The Kingston Whig-Standard from Kingston, Ontario, Canada • 24

THE KINGSTON VBHSUNIMRD 24 TUESDAY AUGUST 15 1995 SPORTS Rene ration We continue to operate within die CAHA On the surface the dispute appears to be more about semantics and turf jurisdiction than anything of substance "A lot has to do with the history a number of our people have been in OHA have some feelings about close Markle said "They believe we run an excellent league for developing players for the OHL ajid college "But a numba of our clubs want to belong so to represent the constituency we have to try to accommodate both groups The proposal allows for a gradual return and a chance fin: the others to have their confidence restored in the OHA" Ladds raid his association hoped to have the problem solved prior to its annual meeting in June "Some people were prepared to leave it on the table" Kngston Township Voyageurs ire dose to finding out what their relationship will be this yea with the Ontario Hoaoey Association A tentative deal between the association and the Metro Junior Hockey League of which the Vbyageurs are a member was to be discussed last night by the Provincial junior league the OHA-affiliated league whose territory overlaps that of the Metro league The association will then meet tomorrow to ratify the deal proposed by Brent Ladds president of the OHA and modified by Bill Maride president ofthe Metro league Maride is optimistic that agreement wfll be reached very fact we received a proposal from diem is a very good he said the first formal proposal eva received from them" Ladds based in Cambridge characterized the negotiations as friendly "I think it can'be strived in an amicable he said though he was adamant that any agreement must fallow both leagues to compete on level Maying and "entail finality to the issue of membership" The Metro league grew out of what was once a Tbronto junior A league but now indudes teams fromMuskoka to Kingston TbWnship The league's old guard which operated unda the umbrella ofthe independent Metro Tbronto Hockey League has resisted membership in the OHA as unnecessary and costly The OHA which govons all otha junior leagues in the province has long sought to bring the Metro league which it sees as die lone renegade into its fold Relations have ranged from hostile HnCwdlMifti Vanessa Webb mm to taka her frustrations out on a petting ball during a first-round match agalntt Amanda Cootzor of South Africa yttarday H-X-GOVi one year Met teams were not al- lowed to affiliate with OHA teams use OHA officials orenta Centennial cCup playoffs to reasonably cordial as they were last season The OHA according to Ladds is tired of negotiating year afta year while some in the Metro league are tired of what they see as bully tactics of the OHA Therefore agreement at this point will be seen as something of a landmark "At this moment I think rea- sonably said Markle took into consideration some of our concerns looking for a gradual return and some adjustments financially in terms of our dues to the OHA "In the Metro league we have our own commissioner our own administrative costs Annual fees to the OHA are seen asan extra burden looking for a compromise they sent us a proposal and we fine-tuned it a little bit "As it stands die proposal accommodates our operating as in the Markle said a major source of irritation has been the insistence that if the Metro league is not part of the OHA it is not part of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association the information the OHA circulated but in fact not true "The CAHAhas not made that decla Last' week Spirit announced it was unable to mea that deadline because its fundraising efforts had fallen short It issued a last-minute plea for Jets president Barry Shenkarow and his partners who own 64 per cent of the team to take part in die project But Shenkarow has had nothing to say and a spokesman said his boss was waiting for official announcement -It frees Shenkarow from the agreement signed this spring and lets him resume negotiations to Sell the team Provincial and dty officials have already said that if the Jets are to be jdkL they hope iri soul Thel995CanadianOpen By Sarah Lambert TORONTOThe Canadian Press Swiss teenager Martina Hingis did ha namesake proud yesterday fighting back from one set down to beat Sandrine Ttestud of France at the du Maurier Ltd Canadian Open tennis tournament Hingis who was bora in the forma Czechoslovakia and named after tennis legend Martina Navratilova survived a 6 thrashing in the first set to beat the 43rd-ranked Testud 4-6 6-3 7-6 (9-7) in first-round play not the toughest match sakl Hingis through a translator already had top matches" Hingis is just 14 years old but the 14th seed at the $11 -million evehL Despite playing professional tennis for just a year Hingis has done well enough to rise to No 20 in the world Hingis plays the winner of a match today between Larisa Neiland of Latvia and Florencia Labat of Argentina If Hingis advances she could meet Mary Pierce the fifth-seeded French playa who was born in Montreal not looking that far Hingis said of Pierce got a tough enough match in die next American Amy Frazier the 10th seed defeated Argentine qualifier Paci-la Suarez 6-3 63 before rein delayed the afternoon schedule The top seeds had the day off yesterday Earlier in the day Vanessa Webb of Tbronto lost 6-4 6-2 to Amanda Coet-za of South Africa Webb gain four and Webb i answa she 6-1 in Her The be April ha toldha die 1 Po straight event Sunday US ailment drip Schultz he said "but we maintained an open door and continued with negotiations that have borne some fruit in the last few weeks" Ladds said he isn't sure he really understands tiie basis of die philosophical differences that linga between the two organizations ana he suggested that the terms of any agreement might take more than a year to implement organization may not be the big bad wolf perceived to he said "There are otha leagues in the OHA operating in the same situation as die Metro Neither man was prepared to say what will happen if die agreement is scuttled though the Metro league has an insurer ready in the wings if it opa-ates outside die OHA and Ladds said he doesn't believe the OHA can legislate the free time" of its officials The Voyageurs will open their training camp Aug 2L It has been speculated the Jets could lose up to $30 million if they play just one lame-duck season in the Winnipeg Arena Thxpqyen are obligated to cover losses under a deal that doesn't until 1997 Unless Shenkarow or someone else is readyto provide the missing piece in die Jets rescue plan more money -it appears they will be sold Spirit of Manitoba Inc had until today to close a deal to buy the 64 pa cent of the team' held by Shenkarow and his partners for $32 million But Spirit needed to raise the first $80 million of $111 million needed to buy and operate the Jets and cova anticipated losses studies his moves meticulously made a large improvement since he moved into the competitive dass tins Chartrand said speed has come up quite a Gammon will compete in the Trims Canada National this Thursday to Sunday also be riding until Octoba in the five-race Fall series Since he has already won the Spring series if Gammon wins the next series be die Ontario Junior class champion for Eastern Ontario qualified ova die weekend to the main draw the first time in years of trying that she had advanced got to play against a top 30 player see how good they said 19 who is going to Duke University in the fall Kimberly Po of the US became die to a future trivia question when beat Australian Rennae Stubbs 6-4 anotha first-round match reward? A date with Monica it-les second-round match tonight will first since she was stabbed 30 1993 at a German event Coincidentally Po had no idea who next opponent was until reporters "That's why you guys are all said knew there had to be something had no who had yet to win a match in 11 tournaments entering this actually lost in qualifying play but was given a new life when ninth-seeded Mary Jo Fernandez of the withdrew because of a stomach Fernandez was the second seed to out in as many days Brenda McCarthy seeded fourth withdrew Sunday citing fatigue BASSETT SEGUSOtRaoBty chock set the record straight "I neva got out of shape and that's something I would stress completely if I ever did do a video or she said "because that is the biggest problem getting out of shape it is so difficult to get bade into shape afta you have a She has been playing tennis daily during the summa helping out at die tennis academy she and ha husband -forma ILS doubles star Robert Seguso run in Boca Raton Fla By Scott Edmonds WINNIPEGHbe Canadian Press Spirit of Manitoba gave upthe ghost yesterday officially ending its bid to keep the National Hockey Jets in Winnipeg "There is great disappointment among the Spirit board and the many volunteers and professionals who worked to make this hap said Alan Sweatman chairman of die group of businesspeople and community boosters His comments were contained in a statement issued afta a Spirit board meeting "one day in advance of deadline for the purchase of the team from its majority owners Gammon rides for the rush Stephanie Wolfe Whig-Standard Staff Writer Trt ALL ABOUT ZOOMING OVER RAMPS la up to 50 kilometres-an-hour and travelling airborne before pounding down on die dirt-packed track "Ids a good rush" says Jeff Gammon recent Eastern Ontario Motocross Association Spring Series champion "Your trying to hang on cause of all the bumps and your using the clutch and throttle and your arms get all pumped up" The 21-year-old 125 junior class competitor is convinced that is no otii-a sport as physically demanding as motocross you go over two ramps and do double jumps You are up in the air a lot so it requires good suspension and has a lot to do with Gammon qualified for his first Trims Canada National stating this week in Walton Ontario when he won a series of five races in May and June in Shan-nonville and Richmond with his Yamaha YZ 125 Tvo years ago the St Lawrence Col-ege student was a neophyte to motocross racing Gammon credits a few La Salle Secondary high-school buddies for teaching him die ropes three years ago I wept to die track in Lanark with some friends who raced motocross and had so much fun I decided that was wha I wanted to le recalled I can't do it for fun anymore I have to be competing even get a rush if I do well in the Gammon practices twice a week at Trail Blazer near Belleville and Sand-Del- to tournament play By Neil Davidson TORONTOThe Canadian Press Hidden deep in the doubles draw of the du Mauria Ltd Canadian Open is a familiar name to Canadian tennis fans Carling Bassett Seguso The former top 10 singles player now a motha of three is giving competitive tennis anotha whin not a comeback Mgre like a reality check in the sport she loves "Tennis is a great Bassett Segu-so said Sunday really miss it 27 now with kids aged seven four and two A decade removed from being ranked No 8 in the world and capturing female athlete of the year honors in 1983 and 1985 Saturday she was on court at the York University Tennis Centre for a charity exhibition match with Monica Seles soap star Eric Braeden and figure skata Kurt Browning Most in the crowd probably though she was just anotha celebrity having fun But for BassettSegusdit was also a way of practising on centre court a wqy to regain the flavor of comperitiqn She look out of place on court A self-described "fitness freak" looks like a whippet with an explosive smile A thin whippet Ask ha about getting fit afta motherhood and Bassett Seguso is quick to hiC tvW I IM Two yon ago Jaff Gammon war a naophyta to Motocross racing Lee outside of Ottawa He also runs and weight trains regularly which he believes gives him an edge ova hfy competitors Tm too old to be a a pro level but would like to get as good as that But just want to compete locally I regret dial started Eastern Ontario 125 Pro Marc Chap trand a friend of is helping him become the best When Gammon has die chance Chartrand lets him ride die track a his house in BrodcviUe and i.