Daily Archives: July 3, 2017

Assistance for Oceania athletes – Fiji Times Online – Fiji Times

Posted: July 3, 2017 at 8:41 am

FORMER Philippines runner Benjamin Cesar said a high performance centre in the Oceania region would be ideal to produce some of the best athletes for the region.

He was in the country to look for talented athletes in the 2017 Oceania Athletics Championships.

"The biggest way to improve the athletics in the Oceania region was to get a national training pool in country and for the region there should be a high performance centre,' he said.

"If you get a high performance centre then each country will give their best so the level does not only become better in Fiji but becomes better in the whole region. If the countries like Fiji, Tonga and Papua New Guinea participate then the level will keep getting better.

"I think the talent identification is a way to find more athletes. One can identify talents but if you cannot cultivate the talent then the identification goes no where. Finding the athletes in the Coca-Cola Games and giving them a proper program to follow and to show them that the support from the Athletics Fiji will allow them to see the world will get them a better education."

He also played a leading role in helping the Fijian athletes with their outfit working for a renowned branding company.

"I have been helping Fiji athletes and I was fortunate enough to work with a clothing brand and was able to help them beginning in 2013.

"I got back in touch with Athletics Fiji in 2012 however at that time we did not see a reason to help because of the situation the federation was in. Once Joseph Rodan and Joseph Rodan Jr got involved then we agreed to help," he said.

"We met Banuve Tabakaucoro in Beijing, China so we outfitted him and wherever we saw a Fijian athlete we decided to help out and it was because of that relationship. We did not treat them differently from other athletes.

"The future is bright as long as there is a good guidance and leadership."

Cesar along with his wife and two kids took part in the Olympic Day fun run at Albert Park in Suva last Friday.

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Highlighted by Rellie Kaputin and Toea Wisil breaking Oceania Championships records – POST-COURIER

Posted: at 8:41 am

July 3, 2017

Athletics

Rellie Kaputin,Toea Wisil and Ephraim Lerkin were the outstanding performers for Papua New Guinea at the Oceania Championships in Suva, Fiji which concluded on Saturday. PNG accumulating 10 gold, 11 silver and six bronze medals in the Open Division. Kaputin continued her fine 2017 form with three gold medals in the jumps events, the highlight being an Oceania Championship record of 13.05m in the triple jump. Toea Wisil ran a championship record of 23.24 seconds in the 200m and won the 100m by a huge margin of 0.6 seconds. Lerkin ran a magnificent 400m hurdles race despite being in some pain from a chest infection which was causing him breathing difficulties. The 19-year-old Simberi Islander was determined not to let this affect him as it had in the 400m final and had the race stitched up by the half way stage, going on to clock 51.73 seconds for first place. Other gold medals were won by Simbai Kaspar (5000m), Adrine Monagi (Heptathlon); Peniel Richard (Triple jump) and Raylyne Kanam (400m hurdles). Although Monagi and Richard won their events, they were clearly jaded after a long hard season of competition, as was decathlete Robson Yinambe. Athletics PNG president Tony Green said: These athletes will now go into a recovery phase before building up for the Pacific Mini Games. It was a solid all round team effort for the senior team with Debono Paraka setting two national records and Sharon Toako also impressing in the throws. Some great results were also recorded in the mens 200m with Nazmie Lee Marai, Theo Piniau, Wesley Logorava and Nelson Stone. Poro Gahekave aquitted herself well against strong competition from Australia picking up two bronze medals and setting a personal best 4min 47.26 secs in the 1500m, added Green. All of PNGs U20 and U18 athletes made the finals in the 200m with Leeroy Kamau being the standout as he is showing the potential to break Peter Pulus junior records by next year, said Green. His 21.65 sec clocking in the 200m is a massive performance for an 18 year old, as was the all round effort of Emmanuel Wanga who doesnt turn 18 until December. Valuable international experience was gained by many emerging athletes including Roland Hure, Damien Kotou , Letisha Pukaikia, Nancy Malamut, Lyenne Nilmo, and Leonie Beu, added Green. Australia fielded two large teams and dominated the championships.

10:28 AM - Its been two-years since the Wright brothers, Liam & Lloyd stepped onto the basketball courts at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre in Port Moresby.

The efforts of one person had everyone talking as Sri Lanka set Australia the biggest run-chase in World Cup history.

Athletics Rellie Kaputin,Toea Wisil and Ephraim Lerkin were the outstanding performers for Papua New Guinea at the Oceania Championships in Suva, Fiji which concluded on Saturday. PNG accumulating 10 gold,...

10:28 AM - Its been two-years since the Wright brothers, Liam & Lloyd stepped onto the basketball courts at the Taurama Aquatic & Indoor Centre in Port Moresby.

The efforts of one person had everyone talking as Sri Lanka set Australia the biggest run-chase in World Cup history.

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Six Australians celebrate Oceania Boxing titles – Australian Olympic Committee

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BOXING: Six Australians have won Oceania Boxing titles on the final day of Championship competition at Paradise Point on the Gold Coast, including Commonwealth Games silver medallist Joseph Goodall and former junior World Champion, Clay Waterman.

Another two Australians, including Rio Olympian Jason Whateley, have qualified for this years Boxing World Championships despite losing their final bouts on Thursday.

Goodalls super heavyweight title was never in doubt, the big Queenslander earning a unanimous points decision over New Zealands Patrick Mailata.

Likewise Waterman was also in complete control in his bout against another New Zealander, Jarrod Banks, in the mens 81kg.

The mens 91kg final was one of the most anticipated bouts of the day, with the 2014 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, New Zealands David Nyika, an impressive 5-0 winner over Whateley.

Other Australian victories came for Andrew Hunt in the 69kg division over Fijis Winston Hill, Harry Garside over New Zealands Chad Milnes in the 60kg, Sam Goodman in the 56kg over Vanuatus Boe Warawara, and Alex Winwood against Papua New Guineas Maxie Mangea in the mens flyweight.

In the closest bout of the day Papua New Guineas Charles Keama defeated Australias Tyler Blizzard in a split-points decision 3-2 in the mens 52kg.

New Zealands Richard Hadlow won the mens 64kg division, beating Colan Caleb from Nauru, while teammate Ryan Scaife beat Samoas Henry Tyrell for the 75kg title.

Boxing Australia

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Kiwi boxer David Nyika retains Oceania heavyweight boxing title – Newshub

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Heavyweight David Nyika has successfully defended his Oceania boxing title with a unanimous points decision win over Australian No.1 Jason Whateley on the Gold Coast.

It's the Hamilton fighter's third straight victory over the Victorian and was sweet redemption after missing out on the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Nyika burst on to the scene at just 18, when he won gold as a light heavyweight at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games three years ago, and now feels he's completed the step up.

"I'm a fully fledged heavyweight now, which has given me a lot of confidence when I can sit and tangle with the likes of Jason, who's a good fighter," he said on Thursday.

The result means the 21-year-old has qualified for the world championships starting in Hamburg in late August.

Nyika isn't expecting an easy ride when he travels to Europe, with a number of Olympians still fighting as amateurs.

"I think most of the medallists are still hanging about as a lot of the boxers from countries like Russia and Kazakhstan don't turn professional, so they're probably just in hibernation," he said.

"We'll be ready for the best of the best and that's all we can train for."

He's also refusing to look too far ahead and the chance of winning another Commonwealth gold in Queensland next April.

"I'm not too worried about studying different opponents at the world champs," he said.

"All I have to do is keep developing like I've been doing and, if all goes well, I'll be in tip-top shape for the Commonwealth Games next year."

NZN

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Disney Making This Major Alteration to the … – IGN

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Disneyland is changing up a major scene in it Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

According to a disneyparks blog post, the scene that once saw women being auctioned off (next to the Auction, Take a wench for a bride sign ) will be replaced with a scene of villagers lining up to surrender their valuables. The sign will be replaced to read "Auction, surrender yer loot", and the red-headed woman that was once a prize in the original scene will now be among the pirate ranks as an overseer complete with rifle and feathered cap.

In a statement to The Orange County Register spokeswoman for the Disneyland Resort Suzi Brown said we believe the time is right to turn the page to a new story in this scene, consistent with the humorous, adventurous spirit of the attraction.The new scene will roll out at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World in 2018.

This is far from the first alteration to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which opened at Disneyland Park in Anaheim in 1967. In 1997 a scene depicting pirates chasing women was altered to show them chasing women carrying trays of food, while characters from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean films were added in 2006.

Lucy O'Brien is Games & Entertainment Editor at IGNs Sydney office. Follow her onTwitter.

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The Caribbean Culinary Cupids: Food to Put you in the Mood – All At Sea

Posted: at 8:37 am

Acouple stepped up to the counter of a local Grenada eatery to order lunch. Fried fish and a couple of bakes, the woman ordered.

What to drink? asked the smiling young girl behind the counter.

Fruit punch for me, and the women gave her husband a nudging look to answer for himself.

Whats the sea moss? he inquired. The counter girl blushed, and motioned for the chef to come out front. As he repeated the question, a big grin spread across the chefs face.

Conspiratorially, the chef leaned close to the customers ear and whispered: Try it, its good for your His deft hand motion pointing downward instantly made clear the potent powers this drink proposed.

Ill have the sea moss, said the husband.

The sensualness of the sun, sand and sea creates the mood for love 365 days a year in the Caribbean. Like other areas of the world, there are foods like sea moss and several others that legend tells can enhance Cupids powers.

Sea moss, or Irish moss, is a marine plant that grows in profusion along the shorelines of many islands. The plant is fan shaped, with finger-like prongs. It becomes translucent when first harvested, and creamy white when mixed with evaporated milk, vanilla and sugar into an invigorating drink. Island men covet this brew as their own special form of Viagra.

The sea also provides other aphrodisiacs like sea eggs and oysters. Sea eggs are the roe of the white sea urchin, which is found in the relatively shallow waters surrounding the islands. Entering through this spiny shell offers the enticing reward of a mound of soft, slightly salty tasting eggs inside. Sea eggs found on island restaurant menus are often cooked and flavored with other ingredients, but their virile powers are best when sucked down raw right off the shell. The same raw recipe stands true for the aphrodisiac powers of oysters. Global food historians tell that Casanova ate 50 raw oysters every morning in the bathtub with the lady he fancied. Island men often go one better than Casanova, for the mangrove-tree oyster of the Caribbean is a scant two inches long. It takes a great many to satisfy one appetite and spark another.

Island residents lead a spicy life, thanks to the trinity of celery, onion and garlic. This mixture is what gives most soups, stews and entrees their exotic taste. Long celery stalks, by virtue of their shape, elicit thoughts of love. But islanders will tell you that its celery seed that is even more vitalizing, especially when crushed and added to a flavorful dish. Onions take their passionate potency from their pungent fire. An old West Indian wives tale warns (or wishes) that men who make-up a paste of onion juice and honey and apply it repeatedly to an unwilling member may wind up having that recalcitrant fellow standing at attention for days. Garlics aphrodisiacal effect is rooted in its power to produce a wonderful feeling of well-being after a meal. The tomato too is also found in many Creole Caribbean dishes. Its red heart-shape has earned it the name love apple.

Some of the Caribbeans Garden of Eden fruits speak of love from their obvious, almost embarrassing, resemblance to those two anatomical founts of joy. Bananas and plantains mimic the male member. Avocados, once cut in half, look like the gentler sex. Cocoa pods are also female in their appearance. Long ago in the Mexican Caribbean, the Aztec chief Montezuma is said to have consumed over 50 cups a day of a cocoa drink made from crushed cocoa, chili peppers and snow. Perhaps it was the caffeine buzz that set him afire for the village women folk.

Back in Grenada, the nutmeg too an essential ingredient in sea moss holds Cupid powers of its own. A half-nut quantity works men up like astallion according to the lyrics of one of Jamaican-born Beenie Mans songs.

Do any of these foods really work? Who knows? However, the couple who had ordered the sea moss at the food truck said days later that theyd never tellall the while wearing big smiles.

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The Caribbean Culinary Cupids: Food to Put you in the Mood - All At Sea

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St Lucia named third best Caribbean holiday spot – WIC News

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St Lucia has been listed as one of the top three holiday destinations in the Caribbean by US News & World Report.

The publication recently released its Worlds Best Places to Visit list, ranking St Lucia just behind the British Virgin Islands and Guadeloupe.

According to article, St Lucia is a lush, unspoiled island with a growing fan base that spans honeymooners, thrill seekers and music lovers.

It highlights the fact that St Lucia does not limit itself to offering just one type of vacation, believing instead that visitors can get whatever kind of holiday experience they want when they come to the island.

The list is compiled using a methodology that brings together travellers opinions along with the input of travel editors and industry experts.

Each destination is judged according to a set of 10 criteria, including adventure, nightlife, food, culture, romance and sights.

Over 300 countries were analysed in these and other categories to come up with the rankings.

St Lucia continues to be a favourite among tourists due to its array of premier hotels, resorts, villas and other boutique accommodation, according to St Lucia Tourist Board.

The countrys tours and attractions, such as the iconic twin peaks, the Pitons, and the Sulphur Springs mud baths entice families, couples and sole travellers looking for adventure, they added.

At the moment the nation is running the Saint Lucia Rocks This Summer promotional campaign, which offers deals of up to 50% off room rates and great discounts on tours and attractions.

Visitors can revel in Saint Lucias unique blend of exotic beauty and exciting array of fun-filled activities via sizzling packages available through this summer campaign, said the tourism authority.

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Melbourne Police Officers Investigate Drowning at Caribbean Villas Apartment Complex – SpaceCoastDaily.com

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child was found underwater in a pond

Melbourne police officers are investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the Caribbean Villas Apartments, located at 2639 Granada Bay Drive.

BREVARD COUNTY MELBOURNE, FLORIDA Melbourne police officersare investigating the drowning of a 2-year-old at about 4:15 p.m. Sunday at the Caribbean Villas Apartments, located at 2639 Granada Bay Drive.

Officers were dispatched to the Caribbean Villas Apartment complex, and after searching the area, the child was found underwater in a pond behind the clubhouse.

An officer entered the water and pulled the child out and immediately began life saving measures.

Melbourne Fire Rescue and Brevard County Fire Rescue arrived on scene and continued CPR measures, however, it was determined the child had succumbed to this tragic event.

Detectives are in the initial stages of this investigation and more information will be released when available.

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Caribbean rights in the OAS: not negotiable – Jamaica Observer

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Amid the finger-pointing and blaming over votes at the Organisation of American States (OAS) on matters related to Venezuela, the fundamental problems of the organisation have been overlooked.

Sadly, and wrongly, media commentators and armchair experts have chosen to target Caribbean countries as the villains behind blocking resolutions on the situation in Venezuela. Several of them have credited the draft declaration on which a vote was taken on June 19 to the United States or Peru. The fact is that the draft declaration was a negotiated text, based in large measure on a draft that was produced by Caribbean heads of government.

While misrepresentations are regrettable, of greater importance is the weakness of the organisation itself and the paralysis that it faces as a direct result of its outmoded charter and rules of procedure. In its present form, it cannot legitimately interfere or intervene in the internal affairs of its member states.

For the Caribbean, a particular area of disquiet should be the suggestion that the time has come to create a kind of Security Council of the OAS, similar to the antiquated regime of the UN, where five countries take the big decisions and each exercises a veto power over the others and every other nation. This suggestion is directed specifically at the 14 Caribbean countries which, when they vote in harmony, affect decisions of the 34-member body.

The OAS was signed into being in 1948. It was a different time, with different challenges, requiring different responses. In the 69 years that have passed, much has changed. But while those changes have occurred with dramatic effect in the world, except for three protocols, the charter of the OAS has remained the same.

While the Inter-American Democratic Charter was given birth in 2001, it was cradled in the construct of the OAS Charter. The UN political compact on 'the responsibility to protect' people from large-scale human rights violations did not come about for another four years, and, even then, it was not made legally binding.

The governments of the OAS member states are trying to operate in a new and challenging environment within an old and irrelevant framework, with the result that, on the political front, the organisation is paralysed, unable to take action because its rules, procedures and framework are not designed to address the circumstances between states and within states that now challenge the hemispheric community.

Instead of seriously reviewing the organisation to determine its purpose in a changed world, and to consider what reform is required to make it fit for purpose and relevant to its transformed circumstances, a few states attempt to break its rules and procedures to achieve ends that they regard as desirable.

But, although breaking rules may work for a time, it is not sustainable. Short-term objectives might be achieved by a few, but at a price of distrust, disharmony and discord that does not and will not serve the OAS well.

There is an urgent need to review and reform the organisation. The need has existed for some time. The time for that work is now. For instance, there is a dysfunctionality between the role of the Permanent Council and the secretary general. That dysfunctionality exists because there are no clear rules between the authority of the Permanent Council and the secretary general. Until the authority of the two instruments of the organisation and their relationship with each other, including their limits, are made clear, the opportunity for self-serving interpretation will remain. And so too will continue the opportunity for mischief that retards not advances the hemispheric body.

At the 47th General Assembly of the OAS in Mexico from June 19 to 21, Antigua and Barbuda made an appeal for the assembled governments to begin to think about the importance and necessity of establishing machinery for a full review of the organisation, leading to recommendations for reform that would make it fit for purpose, relevant to its time and its peoples, and more efficient and effective in its structures of management and decision-making. Tinkering at its edges by agreeing to strengthen its institutions merely delays the day of reckoning and makes reconstruction much harder.

All nations now exist in a troubled world beset by an increasing gap in global inequality, where the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer; where the weak are disadvantaged for the benefit of the strong; and where climate change is denied even as its effects wreak havoc in island states and states with low coastal areas.

The hemisphere needs the multilateralism that the OAS could provide, particularly at a time when unilateralism has assumed a new and large dimension. There is now a brashness to unilateralism in which might is pursued falsely labelled as right.

In this regard it has been suggested that there should be some form of weighted voting in the organisation one that gives more strength to the votes of larger countries, and less regard to smaller states. But, if that is what is intended by strengthening the OAS, it is an ill-conceived notion.

Small Caribbean states do not seek to impose their will on any; instead, they seek cooperation and dialogue in furtherance of the interests of the home of the Americas in which all the peoples of OAS member states live. Within the organisation they have helped to build networks in times of institutional failure; consensus in a time of divisiveness; and bridges in a time of walls.

The financial contributions of small states to the OAS may be relatively modest in volume terms, but they are equivalent to the percentage of gross domestic product paid by every other nation, and so too is the intellectual and creative capacity that they have given to the organisation and its work. Further, since the 1648 Treaty of Westphalia, the nation state has been accepted and respected.

Caribbean states have struggled through slavery and indentured labour, through colonialism and imperialism, through repression and oppression to carve a place for themselves in the world community and at the table of decision-making in the hemisphere. They earned the right to be equal members of the OAS and they pay their dues proportionately.

Caribbean small states will not yield their rights, even as they use those rights to try to reform the OAS to make it relevant to the political and economic demands of a time very different from 1948.

Sir Ronald Sanders is Antigua and Barbuda's ambassador to the US and Organisation of American States; an international affairs consultant; as well as senior fellow at Massey College, University of Toronto, and the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London. He previously served as ambassador to the European Union and the World Trade Organization and as high commissioner to the UK. The views expressed are his own. For responses and to view previous commentaries: http://www.sirronaldsanders.com.

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Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride will stop auctioning brides – The Pasadena Star-News

Posted: at 8:37 am

The pirates will no longer be saying We wants the Redhead in Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland after the auction scene undergoes a modification in 2018.

The Walt Disney Company plans to make changes to the auction scene in the attraction at Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Paris in the coming year, according to Suzi Brown, spokeswoman for the Disneyland Resort.

While the scene has long been a favorite of many Disney fans, it has been the brunt of criticism for what some believed to be a sexist approach to women. Years ago, the scene that comes after the auction scene, which used to have pirates chasing women, was changed to pirates chasing women for food, and one where a woman was chasing a pirate.

Disney officials declined to comment about the sexism question.

In the auction scene, the Redhead will become a pirate, helping the Auctioneer gather valuables from the townspeople to auction off to the pirates.

Potential brides will no longer be offered at the auction to the pirates either, once the change is made; expected to take place during a refurbishment of the attraction in 2018.

We believe the time is right to turn the page to a new story in this scene, consistent with the humorous, adventurous spirit of the attraction, Brown said in a statement.

The first version of the attraction to receive the new scene will be at Disneyland Paris next month, with the two domestic parks receiving it within the next year or so.

The park announced the changes in a blog post by Kathy Mangum, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering, who also released this statement: Our team thought long and hard about how to best update this scene. Given the redhead has long been a fan favorite, we wanted to keep her as a pivotal part of the story, so we made her a plundering pirate! We think this keeps to the original vision of the attraction as envisioned by Marc Davis, X Atencio and the other Disney legends who first brought this classic to life.

This is not the first time the venerable Disneyland attraction has undergone modifications. The first was in the mid-1970s when a scene with a drunken pirate and some cats was added. In 2006, characters from the film franchise, including Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbosa and Davy Jones, were added. In 2011, Blackbeard was added for a while.

Changes to Disneyland attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean and others have always taken place since it opened. Just a couple of years ago the Haunted Mansion added a headless ghost to that classic attraction.

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Marty Sklar, the former vice chair of Walt Disney Imagineering, who worked alongside Walt Disney for many years, said that Walt always wanted Disneyland to grow and change, with some of those changes starting right after the park opened in 1955.

The Imagineers are simply reflecting what Walt started the day Disneyland opened making changes that create exciting new experiences for our guests. I cant think of a single attraction that has not been enhanced and improved, some over and over again. Change is a tradition at Disneyland that todays Imagineers practice, Sklar said in a statement.

He went on to say, Pirates of the Caribbean has always represented great Disney Park storytelling; it has set the standard for the theme park industry for half a century. But its a story you can continue to add fun to, with great characters in new performances. Thats what the Imagineers have done with this new auction scene its like a theatre show with a new act.

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Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean ride will stop auctioning brides - The Pasadena Star-News

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