Sport

The Haitian soccer team made history this June 8, 2013 by keeping up with current World Cup Winner Spain. Spain was widely expected to cruise to win against the Haitian team, and took just eight minutes to assert their superiority. However, after 75 minutes of play, a real moment of history seems to be on the making. After bursting through the Spanish lines and rounding Pepe Reina, Donald Guerrier steered the football into the Spanish net from eight yards to spark pandemonium in the stands and trigger thoughts of a miraculous comeback.

Sports in Haiti

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The Haiti National Soccer Team (HNST) is preparing for a showcase game with the Spanish National Soccer Team (SNST) at Sun Life Stadium, Saturday June 8th. Following that event, HNST will travel to Rio de Janeiro for another non-competitive match against Italy at Maracana Stadium.

HNST's two most formidable players, Joseph Peterson and Jerome Mechack, at mid-field and right-back positions, have been training at soccer camp along with A-list players Jean-Jacque Pierre, Johnny Placide, Jean Alcenat, Jeff Louis, and Reginald Goreux. HNST expects to train more intensively because Spain's La Roja team has achieved the distinction of capturing two European titles and a World Cup in three years.

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In high-school sports, no one is more revered, respected, and loved than Paul Calixte. Born to a privileged family in Cap-Haitien, he studied at Les Freres de l'Instruction Chretienne Grade School and graduated from College Notre Dame High School. After his studies, he remained as an instructor at College Notre Dame. He won his first of five football championships in 1972 that encouraged him to form the Football Inter-Club Association.

As a coach Paul Calixte believes in developing well-rounded personalities. He places just as much emphasis on grades as he does on winning a game. For half-a-century he has taught in high schools in Haiti and mentored scores of students through the thorny teen years.

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Emmanuel Sanon, aka Manno, became a top-rated soccer player for Haiti's National Team (HNT). Born in Port-au-Prince in 1951, he was schooled at Lycee de Petion-Ville High School.

Four years after joining HNT in 1970, Manno and his teammates played for the FIFA World Cup in Europe. HNT had fought its way through the qualifying rounds of the World Cup play-offs, and successful, found themselves facing a trio of daunting competitors: Italy, Argentina, and Poland.

HNT lost to all three, yet Manno made a lasting impression on the soccer world. During the game against Italy, Manno surprised everyone by scoring the first goal of the game. What was so incredible about this achievement is Italy goalkeeper, Zoff, had not permitted any opposition players to score a goal in two-plus years.

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The stakes were high when Haitian born boxer Bermane Stiverne entered the ring at the Citizens Business Bank Arena to battle Mexican-American fighter Chris Arreola. The high pressure fight took place in his opponent's California neighborhood and under the watchful eye of the Arena's audience plus the millions given access to the fight televised by HBO. The critics, media, and fans alike had all been loud in expressing the unlikelihood of Stiverne making a win. In fact, upping the ante, the underdog boxer had said he would quit the sport if he lost to Arreola.

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Charles Vorbe began life in Port-au-Prince in 1954, son and brother of soccer players. His older brother played for the Haitian National Team, and his father served as Haitian Soccer Federation President. Charles showed early promise as a soccer player. Just 17, he played first-string for Violette as a forward center, but could switch off to other positions also.

He finished his studies at Columbia University in the U.S. and played at the legendary finals between Haiti and Cuba. Many sports observers considered that event his crowning achievement as a professional soccer player. But Charles feels his performance with Violette in the game against the New York Cosmos was his personal best.

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Haitian Football Federation (HFF) is not satisfied with a sponsorship contract it signed with South American sporting goods manufacturer, SAETA, recently. HFF Vice President, Robert Jean-Bart, spoke with an online Haitian radio station about the $1 million, five-year contract running from 2013 through 2018. He said the annual payout was for $200,000 USD for HFF to equip and outfit its national teams. But he added SAETA has not paid HFF a dime.

In a breach of contract, SAETA has made excuses their inventory dried up and therefore it was unable to outfit Les Grenadiers for the two exposition games they played against Spain and Italy. But where is the money SAETA contracted to give HFF?

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Haiti held a very rare half-marathon on Sunday, June 9. Among the participants was the charity of Sean Penn, the Hollywood actor. The top five finishers of the half-marathon will be sent to ING New York City Marathon to be held on November 3. These five people will be sponsored by J/P Haitian Relief Organization of Sean Penn. However, this sponsorship is yet to get approval from Haitian Amateur Athletics Federation. League's president Alain Jean-Pierre that the sponsorship would probably be approved by June 10, Monday.

A January story from Associated Press probably stemmed the decision of sponsoring the runners. A distance runner from Haiti was featured in the story. The runner actually represented the hardship that many Haitians in Port-au-Prince continue to deal with even after 3 years of the devastating earthquake that shattered Haiti in 2010.

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International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) President, Joseph S. Blatter went on a 6-day tour from April 14 to April 20, 2013. The tour was themed as 'Football Development'. Blatter visited countries like Panama, Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic. Blatter said that these four countries are excellent examples of Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association (CONCACAF) region that can enjoy social development because of Football.

Joseph Blatter arrived at Haiti on Monday 15th April for the inauguration of built or rebuilt infrastructure. This infrastructure was the part of 'Solidarity with Haiti' project. This infrastructure will be the new home for football in Haiti. FIFA approved $4 million for this project after the island nation was devastated by the 2010 earthquake. FIFA has also invested funds in Sylvio Cator Stadium for artificial turf implementation and lighting systems. Money has also been channeled towards re-launching the national competitions.

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AthlHaiti, the poorest country in western hemisphere is barely known for its bodybuilders. The country only has a handful of gyms of which only a few are air conditioned. The air conditioned gyms are reserved for workers of foreign aid and the elite class of Haiti while those Haitians who live on modest means only have access to outdoor gyms, none of which are air conditioned.

In a very rare competition, these handful of bodybuilders from the country managed to get a chance to show off their muscles and cuts. 10 bodybuilders managed to get into the competition among which, 5 were in heavyweight category and rest in medium-weight category. The competition was held in Carrefour district's athletic center. Carrefour district is located just outside Port-au-Prince. The athletes were cheered by a few dozen of supporters. On the tunes of American pop music, these athletes danced like robots and they flexed their triceps, biceps, lats and pecs.

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