US-based players expected back home

Assistant national coach Steve Leonce made this revelation yesterday.

He said coach Lennox Sobers was making a final determination on which players will be needed for the regional tournament.

Leonce said both Sobers and himself have been attempting to go through the ranks of the Ministry of Sports to have the players back to beef-up the national team’s chances at the competition.

Quizzed as to who the players are, Leonce could only say that one of them will be the son of former national player Victor "Voot" O’Garro. He added that a few other players are also being considered.

And a few former national players will also be recalled with the hope of blending their experience with the younger players in the team. Trinidad and Tobago will face stern competition from top Caribbean neighbours including Jamaica, United States Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Barbados, Bahamas and Netherland Antilles.

Action is scheduled to begin on July 2 and end on July 9 and the Trinidad and Tobago youth team will be pinning their hopes on Javon Edwards of St Mary’s. According to Leonce, there has been a major concern over the number of small players in the team.

He said while these players have the ability on the court, there is still a bit of concern as they prepare to enter a zone that is totally unfamiliar to them. The coach made it clear he does not know anything about their opponents which is posing another problem for the technical staff.

"We do not know anything about the teams we will be coming up against during the tournament come July," Leonce said. He added: "The only experience we have had with the regional teams, is against a visiting St Vincent team here last week during their recent goodwill tour."

And Trinidad and Tobago were soundly beaten by the Vincentians, but the coaches are using it as vital experience. Trinidad and Tobago will also contest the girls under-20 division of the regional competition with Jamaal Duke as their coach.