Agboola Silverton scored all four tries as T&T ruggermen rallied from a late five points deficit, capping off a second-half fight-back to edge Venezuela 26-24 for the bronze medal at the 22nd Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Mexico, yesterday.
Keishon Walker chipped in with four valuable points on two conversions and Christopher Hudson, one for the "Calypso ruggermen" who trailed 14-19 at the half, and 24-19 with less than five minutes left in the match at the High Performance Centre.
It was the second win for T&T over Venezuela after their 14-5 pool victory on Friday.
Wilmer Marin got two tries and Roberto Schaeffer and Luis Zamora one each for the South Americans, who also got two conversions from Ramon Ruiz.
The bronze was the eighth for T&T at the Games to go with its two gold and one silver, for 11 overall.
Earlier in the semifinals, T&T proved no match for Colombia and was beaten, 12-33 with Keishon Walker, scoring a try and conversion and James Phillip, a try in the loss.
In the quarterfinals also played yesterday, T&T blanked Cayman islands 24-0 led by two tries from David Gookool. Darrel Scott got one, and Keishon Walker a try and conversion.
On Friday night, in their Men's Pool A decider, T&T went under to Mexico, 12-19.
Pascal Nadaud had a try and conversion for the hosts while Roberto Calderon and Christian Henning added a try apiece, and Miguel Carner, a conversion.
James Phillip and Agboola Silverton scored a try each for T&T, which trailed 12-14 at the half, and Christopher Hudson, the conversion.
The other medal winners for T&T were gold from Cleopatra Borel (shot put) and George Bovell III (swimming), silver by the national men's hockey team and bronze via Dorian Alexander (taekwondo), Curtis Humphreys/Dexter St Louis (table tennis), Roger Daniel (shooting), Christopher George (judo), Kwesi Browne (cycling), Bovell (swimming) and boxer Michael Alexander.
In the women's rugby competition, T&T ended fifth after powering past Cayman Islands 37-0 in their playoff led by Dalia Jordan-Brown's four tries and one each from Fayola Jack, Kanisha Vincent and Vanicia Mootoo, who also scored on a conversion.
On Friday night, the T&T Ruggerwomen suffered a 0-36 hammering from Mexico on Friday night, but rebounded to whip Cayman Islands 20-5 led by two tries from Nicolette Panthor and one each from Vincent and Fayola Samuel to cancel out Shenel Gall's try for the losers.
And in their final round-robin match, T&T was also peppered 0-39 by Venezuela and was edged out on goal-difference by Jamaica for the bronze medal match against with Mexico.This after the Jamaicans crushed Cayman Islands 36-7 to end with eight points the same as T&T, but ahead with a goal-difference of minus-10 to T&T's minus-15 from five matches each.
Beach vball women play for seventh
T&T's Nancy Joseph and Ayanna Dyette were expected to meet Sts Kitts/Nevis duo Brenda Allen and Shanicia Dyer for seventh spot last night after losing their fifth to eight semifinal playoff against Guatemalans, Anna Ramirez and Bianca Recinos, 19-21, 11-21.In the men's tournament, T&T's Fabien Whitfield and Daneil Williams faced Dominican Republic's William Sanchez and Antonio Castillo for 11th.This followed a shock 17-21, 21-11, 14-16 loss to Jamaicans, Ryck Webb-Mc Kenzie and Christopher Walters in their ninth to 12th semifinal, the same pair they defeated 21-10, 21-11 in their round-robin pool series earlier in the week.
Squash
At the Racquet Centre, T&T's chances of a medal in the men's team competition ended at the quarterfinal stage, 0-2 to Guatemala.For the Central Americans, Josue Edwin Enriquez defeated T&T's Colin Ramasra 11-3, 11-9, 11-2 and Jose Bryan Bonnila beat N'Ku Patrick 11-8, 11-4, 12-10.The T&T boys were then blanked by El Salvador 0-2 again in their fifth to eight semifinal with Kale Wilson losing to Ernesto Israel Abrego 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-13, 9-11, and Ramasra, beaten by Jose Ernesto Molina 7-11, 10-12, 6-11
Water Polo
Last night, at the Leyes de Reforma Aquatic Centre, the national men's water polo team was to come up against Puerto Rico for fifth spot.This after, T&T got its first win after five straight losses, 19-3 over Guatemala led by six goals from Christopher Forte on Friday night. The duo of Daniel Alvarez and Stanley John Littlepage got hat-tricks while Kieron Emmanuel and Ryan West added two each, and Russell Ferreira, Justin Bodden and Daniel Abraham the others.For Guatemala, Martin Wannam, Mauro Chacon and Jorge Merida got consolation items.
Vball men Indoor play for seventh
The Calypso Spikemen will play for seventh spot today from 12 noon against Colombia/Bahamas playoff loser.This, after losing their fifth to eighth spot playoff versus Venezuela 22-25, 15-25, 21-25 at the Arena Cordoba, yesterday.Venezuela will play the Colombia/Bahamas winner for fifth spot while in the main draw semifinals last night, Puerto Rico faced Mexico and Dominican Republic battled Cuba ahead of today's final and playoffs.