This country’s men’s hockey team was beaten in their semifinal in controversial fashion by Mexico, 4-2 in a penalty-strokes shoot-out after a 1-1 deadlock at 23rd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games at the Complejo Pibe Valderrama, Barranquilla, Colombia, yesterday.
With the Mexicans ahead 3-2 in the shoot-out, T&T goalkeeper Andrey Rocke, stood on his goalline with his right hand raised in the air to signal he was not ready.
However, the whistle was still blown by the match umpire for the stroke to be taken which converted by Jorge Aguillar to earn his team a shot at the gold medal tomorrow from 5.30 pm against Cuba, a 1-0 winner over Guyana in the other semifinal.
T&T, which protested the fourth penalty-stroke to no avail, will tackle Guyana from 3.15 pm for the bronze.
Earlier in regulation time, Francisco Aguilar fired Mexico ahead as early in the fifth minute from the penalty-spot while Mickell Pierre replied for T&T.
In the shoot-out, Aguilla (F), Luis Villegas and Daniel Castillo were the other players to convert for Mexico while Jorge Gomez missed their fourth attempt.
T&T co-captain Akim Toussaint and Teague Marcano scored their attempts while Pierre and Shaquille Daniel were denied.
Today, T&T women’s hockey players will play neighbours Barbados for the bronze medal from 3.15 pm at Unidad Deportivo Pibe Valderrama in an effort to increase the medal haul of 16 medals, six gold, two silver, and eight bronze.
This after the “Calypso Stickwomen”who ended round-robin pool play with a perfect 3-0 record suffered a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Cuba in their semifinal on Thursday.
The trio of Yuraina Vera Rojas (19th), Yunia Milanes Marcos (29th) and Brizaida Ramos Perez (59th) got a goal each for the Cubans who will face Mexico, a 1-0 winner over Barbados in the first semifinal, for gold on from 5.30 pm.
The meeting between Barbados and T&T women will be the second of this year’s competition after T&T won 2-1 in their round-robin match thanks to a double from Shaniah De Freitas while Mexico blanked Cuba 3-0 in a pool match as well.
Stampfli advances to women’s third round
T&T’s Breana Stampfli advanced to the Third Round of the women’s Lawn Tennis Singles with a tough win at Parque Distrital de Racquetas.
In her first round encounter, 22-year-old Stampfli overcame Bahamian Danielle Thompson, 7-6(4), 6-3 before she faced Kelly Williford of Dominican Republic in a second-round match after press time last night.
Water polo teams remain winlessT&T men and women water polo teams continued to struggle at the Complejo Acautico.
On Thursday night, the national men’s team was crushed 2-29 by Cuba, with Christopher George and Kryztien Sharpe, the scorers for the local team.
Last night, the national men team came up against Venezuela while today they will meet Costa Rica from 6.15 pm, in their final match ahead of the quarterfinals tomorrow.
The women’s team dropped to a 0-2 round-robin record after a 5-22 loss to Mexico after going under to Venezuela, 3-22 on Thursday night.
In the loss against Mexico, Shemiyah Ross scored three goals while Megan Stafford and Summer Gibson got one each.
Today, the women return to action versus Colombia from 4.40 pm, Puerto Rico tomorrow from 4.40 pm and Cuba on Monday from 2 pm to end round-robin play.
Bullen-Jones 18th in 10m Air PistolMarsha Bullen
-Jones hopes of securing a first medal for T&T at the Games ended with an 18th place finish in the women’s 10m Air Pistol.
The 43-year-old Bullen-Jones had scores of 81, 89, 89, 84, 83, and 84 for a total 510 points.
Vball men tackle host Colombia
T&T senior men’s volleyball team, the three-time reigning Caribbean champions will make their CAC Games bow against host Colombia in the last of four matches at the Humbero Perea Coliseo tonight from 10 pm in Pool B.
T&T also faces Puerto Rico and Guatemala in their pool while defending champion Dominican Republic, Cuba, Venezuela and Mexico are in Pool A.
The winners of the pools will earn direct tickets to the semifinal phase while the teams placed in second and third will compete in the quarterfinals.
The national beach volleyball men and women teams of Daneil Williams and Danyte Stewart and Rheeza Grant and Abby Blackman will also start round-robin play at the Puerta de Oro, Caribbean Events Centre,
Also in action today for T&T will be boxer Michael Alexander against Dominican Republic’s Carlos Figueroa in a lightweight (60kg) quarterfinal while swimming trio Chisara Santana, Gabriel Bynoe and Shaniah David will compete in the Open Water.