Source: www.trinidadexpress.com By Kwame Laurence in New Delhi
Trinidad and Tobago netball captain Janelle Barker celebrated her 33rd birthday in style, at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, here in New Delhi, India, yesterday. The experienced goal shoot was on fire, scoring 46 of her 47 attempts to lead her team to a 77-26 victory over the host nation in their Commonwealth Games Group A showdown.
Joelisa Cooper contributed 16 goals, while team baby, 16-year-old Samantha Wallace chipped in with 15.
T&T now have two wins and one defeat. In their opener, on Monday, they went under to Jamaica, 75-36, but bounced back with a narrow 52-51 triumph over Samoa on Wednesday.
In yesterday's other Group A fixture, Australia got the better of Jamaica 60-46.
At the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex, T&T cyclist Njisane Phillip finished fifth in the men's sprint. In the quarterfinal round, Phillip lost in two straight rides to New Zealand's Eddie Dawkins, but rebounded to beat Scotland's Ross Edgar, Canadian Travis Smith and England's David Daniell in the race to determine positions five to eight. Edgar was sixth, Smith seventh and Daniell eighth.
Shane Perkins beat his teammate Scott Sunderland 2-0 in the sprint finals for a one-two Australia finish. New Zealand's Sam Webster claimed the bronze with a 2-0 triumph over Dawkins.
Emile Abraham finished eighth in heat two in the qualification event for the men's 15-kilometre scratch race. The placing earned the T&T cyclist a berth in today's 24-man final.
Phillip, Christopher Sellier and Thireef Smart will also be on the track, bidding for honours in the men's team sprint.
At the Dr. S.P.M. Aquatics Complex, 15-year-old para-swimmer Shanntol Ince copped sixth spot in the women's 100 metres freestyle S9 final. The youngest swimmer in the field, Ince got home in one minute, 14.00 seconds.
South Africa's Natalie Du Toit, one of the most well known para-athletes on the planet, triumphed in a Games record 1:02.36 to complete the 50 free/100 free double. England's Stephanie Millward (1:03.69) snapped up silver, ahead of Australian Ellie Cole (1:05.20).
In the preliminary round, Ince, the first T&T para-athlete to compete at a major mainstream international Games, finished third in heat one and sixth overall in 1:14.01.
On Tuesday, Ince was fifth in the women's 50 free S9 final.
Cherelle Thompson clocked 26.70 seconds to finish sixth in heat two and 12th overall in the women's 50m freestyle semis. The T&T swimmer was 11th fastest in the heats, touching the wall in 26.65 seconds.
Jarryd Gregoire was 15th overall in the men's 100m butterfly semis in 56.53 seconds, while his teammate, Cadell Lyons was 16th in 56.73.
In the heats, Lyons (55.86) and Gregoire (56.55) were 14th and 16th, respectively. Another T&T swimmer, Joshua McLeod (56.68) was 18th and did not advance to the semis.
Christian Homer was 17th fastest in the men's 100m backstroke heats, the 17-year-old swimmer clocking 1:00.33.
Late last night (T&T time), Lyons, McLeod and Caryle Blondell were in action in the men's 50m freestyle heats.
Shooters Roger Daniel and Rhodney Allen combined for sixth spot in the men's 10m air pistol pairs event, at the Dr Karni Singh Shooting Range. Daniel scored 568 and Allen 553 for a total of 1,121.
India secured gold with a Games record 1,163, forcing England (1,143) to settle for silver. Singapore (1,139) bagged bronze.
Daniel and Allen, who teamed up on Tuesday for bronze in the 50m pistol pairs, will be in action today in the 10m air pistol singles event.
At the Talkatora Indoor Stadium, T&T boxer Andrew Fermin was disqualified at 2:17 in the third and final round of his light heavyweight bout with Samoa's Filimaua Hala.
Super heavyweight Tariq Abdul Haqq and welterweight Aaron Prince will bid for quarterfinal berths today. Haqq squares off against Pakistan's Meer Khan, while Prince tackles India's Dilbag Singh.
In squash, Colin Ramasra was beaten in straight games by Scotland's Alan Clyne in their men's singles classic plate semifinal duel, at the Siri Fort Sports Complex. The match lasted 15 minutes, Clyne getting the better of the T&T pro 11-3, 11-6, 11-3.
At the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, T&T's hockey women lost for the third time in as many matches.
But though they were beaten 6-1 by Scotland in the Group A contest, T&T could take heart from a couple firsts. Charlene Williams was on target one minute from the end of the game for T&T's first goal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games tournament. And it was the first time the hockey women avoided double figures here in New Delhi, following 12-0 and 11-0 whippings at the hands of South Africa and Australia, respectively.
T&T will be back on the pitch today for their clash with India. And the hockey men face South Africa in a Group B match-up.