By NAN Sports Editor
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Aug. 16, 2019: Here are the top stories making Caribbean sports news for the week ending, Aug. 16, 2019:
Cuba Tops Caribbean Medal Count At Pan Am Games
Cuba quietly topped the medal count for the Caribbean region in Lima with a whopping 98 medal haul at the Pan Am Games. The haul included 33 gold medals, 27 silver medals and 38 bronze.
The Dominican Republic was second for the region with 40 medals including 10 gold medals while Jamaica was third with 19, which included 6 gold medals. The Pan Am Games wrapped up on August 11th.
Lone Caribbean
Athlete So Far Is Only Qualifier For IAAF Diamond League
There are just two more meetings in the IAAF Diamond League ahead of the finals in Zurich on August) 29th and Brussels on September 6th but so far only one Caribbean athlete has booked a spot. Olympian and Jamaican Elaine Thompson has already qualified for the Women’s 200-m in Zurich after 5/6 meetings. She will face Dafne Schippers (NED), Dina Asher-Smith (GBR) and Jenna Prandini (USA). Blessing Okagbare, the winner in Eugene, and Diamond League champion, Bahamian Shaunae Miller-Uibo, will line up in Birmingham this weekend, August 18th, alongside Asher-Smith and Schippers in the hope of earning enough points to advance to the final.
West Indies
After losing both the T20 and the ODI matches to India, the West Indies will now face the visitors in two test matches beginning on August 22nd. The first test gets underway from August 22nd in Antigua while the second test will be played from August 30th in Kingston, Jamaica.
Tickets for the MyTeam11 ODI Series are available for purchase here.
Haitian American Player On Loan To FC Cincinnati
Haitian American Player Derrick Etienne, Jr. is now on loan to FC Cincinnati, Etienne Jr. is on loan from the New York Red Bulls for the rest of the season in exchange for FCC’s 2020 third-round SuperDraft selection, which the club acquired last week from the Chicago Fire as part of the acquisition of Andrew Gutman.
A Haitian international, Etienne has earned 17 caps for the Caribbean nation and was a key cog in their upstart run at this year’s Gold Cup. The 22-year-old joins Cincy after five seasons in the RBNY organization, where he first signed as a Homegrown Player in 2015. This season he’s made 11 MLS appearances to date, including five starts, has scored one goal and added one assist.
Japanese Haitian Tennis Star Back At Number One
Two-time Japanese HaitianGrand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka is back at number one. The US and Australian Open champion regained the WTA World No.1 spot thanks to a run to the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup, where Barty suffered a round-of-32 defeat to the in-form Sofia Kenin.
Reggae Boy Signs With Belgian Club
Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson is moving on from Slovenian club NK Domzale after signing a contract to play for Belgian club Sporting Charleroi.
The 22-year-old Nicholson made 47 appearances for NK Domzale scoring 18 goals since he joined the club from Boys Town FC in September 2017. He now looks forward to doing the same for his new club in the Belgian First Division A.
The club finished ninth during the 2018/2019 season.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my career,” said Nicholson who scored three goals in six appearances for Jamaica in 2019. “This is a proud day for me, my family, friends, my boyhood club Boys Town, NK Domžale and all of Jamaica. I’m fully focused and I’m ready for the big challenge that’s in front of me. Thanks to all my past coaches, my agent, and everyone who helped me along the way. Now I’m just ready to meet my new teammates and coaches at R.C.S.C so I can get to work.”
