Kirani James Leads Grenada's CARIFTA Team

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada – World Youth silver medalist Kirani James is leading a 18-member Grenada team for the Junior CARIFTA Games in St. Kitts, March 21-24.

The Grenada Athletic Association (GAA) announced the final team following the Inter-Collegiate Track and Field Championships at the National Stadium this week.

James is expected to lead Grenada’s charge at the Games where he defends his 400 metres title in the Boys’ Under-17 division.

The 15 year-old has already sent a message of his intention to break Jamaican Usain Bolt’s 400m Games’ record of 47.33 seconds. James ran 46.96 secs to finish second in last year’s 5^th IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic.

Other medal hopefuls are Shakir Simmons in the boys’ Under-20 Shot Put, who has improved this year, and is highly favoured to medal; and Wendell Modeste in the Heptathlon, who should keep the island’s rich tradition in this event alive.

Grenada has won the Heptathlon five times in the last seven years.

Both Emron Gibbs and Carron Isaac should regain Grenada’s dominance in the boys’ Under-17 Javelin.

In the girls’ division, medal hopes rest on the performances of Colleen Felix in the Pentathlon and Javelin events and Antonia Wilson in the 3000 metres.

Team officials believe the team could win a total of 15 medals, its best chances since 2002 when Grenada won 22 medals in the Bahamas.

The team, which leaves here on March 18 for Basseterre, will be accompanied by Denise Williams as manager and Albert Joseph and Kerlon Peters as coaches.

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IOC President to Visit

ST. GEORGE'S, Grenada - A delegation of international sports administrators led by the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Mr. Jacques Rogge, will pay a one-day visit to Grenada on Sunday March 16th.

Mr. Rogge, who is on a swing through the Caribbean where he is expected to officially open the Headquarters of the Barbados Olympic Association, will arrive here on Sunday morning where he will be introduced to the executive of the Grenada Olympic Committee (GOC).

The delegation, which also includes the President of the Pan-American Sports Organisation (PASO), Mario Vazquez Rana, will also meet with Governor General Sir Daniel Williams and a special meeting with the Minister of Sports, Presidents and General Secretaries of National Sport Organisations, the Media and Sports Enthusiasts at the Grenada National Stadium.

The IOC’s President, who is visiting Grenada for the first time, is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell at a special luncheon in his honour at the Rex Grenadian Hotel shortly before his departure.

Mr. Rogge will be also be accompanied by his wife, Anne Rogge, and his Personal Assistant Ms. Yasmine Braeckevelt, among others.

Jacques Rogge is the eighth IOC President, elected on July 16, 2001 at the 112th IOC Session in Moscow.

Born on May 2, 1942 in Ghent, Belgium, Jacques Rogge is married and has two children. By profession, he is an orthopaedic surgeon. In the course of his sports career, he competed in the yachting competitions at the Games of the Olympiad in Mexico in 1968, Munich in 1972 and Montreal in 1976. He was also a member of the Belgian national rugby team.

Jacques Rogge served as President of the Belgian National Olympic Committee from 1989 to 1992. He became President of the European Olympic Committees in 1989, IOC member in 1991 and Executive Board member in 1998.

SAASS Dethrones MDC, SDCSS Wins Again

ST GEORGE’S, Grenada – St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School (SAASS) regained the boys’ title while St David’s Catholic Secondary School (SDCSS) retained the girls’ division of the Inter-Secondary Schools’ Track and Field Championships for a 10^th consecutive year on Thursday at the National Stadium.

SAASS, led by a strong field-event effort, scored 148 points, 35 more than former champions, McDonald College. The Telescope-based school also took three of the four divisional titles to spread their domination.

But it was easier for SDCSS to retain the girls’ championship with 116 points. St Joseph’s Convent Grenville (73) and SAASS (64) were the only schools putting up a challenge.

Six records, including two by World Junior 400 metres silver medallist Kirani James and Rondel Bartholomew, were broken during the two-day event.

James of the Grenada Boys’ Secondary School (GBSS) broke the Junior boys’ 200 and 400m, while Shakir Simmon of SAASS (Senior boys’ Shot Put), Rondel Bartholomew of SAASS (Senior boys’ 200 and 400m), Kellon Alexis of Westerhall Secondary School (Junior boys’ Shot Put), Jayon Creedland of Westerhall Secondary School (Junior boys’ Shot Put), and McDonald College (Boys’ 4x400m Relay).

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Senator amazed Grenada football team not able to use stadium

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada - National Democratic Congress Senator, Arley Gill, says it's incomprehensible that with an important World Cup Qualifier scheduled for Grenada this month, the national football team is not able to prepare on the grounds of the National Stadium at Queen's Park, according to the party’s web site.

In a Group 3 First Round Qualifying Game, Grenada will play the U.S. Virgin Islands at the Stadium on March 26. But, as part of its warm up for the U.S. V.I. encounter, the Grenada football team will not be able to use the Stadium to play Barbados in a friendly this Saturday, March 15.

The web site quoted Senator Gill as saying that one reason the footballers are unable to play Barbados at the Stadium is due to the "alarming costs for the football association and other sporting organizations to use the Grenada National Stadium.''

He added: "We now need to ask ourselves whether the National Stadium stands as an ornament and awaits international cricket games once or twice a year, rather than being used by our sportsmen and sportswomen.''

Gill, a lawyer, also wonders at the silence and lack of effort on the part of the Sports Minister in assisting the Grenada Football Association in getting to utilize the Stadium.

"We are amazed that the Minister of Sports has not step in as yet to ensure that the National Stadium is accessible to the Grenada Football Association as it prepares for the World Cup Qualifiers,'' said Gill.

"We believe that if we are to get good home advantage, then it is only fair and proper for the players of the football team to play on the National Stadium surface before they meet the Virgin Islands.'

Grenada will be playing its warm up game against Barbados at the Tanteen Recreation Ground.

The Opposition Senator says Tanteen has its own problems.

"The Tanteen Recreation Ground, since the passage of Hurricane Ivan, has been woefully inadequate to host proper sporting events due to the lack of facilities, such as toilet facilities and other facilities for patrons,'' Gill said. "For years we have campaigned with regards to the improvement of the facilities at Tanteen Ground.''

Baby Boy From Grenada Comes To Jax For Life-Saving Surgery

by News4Jax.com

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- A 3-month-old boy and his family recently flew from Grenada to Jacksonville's Wolfson Children's Hospital for a critical surgery to correct the boy's severe heart defect.

"I come to do a heart surgery for my son. As far I know, the doctors say everything is going fine," said Andrew Harris' mother, Antoinette Harris.

She sat anxiously, waiting for her son to get out of open-heart surgery. Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgeon Dr. Robert Dabal and a team of doctors and nurses were the miracle workers responsible for saving Andrew's life.

"We're going to close the hole that he has in his heart, and that's going to be a rather straight-forward part of the operation," Dabal said.

Andrew's blue appearance caused by a lack of oxygen immediately tipped off his mother about her son's condition.

"I know he had a problem," Harris said.

"He's not getting enough oxygen, so eventually it would damage his brain and all of his vital organs would be damaged by the lack of oxygen," Dabal explained.

The family's trip to the U.S. was made possible by a nonprofit organization called Patrons of the Hearts.

The mission to save the boy's life was a success.

"We were so glad that Grenada had the foundation and that America had this program for us," Harris said.

It is expected to take about a week or so for Andrew to recover at the hospital. After that, the boy will stay at the Ronald McDonald House.

Doctors said they expect Andrew to live a full, normal and active life.