of power.

The Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF) celebrated its most accomplished international competitors during its annual awards ceremony on November 29 at the National Cycling Centre in Balmain, Couva. Sprint specialist Nicholas Paul and endurance cyclist Teniel Campbell received top honors as the federation’s 2025 most outstanding male and female international cyclists, respectively, following a year of remarkable achievements.

Paul dominated the Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Paraguay last April, securing an impressive triple crown in the men’s team sprint, individual sprint, and 1km time trial events, while adding a silver medal in the keirin. Though he narrowly missed the podium at the World Championships with fourth and seventh place finishes in sprint and keirin events, Paul continued his winning streak with sprint gold at the Summer Slam in the United States in July. Most recently, he claimed keirin gold at the ongoing Bolivarian Games in Lima, Peru.

Campbell demonstrated exceptional versatility throughout the 2025 season, capturing double gold in both the women’s individual time trial and road race at the Caribbean Elite Road Cycling Championships in Belize this October. Her Pan American performances included gold in the points race and bronze in the elimination race at the Track Championships, complemented by dual bronze medals in the time trial and road race at the Pan American Road Continental Championships in April. The elite cyclist also achieved second place at Belgium’s Grote Prijs Yvonne Reynders event in August and placed 23rd in a competitive field of 44 riders at the UCI Road World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda.

The ceremony also recognized emerging talent, with Campbell’s younger brother Akil receiving the President’s Cup for his promising performances across local, regional, and international circuits as a rising endurance specialist. Akil Campbell additionally claimed top honors for elite division one men, while Miami Blazers professional Alexi Costa-Ramirez earned the women’s equivalent.

San Fernando-based Rigtech Sonics received the distinction of best club, with junior accolades awarded to Trishton Jaichan (PSL) and Cassidy Samaroo (Madonna Wheelers). The federation further celebrated developing talent across multiple age categories, from tinymites to masters divisions, highlighting the depth of Trinidad and Tobago’s cycling future.

In a commanding display of football prowess, Club Sando ascended to the top of the TT Premier Football League (TTPFL) standings with a decisive 3-0 triumph over San Juan Jabloteh at Mahaica Sporting Complex on November 30. Under the strategic guidance of coach Angus Eve, Sando delivered their fifth victory in six seasonal outings, demonstrating both offensive flair and defensive solidity.

The match unfolded with Sando establishing early dominance, particularly through the dynamic wing play of Real Gill, who consistently dismantled Jabloteh’s defensive structure. After creating several promising opportunities, Sando broke the deadlock in the 21st minute when striker Tarik Lee clinically finished from close range—marking his seventh goal of the campaign—following exquisite combination play between Gill and midfielder Keron Cornwall.

Gill continued to orchestrate Sando’s attacking maneuvers, nearly doubling the advantage moments later with a perfectly weighted pass to captain Shervohnez Hamilton, only to be denied by an exceptional point-blank save from Jabloteh goalkeeper Justin Dos Santos. Sando’s first-half pressure yielded additional near-misses, including Gill’s curling strike that rattled the crossbar at the half-hour mark.

Despite brief second-half resistance from Jabloteh—including threatening attempts from winger Andell Fraser and center forward Malachi Webb—Sando maintained control. The victory was sealed through two late goals from Luke Phillips, who first headed home from Gill’s precision free-kick delivery in the 79th minute before completing his brace five minutes later with a low left-footed finish after Gill dispossessed Jadon McShine.

The result propelled Sando to first place with 15 points, tied with Prisons but superior in goal difference (+16 versus +7). In the evening’s secondary fixture, Police FC secured a 2-0 victory over Point Fortin Civic through goals from Mickaeel Gordon and Isaiah Hudson, consolidating their third-place position with 13 points.

In a compelling display of pace bowling under overcast conditions, the West Indies cricket team seized control on a rain-interrupted first day of the opening Test against New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on December 2, 2025. The visitors’ decision to bowl first proved immediately rewarding as veteran pacer Kemar Roach struck in the very first over, dismissing Devon Conway for a duck with a catch at second slip.

The New Zealand innings struggled to gain momentum throughout the day, eventually stuttering to 231 for nine at stumps. Captain Kane Williamson provided the most substantial resistance with a composed 52, while Michael Bracewell contributed a valuable 47. Their efforts, however, were consistently undermined by a disciplined West Indian bowling attack that capitalized on favorable swinging conditions.

Jamaican debutant Ojay Shields emerged as a standout performer, claiming two crucial wickets for 34 runs in an impressive introduction to Test cricket. His first Test wicket came when he clean-bowled Tom Blundell for 29, this time avoiding the no-ball that had earlier denied him Williamson’s wicket. All-rounder Justin Greaves provided excellent support with two wickets for 35 runs, including the prized scalp of Williamson shortly after he reached his half-century.

The day’s proceedings concluded dramatically when last man Jacob Duffy was struck on the helmet by a Roach bouncer, prompting the umpires to suspend play due to deteriorating light conditions. With Shields, Greaves, and Roach leading the attack, the West Indies will resume day two in a commanding position, needing just one wicket to conclude the New Zealand innings.