10 Aubrey Campbell/Gleaner Writer NEW YORK, NY: TWO-TIME DEFENDING champions Calabar High School alumni and firsttime champions St George’s College alumni will start as favourites to retain their titles at this year’s staging of the Jamaica Alumni Football Tournament (JAFT), presented by Griffin Football Club, on Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25, at the James L. Fleming Park, Yonkers, NY. This year will mark the first time that the tournament is being played outside the Bronx, and according to tournament director Bob Austin, the management team is making sure that players and supporters will have a satisfying experience. “We strive to run an efficient, fair and quality tournament and because it’s a city-run facility, that muchmore will be expected of us. Therefore, we will be asking all managers, coaches, captains, players and fans to be on their best behaviour while in the public space and to observe all necessary health-related protocols at this time.” In addition to Calabar defending their U-45 crown and STGC trying to make it two in a row in the O-45 division, fans will be treated to a rare sighting of the next generation of Reggae Boyz when an All-Schools Selection (National Juveniles), fresh off the Manning and daCosta Cup campaigns, line up against a Griffin FC U-19 selection, on Saturday afternoon. Added to the excitement this year will be a four-team, U-12 festival with an ‘international flavour’. Confirmed teams are Bronx Albanians, Brooklyn Central Academy, Griffin FC and Ballaz Academy from Kingston, Jamaica, under the direction of Andre Virtue. Pressed as to whether all thirty-two teams which participated last year have already confirmed for this year, Austin said the teams have until the end of May to say ‘yea or nay’, and that he has had very positive response from Cornwall College and STETHS as possible new entries. Last year saw 12 teams playing in the U-45 category, while 20 outfitted for the 0-45 category. The draw for pool play will be done at the end of May, with the group winners advancing to the ‘single elimination’ (knockout) round. The tournament will end with the usual trophy presentation ceremony and post-humous tributes to notable personalities of the sport, Frank Brown (coach), Trevor Ellington (coach, Unity FC) and Chris Zaidie (player). JAFT to spotlight youth at alumni masters tournament, Yonkers Andre Virtue, director – Ballaz Football Academy, Jamaica. Raymond Graham/ Gleaner Writer PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA F OR THE past 29 years, Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB), headed by founder and Chairman Irwine Clare, has played a significant role in ensuring that Jamaican teams competing at the annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia are provided with several services at the annual relay carnival. SOME OF the usual services provided by TJB include meals and other refreshments, physical therapy, chiropractic, mentorship, and medical services, ground transportation, daily hotel to stadium shuttle, airport transfers for arrival and departure, subsidised hotel rates and subsidised airfares. Last weekend’s 127th staging of the event was no different and TJB stepped up their assistance, with outstanding athletes and coaches being recognised for their performances with individual and team rewards. Holmwood Technical’s Cedricka Williams walked away with the TBJ award for being the top individual Jamaican female performer at the Penn Relays. Williams successfully defended her high school discus title with a new record throw of 57.23 metres. She erased the old mark of 54.72m set by Excelsior High’s Shanice Love in 2016. Hydel High were the top top high school female team at the relays with wins in the 4x100m and the 4x400m. Their 4x100ms team of Alana Reid, Oneika McAnnuff, Shemonique Hazle, and Aaliyah Baker picked up the top-performance award for their winning time of 44.16 seconds, the fourth fastest time ever at the meet in the event. For their two wins, Hydel were rewarded with US$2,400. Kobe Lawrence of Calabar High walked away with the top prize for male individual performance after winning the shot put with a personal best throw of 20.93m. Jamaica College’s sprint relay quartet of Daniel Beckford, Hector Benjamin, Jaiden Reid, and Malique Smith-Band were named the top male relay team and in the process picked up US$1,200. Two coaches were also recognised by TJB - Julian Robinson, the coach of shot putter Lawrence, and former coach of St Jago High’s female team Marlene Hawthorne. Hawthorne, the head of the physical education department at St Jago, has been coach then team manager of the school’s female team to the Penn Relays for more than 30 years. Clare was pleased with his team’s contribution to Jamaica teams once again. “I am very happy that our company was able to contribute once again to the Jamaicans cause. I must thank the organisers of the meet for allowing us to use the Palestra as our base as TBJ Carnival Village, where the Jamaicans dined,”he said. The Palestra is just next door to the Franklin Field track at the University of Pennsylvania. Clare thanked the various stakeholders. “Thanks for the various stakeholders who helped in ensuring that the Jamaicans got ambassadorial treatment for the entire time they were at Penns, and kudos to our volunteers who worked tirelessly to ensure all went well, and also to Jamaica’s Consul General in New York, Alison Wilson,” Clare said. TJB rewards top Jamaican athletes and officials at Penns Team Jamaica Bickle’s Irwine Clare. FILE THE WEEKLY GLEANER | MAY 4 - JUNE 7, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS St. George’s College past students will be looking to repeat as champions in the Masters (0-45) Division of the Jamaica Alumni Football Tournament in Yonkers, NY. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS Tournament director Bob ‘Tego’ Austin, a JC alum. Frank Brown, former national player and coach to receive post-humous citation.
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