By| Delwin Neblett | HGP Nightly News|
Raekwon Noel Smashes 25-Year-Old Caribbean Swimming Record with Stunning TYR Pro Series Podium
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — Guyanese Olympian Raekwon Noel wrote his name into the swimming history books on Tuesday, obliterating a 25-year-old regional milestone to become the new Caribbean record holder in the 200m Butterfly. Competing for Indiana University Bloomington at the prestigious 2026 TYR Pro Swim Series in Indianapolis, Noel clocked a blistering lifetime best of 1:56.62 to secure a podium finish in third place.
His performance completely eclipsed the previous Caribbean record of 1:57.94, which had been held by Puerto Rico’s Andrew Livingstone since the 2001 World Championships. Furthermore, Noel’s time established a new standard for CARIFTA-region athletes, surpassing the 1:58.25 mark set by Bahamian Olympic icon Jeremy Knowles at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships. The historic swim sets both a new Guyanese national record and a personal lifetime best, cementing Noel’s status as an elite global competitor ahead of upcoming international championships.
National Cycling Trio Departs for Intensive Elite UCI Training Camp in Trinidad
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a major boost for local sports development, three of Guyana’s most promising young cyclists have officially touched down in Trinidad and Tobago to participate in a high-performance two-week Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) training program. The elite developmental squad features junior standouts Sidwell Sandy and Alexander Leung, alongside lone female competitor Tandeia Noel.
The riders are accompanied by National Coach Brentnol Carmichael, who will oversee their integration into the rigorous international curriculum. The comprehensive training camp is designed to elevate the athletes’ competitive baselines, featuring advanced modules in track and road endurance, strength and conditioning, high-speed sprinting, and technical race tactics. The cyclists will also undergo specialized seminars in sports nutrition and clinical recovery protocols, gaining vital exposure to modernize their training regimens for upcoming Caribbean and pan-american qualifiers.
Lowe and Fung-A-Fat Secure Doubles Second Round Spot at Pan Am U-19 Squash
SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR — Guyana’s elite junior squash contingent endured mixed fortunes on the opening day of the 2026 Pan American U-19 Squash Championships in El Salvador. In the highly competitive Girls’ Singles bracket, Kaylee Lowe suffered a straight-sets defeat against Peru’s clinical Bianca Minchon, while national teammate Emily Fung-A-Fat put up a resilient fight before bowing out 3-1 to Paraguay’s Nicole Krauch.
Despite the early setbacks in singles play, the Guyanese duo quickly shifted focus to the Girls’ Doubles category. Benefiting from their regional ranking, Lowe and Fung-A-Fat drew a crucial first-round bye earlier today, systematically advancing them straight into the tournament’s second round. The junior stars are currently finalizing their tactical game plans as they prepare to face top-seeded Latin American pairings later this week.
Hururu Secondary Dominates Openers as 19th KFC National Schools Basketball Festival Tips Off
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — The 19th edition of the KFC National Schools Basketball Festival officially commenced in high-octane fashion at the National Gymnasium on Sunday, with Hururu Secondary of Aroaima (Region 10) sending a clear warning shot across both the Under-16 and Girls’ divisions. The Region 10 powerhouse secured a dominant dual-victory, completely blowing past Queen’s College 33-4 in the Girls’ bracket before routing Mackenzie High School 30-5 in a heavily one-sided U-16 showdown.
In other opening-day action, President’s College ground out a defensive 10-4 victory over Berbice’s JC Chandisingh in the Girls’ division. Meanwhile, the boys’ U-16 tier saw clinical opening wins secured by Queen’s College, Berbice High School, Saint Stanislaus College, Marian Academy, and St. Rose’s High School. Preliminary group-stage matches will run throughout the week at the National Gymnasium, with the tournament’s grand finals scheduled to take over the newly renovated Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Clinical Australia Ends West Indies’ World Cup Dream in London Semi-Final Clash
LONDON, ENGLAND — The West Indies Women’s historic run at the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup came to a heartbreaking conclusion on Tuesday, as powerhouse Australia executed a ruthless 8-wicket victory in the first semi-final at the Kia Oval.
After being sent in to bat on a sluggish surface, the Maroon women struggled to find their usual boundary-hitting rhythm against a disciplined Australian attack, ultimately being restricted to a modest 125 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs. Captain Hayley Matthews top-scored with a gritty, run-a-ball 30, but the West Indies struggled to build substantial partnerships as Aussie spinners Ashleigh Gardner, Georgia Wareham, and Sophie Molineux choked the run rate, picking up 2 wickets apiece.
The target proved entirely academic for the reigning champions. Australia’s clinical batting unit raced to 127 for 2 in just 13 overs, spear-headed by a magnificent, unbeaten 61 from veteran opener Beth Mooney. Player of the Match Ashleigh Gardner capped off a brilliant all-round performance by smashing a quick-fire 35 to anchor a commanding 8-wicket win with 42 balls to spare. While Australia advances to Sunday’s grand final in pursuit of yet another global title, the Windies Women exit the tournament with heads held high after a phenomenal campaign on English soil.
