Caribbean Sports Roundup

By NAN Sports Editor

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Oct. 18, 2019: Here are the top stories making Caribbean sports news for the week ending, Oct. 18, 2019:

Bahamas Born NBA Player Has Raised Over US $200 On GoFundMe

Bahamas-born NBA Player, Buddy Hield, has so far raised more than $214,574 of his 1 million goal on GoFundMe to help his native land, which was battered by Hurricane Dorian.

The Sacramento Kings player had donated $100,000 of his own money to the Hurricane Dorian Relief in the Bahamas. All of the money raised through the GoFundMe campaign “will go towards the people who are going to try to rebuild their lives on the devastated Bahamas Islands.” The Buddy Hield Foundation will oversee how the supplies are given out to those in need.

West Indies Squad Named For Afghanistan

The West Indies selectors have named two new faces to the upcoming squad for Afghanistan. Missing are Chris Gayle and Carol Braithwaite as the Windies seemed to go with new blood.

Leading run-scorer and wicket-taker Brandon King and Hayden Walsh Jr. have each been rewarded with maiden selections. Lendl Simmons, who finished second on the run charts, earned his first pick since 2017 while fellow international newbie Romario Shepherd, a right-arm seamer and lower-order bat, was named to the ODI squad.

West Indies will play three T20Is, three ODIs, and a Test against Afghanistan in Dehradun in India between November 5 and December 1.

The full squads are as follows:

T20I squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Denesh Ramdin, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph.

ODI squad: Kieron Pollard (c), Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sunil Ambris, Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd.

Test squad: Jason Holder (c), Shai Hope, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamrah Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Sunil Ambris, Jomel Warrican, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph.

Jamaican Shelly Ann Fraser Gets Top IAAF Nomination

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has received a big nod this year, being nominated for the IAAF’s Female Athlete of the Year award.

Fraser-Pryce, who won an unprecedented fourth 100m world title in a world leading 10.71 seconds at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, Qatar recently, is the only Jamaican among the 11 nominees for the award.

Three of the 2019 nominees are from Kenya — Beatrice Chepkoech, Brigid Kosgei and Hellen Obiri. The others short-listed include Dalilah Muhammad of the United States; Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain; Katarina Johnson-Thompson of Great Britain; Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands; Malaika Mihambo of Germany; Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela; and Mariya Lasitskene, who competed as an authorised neutral.

The IAAF said a three-way voting process will determine the finalists. Fans can also vote online via the IAAF’s social media platforms. Individual graphics for each nominee will be posted on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram this week; a ‘like’ on Facebook and Instagram or a retweet on Twitter will count as one vote.

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to Face England Sunday

A 20-man Jamaica reggae Boyz squad is set to take on England Knights at Emerald Headingly Stadium on Sunday.

It’s the first-ever international played by Jamaica against a tier-one nation this year and head coach Romeo Monteith is excited by what the opportunity presents for the Reggae Warriors.

The Jamaica squad is as follows: Mo Agoro (Newcastle Thunder), Jordan Andrade (Dewsbury Rams), Alex Brown (Dewsbury Rams), Joe Brown (Newcastle Thunder), Omari Caro (London Skolars), Mason Caton-Brown (Unattached), Jymel Coleman (London Skolars), Joel Farrell (Sheffield Eagles), Ashton Golding (Leeds Rhinos), Greg Johnson (Salford Red Devils), Ben Jones-Bishop (Wakefield Trinity), Michael Lawrence (Huddersfield Giants), Khamisi Mckain (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Jon Magrin (Bradford Bulls), Jenson Morris (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), Ross Peltier (Bradford Bulls), Jodie Sherrife (Dewsbury Rams), Keenan Tomlinson (Batley Bulldogs), Danny Thomas (Dewsbury Celtic), and James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax).