Sport - Haiti Observer Blog

Tire Machèt is a Créole martial arts hybrid. It synthesizes elements of fencing, stick, and machèt art forms. Its genesis occurred prior to the Haitian Slave Revolt, as a solution to rebels not having standard weapons to fight the enemy. Machèt fighting then became a valued skill, and part of the Haitian Army's basic training. Down through the history of military training, Tire Machèt has acquired a sacred symbolism owing to the Haitian Slave Revolt.

Haitian Machete Fighting ~ January 2012

Stick fighting, as well as Tire Machèt, is grounded in African practices that were imported along with Congolese slaves to Haiti in colonial times. Stick fighting and Tire Machèt have gained strength as martial arts disciplines, due to Haiti's isolation from the world. Although Haiti endured unimaginable poverty by being cut off from the rest of the world, it enabled important primitive traditions to flourish, among them Tire Machèt.

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The young Haitian-American Victoria Duval pulled quite an upset Yesterday (August 27, 2013) at the U.S. Open.

She defeated the 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the US Open first round tennis tournament. Ranked at No.296, Duval scored a 5-7 6-4 6-4 win against the 11th- Australian. This is actually, her first grand slam victory.

This victory by the 17 year old Haitian-American Victoria Duval over the 2011 champion Samantha Stosur in the US Open is quite remarkable but it gets even more interesting. She had two major ordeals that she already coped with. She experienced the terror of being held hostage by a kidnap gang and almost losing her father in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

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The U.S. has been chosen for the fifth time to hold the 12th annual Gold Cup. Thirteen soccer fields will be filled with roaring fans over the three-week tournament in July. Soldier Field in Chicago will hold the final game.

Twelve teams will vie for the Gold Cup in the CONCACAF play-offs to challenge the 2015 Gold Cup winner in a one-match game. The winner will then play in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

The twelve teams are divided into three groups of four teams each, groups A, B, and C. Mexico heads group A, playing to retain the trophy. Its top player, Raúl Jiménez, in striker position, will play alongside Alfredo Talavera and six other teammates from the 2012 Olympics team: Darvin Chavez, Javier Cortes, Israel Jiménez, Marco Fabian, Miguel Ponce, and Jorge Enriquez. The Mexico team will be coached by Raúl Gutierrez.

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Haitian-American basketball player, Nerlens Noel, is a rising star in the National Basketball Association. Born in 1994 of expatriate parents in New Hampshire, he attended Tilton High School, where he first attracted attention as a talented player.

Realizing he had better odds of being drafted by college-recruiting scouts in the class of 2012, instead of 2013, he persuaded Tilton High sports director to let him jump a grade, promising he would study hard to catch up. For his efforts, he became the top-rated player of 2012 class. This achievement made him eligible to perform at two high-profile exposition games, the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.

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Sixty-third ranked Haiti's Les Grenadiers managed a tie-score game against soccer-world champions, Italy, at an exhibition game in Rio de Janeiro. The final score was 2-2. Italy took an early lead, scoring the first goal 19 seconds after the game had started. Made by mid-fielder, Emanuele Giaccherini, it set a record for the quickest goal in Italian soccer records. Italy's second goal was scored by Claudio Marchisio 18 minutes before half-time.

Italy vs Haiti 2-2 All Goals and Highlights Friendly - 11/06/2013

Haitian Soccer Pictures

During the third and fourth quarters, Haiti's Les Grenadiers managed to keep Italy from scoring any more points. It was expected that at best Les Grenadiers would lose by a small point-lead to Italy's Azzurris.

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Jean Philippe Peguero gives Haitian Soccer team a draw with the powerful Italian team

On Haiti side, it was pride, hope and a memory of the 1974 soccer team. On Italy side, shock, surprise, embarrassment are the feeling that best describe them on June 11, 2013 after Haiti soccer team has made a draw with the powerful Italian team.

Emanuele Giaccherini scored for Italy after only 19 seconds and substitute Claudio Marchisio added a second in the 72nd minute.

Italy vs Haiti 2-2 All Goals and Highlights:

For Haiti team, Olrish Saurel scored from a penalty with five minutes left. Then, Jean Philippe Peguero grabbed an equalizer deep into stoppage time.

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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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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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