Guyana’s Gary Jansen, popularly known around domino circles as `Tie Tongue,’ was crowned Domino `King’ at the World Council of Domino Federations (WCDF) championships last month in Antigua.
Competing in the individual male King Domino competition, Jansen, who is widely regarded as being among the better dominoes players locally, was first to reach 12 games in the final.
Jansen’s countryman and former national captain Wendell Mc Pherson was third.
As a result, Jansen was adjudged the Most Valuable Player of the competition.
Seapaking to Stabroek Sport Jansen said the standard of the tournament was high but said the Guyana team held its own in the three-hand competition.
He added that the game called for among other things a good memory and the ability to play quickly since taking too long to play could place a player at a disadvantage.
Manager Colin Mc Ewan, told this newspaper that six countries namely the hosts Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, Anguilla, Guyana and the USA participated at several branches of the discipline including three and four hand dominoes, King and Queen dominoes competitions while the Poolarama compaetition was not contested because the dominoes could not be found after the closing ceremony.
According to Mc Ewan, the female team won all six of their matches which enabled the Guyana team to finish fourth overall. It was the first time in the history of the competition, which began in 1993 in Barbados that a team had performed this feat.
Sprearheading the female team was Jillian Hyman, who placed second in the Queen Dominoes competition.
Meanwhile, the Guyana National Dominoes Feder-ation said it wished to thank all those who helped with sponsorship for the team by provding or assisting with uniforms, accommodation, airfares and monetary donations while Jansen said he was indebted greatly to his sponsors the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T).
The WCDF was inaugurated in Barbados in July 1993 when it changed over from the North American and Caribbean Domino Federation.
Tournaments were played on an annual basis until biennial championships were introduced in 2000 in Dominica.
According to Charles Lorell secretary of the WCDF, the organisation in its short history has faced many challenges in its quest to reach Olympic status and bring the rules of the sport under one umbrella.
Lovell was optimistic that the new executive in place since last December for a three year term, would be able to surmount the obstacles which hinder the development of the sport.
