Sports

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago manager Colin Borde has blamed his side’s poor performance in the just concluded WICB first class tournament on the absence of key players.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Jenson Button was almost a  write-off before he seized the Formula One title with Brawn last  year and he starts the new season with critics again ready to  scrap his chances.

DENVER, (Reuters) – Carmelo Anthony hit 30 points  as the Denver Nuggets bounced back from two consecutive losses  to thump the in-form Oklahoma City Thunder 119-90 on Wednesday.

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, (Reuters) – England seamer  Ryan Sidebottom has been ruled out of the test series against  Bangladesh because of a thigh injury, coach Andy Flower said.

DALLAS, (Reuters) – Dallas Mavericks guard Jason  Terry will have surgery today for facial injuries suffered  in Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA  club said yesterday.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Girondins Bordeaux host surprise  package Montpellier in a top-of-the-table Ligue 1 clash on  Sunday knowing they must keep up the momentum as they struggle  to cope with the pressure of battling on three fronts.

West Indies captain Chris Gayle yesterday described his team’s performance as rubbish after they crashed to an upset two-run defeat against Zimbabwe in the opening game of the five-match Digicel One Day Series at the Providence National Stadium.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – Shane Mosley is already  tired of Floyd Mayweather’s pre-fight antics and will knock him  out when the two meet in May, the boxer said Wednesday.

Scotia Bank’s Kiddy Cricket countrywide Primary schools’ tournament winners were awarded their trophies yesterday during the luncheon period of the first ODI against West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Guyana National Stadium.

– Gayle hopes Windies fortunes  change today By Marlon Munroe Erstwhile cricket powerhouse West Indies, currently two places from the bottom in the ICC rankings, take on last placed Zimbabwe in the first ODI at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence and Captain Chris Gayle hopes that after the disappointing start to the series his team’s fortunes will be changed today.

Guyana’s top golfer teenager Avinash Persaud will begin his quest for championship honours when he competes today in the Trinidad and Tobago Open Amateur Golf championships at St.

William Walker showed his mettle in winning last weekend’s Toolsie Persaud Group of Companies Medal Play Golf tournament at the Lusignan Golf Course, East Coast Demerara.

Dennis ‘Chow’ Hunte has been officially certified by Special Olympics Caribbean after he attended a three-day football coaching seminar in San Juan, Puerto Rico from February 21 – 23.

As if to emphasise the point that the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) One Day rankings is perfectly accurate, the same day that lowly-ranked West Indies and Zimbabwe were battling to their record lowest Twenty20 scores ever at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad, New Zealand and Australia were blasting the highest Twenty20 aggregate miles away in Christchurch.

Narayan Ramdhani and Greer Jackson ran out U-15 boys and girls’ division winners respectively when the  Genequip Farm Supplies (John Deer) Mashramani badminton junior singles and doubles tournament wrapped up on Sunday at the Queen’s College courts.

The official bank of West Indies cricket Scotia Bank will be celebrating its 12 years of its Kiddy Cricket programme and this year the winners of bank’s primary school competition will be on show during the lunch break of the first ODI between the West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Guyana National Stadium today.

National Milling Company (NAMILCO) edged out Republic Bank Ltd. (RBL) to emerge winners of the Banks DIH Inaugural “One Tip Two Tip” Softball Cricket tournament staged last Sunday at Thirst Park ground.

BEIJING, (Reuters) – China’s former Olympic  champion Liu Xiang will defend his 60 metres hurdles title at  the world indoor athletics championships in Doha next week,  according to the IAAF website (www.iaaf.org).  

The annual general meeting of the Guyana Cycling Federation will take place on Saturday at the Thomas Lands Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) building.

MONTE-CARLO, CMC – Track and field’s world governing body announced yesterday that the mid-March World Indoor Championship in Qatar is set to be the biggest in its history.