TT confident of retaining junior v-ball title

TRINIDAD and Tobago women’s coach Macsood Ali expressed confidence that the national junior team will retain the Caribbean Zonal Volleyball Association (CAZOVA) Junior Championships title in Martinique. The championships, according to CAZOVAS president Mustaque Mohammed, will be staged in the French-speaking island from July 20 to 27.

TT’s junior men and women teams are expected to depart Trinidad and Tobago on July 18.  Each team comprises twelve players and three officials. Macsod Ali is head coach for the female team while Saleem Ali (who is also the successful coach of the St Joseph’s Convent school team, which has won the Petrotrin-sponsored Secondary Schools Volleyball Under-20 title for the past ten years) is his assistant. Saleem has emerged as the “Best Setter in the Caribbean.” 

Ronald Ramkissoon is the head coach for the male team while his assistant is Kanhai Sirjoo who served as the assistant to Cuban coach Juan Carlos, coach of the TT senior men’s team at last year’s Caribbean Senior Volleyball Championships. Both teams have been in training and the coaches have whittled down their teams to 18 each after a group of over 30 players started their respective training programmes with a view of making the final 12 for the showdown in Martinique.

Ali’s confidence is based on the star players still eligible for selection. Among those returning from the gold-medal 2001 team in Suriname are newly-appointed captain Aisha Sealy (setter), outside hitter Kelly-Ann Billingy, universal player Marina Camps, middle blocker Danya Augustus, libero Jenna Ferguson, middle blocker Melissa Tang and middle blocker Nadiege Honore. Sealy copped the “Best Setter” award, Camps the “Best Passer” and Tang the “Most Valuable Player” award in Suriname. But as much as he would wish to keep all the top players in his line-up, he remarked that the players will only make the final 12 providing they train regularly and show the same type of commitment and improvement necessary to maintain their position as the number one junior team in the Caribbean. “We have a very strong nucleus of those who won in Suriname. I also have Madonna Bedenoch (Glamorgan) and Shanna Ferreira (RMC Challengers) who were members of the senior women’s team, which finished second last year.

I have confidence that we will win again but I want the players to remain focused and train even harder because the opposition this year will be stronger. We cannot take anything for granted,” said Ali. The Female training squad comprise: Kelly-Ann Billingy, Dayna Augustus, Aisha Sealy (captain), Jenna Ferguson, Marina Camps, Nadiege Honore, Stephanie Woodrooffe, Pauline Woodrooffe, Melissa Tang, Madonna Bedenoch, Shanna Ferreira, Ria Elcock, Jonelle Gurley, Taila DeSouza, Ayana Dyette, Aisling Camps, Karina Moore and Kemba Noel-London.

The Male junior training squad comprise: Sean Morrison (captain), Mark Honore, Esil Seecharran, Dave Ragoonanan, Shervon Calliste, David Caton, Keron Jack, Rohan Ryan Deonath, Karesh Mahabir, Adrian Paul, Kevin Nimrod, Kalid La Pompe, Navi Lall, Bruce Lawrence, Travis Carrington, Colwayne Babb, David Novoa and Rahim Ali.