Luka Doncic’s last milestone: he will be the youngest foreigner to be in an ‘All Star’
The Slovenian base Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks) will start in the ‘All Star’ that next February 17 will face in the United Center of Chicago the best players in the NBA, with the West and East teams led again by LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), respectively.The NBA announced last morning to the ten players who will play at the start of the game with the most ‘glamor’ on the planet, where the former Real Madrid player has sneaked for the first time, reaffirming that with only 20 years he is already one of the stars more glittering in the NBA. It is the non-American who soon comes to an appointment like thisHe will start in the LeBron team, the one of the Western conference Photo: Reuters
The players were divided into four categories, two per Conference: exterior and interior. In the section of western players outside, Doncic was the most voted by fans, players and specialized press. Only two other players raised such unanimity: James and Antetokounmpo.In this way, the Slovenian will share ownership in the outside game with James Harden (Houston Rockets), within a powerful alignment of the West where they will also form Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers) and the aforementioned LeBron James , who becomes the third player with more ‘All Star’ (16) and already has only Kobe Bryant (18) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19) ahead of him.As for the East, in addition to Antetokounmpo, the MVP in force in the league, they will start the Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks), Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics), Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors) and Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) start-up match.The names of the ten owners are revealed, now we need to know the fourteen substitutes, seven per team. This election will be the task of the coaches of each team and will be officially announced on January 30.– HOLDERS OF THE ‘ALL STAR’ OF CHICAGO.WEST CONFERENCE: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), James Harden (Houston Rockets), Kawhi Leonard (Los Angeles Clippers), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers).EAST CONFERENCE: Bring Young (Atlanta Hawks), Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics), Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) and Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).
A high-level security leadership training for ranking members of the Liberia Sea Port Police (LSP) has opened in Monrovia, the Management of the port authority of Liberia has declared.According to the National Port Authority (NPA) Management, major courses including crime management, ethics and code of conducts, introduction to law, human rights and the Liberian Constitution, report writing, operational plans, briefing, as well as communication and debriefing are being thought during the training.A statement issued by the port authority in Monrovia Thursday, says the training is being conducted in line with plans by the Management of National Port Authority to further build the capacity and strengthen the human resource component of the institution. The LSP senior management training is also a major goal of the NPA management to maintaining professional paramilitary organization with the sole responsibility to secure all sea ports and effectively address security challenges and concerns at all seaports across the country.The statement noted the training is necessary to beef-up the effectiveness of senior and middle level LSP officers in order to make them more vigilant in the execution of their mandates in support of a robust security regime under the direct supervision of the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO).The training which began October 20, 2014 is a result of series of meetings held between the NPA (PFSO) and the Training Department of the Liberia National Police Training Academy. It is expected to last for two months.Discussions are also being held regarding additional training opportunities for middle and line/patrol men in the first quarter of 2015.NPA Managing Director, Madam Matilda Wokie Parker speaking, when she paid a brief visit at the training session recently, renewed her institution’s commitment to building the capacity of its employees in order to maintain professionalism within the institution at all times.Meanwhile, more than 30 employees of the National Port Authority have already acquired different skills in various countries including the United States, Ghana, Singapore, and Israel while several others have also benefited from professional training courses at the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), respectively.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Dr. J. Mills Jones, political leader of the Movement for Economic Empowerment (MOVEE), has been honored, this time, by the newly formed Liberia Direct Baptist Missionary Conference (LDBMC), a church located in Margibi County. The ceremony was held during the church’s 78th annual session.The program was held on Sunday at the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Worhn Town.Revered Galion George, president of the Missionary Conference, in a statement acknowledged the impact of Dr. Jones’ financial inclusion policy on ordinary Liberians, which include members of his denomination. Jones’ policy was implemented while serving as Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL). At present, Rev. George said, the LDBMC has 49 churches with a membership of over 10, 000 in Grand Bassa, River Cess, Montserrado, Margibi, Nimba and Grand Cape Mount counties. In his remarks, Dr. Jones thanked the organizers of the program and the Mount Moriah Baptist Church for the honor, saying, “With God, all things are possible. God is with us and if He is with us, no one can be against us.”He said in spite of the numerous lapses that Liberia has experienced, he remains confident of a bright future for the country, with everyone working together to ensure her prosperity.Dr. Jones then cautioned Liberians against laziness, and preached hard work for the country to succeed. “Liberia remains a land of possibilities,” Mills Jones declared, adding, “Together we can make a great nation when we get there.” He nevertheless said such an achievement will only become a reality if Liberians begin to think and dream big. “No big thing comes from small dreams. We must begin to dream and think big if we want to be a successful nation, because others have gone miles ahead of us while we are still counting in inches,” Dr. Jones told the gathering. He also advised Liberians to emancipate themselves from “mental slavery,” reminiscent of an adage from the late legendary reggae star Bob Marley. “Like the song writer said, moving forward, you must emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. You must begin to rethink and remake your minds. You must begin to look at things differently. This is the only way this country will change. The change we are talking about begins with you,” Dr. Jones advised. Commenting on developments ongoing in the country, he said it is not a question of whether or not progress has been made, but Liberians must advance suggestions on how the country can move forward.Dr. Jones described his CBL financial inclusion policy initiated during his regime at the bank as simply attending to the call of humanity. “We did not do it because we wanted to prove a point, rather we were simply responding to the call of duty. We saw it as a call to serve humanity.”Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
Mon Repos fatal shootingThe reputed wife of murdered Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara handyman Christopher Swamy has positively identified a suspect — arrested on Sunday following the shooting — as one of the gunmen involved in the shooting death of her husband.This development has been confirmed by ‘C’ Division Commander Calvin Brutus during a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Monday. Commander Brutus said the suspect was picked out during an identification parade on Monday, but reportedly gave Police several alibis, which they are probing.Brutus further informed that the home of the alleged perpetrator has beenDead: Christopher Swamysearched by Police, but nothing evidential was found. He, however, added that the Police would continue their hunt for the second suspect.Guyana Times understands that the suspect is holding out that he was not at Swamy’s home when Swamy was gunned down.The father of two was gunned down on Sunday after four armed men invaded his Lot 161 Mon Repos Pasture, East Coast Demerara (ECD) property.Based on information received, the late Swamy, his wife, his sister-in-law, and friends: 28-year-old Rawle Williams and his spouse Marcia Williams, 38, were liming and imbibing in front of the home when, at about 01:30h, they were confronted by two masked men, one of whom was brandishing a handgun.Police say the suspects relieved Marcia Williams of a cellphone and an undisclosed sum of cash, after which they assaulted her husband to the head. It was during the commotion that Swamy was shot to the chest. The men then fled the scene.Swamy and Williams were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Swamy was pronounced dead on arrival and Williams was admitted.A post mortem performed by Dr Nehaul Singh on the body of Christopher Swamy gave the cause of Swamy’s death as gunshot wound to the left chest. In addition, a warhead has been recovered from Swamy’s body. Investigations are ongoing.
But McLean said she is now looking to the future of the remaining 800 acres, although Allied has not said what it wants to do with the land. “We’ve had great interest in this property,” said Greg Loughnane, district manager for Allied. “We’re giving the end use of the property thoughtful consideration at this time.” Elsmere, in the San Gabriel Mountains southeast of Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway junction, neighbors Whitney, which was preserved in a partnership of the city and the conservation authority. Placerita Canyon is just north of Whitney. “All three are contiguous,” McLean said, “which makes it so vital for maintaining the wildlife corridor.” judy.orourke@dailynews.com (661) 257-5255160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! SANTA CLARITA – Hundreds of acres in picturesque Elsmere Canyon – once earmarked for the world’s biggest trash dump – were formally donated as open space this week in a move heralded as a conservation victory. The Mountains and Recreation Conservation Authority on Wednesday officially accepted the 400 acres, adjacent to a preserve in Whitney Canyon. “Having that additional guaranteed open-space buffer for Whitney is a real boon,” said Rory Skei, chief deputy executive officer for the organization. The Elsmere acreage was donated by Allied Waste, parent company of Browning-Ferris Industries, at the request of Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. The canyon teems with wildlife, riparian habitats, oak woodlands and coastal sage. Activists had fought for 20 years to keep the site from being used to ease a growing landfill shortage. Among those who led the charge was Marsha McLean, now the city’s mayor. “Any time we’re able to preserve open space in perpetuity – especially in Elsmere Canyon since we’ve worked so long to keep it from becoming a landfill – I’m very happy,” McLean said. Still, she said, “It was my hope the entire almost 1,200 acres could also be in public ownership.” 
Roy Evans believes Brendan Rodgers has made Liverpool a much more resilient outfit this season.The Reds have yet to concede in three Premier League games, with summer signings Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez fitting seamlessly into the full-back positions and Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren beginning to form an impressive partnership in the centre of defence.Liverpool’s resolute display in the goalless draw against Arsenal on Monday night was in stark contrast to their last visit to the Emirates, when they shipped four goals, and Evans says Rodgers must be delighted with his new-look back-line.Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, the former Anfield boss said: “I like the way he has changed his system slightly.“Certainly the two full-backs are not pushing so far up the pitch. That gives them a chance to be in better defensive positions but it still gives them a chance to go and attack when needed.“The whole defensive system looks a lot more solid than it did last year. That gives them the base to go forward and attack and even in the second half when they weren’t as dominant against Arsenal they still managed to hit them on the counter-attack and give them some problems.“As a back four, it looks completely solid. They are closing down people, they look to be more alert, they are a litte bit closer together and nobody seems to be getting isolated.”
AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWalnut’s Malik Khouzam voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week BOYS CROSS COUNTRY MONTVIEW LEAGUE at Bonelli Park Sierra Vista 18, Bassett 43 1. Jose Rodriguez (SV) 18:16, 2. Danny Marquez (SV) 18:32, 3. Sergio Palacio (B) 18:37, 4. Javier Candelas (SV) 18:50, 5. Alex Gonzalez (SV) 18:54. Records: Sierra Vista 3-2, 3-1; Basset 1-4, 1-4. Azusa 27, Duarte 28 1. Max Urieta (A) 16:50, 2. Juan Salas (D) 16:53, 3. Jose Pacheco (D) 17:03, 4. Ricardo Meza (A) 17:05, 5. Luis Rojas (A) 17:21. Records: Azusa 4-1; Duarte 3-2. BOYS WATER POLO MIRAMONTE LEAGUE Bonita 22, Charter Oak 14 Bonita 6 5 6 4 22 Charter Oak 2 1 6 4 14 Bonita scoring: Danny Hatch 5, Brett Hays 5, Conner Ruggio 4, Garrett Bustos 2, Jaime Beltran 2, Jeff Davis 2, Adam Stewart, Mark Kehegos. Charter Oak scoring: Mario Hernandez 7, Brad Beintema 2, Bryce Mordoff 2, Joey Redmon, Omar Paquini, Ryan Arango. Shots: Bonita 20, Charter Oak 17. Goalie saves: Andy Stewart (B) 6; Jeremy Fernandez (CO) 8. Records (overall, league): Bonita 12-10, 1-0; Charter Oak 15-9, 1-1. GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY MONTVIEW LEAGUE at Bonelli Park Sierra Vista 18, Bassett 45 1. Janice Jimenez (SV) 20:29, 2. Reyna Cerca (SV) 23:02, 3. Cristina Rojero (B) 23:08, 4. Jessica Gaeta (SV) 23:15, 5. Lizette Carranza (SV) 23:36. Records: Sierra Vista 4-1, 4-0; Bassett 1-4, 1-4. Azusa 19, Duarte 45 1. Maribel Cortes (A) 19:26, 2. Emily Still (D) 21:24, 3. Adrianna Campos (A) 21:40, 4. Jessica Campos (A) 22:18, 5. Christina Lopez (A) 23:34. Records: Azusa 5-0; Duarte 1-4. GIRLS TENNIS DEL RIO LEAGUE El Rancho 10, California 8 At El Rancho HS Singles: El Rancho — Brenda Santana 2-1, Alejandro Attamirano 2-1, Stephany Robles 2-1. Calfiornia — Vanessa Machuca 3-0, Carrie Bogdnaoff 0-3. Doubles: El Rancho — Diana Gutierrez-Brittany Herrera 3-0, Sandra Hernandez-Jessica Hernandez 1-2, Carina Boyles-Sabrina Ramirez 0-1, Sabrina Ramirez-neftali Bermudez 0-2. California — Brenda Castellanos-Stephanie Granado 2-1, Susan ruiz-Evelyn Cabadas 2-1, Diasy Gonzalez-Shaina Montiel 1-2. Records: El Rancho 4-2; California 2-4. MIRAMONTE LEAGUE Charter Oak 14, West Covina 4 At Charter Oak HS Singles: Charter Oak — Sara Napolitano 3-0, Olivia Graham 3-0, Kelsey Cooper 0-3. West Covina — Brenda Au 1-2, Tanya Herera 1-2, Daniel Castillo 1-2. Doubles: Charter Oak — Lyndsay Vogel-Afrielle Fondezilla 3-0, Kumika Imue-Eudora Dou 0-1, Jamie Teragawa-Wendy Luong 2-0, Tamara Teragawa-Payal Desai 2-0, Libby Delatesa-Ivy Xin 1-0. West Covina — Nicole Gunadi-Diane Nguyen 0-3, Rosand Williams-Daniela Pila 1-2, Tracy Main-Christine Nguyen 0-3. Records: Charter Oak 6-6, 3-3; West covina 2-5, 0-6. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
During one of his grand jury appearances, Rove was shown testimony from Libby suggesting the two had discussed with each other information they had gotten about Wilson’s wife from reporters in early July 2003. Rove responded that Libby’s testimony was consistent with his general recollection that he had first learned Wilson’s wife worked for the CIA from reporters or government officials who had talked with reporters. Rove testified that he never intended any of his comments to reporters about Wilson’s wife to serve as confirmation of Plame’s identity. Rove “has always clearly left open that he first heard this information from Libby,” said one person directly familiar with Rove’s grand jury testimony. That person said Rove testified he believes he heard general information about Wilson’s wife on two occasions before he talked with reporters in July 2003 and then learned her name from syndicated columnist Robert Novak. 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! WASHINGTON – Top White House aides Karl Rove and I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby discussed their contacts with reporters about an undercover CIA officer in the days before her identity was published, the first known intersection between two central figures in the criminal leak investigation. Rove told grand jurors it was possible he first heard in the White House that Valerie Plame – wife of Joseph Wilson, a member of the Bush administration – worked for the CIA from Libby’s recounting of a conversation with a journalist, according to people familiar with his testimony. They said Rove testified that his discussions with Libby before Plame’s CIA cover was blown were limited to information reporters had passed to them. Some evidence prosecutors have gathered conflicts with Libby’s account. Rove is deputy White House chief of staff and President George W. Bush’s closest political adviser. Libby is Vice President Dick Cheney’s chief of staff. Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald must determine whether the contacts between the two men concerning Plame’s CIA work were part of an effort to undercut her husband’s criticism of the Iraq war or simply the trading of information and rumors that typically occurs inside the White House. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREWalnut’s Malik Khouzam voted Southern California Boys Athlete of the Week The prosecutor also is examining whether any witnesses gave false testimony or withheld information from the investigation. His spokesman, Randall Samborn, declined to comment Wednesday. The Rove-Libby contacts were confirmed to The Associated Press by people directly familiar with testimony the two witnesses gave before the grand jury. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of the proceedings. Libby’s lawyer, Joseph Tate, did not return repeated phone calls this week seeking comment. Rove and Libby have emerged as central figures in Fitzgerald’s investigation because both had contacts with reporters who ultimately disclosed Plame’s work for the CIA. Federal law prohibits government officials from knowingly disclosing the identity if intelligence operatives. Those familiar with the testimony and evidence said that: 
(Visited 476 times, 1 visits today)FacebookTwitterPinterestSave分享0 Fuzz has been found on a pterosaur. That’s not news. But split ends on some fibers are electrifying the evolutionary imagination.The media are in a flap about “feathers” on a pterosaur. Here are some of the breathless headlines, built on the assumption “Whatever exists, it evolved.”Stunning fossils show pterosaurs had primitive feathers like dinosaurs (New Scientist). “The finding suggests that feathers evolved far earlier than we thought.”It’s Official: Those Flying Reptiles Called Pterosaurs Were Covered in Fluffy Feathers (Live Science). “There’s no doubt anymore: Pterosaurs — the flying reptiles that zipped through the skies during the dinosaur age — sported feathers, a finding that pushes the origin of these fluffy structures back 70 million years.”New discovery pushes origin of feathers back by 70 million years (Science Daily). “Therefore, because they are the same, they must share an evolutionary origin, and that was about 250 million years ago, long before the origin of birds.”Fossils tell a colourful tale (Nature). “Fluffy pterosaurs offer vibrant insight into Mesozoic evolution.”Fur flies over new pterosaur fossils (BBC News). “This means feathers were not a bird innovation, not even a dinosaur innovation, but evolved first in a much more distant ancestor.“The Chinese fossil was written up in Nature Ecology and Evolution. The paper calls the filaments “integumentary structures” or pycnofibres, with “complex feather-like branching” – not feathers as people commonly understand the term. Here’s the Abstract:Artist rendition of “feathered” pterosaur by Yuan ZhangPterosaurs were the first vertebrates to achieve true flapping flight, but in the absence of living representatives, many questions concerning their biology and lifestyle remain unresolved. Pycnofibres—the integumentary coverings of pterosaurs—are particularly enigmatic: although many reconstructions depict fur-like coverings composed of pycnofibres, their affinities and function are not fully understood. Here, we report the preservation in two anurognathid pterosaur specimens of morphologically diverse pycnofibres that show diagnostic features of feathers, including non-vaned grouped filaments and bilaterally branched filaments, hitherto considered unique to maniraptoran dinosaurs, and preserved melanosomes with diverse geometries. These findings could imply that feathers had deep evolutionary origins in ancestral archosaurs, or that these structures arose independently in pterosaurs. The presence of feather-like structures suggests that anurognathids, and potentially other pterosaurs, possessed a dense filamentous covering that probably functioned in thermoregulation, tactile sensing, signalling and aerodynamics.Interpreting the Evidencemaybe, just maybe, a palaeontologist will one day find a fossil croc with feathers.It is clear these are not like bird feathers. They are “non-vaned” filaments, without the complex hook-and-branch vanes that adorn birds. Some of them branch into filaments like the split ends that some humans worry about, and look like loose bristles from a paint brush. From the published information, we can see that the fuzz resembles that on some theropod dinosaurs, but lacks the complex structure of bird feathers. The fibers are “small and tufty,” New Scientist says. They may have existed as insulation for the animals, or for color. There are aspects of the observations, however, that do not help the evolutionary story.The fuzz is not news. Other pterosaurs with fuzz have been known since the 1840s. The only news is that some of the pycnofibers have split ends, making them look branched or brush-like.The articles hint that the widely-touted “dinosaur feathers” were fuzzy filaments like these.If they are to be considered “feathers,” then the origin of feathers gets pushed back 70 million years: from 170 million Darwin years ago to 250 million.If they come from common ancestry, then these structures become another “earlier than thought” case the Darwinians will have to deal with.If not, they form another case of “convergent evolution” for Darwinists.The filaments have a purpose: insulation and coloration. Why not say they were designed for that?It’s another case of soft tissue preservation, with melanosomes and fibers being present in something said to be 250 million years old.There’s no lineage evident. New Scientist says that these pterosaurs “lived around 160 million years ago, alongside early birds and feathered dinosaurs” that evolutionists insist were not on the same branch of the family tree. They were all part of the same ecosystem, not an ancestral lineage.The only thing linking pterosaur fuzz with dinosaur fuzz and feathers and birds is the imagination of evolutionists.Given these facts, is there any scientific justification for what evolutionary paleontologist Stephen Brusatte imagines in the New Scientist article?“The most logical conclusion is that feathers go all the way back, beyond even dinosaurs, to a more distant ancestor,” agrees Brusatte. “The next step out on the family tree is crocodiles, so maybe, just maybe, a palaeontologist will one day find a fossil croc with feathers.”Even Nature is more reserved than to say such a silly thing. Speaking of pterosaur evolution, their article says, “Many things about these creatures remain mysterious, not least their origin — the earliest pterosaur fossils found so far seem to have been fully capable of flight, and there is no confirmed transitional fossil to show from which reptilian group they emerged.”The same could be said of the other groups of animals having powered flight: insects, birds, and bats.Caudipteryx and True FeathersOn a related subject, six authors of a paper in Nature Scientific Reports claim that the extinct bird Caudipteryx may have been able to gain aerodynamic forces with its feathered wings. This creature has been classified as a a Pennaraptoran, a member of a class of extinct birds with pennaceous (bird-like) feathers, coupled with several ostrich-mimic dinosaurs like Oviraptor. The classification is heavily theory-laden with the Darwinian belief that birds evolved from dinosaurs, so let the reader beware. Some taxonomists believe that Caudipteryx was a secondarily-flightless bird, like the kiwi or ostrich are today. The authors use their analysis of the skeleton to speculate that it might support Ken Dial’s old partridge-in-a-pear-tree “wing assisted incline running” theory for the evolution of flight (see 25 June 2014 and 19 July 2016). For problems with that view, see Illustra Media’s film Flight: The Genius of Birds.A crocodile with feathers! Oh, that’s rich. What did that look like, a dragon? What a crock… in more ways than one. Hey Darwin Party, better watch “How to train your dragon.” Are you LOL (laughing out loud) yet? If not, LOL (lots of luck) trying to defend Darwinism now. Better use lots of Darwin Flubber.
The Berg River Canoe marathon starts in Paarl on 10 July and ends at Velddrif on 13 July. Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? See: Using SAinfo material “So there will be a new name on the trophy this year. I think that will shake things up quite a bit and I will be following it with interest,” he added. SAinfo reporter McGregor said the decision to train for the surfski event rather than the ultra- distance event had made a major impact on his routine as his training was sharply different at this time of year. “I have also been getting all these phone calls from the people who help me at the Berg, sorting out transport and accommodation and such things, which has really aggravated the feeling of missing out on the Berg this year.” McGregor’s departure has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons in the Western Cape, as elite paddlers debate who will dictate matters in the 228km race from Paarl to the West Coast. 23 May 2013 Organisers even offered to juggle dates of the event to try and accommodate McGregor and a handful of other potential contenders who were eyeing the inaugural surfski world crown. “Watch Graeme Solomon,” said McGregor. “He’s not too old to win it again, and he has more experience on that river than anyone in the front bunch.” “I was really flattered to be approached about actually moving the dates,” said McGregor. “But I thought it wouldn’t be right, particularly as I will representing my country in Portugal, and would have had to race back just in time to make the Berg time trial, which would have been crazy.
“Ben is a great paddler, and he will be right there throughout. I just think it is a huge ask for anyone on their first Berg to learn to river, especially if the conditions change with rain or wind. I expect him to podium though,” said McGregor. Excited ‘I will be back’“Make no mistake, I will be back. The Berg is in my blood and I want to win it again, but it won’t be this year,” he added. Nine-time winner Hank McGregor has confirmed that he won’t be on the starting line in Paarl to defend his Berg River Canoe Marathon title this year because of a clash of dates with the new Surfski World Championships. McGregor said he was excited about the entry of British former marathon world champion Ben Brown, but said his title chances were slim. The South African paddler has set his sights on winning the first-ever Surfski World Championships, held under the auspices of the International Canoe federation (ICF), in Vila de Conde in Portugal from 12 to 14 July. Unfortunately, it overlaps with the 52nd running of the Berg River Canoe Marathon. Date change offered He also tipped Lance King as a candidate, after several years of enthusiastic campaigning as a senior on the Berg. “It was a really tough choice because I am passionate about the Berg,” said McGregor. “I have always loved my surfski racing and the chance to race in the first world champs was just too good to miss.”