Netball coach confident TT will win Caribbean crown

TRINIDAD and Tobago netball coach Learie “Fruits” Sandy is quietly confident his “Calypso Girls” netballers will do very well at this year’s 21st Caribbean Netball Association Championships. And to add to Sandy’s confidence is the fact the tournament will be played here at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo from July 31. The hosts play Grenada in their first match. Only eight teams will be vying for honours —  defending champions and world No 7 Barbados; world No 3 Jamaica; Nevis; Grenada; St Vincent; St Lucia; St Kitts and Trinidad and Tobago. But apart from the championship, teams will be focused on the 12th  World Netball Championships to be held in Fiji in 2007. According to a new format agreed to by members of the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) council, the host country, the top five world ranked teams, and five winners of regional tournaments will qualify automatically.

The runners-up and third in the regional series will meet in a cross region tournament, and those five winners will advance to the world stage trimming the tournament to 16 teams only. At a Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association Inc news conference at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo, on Tuesday, Sandy, who became the first male to be appointed coach of the “Calypso Girls” netballers, admitted to having had at least 40 practice matches, most against men, “to toughen up the girls.” He said he had been watching video tapes of the local netballers at the World Netball Championships in Jamaica last year, and has been ironing out some flaws which he noticed. Sandy said by the time the CNA Championships begin next Saturday, he expects to have put his team through no fewer than 66 practice matches. He admitted having some injury scares, but quickly intoned all but two of the injured players are back to full fitness.

At the news conference, the new playing uniforms of the national team were unveiled together with a tournament jingle sung by calypsonian Skatie. TTNA president and captain-elect Janelle Barker appealed for public support for the girls. Sandy who began coaching Ebony seven years ago, guided Caribbean Facilities Corporation in the All Sectors Netball League in 2001 and also coached San Juan Jabloteh in the Port-of-Spain Netball League until two years ago. He was not too bothered by the late introduction to training by three of his 15-member squad, Tricia Liverpool, Dianna Pierre and Chrystal George. Of course he would have liked to have them earlier but the trio was  undergoing training as Coast Guard recruits. Sandy and his coaching staff which include assistant Althea McCollin along with head of the technical committee Stevenson Sarjeant, were expected to  name the final 12 yesterday. This squad must first be ratified by the TTNA General Council before being announced on Saturday, when the netballers will enter a live-in camp, possibly at El Dorado.