Snippets: Damion Stewart on Jamaica and QPR...Kingfisher's Vijay Mallya

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Jamaica Observer - 'Stew Peas', a Jamaican favourite despite everything
- Towering former Harbour View defender Damion 'Stew Peas' Stewart is hoping to find favour with head coach Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore as the Reggae Boyz go in search of a win against Mexico here at the National Stadium at 7:00 pm today.
- Stewart, the 28-year-old, 6'3" defender who plies his trade at Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in the English Championship League, makes his comeback for the first time since last representing the national senior team against Costa Rica here in an international friendly in February.
- "It has been good, I am glad to be back, but we want a win on Saturday (today) and I hope to be on the pitch," Stewart told Sporting World on Thursday.
- "Everyone knows of the importance of the game, so there is no question about the vibes, because everyone is up for it and we just need to get the best 11 on the pitch...," he added.
The no-nonsense, hard-tackling defender, who scored two goals for Queens Park rangers in recent weeks, admitted that he felt hurt after being overlooked for the first half of the World Cup Qualifiers by former technical director, Brazilian Rene Simoes.
"Obviously it hurts when you see a national team being called and you are not involved, but when you are out it makes you realise that what you do abroad at the club level you need to cherish it, because it is not all the time that a coach is going to fancy you and call you to represent your country," he reasoned.
"It (being left out) motivated me to try to work harder and after that I started doing better for my club," he said.
The man who signed a three-year contract with QPR in the summer of 2006, scored five goals for his club from defence last season and he said he is enjoying his time in England.
"It has been going pretty well at this time because I have established myself in the team again this season, but over the past few weeks we have got a few dodgy results, but we hope to get that straight soon.
"This is my third season, but like it has been throughout my career, I have to keep proving myself every time and I got my chance this season and the 'Gaffer' (manager) is liking what I am producing on the pitch."
Stewart was dismissed in a game at the end of last season and was suspended for the first game of this new season, but since then he has managed to get his act together and won back his place in the starting team.
"I got a red card at the end of last season, so I missed the first game and a new centreback came in and the team won and I had to watch the second game from the bench, but the team lost that match so I got my chance to get back in.
"But I am definitely enjoying my time in England and hopefully we can push for promotion to the Premiership this season, because obviously you haven't really tested yourself until you play against the best and that is the Premiership which my dream and that's where I want to be," he said. Jamaica Observer


News re Finances of QPR's Purported New Sponsor
[Although according to messageboards postings by some ostensibly "in-the-know," this purportive new sponsor may not after all be involved with QPR. So have to wait and see. This article makes no such suggestion.]

Aviation Week - Kingfisher, Jet Airways Drop International Routes
"Kingfisher Airlines is likely to stop its international operations following the deepening financial crisis that has hit the Indian airline industry, just as Jet Airways also announced "optimization" of its long-haul network....AviationWeek also was told on Friday that Chairman Vijay Mallya, who owns the Formula One Force India team, was rushing back from Japan to meet the government officials on Saturday....
"...With more than 300 employees being laid off, there is more trouble brewing for the carrier whose chairman came under criticism recently for negotiating a shirt sponsorship deal for 20 million pounds with the U.K.s Queens Park Rangers to advertise his Kingfisher beer on the team shirts. The five-year agreement could also include the naming rights of a stadium to Kingfisher Stadium...." Aviation Week


Today's Times profiles "The flamboyant tycoon behind Kingfisher Airlines
He built a £4 billion empire with beer and now hopes to rule the skies. Vijay Mallya is India’s high-flying tycoon" - (The article mentions the Formula One, but no QPR/Football references.)The Times

- Also: Wikipedia Profile of Vijay Mallya