BVI SPORTS SCENE: 2004 IN REVIEW

From the drafting of legislation for the establishment of a long over due National Sports Policy, to the launching of a Department of Youth Affairs and Sports—19 years after a Sports Division was created; the opening of a $10 million Multipurpose Sports Complex; hosting of regional tournaments; advancing in regional football competition for the first time; winning medals at the CAC Jr. Track and Field Championships and participation in the Athens Olympic Games, there were significant mild stones in BVI sports in 2004.

Following is a sport by sport synopsis.

Virgin Gorda Mystics' Gary Hillhouse and East Rockers' Dwayne 'Kobo' Penn, tipping off the start of indoor basketball in the BVI

Basketball

Multipurpose Sports Complex opens with NBA players

Six days after the NBA Denver Nuggets’ star Carmello Anthony cut the ribbon to open the BVI’s $10 million Multipurpose Sports Complex on May 28, the first indoor game was played. NBA counterparts, L.A. Lakers Kareem Rush and Golden State Warriors Jason Williams opposed each other in a celebrity game that also included college players. The Detroit Piston’ Tayshaun Prince was also in attendance as the game culminated activities for a on week professional basketball camp for 300 boys and girls between 7 and 18 years at four venues on Tortola and one on Virgin Gorda.

Big Ballers League signals start of indoor basketball

Opening of regular league play was delayed from July because of finishing work on the Multipurpose Sports Complex. A league sanctioned by the Basketball Federation—the first league since Federation suspended league play in 2001, paving the way for the construction of the facility—began with 16 teams. The league was dubbed BVI Big Ballers League and organized by Rhodni Skelton. “It appears that nothing is going to be done this year. I don’t think its right, or that we should have to go through a full year and not have any sport whether its basketball, volleyball, baseball or whatever we have established,” Skelton stated. “So, I’m going to do my part to see if we can put together some kind of league until the government can step in and put on a grand league.”

Volleyball

BVI Volleyball Association ratifies new constitution

The BVI Amateur Volleyball Association ratified a new constitution before a small number of coaches and players during a general meeting at the Sports Division conference room in early January. Association president Roy Barry said although the turnout was disappointing, the constitution was ratified and will be implemented. “There was only one area of the constitution that was heavily discussed and that was the issue of how many persons should be allowed to vote during our general elections,” Barry noted. “Coming out of that, it was agreed that there will be two representatives from each team attending the annual general meeting to represent their team and vote on their behalf.”

Young Gunz, Geriatrix win BVI Volleyball Association titles

Young Gunz pulled out a stunning five set victory to beat favored Terminators while Geriatrix swept Raw Power to win the BVI Amateur Volleyball Association men’s and women’s titles at the Belle Vue Gym. Young Gunz secured a 20-25, 28-26, 26-24, 19-25 and 16-14 victory for their fourth title since 1998. “This one is sweet. Really sweet,” said Young Gunz’s coach Kwele Williams. “We didn’t have any confusion this year and we had a full league. The two teams came out and fought tonight. I thought my guys dug deep because they showed me that they wanted it.” Geriatrix had a straight set 25-19, 25-9 and 25-23 victory over Raw Power to win the women’s crown.

BVI hosts OECS Men’s Volleyball Championships for 1st time

The BVI Amateur Volleyball Association hosted the 15th OECS Men’s Volleyball Championships, marking the first regional tournament at the Multipurpose Sports Complex. St. Lucia beat Antigua 25-23, 25-23 and 25-15 in straight sets for its14th OECS Volleyball title in 15 years. Host BVI placed third, after taking the first two sets from St. Kitts 25-19 and 25-22. St. Kitts however came back to take the next three 27-25, 25-21 and 15-13 to deny the BVI its first OECS tournament medal. For the first time in 12 years, Dominica, the reigning silver medalists were spectators in the tournament after failing to win a match. “This is an embarrassing position for Dominica, very embarrassing and frankly as coach, I’m very embarrassed,” Coach Albert Loblack said. “That was the position we were in, in the early years of the tournament and we have long gone past that. We have been respected. Anybody hearing Dominica is now in that position would be shocked, and I’m embarrassed, I’m telling you straight.”

Softball

Blue Wings wins 10th BVI Softball title after controversial weekend

Following a bizarre weekend where they surprisingly forfeited one game on the second Friday in September and its players threatened to boycott the next game, the Blue Wings regrouped to win their 10th BVI Amateur Softball Association championship with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Chips on the Sunday. “We didn’t expect it and didn’t get a warning or anything,” Blue Wings manager Rufus ‘Sleepy’ Malone said. “The game before (last Sunday) we started an hour and a half late and all of a sudden exactly half hour after game time, (Friday) our game was forfeited and we were shocked. For this whole year, we have never started a game half hour after game time,” Malone recalled. “But it happened and that’s what got the guys upset and most of them swore that they would never play again because they were mad at the time and even into Saturday. It wasn’t until this morning (Sunday) when we convinced the entire team ‘lets go. The fans want us to come and they are begging us to come. Let’s go down and beat the game. If you want to quit after that, that’s fine but, let’s go down and win this series.’”

The Crushers swept the Hawks for their first women’s crown

Softball president announces resignation

Less than a year after taking the reigns of the BVI Amateur Softball Association from Walwyn ‘GM’ Brewley—who was at the helm since 1981—Neville ‘Sheep’ Smith will step down as association president. Smith, one of the league’s top pitchers on the Blue Chips, said his decision comes following a whirlwind weekend where the Blue Wings forfeited to his team, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The Blue Wings won the series with a 3-2 victory over the Blue Chips. “The way things went on Friday night, it did not have to go that way. The things that were said didn’t have to be said,” a disappointed Smith lamented. “The umpire made a ruling and if anybody knows the rules of softball, once the umpire is in control of the game, he controls the game—not the president. If the Blue Wings wanted to protest the game that’s what they should have done—it’s their right. If I had turned around and made a ruling on that game, the umpires didn’t have to show up again because I’m trying to show them up and that’s not how its suppose to be. The whole thing went out of proportion and people say what they had to say and it was really bad.”

Cycling

Antiguan, Cruzan wins Jason Bally Memorial

Antigua’s Danny Donelan and St. Croix’s Sue Brown were the respective elite division winners in the 5th Jason Bally Memorial 100K on Tortola that attracted 79 riders from 11 countries. Donelan made a move he never relinquished on the first of two laps to the Terrence Lettsome airport, to win the race in 2 hours, 26 minutes and 34 seconds. “They fell asleep and let me get that far ahead but I’m not surprised because a lot of races in the Caribbean, nobody likes to put in the work,” he noted. “The persons that go out and are willing to put in the work will win the races. This race is also suited for me because of the hills and I’m a good climber. I’m skinny and built for the hills so I don’t mind going out there and doing all the work for myself.” St. Croix’s Sue Brown who won the women’s division in 1:44.34, said the race was just as challenging as last year “I felt strong in the early part going to West End because I love the flat,” Brown said. “But as soon as those hills came I was dizzy. The men had to do the hills twice and for me, that would have been very difficult. I could have done it but it was enough doing it back and forth one time.”

Phillippe Leroy snatches first Tour de Tortola title

Phillippe Leroy overcame a flat tire and the challenge of 27 other riders to win his first Clarence Thomas Ltd. Tour de Tortola on Sunday. Leroy covered the 44 mile circumnavigation of Tortola in 2 hours, 20 minutes and 17 seconds. “At last I did it. Finally a victory and it feels very good,” Leroy said. “I was worried at one point when I had a flat. I said ‘no, please. Not this year. Not again.’ Luckily, nobody was close by and I was able to win.” Leroy went on to win the national title.

Thomas, Leroy represents BVI at Pan Am Cycling Championships

Phillippe Leroy and Neil Thomas were the BVI’s first-time competitors in the Pan American Cycling championships in Venezuela, along with Cycling Federation president David Thomas. “It feels really good to see that all of the work we have been doing for the past couple years is now finally starting to pay off,” Thomas said. BVI cyclists also competed in Anguilla and the Caribbean Cycling Championships in St. Lucia.

Track and Field

Flemming wins 10th BVI High School title

Flemming House won its 10th BVI High School inter-house athletic championship on the afternoon of April 16, in the continuation of the second day’s events that were wiped out by rains on March 26. Flemming House—who had a 124 point lead over Carlisle at the end of the 800 meter events when the rains came—won the competition with 712 points. Carlisle finished with 560. Lincoln followed with 487 and Lettsome had 453. House master Lachmi Sami congratulated her entire squad for becoming the second team in school history to win at least 10 titles. Lincoln has won 13 titles. “My girls, especially Bianca, (Dougan) Sanya (Penn) and Chantel (Malone) and all the others who came up behind to lend some points to the house—they all did well,” Sami said. “Boys like Ramos (Pemberton) and Natheshon (Thomas) were remarkable. Then the juniors came in well also.” Sami said scoring 712 points was impressive but with many of the same athletes returning next year, she feels her team can defend its title and dominate their opponents while scoring over 800 points.

Ivan Dawson holds off Belle Vue for Inter Primary B division title

Ivan Dawson Primary School repelled the strong charge of the Belle Vue Primary School for a three point victory, to retain the Inter Primary Schools Athletics Championships B division title. Ivan Dawson amassed 268 points to Belle Vue’s 265. 3. Leonora Delville, 264.5. 4. Isabella Morris, 246.5. 5. St. George’s, 238. 6. Robinson O’Neal, 211. 7. Seventh Day Adventist, 206. 8. Century House Montessori, 88.5. 9. Cedar, 10.5. Althea Scatliffe Primary School continued its dominance of the A division with a comfortable victory over Francis Lettsome. Althea Scatliffe’s collective score was 400.5 points to Francis Lettsome’s 288.

Omar Jones wins CAC Jr. Championships silver medal

On his fifth throw of the competition, BVI High School 9th grader Omar Jones, 15, tossed the Javelin 51.66 meters for the silver medal at the 16th Central American and Caribbean Jr. Track and Field Championships in Veracruz, Mexico. “I wanted to throw better, but I’m not surprised,” Jones said. “I was trying to throw 59 and up. But, I feel good. This is the first time I’m doing CAC and I placed.”

Eric Mathias shatters national Discus record

Discus Thrower Eric Matthias overcame a series of early season setbacks and disappointments to record a career best performance while adding 10 feet on to his national record at a competition in Idaho. The Boise State University Junior shattered his Discus mark of 172 feet 1 inch from 2002, with a throw of 183 feet 3 inches.

“I was disappointed with the Discus this year, but it’s no longer so,” said a happy Matthias. “I decided to participate and I threw 183”3’. I am happy and grateful that I finally got over my barrier. Coach Maynard (Mike) and I know that there's more.”

Dion Crabbe narrowly misses Olympic Games quarter finals

BVI sprinter Dion Crabbe was extremely disappointed after making his Olympic Games debut and barely missed the 200 meters quarter finals with a time of 20.85 seconds, that was two positions from advancing. “I went in to the race looking to execute what the coach and I have been basically going through for the past days, which is just getting out, maintaining what I got out with on the curve and then just coming home,” explained Crabbe, who led the first 120 meters of the race. “I don’t know. It was a lot more than what I expected. Mentally, I was ready going out on the track. But, when I got on the track and realized where I was and all the people there, as soon as the gun sounded, I just remembered one thing which was just getting out. I didn’t feel like I ran the race that I was supposed to run. I think it was just a mental error. I don’t want to say too much pressure, but it was so much going on at one point and time.”

St. Kitts dethrones St. Lucia for OECS Relays title

St. Kitts overcame defending champions St. Lucia’s narrow one point 11-10 deficit after the first day to with strong performances from its men’s and women’s teams on day two, to win the 2nd Organization of Eastern Caribbean States Relays held at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds. St. Kitts amassed 29 points to St. Lucia 19. The BVI was third with 16. Grenada had 12, Antigua 10, St. Vincent and the Grenadines 4. Dominica and Anguilla did not score. Manager Scotty Hanley said his team did the job they came to do. “Everybody worked had and we knew exactly what we had to do,” Hanley said, even though his team was one point behind St. Lucia. “We went back to the hotel last night and worked on strategy and made changes here and there. Some guys who were not supposed to run some events stepped forward and ran other events. It was a total team effort.”

Sailing

St. Thomas retains Chief Ministers Cup

It didn’t matter which of the five boats they used, St. Thomas was unbeatable. From hitting the first mark to crossing the finishing line, St. Thomas dominated the 6th Chief Ministers Cup Youth Regatta and successfully defended its title after winning all nine races in the two day event. The regatta was organized by the Rotary Clubs of Tortola and held at Nanny Cay. “We heard that our other St. Thomas team was getting beaten by St. Croix who was stealing all the titles so we thought we’d come up and give it a shot and we won last year,” explained St. Thomas’ captain Cy Thompson who has been sailing since he was six. “This year we just defended our title. We’ve got more time on the boat and it really pays off.”

Delta Airlines wins Moorings’ Interline Regatta

Delta Airlines won the 23rd Moorings Interline Regatta which was wrapped up with a series of protests. After losing a day’s races because a lack of wind provided challenges, organizers were able to conduct four of five races. “Most sailors have been asking ‘what happened to the trade winds. I always thought they always had trade winds down in the Caribbean,’” Race Director John Shirley said. “Most of the sailors are from Europe and the Scandinavian countries and they expected winds here all the time, but, sometime it gets like this in the Caribbean.”

Horse Racing

Hezacateye, Actspectation race to a dead head in 1-mile showdown

Hezacateye and Actspectation raced in the rain to a dead heat in their long awaited one mile show down at the Little A. Race Track in Sea Cows Bay in early January, in a race that officials took 14 minutes to decide, while anxious fans waited and some from opposing sides fought on the track. Police took one fan away in handcuffs and no official time was given for the race. “The only thing I can tell you is I think we won the race,” Randolph Marks, one of Hezacateye’s owners said. “Both of them ran a great race but think our horse was the winner. For us to come to Tortola and to do that to us is real injustice. The race was really close, but, we watched a video and he beat him even if it was by a nose, we won that race.” Act won the rematch comfortably then went on to beat Winners Share in the Chief Minister’s Cup and two other occasions.

Legislation needed to cover horse racing president says

BVI Horse Owners Association president Carl Thomas says he will concentrate on getting legislation in place to move horse racing forward in the British Virgin Islands and break with the traditional way of doing things. “Without legislation you can’t get anywhere in horse racing,” Thomas said. “We need the legislation in place to have rules and regulations on the race track officially. We have a draft document, but, it is not law. Without that, you can’t really do anything with the race track.”

Baseball

Senior division play returns

Alison Leonard’s two-run game winning single in the bottom of the sixth capped the Arias Fabrega and Fabrega Padres’ 13-11 come from behind victory over the Tico Cubs, in the return of BVI Little League Baseball Association senior division play following a year’s absence.

By a 6-4 margin, St. Croix was given the nod to host the 2005 Caribbean Little League Baseball Championships over the BVI, during a congress meeting held in Aruba on March 19-20. The BVI had been tagged to host the tournament for 11-12 year old players for the first time in its history, but initially, the BVI Government did not lend its financial might to the BVI Little League Baseball Association. The stance was later changed giving the association to green light to host the tourney, but the earlier decision swayed voters to back St. Croix, much to the disappointment of BVI Baseball officials.

“Definitely, that is what cost us to lose it really,” association president Terry Chinnery said. “It was ours up until we found out that the government wasn’t able to fund it at the first time so we gave that right to St. Croix. Joe Samuel presented his points for St. Croix and I presented mine and actually pleaded with them, telling them it would be a devastating blow to our government not having this for the first time,” Chinnery explained.

Football

Valencia 1 wins league then loses knock out to VG

After it seemed its season would be wiped out because of plans for a new track and field facility, the BVI Football Association had a regular season and at long last, crowned champion. After four delays and the start of its knockout competition, Valencia I was crowned league champs after playing Veterans to a 0-0 draw. It was Valencia’s first regular season crown. In the Knock Out Championships, after playing to a 0-0 draw in the opener, Virgin Gorda beat Valencia 1, 4-1 to win the Knockout title.

St. Lucia beats the BVI 1-0 in 2006 World Cup qualifier on Tortola

St. Lucia secured a 1-0 victory over the BVI in the first leg of their FIFA 2006 World Cup qualifying series. “I thought that we should have won by a wider margin, but I’m not taking anything away from the British Virgin Islands team. I think they were determined,” St. Lucia’s coach Kingsley Armstrong noted. “They kept to the task and they had us working very hard for that victory. We made a few mistakes especially in the attacking part on the field, but, you must give credit to the BVI.”

BVI advances for first time in regional play

Billed as perennial whipping boys, the BVIs Nature Boyz avenged two previous losses by stunning Bermuda 2-0 and advanced for the first time in the Digicel Caribbean Cup Group E playoffs at the Arnos Vale National Stadium in St. Vincent. The BVI suffered a 1-0 loss to the Cayman Islands in their second game, after playing host St. Vincent to a 1-1 draw in its opening game. “Everyone was surprised. I think everyone was expecting the BVI to be the whipping boys as usual and they were shocked that we were so organized,” Technical Director Ben Davies said. The Nature Boyz played defending Digicel Cup champs Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors, losing 4-0 at home and 2-0 in Trinidad.

Tennis

Howse lands fourth BVI Open crown

Florida’s Fitzroy Howse easily won his fourth successive BVI Open Tennis title, but said he was disappointed by the way he won, beating St. Thomas’ George Lewis who retired trailing 3-0 following a 6-1 first set loss. “There are better players in the tournament and they get eliminated and the person who is not willing to fight steps up to the plate,” said Howse. “I think they have to make the draw a little more balanced. They have to do it some other way so that the people who are not interested in playing don’t make the final. Even though I won the semifinals convincingly, they guy was a fighter. He didn’t give up. He tried and it was a better quality match than the final.”

After stunning defending champion Denise Fernandez 6-0 and 6-0 in the semis, Erica Adams needed three sets to turn back three-time BVI and OECS champion Sylma Phillip of Grenada, 4-6, 6-2 and 6-3. “The Tennis wasn’t so great at times, but the struggle was good. There was good competitive energy which always make it a good final when you have two people trying, with two different games,” Adams explained. “She’s the first person I played that was actually able to move the ball around and do a lot of different things so that was fun to compete against somebody that was bringing something. Everything that I hit short she took advantage of and put some pressure on. It was up to me to respond to that challenge which I was able to.”

Walters upset Anslem for Closed Tennis title

Sheldon Walters grabbed a straight set victory to upset defending champion Dion Anslem in the BVI Closed Tennis Championships at the Tortola Sports Club in Pasea. Carol Mitchell defended her title also with a straight set win over Magrille Wilburn.

Walters won the tournament for the second time by beating Anslem 7-6 and 6-4. “At first when I came to the net, he realized I was doing very good with the volley so he started lobbing every shot and that started to give him a chance in the match, but it wasn’t always working” Walters noted. “Other than that, he served and volley on every shot and I decided to make it interesting by not going full force, but staying back near the baseline and only took chances at crucial times.”

Cricket

A. O. Shirley Grounds bids farewell to Cricket

When the Combined Virgin Islands lost their 3-day Leeward Islands Cricket Association encounter to Montserrat at the A. O. Shirley Recreation Grounds on June 27, it marked the last regional match that will be played at the venue that has hosted the sport for the last 36 years. After the local season ended, the BVI Cricket Association began searching for a new home. “That thing has been giving me a nightmare,” association president Theodore Skeete lamented. “I have learnt that there are some plans by the present administration—government that is—to put down an artificial surface for track and field. I would only hope that if that decision is made and if that project is realized, that government would in the not too distant future, have us accommodated elsewhere.”

WICB launches Kiddies Cricket Program

The BVI became a part of the West Indies Cricket Board regional Kiddy Cricket Program during a launching ceremony held at the Moorings Mariner Inn. The launching was in conjunction with the BVI Cricket Association and Scotiabank, the program’s principal sponsor. Representatives from the Youth Affairs and Sports Department and various schools involved in the program were also present.