Calypso Girls U-16s aim for netball title

This championships is scheduled to be contested in Bridgetown, Barbados from April 8 to 18.

But the young Calypso Girls netballers will have a very tough task ahead of them, since they will have to dethrone seven-time champions Jamaica, the young Sunshine Girlz.

TT finished third behind Jamaica and Barbados last year. Jamaica who missed the 1999 tournament which St Vincent and the Grenadines won have since captured the title in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2009. There were no tournaments in 2003 and 2007. The young Calypso Girls netballers are currently hard at training at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo and is expected to be led by their 6 ft 2in goal-shoot Samantha Wallace the team’s Most Valuable Player at last year’s series in Jamaica.

She was also a member of the national Under-21s at the World Youth Championships in Cook Islands.

There are three Tobago teenagers in the 15-member squad at training, Lennecia McKenna, Anecia Baptiste and Kinnesha Gardener.

And Cerise Breton, Kalifa McCollin, Jenice McIntosh are holdovers from the last championships along with Tennisha Cudjoe, a standby last time.

A final 12 member squad will be selected following the current trials being conducted under coach and ex-national centre Naomi Babb and her assistant Charmaine Archer.

Other officials for the championships are manageress Lynette Duncan and primary care person Karielle De Bique.

The training squad is: Tennisha Cudjoe, Kinnesha Gardener, Alliyah Carmicheal, Samika Allysop, Anecia Baptiste, Cerise Breton, Kurtisha Hoyse, Khadijah Kingsale, Jameela McCarthy, Kalifa McCollin, Jenice McIntosh, Lennecia McKenna, Monica Peters, Reeka Seerttan, Samantha Wallace.

(CMC)