Weymouth Wales halts the rut
Caribbean Life, Feb. 1–7, 2019 51
By George Alleyne
The boys from Weymouth
Wales are breathing a sigh of
relief following their 1-0 victory
over Paradise that snapped
a run of four straight defeats
in the Barbados Football Association’s
Premier League 2018-
2019 season.
Prior to the weekend victory
fans were wondering what
had become of the defending
champions — who not only
held the crown for last season
but were kings for the football
year before — as they suffered
loss followed loss.
But senior national attacking
midfielder Romario Harewood
took a cross from Ray
Snag in the six-yard box and
injected one into the Paradise
net during the second half of
play to give long-suffering supporters
something to cheer
about in a fixture Sunday at
the Wildey Astroturf.
That face-saving win for
Weymouth earned them three
points which kept the champion
team in contention for
the 2018-2019 title with a total
14 points, breathing down the
necks of University of the West
Indies Blackbirds who are on
15 points in Zone One of the
League.
Another of the Sunday fixtures
was also limited to one
goal as the Barbados Defence
Force got through with a 1-0
victory over Brittons Hill,
thanks to a shot from senior
national captain Rashad Jules
scored 77th minute.
The soldiers, who have three
championship titles under their
boots, are having a bad season
so far, but the win ensured that
they remain in third position of
Zone Two with 20 points.
Among the front runners at
the end of fixtures over the
weekend UWI Blackbirds won
their match to ensure that they
continue to lead Zone One with
15 points ahead Weymouth
Wales who are on 14.
Similarly, the status quo
remained in Zone Two with
Empire winning their game
and amassing 25 points to
maintain their top position.
Paradise, who were just one
point behind Empire last week,
have been left on 21 points
owing to their loss to Weymouth.
BDF goal-scoring captain, Rashad Jules (L) trails Brittons Hill player, Kemal Smith for the
ball. Photo by George Alleyne
American Caribbean Maritime Foundation creates
scholarship program with Royal Caribbean
By Alexandra Simon
The Royal Caribbean International
has partnered up with
the New York-based organization
— American Caribbean
Maritime Foundation (ACMF) ,
to sponsor a scholarship program
supporting Bahamian
students. The new initiative will
benefit the students pursuing
maritime studies, as well as the
multi-island nation — which
stands to see positive economic
results, said an executive at the
cruise line company.
”With our relationship and
partnership with the wider Caribbean
and specifically with The
Bahamas, we see that we need
to make significant investments
to also make The Bahamas and
Caribbean a part of that future
picture, said senior vice president
of marine operations, Greg
Purdy.
The partnership between the
two organizations has been in
the works since October of last
year with the goal of providing
financial support to Maritime
students interested in the field.
Because of cruise line company
depends on the Caribbean
for most of its business, it only
makes sense that the company
works to contribute more to the
region, said founder and executive
director of ACMF.
“We are a maritime organization,
the Royal Caribbean is
branded in the Caribbean, and
most of their business is based
in the Caribbean,” said Geneive
Brown Metzger.
“I support the education of
Caribbean mariners because
majority of the people employed
on these cruises are not from
the region — so this only makes
sense.”
Currently the scholarship
will only support five students
in The Bahamas, because the
country plays a major market
for the cruise line, according to
Metzger.
But the scholarship is expected
to expand to include other
Caribbean countries and islands
that serve the Royal Caribbean.
At a recent gala reception,
two students — Shante Pearson
and Tre’von Ferguson received
scholarships.
Metzger says this scholarship
program not only stands to offer
more access to students interested
in maritime careers, but
will change generations. She
cites one student’s emotional
testimony on how her education
will help her family out of
generational poverty.
“In America a lot of us think
of education as leading to better
jobs, but for a lot of these
students education is changing
lives and has such an impact
that it can change the trajectory
of an entire family,” she
said.
From left, Dr. Fritz Pinnock, president of Caribbean Maritime University, Greg Purdy, senior
vice president of Royal Caribbean’s maritime operations, Dr. Brendamae Cleare, president
of LJM Maritime Academy, and scholarship recipients, Shante Pearson and Tre’von Ferguson.
Cay Focus Photography