The inaugural Knox College Basketball Classic is on today at the school's courts in Spaldings, Clarendon. Action begins at 9 a.m.

Seven of the top teams in rural Jamaica, including 2007 All-Island senior champions Belair, will match skills with leading Kingston team, St George's College, in the high schools section.

The other top rural schools down to compete are: Knox College, Muschett High, Munro College, Holmwood Technical, St Elizabeth Technical and Manchester High.

G.C. Foster will start favourites in the college section, which has also attracted Brown's Town Community College, Knox Community College and Moneague Teacher's College.

The Knox College Basketball Classic is being staged by the Knox College Sports Committee to promote and improve the sport.

This event will form part of a massive day of sport for Knox College as their football team will tackle neighbours Holmwood Technical in daCosta Cup action at 3:30 p.m.

Excelsior Domino

The Excelsior Domino Parish Championship moves to St Elizabeth (St Elizabeth Technical High School) and Westmoreland (Manning's High School) today and tomorrow, respectively. Competition will begin at 10 a.m. each day.

In last week's action, Eaton Taylor and Garfield Dixon walked away with the Clarendon championship, beating Bassett McLean and Conrad Johnson.

The pair took home $15,000 while the runner-up pair of McLean and Johnson bagged $8,000.

The winners of Sunday's games at Holmwood Technical High School was decided by a double derby which saw Anthony Thompson and Winston Francis of Carter Community Club out of Craig Head, Manchester, teaming up to defeat Keith Gilphin and Gerald Hinds by a 6-5, 5-6, 6-4 scoreline and take home $15,000 in prize money.

Gilphin and Hinds pocketed $8,000 for their second-place position.

The total payout for the two days was $70,000 with the winning teams getting dominoes and gift baskets from the title sponsor Excelsior. The top prize for the overall champion is $500,000 while the runner-up will receive $200,000.

Boxing in St Ann's Bay

The sweet science of boxing hits the spot light again at the end of October with an event dubbed 'Lik Him Shrimpy - Lik him'.

The event, which is a part of the Burger King series, will unfold on Saturday, October 24, at Jus Cheers in St Ann's Bay, starting at 8 o'clock.

The naming of the event is in honour of one of Jamaica's great sons of the ring, Richard 'Shrimpy' Clarke, who during a 12-year pro career notched up a 24-8 record, which included lifting the Commonwealth (British Empire) flyweight, WBC Continental Americas flyweight and the WBC International light flyweight titles (one successful defence). He left the game on a winning note, scoring a 10-round points win over Mexican Eliseo Gomez in Kingston back in 1993.

'Lik him Shrimpy - Lik Him' is to be headlined by two of Jamaica's hottest prospects, bronze medallist and national champion Ricardo 'Rat' Smith (Hard Knocks) and the slick and slippery Sakima Mullings (Bruisin') who will engage each other in welterweight battle.

Some five other matches involving boxers from the Bruisin', Heavy Metal, Stanley Couch and Hard Knocks gyms will also be featured.

INSPORTS donate gear, equipment to clubs

The Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) last week presented 2009 national women's football finalists Barbican and Portmore Strikers with 20 pairs of boots each.

Meanwhile, netball clubs Ebony Strikers and Red Challenge were also on the receiving end from the state-run agency, which donated 20 balls each to both teams.

Charles Edwards, coach of Barbican, was delighted with the gift. "We are happy that more people are recognising women's football in Jamaica," he said. Cornell Clarke, coach of Portmore Strikers, said: "This contribution means a lot to Portmore."

The Richmond Park-based Red Challenge club and Ebony Strikers from Hagley Park echoed similar sentiments, both claiming that with sufficient balls available for training one can expect rapid improvement.

All-Jamaica Senior Badminton

This year's Senior All-Jamaica Badminton Championships is scheduled for the weekend of October 10 and 11 at the Constant Spring Golf Club's Racquet Complex.

The defending singles champions are Gareth Henry and Nigella Saunders.

Canada-based Charles Pyne, who defeated the then 16-year-old Henry for the title in 2007 but was unable to compete last year, has accepted an invitation to play this year. Two others, former top Jamaican juniors Dayvon Reid, a college student in Canada, and Daniel Thompson, currently resident in London, England, have also accepted invitations. These three should provide a stern test for the top local-based players, inclusive of Henry, Garron Palmer, Kashif Bernard and Vijay Myles.

For the ladies, it is difficult to see anyone upsetting Nigella Saunders if she participates. She has been at the top for many years now. If it is to be done, though, her perennial doubles partner, Alya Lewis, has the best credentials.

Entries close for these Senior All-Jamaica Championships tomorrow while the other section of this tournament, the All-Jamaica Junior Championships, will be played on October 18 and 19 at the G.C. Foster College Auditorium in Spanish Town. Entries may be emailed to jamaica.badminton.association@gmail.com or dropped into the entry box at the Constant Spring Golf Club's Badminton Hall.

Shawn Colley wins pool tournament

SHAWN Colley from Hot Shots won the Island Delight/Wray & Nephew-sponsored 10th ranking pool tournament in Linstead last weekend when he slammed the number one-ranked player, Ewart Hall, 3-0 in the final.

Colley also blanked Jimmy Carlos 3-0 in one semi-final, while Hall clipped Jodi Mullings 3-2 in the other semi-final match to set up the final showdown against his more experienced Hot Shots teammate.

For his efforts, Colley receive $50,000 and a trophy, Hall $20,000 and trophy, while Mullings and Carlos shared third place, each receiving $5,000. Over 50 entries were received, including that of top female player Nicky Lawrence, who created history some weeks by winning ranking tournament number nine in Portmore.

Lawrence made it to the quarter-finals where she lost narrowly to Ewart Hall 3-2 in a match that could have gone either way. Another female player, Francine Cardoza, made it to the second round where she was knocked out by Rohan McDonald.

The island's second-ranked player, Noel 'Schoolboy' Blagrove, who won the Palm Court Negril tournament the previous weekend, was surprised by Everett Austin the second round, losing 3-1.

The next ranking tournament, sponsored by Hot Shots and Pool Tables and Billiards Supplies Limited, will take place on October 17 and 18 at Hot Shots, Consumer Plaza, 103 Constant Spring Road. It offers a first prize of $50,000.