T&T coach Nicholson Drakes has included four newcomers to his senior national women’s volleyball team which served off their 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games campaign against host Mexico last night at the Cardoba Arena. This will be the “Calypso Spikers”, six-time Caribbean champions (1998, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2014) second straight CAC Games for the T&T women after ending fourth on debut, four years ago in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico following a four sets loss to Costa Rica in the bronze medal match.

The newcomers are Malika Davidson along with Under-23 trio Sakile Grannum, Maya Roberts and middle-blocker, Kaylon Cruickshank, who was part of the senior team at the Continental Championship in Omaha, earlier this year without much court time. The rest of the team to be led by veteran Kelly-Anne Billingy includes Jalicia Ross-Kydd, Sinead Jack, Marisha Herbert, Darlene Ramdin, libero Courtnee-Mae Clifford, Makila York and Channon Thompson, who was voted as the “Most Valuable Player”,  “Best Server” and “Best Spiker” after leading T&T past Jamaica 25-12, 25-13, 25-12 in the 15th Senior Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Championship final on August 10 at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo.

The players who were part of the team for the CAZOVA Championship win and not heading to Mexico are Renele Forde and Rheeza Grant due to injury, and Abby Blackman (beach volleyball duties). In Veracruz, the “Calypso Spikers” will compete in a very tough Pool B round-robin series against 2010 silver medal winners Puerto Rico, bronze medallist Costa Rica and host Mexico while Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela and defending champions Dominican Republic are in Pool A. Today, T&T will Puerto Rico followed by Costa Rica on Monday to end round-robin pool play in the eight-team tournament ahead of the playoffs.

WOMEN’s Grouping and Fixtures
Pool A: Cuba, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela
Pool B: Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, T&T
Today 
Puerto Rico vs T&T, 2pm
Venezuela vs Cuba, 4pm
Colombia vs Dominican Republic, 7pm
Mexico vs Costa Rica, 9pm
Monday 
Venezuela vs Colombia, 2pm
T&T vs Costa Rica, 4pm
Cuba vs Dominican Republic, 7pm
Mexico vs Puerto Rico, 9pm
Tuesday

Quarterfinals
Wednesday 
Classification 5th—8th semifinals
Main Draw semifinals:
Thursday
Classification 7th/8th, 2pm
Classification 5th/6th, 4pm
Third place, 7pm
Final, 9pm

T&T Women’s V-Ball squad
Kelly-Anne Billingy (captain), Joelicia Ross-Kydd, Channon Thompson, Sinead Jack, Marisha Herbert, Darlene Ramdin, Malika Davidoson, Courtnee-Mae Clifford (libero), Makila Yorke, Sakile Grannum, Maya Roberts, Kaylon Cruickshank.

TECHNICAL STAFF
Nicholson Drakes (coach), 
Macsood Ali (assistant coach), 
Peer Nasseir (manager)

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T&T’s senior men’s hockey team minus two of its marquee players in Kwandwane Browne and Dwain Quan Chan will flick off its gold medal bid at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Veracruz, Mexico against Dominican Republic from 11 am today. This is because Browne has commitments with his English Premier Division club, Canterbury where he is a player/coach while Quan Chan has work commitments. Both players were also unavailable for T&T during its successful campaign at the second International Hockey Federation (FIH) World League first round qualifying tournament in Kingston, Jamaica last month.

Back then, T&T men first overcame Dominican Republic 2-0 in a penalty-stroke shoot-out after a 2-2 draw in regulation before brushing aside Barbados 3-1 and host Jamaica 3-0 to top the four-team round-robin series with eight points, three more than the Jamaicans, to secure the lone spot available to the second round in Chula Vista, California, next year (February 28 - March 8). Coach Raphael Govia is hoping the team can continue on the same path even though locally-based pair, Aidan De Gannes and Solomon Eccles, two members of the team in Jamaica, were also forced to miss the tournament in Mexico also through work duties.

In their absence, Govia has drafted in experienced duo, Mickel Pierre and Dominic Young, who were not involved in Kingston. The T&T men will next meet Cuba on Tuesday and Guatemala two days later, to end pool play while Barbados, Jamaica and defending champions Mexico are in Pool B. T&T last won the CAC gold medal in 2002 while it has finished second on the last two occasion to Cuba (2006) and Mexico (2010). T&T also got bronze in 1998 and coach Govia said its time the “Calypso Stickmen” get back to claiming the gold.

Tournament Pools and Fixtures
Pool A: Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, T&T
Pool B: Barbados, Jamaica, Mexico
Sunday
T&T vs Dominican Republic, 11am
Cuba vs Guatemala, 1pm
Mexico vs Jamaica, 3pm
Tuesday 
Dominican Republic vs Guatemala, 11am
Cuba vs T&T, 1pm
Barbados vs Mexico, 3pm
Thursday 
T&T vs Guatemala, 11am
Dominican Republic vs Cuba, 1pm
Jamaica vs Barbados, 3pm
Saturday 
Fifth to Seventh semifinals, 11am
First to Fourth semifinals, 1.15pm
November 24:
Fifth place, 11am
Third, 1.15pm
Final. 3.30pm

Technical Staff
Raphael Govia (coach), Christobella George-Ford (manager), Zynul Khan (doctor), Cindy Martin-Faustin (assistant manager), Karielle De Bique (physiotherapist)

T&T Men's Hockey Team
Darren Cowie (captain), Dillet Gilkes, Nicholas Grant, Marcus James, Shaquille Daniel, Tariq Marcano, Stefan Mouttet, Mickel Pierre, Akim Toussaint, Kiel Murray, Andrey Rocke (goalkeeper), Jordan Reynos, Michael O’Connor II, Kristen Emmanuel, Dominic Young, Shane Legerton.

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Veracruz

The Trinidad and Tobago women’s hockey team opened their Central American and Caribbean Games campaign with a solid 5-0 win over Bermuda at the High Performance Centre in Veracruz, Mexico yesterday.
After the opening ceremony Friday night, the first set of sports got underway yesterday, the official first day of competition at the quadrennial games.
In their opening Pool B match, T&T started with a 5-0 shutout of Bermuda with Kristin Thompson (30th), Kayla Brathwaite (35th), Dana-Lee De Gannes (45th), Brianna Govia (47th) and veteran Oire Trotman (51st) doing the business. Their next assignment is an encounter with Guyana tomorrow at 4 p.m.TT time.
At the Leyes de Reforma Aquatic Center, T&T’s Kristin Julien was expected to swim out of lane one of the women’s 50m backstroke last night after qualifying with the sevent fastest time.
Julien, a multiple Carifta medallist, placed third in heat one of two when she clocked 30.78 seconds. She was third in that heat behind Colomba’s Isbella Arcila and Guatemala’s Gisela Morales who both tied with 29.65. In the second heat, Maria Gonzales of Mexico used home crowd advantage to power to a new CAC record when she posted 28.77 seconds, with Carlina Colorado of Colombia second in (29.58) and Venezuela’s Jeserik Pinto third (29.79).
At the El Lecero Police Academy, T&T shooters failed to qualify for the final in the Men’s Individual 50m rifle shooting competition.
T&T’s best performer was experienced campaigner Roger Daniel, who finished 10th while teammates Rhodney Allen and Clement Marshall ended 20th and 27th respectively.
At the Tuxpan Canoeing Complex, T&T’s Matthew Robinson finished eighth and last in the Men’s Kayak Single K1 1000m competition. Robinson teamed up with Sherlon Pierre to finish 6th of seven in the Men’s K2 1000m race.
And in table tennis, the T&T women’s team lost one tie before winning another.
Colombia defeated them 3-1 with Rhean Chung being the only success, defeating Angie Umbacia in straight sets (11-9,11-8,11-8). They then galloped over Jamaica for a 3-0 shut out in their second Group 2 encounter.
T&T’s men were involved in a tie with Mexico and were scheduled to play Cuba later last night.

Today’s schedule (TT time)
11.00 am: Women’s table tennis quarter-finals
11.30 am: Keian Huggins - Women’s K1 500m Canoe final
12.45 pm: Men’s table tennis quarter-finals
1.00 pm: Men’s Individual Time Trial (cycling)
1.00 pm: Trinidad and Tobago vs Dominican Republic - Men’s Hockey, Match 1 Pool A 
4.00 pm: Men and Women’s Team Gymnastic competition ; Women’s Volleyball - T&T vs Puerto Rico

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Mexico is known for its many gifts to the world such as The Estadio Azteca, mariachi bands, tequila, and most recently the Opening Ceremony of the 2014 edition of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games hosted in Veracruz, a forty minute flight south east of the capital Mexico City.

The night was nothing short of a traditional fiesta with a carnival like atmosphere that welcomed all the participating teams. However, although Trinidad and Tobago lead by Flag Barer, Table Tennis veteran Dexter St. Louis, was not able to be represented by its full 208 contingency, the two dozen representatives (mainly made up of the Men’s Hockey Team) were always seen in the heart of the celebrations.

The Ceremony began with the traditional parade of the representing teams (in alphabetical order) in which T&T was 29th, followed by Venezuela and finally, as it is tradition for the host country to be featured at the end, Mexico.

At the conclusion of the parade, the Governor of the State of Veracruz, Javier Duarte de Ocha welcomed all participating teams as they settled in their seats. Proud rhythmic chants of “Veracruz” echoed in derby-day style thought out the stadium as the City’s locals in attendance displayed their passion for their homeland.

Those in attendance were then treated to some traditional Mexican Jarocho performers as well as some other modern styles. However, the Traditional Mexican Heritage Pole Dance certainly stole the show, with death defying stunt men and women dangling more than 50 feet in the air while the pyrotechnic displays further awed the crowds; it certainly was not a sight for the faint hearted, but yet captivating for all.

Closing off the night was the Puerto Rican Pop Star Ricky Martin who performed his famous songs including “Living La Vida Loca” and “La Copa de La Vida”. The six time Grammy Award winner certainly showed he still had what it takes as athletes danced and mingled amongst each other crossing all borders to share “selfies” and exchange pleasantries to his rhythms.

Chef  de Mission of the Trinidad and Tobago delegation Annette Knott has acknowledged the support provided by the Vera Cruz 2014  volunteers .

At the Raising of the Flag Ceremony held in Vera Cruz to officially welcome  Trinidad and Tobago to the  2014 Central American and Caribbean Games Mrs Knott  thanked the volunteers for their exceptional service they were providing and acknowledged that Trinidad and Tobago and Vera Cruz share a special bond .

" The volunteers have provided yeoman service  especially with their english speaking skills. I also note that we have  in common a  carnival that is popular and eagerly anticipated ".

Mayor of Veracruz ,Javier Duarte de Ochoa warmly welcomed Trinidad and Tobago and graciously accepted a gift from Mrs Knott.

The 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games got underway with a spectacular Opening Ceremony in the Mexican city of Veracruz tonight, with Latin American singer Ricky Martin among the stars of the show.

The Puerto Rican pop musician performed his new single Adios, as well as some of his other chart-topping songs, including Livin' la Vida Loca, to a packed crowd at the 26,000-capacity Luis Pirata Fuente Stadium.

"Welcome to Veracruz," Martin said.

"The Central American and Caribbean Games are opened."

The Opening Ceremony also saw the lighting of the Games cauldron by Mexican taekwondo Olympic, World Championships and Pan American Games gold medallist María Espinoza and the parade of some 5,700 athletes from 31 countries, who will take part in competition across 36 sports.

Caribbean music and fireworks also featured heavily in the show, as well as speeches from Veracruz Governor Javier Duarte de Ochoa, who spoke on behalf of Mexico's President Enrique Peña Nieto, and Central American and Caribbean Sports Organisation President Hector Cardona.

The Games are scheduled to continue until November 30.

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