Think differently for a better future, Jamaica

DENNIS CHUNG

Friday, January 02, 2015    

2015 is here, and we celebrate a new year and new beginnings. But what does the turn of a new year really mean?

Traditionally, we have always celebrated a new year as a new beginning, but what makes the start of a new year any different from the old year? After all, we still have the same crime problem on January 1 as we did on December 31. We still have the same leadership issues. We still have the same problems with bureaucracy (which we were reminded of on the last day of 2014 with the statement from Omar Azan).

There are, of course, some things that are different, which we can speak to. We threw out the old calendars and put up the new ones. That is if you are still from the old school where you have a physical calendar rather than a digital version. For some companies and accountants it is significant because it is the start of a new accounting year, but then again, this is not consistent with everyone.

The truth is that there is nothing different between an old year and a new year, outside of the festivities and commercial activities. When we return to work on Monday, the workload and challenges will be the same as December 31 (unless you worked throughout the holidays).

Many of us make New Year resolutions, which we carry from year to year, and each year they need to be bigger, as we have, for example, gained more weight or have not done all that we wanted to do.

So in reality, there is really nothing different about a new year. The positive about recognising a new year is that it provides for us a measure of time, which we can use to measure progress or failure.

But this measure of time is only useful if we had goals, charted a path for those goals, and made sure that we followed our plan. So a company may do a budget and strategic plan for the year, but if the management fails to follow and monitor the plan during the year, then they could come to the end of the year and realise they have not achieved it.

Similarly, a person who has a health plan, such as weight loss, needs to monitor the steps every day to achieve that plan.

Therefore, while the new year serves as a significant measurement milestone, the achievement of that milestone is reached by actions during the year. So we really don’t need a new year to do this, but rather it provides a yardstick and is a good way for people to check their indiscipline.

How many of us have made resolutions in the past to lose weight, but find ourselves putting on more each year? Or how many of us have said that we want to achieve something during a year but find at the end of the year that we are one year older without the achievement?

One thing we can agree on, however, is that the new year is not a magical solution to any challenges we have.

So how do we ensure that we achieve what we want during a year? The reality is that the only thing that will allow change is for us to change our mindset and approach to existing situations. In other words, actions are most times driven by how we think about the problems.

So, if you want to make health changes in 2015, then you have to change your attitude and behaviour that cause the weight problem, which may include getting new friends who do not encourage the bad behaviour.

If we also want a better country, then we also must change the way we approach and think about solutions. This I find to be a big part of the problem we have had over the years.

We have, for example, had many International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreements and promises by politicians in previous years but have always found ourselves back in the same economic quagmire or worse. This is simply because, until the current agreement, we had not adopted a new way of thinking and doing things. And this is why many are saying that the current path, in general, does not work.

Those people are slaves to the normal ways of doing things, which is a significant reason that companies seek younger talent all the time, as they come with a different perspective, which is needed for growth.

This is not limited to the politicians, many of whom need renewal. It also applies to the public. A big challenge for me resides with public sector leadership and rules. I think there are some excellent workers and leaders in the public sector, but there are also some people who think that the role of the public sector is to prevent rather than facilitate.

For example, one of the things we must confront in 2015 is that growing fiscal revenues is not just about squeezing every last cent out of businesses in the form of taxes, but also facilitating the growth of business, resulting in a much larger base of revenue, even if it means lowering the tax take from businesses.

If we are also going to deal with the crime and law and order problems, then we must also think of a different approach. Police Commissioner Carl Williams and National Security Minister Peter Bunting, I think, have the right attitude change that will see progress in this area, and we are seeing some progress, although many are not capable of seeing change while it is happening.

There is, however, still much to be done here.

Much of the responsibility for law and order also resides with the citizens, who don’t see anything they do as wrong. My challenge to citizens is that they should not support any violation of laws such as the Night Abatement Act, or driving and talking on the phone, or disposing of garbage improperly.

We must also change our attitudes to child abuse and punish the perpetrators, and those who are complicit, severely.

This responsibility even extends to not protecting people who have done wrong and supporting the rules to be implemented by the JUTC. When they start implementing these rules we shouldn’t be asking for people to be given a “bligh”. We must support the rules and call out the JUTC if they are not implementing them to the fullest extent of the law.

So as we start the measurement period of 2015, let us all understand that irrespective of the great plans and wants we have, that these will only be successful if we change our mindset and approach to dealing with our challenges, as there is no magic wand that is waved at the start of a new year.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Dennis Chung is a chartered accountant and the author of the books Charting Jamaica’s Economic and Social Development AND Achieving Life’s Equilibrium. His blog is dcjottings.blogspot.com

Email: drachung@gmail.com

Police Commissioner Carl Williams (left) and National Security Minister Peter Bunting have the right attitude for change.

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Think differently for a better future, Jamaica

Terrified victims of Thai trafficking face uncertain future

18 October 2014 Last updated at 12:34 By Jonathan Head BBC South East Asia Correspondent The trafficked men survived for 10 days eating leaves

For at least five years, the Andaman coast of Thailand has been the scene of some horrific abuses, mainly against ethnic Rohingyas, a Muslim minority group fleeing persecution in Myanmar, also known as Burma.

In 2009, the Thai Navy was found to be towing boats packed with Rohingyas out to sea, and leaving them to drift. Hundreds are believed to have died.

More recently Thai police and military personnel have been accused of selling Rohingyas who washed up on Thailand’s shores to human traffickers.

These abuses are in part what caused Thailand to be downgraded to the lowest rank in the annual US report on human trafficking.

Successive Thai governments have promised to stamp out this scourge.

But the recent discovery of 171 mainly Bangladeshi men being held captive in jungle camps shows how much still needs to be done.

What started as opportunistic exploitation of Rohingyas appears to have mutated into an organised slave trade.

Repeated beatings

Eighty-one of the men are now being sheltered in a local government hall in the town of Takua Pa. They sit there listlessly, some nursing ugly wounds inflicted by their captors.

At times, tears slide down their faces as they recall their ordeal, and think of homes and families in Bangladesh. They all tell very similar stories.

Absar Mia (C) hopes to return to his family in Bangladesh after his rescue from traffickers Ayub, another Bangladeshi trafficking victim, was threatened with death by his captors

Eighteen year-old Abdurrahim still hobbles from a savage blow to his knee inflicted by one of his guards after he asked for more food.

Originally from Bogra, in northern Bangladesh, he told me he was trying to find work in the capital Dacca when an elderly man offered him a job paying around $6 (£3.73) a day.

He travelled with this man to Cox’s Bazaar, he said, and was taken to a small house up in the hills. There he was tied up, drugged, and woke up on board a boat. He spent seven or eight days at sea, he says, where he was repeatedly beaten.

After that, the group was unloaded on the Thai coast, and taken to a camp hidden in a mangrove forest. They gave us no food, he said. “We survived by eating leaves.”

Absar Mia is 27, from Teknaf, close to the border with Myanmar. He is married with three young children. “My heart is burning for home,” he said.

“All I think about is how I can get home, how I can see my mother again, how I can see my little boys and girl again. That’s why I’m crying.”

He described being offered a job by a man, and waiting for him on a hill near Teknaf. Suddenly he was grabbed, his hands tied, his mouth gagged. He said he struggled as he was taken out to a boat, and was beaten.

Ayub was working as an agricultural labourer in Chittagong, southeast Bangladesh, but he said the work ran out. A man suggested he go to Cox’s Bazaar. There he suddenly found himself being grabbed, tied up and forced onto a boat which he said was already crowded with people.

He repeatedly asked where they were taking him, but said the guards threatened to kill him if he did not shut up. He, too, has three children.

Tracked down

That they were rescued from their captors is due to the determination of local district chief, Manit Pianthiong. A 28-year veteran of the area, who got the chief’s job nine months ago, he is all too familiar with the human trafficking which goes on along the indented coastline of Takua Pa.

Manit Pianthiong, Takua Pa’s local district chief, is determined to end trafficking

Mr Pianthiong says he is trying to curb all forms of smuggling, but he is focusing in particular on the human trade, which he says is damaging the image of the entire country.

He encourages people in fishing communities along the coast to alert him to any signs of large groups of people being held. That is how he heard about these three groups of mainly Bangladeshi men, and a few Rohingyas.

The first group of 37 was found last month. Then, on 11 October, his men tracked down another group of 53.

The last group, of 81, was surrounded in a forest camp near the road on 13 October. They had been driven by their guards from one camp to another in an attempt to evade the authorities. Mr Pianthiong believes many more were not rescued, and may have been sold.

Two of the guards have now been detained. One of them was identified by the Bangladeshis as the most brutal of their captors, a man they called Keke.

Whether this man, and his bosses, are brought to justice, depends on the government in Bangkok.

Illegal immigrants

Mr Pianthiong said he wants to go after the trafficking kingpins in the region, people with powerful connections. But that would require him to get much stronger backing, and so far that is not happening.

All that remains of the traffickers’ camp, the gang leaders remain at large

Senior figures in the police and the social welfare ministry are resisting his efforts to have all the Bangladeshi men classified as victims of trafficking.

The second group of 53 has already been given that status, which gives them proper support and shelter, and would allow them to go back to Bangladesh quickly.

However, the police are talking about reversing that decision. Instead, they want then to be jailed as illegal immigrants.

It is difficult to know why they want this outcome, for people who have all the appearance of victims.

Perhaps it is to avoid having to admit that trafficking continues in Thailand. Perhaps it is because they are reluctant to go after the trafficking kingpins.

The result, though, could be disastrous for the Bangladeshis. People have been known to be stuck in Thai immigration prisons for many years. In the case of Rohingyas, some were actually sold back to human traffickers.

How Thailand handles the case of these men will surely be a test of its declared willingness to turn its back on a shameful record of trafficking, and take meaningful action to end the trade in people.

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Terrified victims of Thai trafficking face uncertain future

Hong Kong"s future?

29 September 2014 Last updated at 08:35 Extraordinary scenes over the weekend showed the scale of protests in Hong Kong as students and the organisers of the Occupy movement called for democracy.

Stocks are down in Hong Kong, but the last time I checked, other markets are largely unaffected.

The incongruity between the tense scenes on the ground, where police have fired tear gas to disperse crowds, and the benign reaction in markets, is at least partly due to the peaceful nature of the protesters.

Non-violent demonstrations are symptomatic of a developed legal system and, indeed, of a democracy. Safeguarding its system after the British handover to China in 1997 was part of what the British and Chinese governments negotiated under the “One Country, Two Systems” agreement that would govern Hong Kong for 50 years.

There are a lot of crucial political and social implications for Hong Kong as the protests continue.

In terms of the economic impact, a developed rule of law, a stable system of governance, and its desirability as a place to live, are what underpins Hong Kong as an international financial centre.

Hong Kong has the sixth largest stock market in the world, which is second in Asia after Tokyo, and is the sixth largest hub for foreign exchange trading. It maintains open borders to investors and does not impose any capital controls.

There may have been problems with inequality and sky-high real estate prices, but Hong Kong’s high degree of economic freedom is also a large contributor to its prosperity.

So the reaction to the protesters will matter a great deal for Hong Kong if it is to retain its status as one of the top global financial centres where money flows freely across its borders and investors are comfortable investing billions into its stock market.

Since its return to China, this has been a question lurking in the background.

The protestors are demanding more say in the direct elections that are scheduled for 2017.

But the Chinese government wants to dictate the candidates. This is what it has done in village-level elections on the mainland as part of China’s experiment with limited democracy.

For Hong Kong protesters, this isn’t adequate.

Will China buckle? Will the protesters disperse? What will the Hong Kong government do next?

As some shops are shut and multinational companies are recommending their employees stay home, the longer the standoff continues, the greater the uncertainty.

For Hong Kong, this uncertainty only adds to the larger question about its future.

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Hong Kong"s future?

Joe optimistic about Downsound"s future

Joe Bogdanovich

Downsound Records has been a major player in the Jamaican music industry for more than a decade.

Since setting up shop locally in the 1990s, the company, which is owned and operated by American businessman Joe Bogdanovich, has become the driving force in the local music industry.

“We’ve been here for a while now and we’ve worked with a lot of people in various areas of the business. We’ve built up a good reputation as a successful, management, music production and events company,” Bogdanovich said.

The Downsound boss is extremely optimistic about the future of his company. “So far, we have done a lot and we have accomplished great results, but I believe the best is yet to come. Right now, I am working with a great stable of artistes,” he said.

Ninja Man, Harry Toddler, Nature, Don Husky and Naazir are just some of the artistes signed to the company.

Bogdanovich also said the success of his company and its artistes is not based on luck, but dedication to hard work.

“Downsound is a professional organisation, we don’t believe in luck, we believe in hard work. I have a great team of people working with the artistes daily to ensure that we get the right results. All the artistes are constantly rehearsing, writing and recording songs. If you come to our offices, you will see that we don’t play around, we mean business,” added the businessman.

‘Downsound is a professional organisation, we don’t believe in luck, we believe in hard work.’

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Joe optimistic about Downsound"s future

13 days To Reggae Sumfest - Future

Future

US hip-hop artiste Future will grace the stage and is guaranteed to make the ladies weak at the knees with his ‘Love Song’. The unique sounding artiste is set to blast through the atmosphere on the lawns of Catherine Hall at the ‘Greatest Reggae Show On Earth’.

With his second album Honest, laden with hits such as I Won featuring Kanye West, I Be U and Never Satisfied featuring Drake, the 31-year-old rapper has been described as melodious in the way he stretches his musical notes, creating a never ending list of hits. The rapper is more than ready to take the stage on Saturday, July 19, International Night II, of Reggae Sumfest.

Sean Paul, Tessanne Chin and Freddie McGregor are also performing on the Festival’s closing night. Reggae Sumfest will be held at Catherine Hall, Montego Bay, from Thursday July 17 to Saturday July 19.

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13 days To Reggae Sumfest - Future

Langi Di Future promotes "International Love"

Langi Di Future

Up-and-coming entertainer Langi Di Future, is hoping to get his break into the music industry by the end of 2014.

The singer believes his ability to play instruments sets him apart from other up-and-coming acts and hopes the local music industry is ready for a fresh face.

Influenced by the likes of Agent Sasco, Sean Paul, Damian Marley, Ludacris, and Kid Ink, the young artiste says his music is a fusion of reggae, hip hop and pop.

“I just want to capture life as I see it through my lyrics. My music represents what I experience and feel,” he said.

Having raised eyebrows with his performance at the recent staging of Ardenne’s Summer Splash, the young artiste says he is not going to wait around for opportunity to come knocking on his door, but will try to achieve success using his natural talents.

This self-belief has led the artiste to form his own record label called Langi Music LLC, under which he operates as an independent product. He is also hoping to work with other fresh acts as his career progresses.

Langi Di Future is promoting a new single called International Love, which he hopes will blow up over the summer. He is slated to perform at Insomnia on July 19. For bookings, persons can call 1876-860-8978 or follow him on twitter @itz_langi.

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Langi Di Future promotes "International Love"

Langi Di Future promotes "International Love"

Langi Di Future

Up-and-coming entertainer Langi Di Future, is hoping to get his break into the music industry by the end of 2014.

The singer believes his ability to play instruments sets him apart from other up-and-coming acts and hopes the local music industry is ready for a fresh face.

Influenced by the likes of Agent Sasco, Sean Paul, Damian Marley, Ludacris, and Kid Ink, the young artiste says his music is a fusion of reggae, hip hop and pop.

“I just want to capture life as I see it through my lyrics. My music represents what I experience and feel,” he said.

Having raised eyebrows with his performance at the recent staging of Ardenne’s Summer Splash, the young artiste says he is not going to wait around for opportunity to come knocking on his door, but will try to achieve success using his natural talents.

This self-belief has led the artiste to form his own record label called Langi Music LLC, under which he operates as an independent product. He is also hoping to work with other fresh acts as his career progresses.

Langi Di Future is promoting a new single called International Love, which he hopes will blow up over the summer. He is slated to perform at Insomnia on July 19. For bookings, persons can call 1876-860-8978 or follow him on twitter @itz_langi.

View the original article here

Langi Di Future promotes "International Love"

Caricom secretary general optimistic about region"s future

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General Irwin La Rocque says 2014 promises new directions for the 15-member regional integration movement as it seeks to deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to the people of the Caribbean.

In his end-of-year message, the Dominican-born LaRocque said 2013, which marked the 40th anniversary of Caricom, underscored the determination and commitment of the region to forge a common destiny as small unified states in this unique corner of the world called the Caribbean.He said the anniversary theme of “Celebration and Renewal” remained relevant “as we bask in our Caribbean-ness, rekindle the spirit of community and continue our integration quest with an outlook that is shaped by new thinking and different approaches”.He said that outlook would be influenced by the necessity for appropriate responses to the current global environment which has placed member states in dire straits, stymieing growth and development and denying the Caribbean the wherewithal to create a better standard of living for the people of the region.“Indeed, the vulnerability of our member states and their capacity for resilience came into stark relief last week in St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica, when severe weather visited death and destruction and caused a setback to development efforts there,” said the secretary general.The weather system has also been blamed for the deaths of 15 people so far and governments of these three Caribbean countries say they would require hundreds of millions of dollars in the rehabilitation exercise.La Rocque said that the new outlook would also be shaped by the review and reform of the integration movement being undertaken at the request of regional governments, adding “we are on schedule to achieve early in the new year one of our key milestones — the completion of the draft Five-Year Strategic Plan”.The plan was crafted following consultations with stakeholders across the region and sets out a common vision, identities priority areas of focus over the period and also addresses issues of implementability including the roles and responsibilities of all participants in the community’s architecture.“Unsurprisingly, sustainable economic growth and development emerged as one of the primary areas of concern for stakeholders across the spectrum with whom the Change Team interacted over the past year, and it is our intention, through the efforts of the recently established Caricom Commission on the Economy, to explore possible avenues to put us on a sustainable path,” La Rocque said.He said the commission would provide advice on implementable solutions based particularly on the priority areas set out in the Caricom growth agenda.“For the Caribbean Community, therefore, 2014 dawns with the promise of new directions, prioritisation on the critical areas that will deliver more immediate and tangible benefits to our peoples, more strategic approaches and the continued emphasis on our youth and empowerment of our citizens,” he added.

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The Voice"s Matthew Schuler has a "very bright future", says Shaggy

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Matthew Schuler, a top-six finalist on the fifth season of NBC’s The Voice who is in Jamaica to perform on the Shaggy & Friends charity show, got high praises from international artiste Shaggy on Monday.

Speaking to journalists at the Jamaica Observer Monday Exchange at the newspaper’s Beechwood Avenue headquarters, Shaggy, who is known for international hits like ‘Boombastic’ and ‘It Wasn’t Me’, said Schuler has a “very bright future”.Schuler was among guests at the forum, which included recording artistes Wayne Marshall and Assassin aka Agent Sasco.“He (Schuler) was the very first person that came up to me and said hi when I went to The Voice to support Tessanne… in fact, it was when it was his very good time and her very bad time (on The Voice),” Shaggy told journalists. ” I looked at iTunes and she was nowhere on it and he was at number one.”Shaggy said at that point, Matthew was “so polite”.“The thing with this guy is you never see him and he does not have a smile (on his face),” Shaggy shared. “He is probably one of the nicest persons I have ever met.“He came (to Jamaica) last night and did a performance at our home,” Shaggy continued. “It just shows me the type of artiste he is, he missed his flight and took two other flights to come in.”Schuler, who said this is his second visit to the island having come to Jamaica years ago for a wedding, feels privileged to be part of the charity initiative.“I am blessed and honoured,” said Schuler, who added that seeing how Shaggy has used his own achievements to help others has inspired him.“That’s what I want to do,” Schuler said. “I want to help others, especially the children, [because] the children are the future.“So I am blessed to be a part of this.”Wayne Marshall echoed Shaggy’s sentiments, describing Schuler as a male version of Tessanne with his “likeable personality”.The charity show set for January 4 will be Tessanne’s first major appearance since she was named The Voice winner, and Schuler will join her along with several other artistes including Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, Konshens, Elephant Man, Chronixx, Wayne Marshall, and Assassin to help raise funds to purchase equipment for the Bustamante Children’s Hospital.

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The Voice"s Matthew Schuler has a "very bright future", says Shaggy

Jamaican PM expresses confidence in future of CPL

Sport

Thursday, August 29, 2013

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC) — Jamaica’s Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller says the recently concluded Limacol Caribbean Premier League (LCPL) has the potential to become a permanent fixture on the West Indies cricket calendar.Prime Minister Simpson Miller made her disclosure in a note of congratulation to the Jamaica Tallawahs following their seven-wicket win over Guyana Amazon warriors to secure the first-ever LCPL title.The matches during the month-long tournament attracted large crowds at venues around the region and were seen by television viewers around the world.“On a regional scale, the outpouring of support, the interest and excitement generated by the matches and the level of organisation demonstrated by those responsible for the competition clearly suggest that the CPL has the potential to be a staple on the West Indies cricket calendar,” Prime Minister Simpson Miller said.“The invaluable contribution of the sponsors, the dedication of the management and coaching staff of each team, and the discipline and application of all the players contributed to an unforgettable first CPL.”Tallawahs made 129 for three off 17.3 overs in reply to Amazon Warriors’ 128 for five off their maximum 20 overs.All-rounder Andre Russell stroked 33 off 18 balls including five fours and one six, and shared in an unbeaten stand of 62 from 34 balls with Captain Chris Gayle to lead the Jamaica franchise to title honours.“I wish to extend my congratulations to the Tallawah cricket team, especially team captain Chris Gayle, for winning the inaugural Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Twenty20 competition” the Prime Minister said.“The victory by the team must be used as further motivation for all those young persons who wish to get involved in cricket in Jamaica.”

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Jamaican PM expresses confidence in future of CPL

VIDEO: Has Test cricket still got a future?

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VIDEO: Has Test cricket still got a future?

Virtual football a thing for the future – CONCACAF chief

DALLAS, Texas — Interactive virtual football is a thing for the future, says CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz.

According to Sanz the emerging trend, as it stands, is “a bridge between the future and the present”. ”I see the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup as a bridge — a bridge between the future and the present of the traditional soccer fan and the new generation of soccer fans,” said CONCACAF’s chief administrator.” When we first announced the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup everybody was saying, ‘what is this?’. But what we wanted to do is emulate our Gold Cup with the Interactive Gold Cup, so we started with 5,000 players and down to the best 12 in the same format of the Gold Cup representing the different regions,” Sanz told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday night.He said the aim of the virtual tournament is“to connect the athletes on the field with interactive players…we are looking at the new generation and we know this will get more popular with them,” noted Sanz, a Colombian-born American. Those caught up in the wave of the virtual phenomenon, Sanz suggested, are very knowledgeable individuals of the game.“The  interactive players know a lot about the game… they know every coach, every player and what they do, they know the tactics, so it’s a very interesting experience and so far we are getting very good feedback,” Sanz argued.Meanwhile, Jamaica’s representative Karl Cowan, who made the final 12 and who was eliminated at a group play-off Tuesday night here, said he got into virtual stratosphere by chance.  “I had a little spare time on my hand and then I started to play with my friends but there wasn’t much competition there, so I started to play online and there was good competition,” he told the Observer. He said he learnt of the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup while he was online playing with overseas opponents.“There was pop-up of a tournament and that the top player would get a chance to represent Jamaica, and I took a shot at it, and here I am,” said Cowan, a supporter of Harbour View FC, the Jamaican Premier League champion.The Jamaica Public Service engineer was happy to shed light on how he was able to make the final cut of 12 which earned him an airline ticket to the actual Gold Cup.“You are competing against about 3.5 million people across the world, including Brazil, Spain, Italy on the Play Station network, so basically we just play games against each other to see who could come out with the best record. At the end of the season they look at your record and they match you with some pre-determined stuff,” he explained.Cowan agreed with Sanz that players of the virtual ball game are usually very up to date with the nuances of the game, even if they have not physically played it at a high level.“The better you are at real football, the better you’ll be at virtual football… I think it’s a very good simulation,” said Cowan.The Constant Spring Garden resident would not let the opportunity slip to weigh in on Jamaica’s football.“We have natural ability and very good individuals, but in terms of team play that is where we need to get it together. We struggle to play as a unit and we also find it difficult to keep a unit together and because of that it shows on the field,” he noted.“Another big weakness that I see is within the fundamentals, including our ball handling skills which are not at the level that is necessary to carry us to the international level,”Cowan added. Representing the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Gold Cup interactive tournament, Carlon Garcia, believes the virtual format gives average players the opportunity to lift their game on another frontier. “I think virtual football is the great equaliser as not everybody is naturally athletic, so for those who can’t play physical football on the field, they equalise that by playing virtually,” he stated. Garcia added that “these games are becoming more realistic” and the player has to possess “some degree of knowledge” because it involves a lot of tactics.Others making the final 12 were Diego Orozco (Guatemala), David Medina (Honduras), Juan Ambriz (USA), Kevin Dehizadeh (Canada), John Castilla (Panama), Josue Paul Renderos Granillo (El Salvador), Jean Jacques Pierre (Haiti), Bouver Bique (St Martin), Irvin Velazquez (Mexico) and Luiz Adrian (Costa Rica).Meanwhile, the final of the Interactive Gold Cup was by El Salvador, clipping Mexico 1-0 in a giant screen showdown at Cowboys Stadium between the semi-final matches of the real deal.The champion of the 2013 CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup, Josue Paul Renderos Granillo, won an all-expense paid VIP trip for two to receive the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup trophy in Chicago during the festivities surrounding the final of the actual CONCACAF Gold Cup at Soldier Field on Sunday.The Interactive Gold Cup is a competition involving contestants engaging in an online virtual play-off fashioning the format of the actual Gold Cup on a PlayStation 3 console.– Sean WilliamsLike our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jamaicaobserverFollow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/JamaicaObserverCONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz (centre) poses for pictures with the finalists of the inaugural CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup at Cowboy Stadium on Tuesday. Gold Cup Interactive champion El Salvador’s Josue Paul Renderos Granillo (4th right) and Jamaica’s Karl Cowan (right) are also pictured. (PHOTO: CONCACAF)

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Virtual football a thing for the future – CONCACAF chief

Virtual football a thing for the future – CONCACAF chief

DALLAS, Texas — Interactive virtual football is a thing for the future, says CONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz.

According to Sanz the emerging trend, as it stands, is “a bridge between the future and the present”. ”I see the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup as a bridge — a bridge between the future and the present of the traditional soccer fan and the new generation of soccer fans,” said CONCACAF’s chief administrator.” When we first announced the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup everybody was saying, ‘what is this?’. But what we wanted to do is emulate our Gold Cup with the Interactive Gold Cup, so we started with 5,000 players and down to the best 12 in the same format of the Gold Cup representing the different regions,” Sanz told the Jamaica Observer Tuesday night.He said the aim of the virtual tournament is“to connect the athletes on the field with interactive players…we are looking at the new generation and we know this will get more popular with them,” noted Sanz, a Colombian-born American. Those caught up in the wave of the virtual phenomenon, Sanz suggested, are very knowledgeable individuals of the game.“The  interactive players know a lot about the game… they know every coach, every player and what they do, they know the tactics, so it’s a very interesting experience and so far we are getting very good feedback,” Sanz argued.Meanwhile, Jamaica’s representative Karl Cowan, who made the final 12 and who was eliminated at a group play-off Tuesday night here, said he got into virtual stratosphere by chance.  “I had a little spare time on my hand and then I started to play with my friends but there wasn’t much competition there, so I started to play online and there was good competition,” he told the Observer. He said he learnt of the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup while he was online playing with overseas opponents.“There was pop-up of a tournament and that the top player would get a chance to represent Jamaica, and I took a shot at it, and here I am,” said Cowan, a supporter of Harbour View FC, the Jamaican Premier League champion.The Jamaica Public Service engineer was happy to shed light on how he was able to make the final cut of 12 which earned him an airline ticket to the actual Gold Cup.“You are competing against about 3.5 million people across the world, including Brazil, Spain, Italy on the Play Station network, so basically we just play games against each other to see who could come out with the best record. At the end of the season they look at your record and they match you with some pre-determined stuff,” he explained.Cowan agreed with Sanz that players of the virtual ball game are usually very up to date with the nuances of the game, even if they have not physically played it at a high level.“The better you are at real football, the better you’ll be at virtual football… I think it’s a very good simulation,” said Cowan.The Constant Spring Garden resident would not let the opportunity slip to weigh in on Jamaica’s football.“We have natural ability and very good individuals, but in terms of team play that is where we need to get it together. We struggle to play as a unit and we also find it difficult to keep a unit together and because of that it shows on the field,” he noted.“Another big weakness that I see is within the fundamentals, including our ball handling skills which are not at the level that is necessary to carry us to the international level,”Cowan added. Representing the twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago at the Gold Cup interactive tournament, Carlon Garcia, believes the virtual format gives average players the opportunity to lift their game on another frontier. “I think virtual football is the great equaliser as not everybody is naturally athletic, so for those who can’t play physical football on the field, they equalise that by playing virtually,” he stated. Garcia added that “these games are becoming more realistic” and the player has to possess “some degree of knowledge” because it involves a lot of tactics.Others making the final 12 were Diego Orozco (Guatemala), David Medina (Honduras), Juan Ambriz (USA), Kevin Dehizadeh (Canada), John Castilla (Panama), Josue Paul Renderos Granillo (El Salvador), Jean Jacques Pierre (Haiti), Bouver Bique (St Martin), Irvin Velazquez (Mexico) and Luiz Adrian (Costa Rica).Meanwhile, the final of the Interactive Gold Cup was by El Salvador, clipping Mexico 1-0 in a giant screen showdown at Cowboys Stadium between the semi-final matches of the real deal.The champion of the 2013 CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup, Josue Paul Renderos Granillo, won an all-expense paid VIP trip for two to receive the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup trophy in Chicago during the festivities surrounding the final of the actual CONCACAF Gold Cup at Soldier Field on Sunday.The Interactive Gold Cup is a competition involving contestants engaging in an online virtual play-off fashioning the format of the actual Gold Cup on a PlayStation 3 console.– Sean WilliamsCONCACAF general secretary Enrique Sanz (centre) poses for pictures with the finalists of the inaugural CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup at Cowboy Stadium on Tuesday. Gold Cup Interactive champion El Salvador’s Josue Paul Renderos Granillo (4th right) and Jamaica’s Karl Cowan (right) are also pictured. (PHOTO: CONCACAF)

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Virtual football a thing for the future – CONCACAF chief

Nestle Jamaica supports future swim champs

Sport

Saturday, June 29, 2013

NESTLé once again partnered with the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) as title sponsors for the Annual Prep/Primary Schools Swimming Championship which was held recently at the National Aquatic Centre.Sixteen years ago when Nestlé embraced this initiative under its ice cream brand, less than 100 swimmers participated at the event. This year, however, the championship hosted over 700 swimmers from 37 schools, including schools that traditionally were not a part of the sport. Additionally, the company increased its support to the tune of $1 million in cash and kind, through the inclusion of other Nestlé brands such as Juicy Juice, MILO, Milks, Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, Maggi, Nestlé Ice-Cream and Supligen, which targeted mainly the adults who attended.The company’s corporate ambition is to be recognised globally as the leader in nutrition, health and wellness, and, encouraging physical activities through swimming, is in keeping with this goal. Nestlé appreciates the nexus between performance and nutrition and are cognisant that in order for young swimmers to perform at their best, proper nutrition is just as important as preparation. As such, Nestlé sought to facilitate complete preparation of the swimmers through the branded added benefits they provided from the products they promoted at the event.“Our partnership with the ASAJ has been very fruitful over the years and we have seen the impact that this championship has made in the lives of young swimmers whose ambition it is to represent Jamaica at the Olympic level”, said Linton Johnson, area manager, Nestlé Ice-Cream.The partnership between Nestlé and the ASAJ has been extremely successful to date, and the championships have launched the swimming careers of swimmers not only locally but, internationally as well.A recent success story is the qualification of Anjuii Barette, Jesse Marsh, Shaun Douglas-Gooden, Angara Sinclair, Christian Alberga , Briana Roman, Sidrell Williams and Anabella Lynn for the Central American and Caribbean Championship in Costa Rica in July, 2013, all of whom have participated in the Nestlé swim championships over the last five years.

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Nestle Jamaica supports future swim champs