TT waterpolo teams begin CARIFTA defence

Head delegate of the Trinidad and Tobago contingent, Jerry Chin Lee, is pleased with the team selection and training regimen, and believes the athletes will give a good account of themselves.

“As part of our preparations for CCCAN (Central American and Caribbean Amateur Swimming Confederation), our Under-15 male team will be competing in the Under-16 male category at the CARIFTA Championships.

Our Under-18 female team will be competing in the Under-19 female category at this year’s CARIFTA in their preparation for CCCAN here at home,” Chin Lee said.

He explained that the team selection was made by the coaches from a pool of athletes who successfully completed the fitness test on March 4.

Chin Lee also praised the young athletes for their commitment to national duty.

“Overall the work ethic of the young athletes, discipline and attendance has been very good,” said Chin Lee, “their training generally consists of conditioning at the three early morning sessions, while the four other sessions are normally reserved for strength, technique, and tactical work through half-court work and full-game scrimmages.” Team coach Kester Scanterbury also expressed confidence in the team’s ability to retain the titles. He commended Chin Lee for his astute management of the team to date, especially as it relates to the organisation of team training sessions.

Scanterbury sees CARIFTA as a stepping stone for the CCCAN Championships which will be hosted in Trinidad and Tobago in June.

“I am very excited for CCCAN and while we have young teams, they are very smart, creative and competitive,” said the TT coach. “I believe our chances are very good in coming on top.” The U-19 female squad will feature in the tournament’s opening match versus Barbados at 8.30 am today, while the U-16 male outfit will battle Barbados at 9.20 am. At 2.20 pm, the girls will face Jamaica, while the boys will tackle hosts Bahamas at 4.20 pm.

Trinidad and Tobago teams - Under-19 Female: Zoe Van Reeken (goalkeeper), Aaliyah Aching, Jaeda Attong-Julien, Tahirah Beepat, Hailey De Leon, Victoria Gillette, Brean Jordan, Leah Mitchell, Yasmin Mohammed, Amy Pounder, Sahara St Clair-Douglas, Megan Stafford, Abeo Valentine; Kester Scanterbury (coach), Nichola Welch (assistant coach), Nathalie Nimblett (manager).

Under-16 Male: Tristan Francois (goalkeeper), Kelvin Caesar, Christian Chin Lee, Dante Drakes-McKell, Ross Gillette, Nathan Hinds, Everson Latchman, Antonio Newallo, Ricardo Ramdan, Yannick Robertson, Nicholai Yorke, Tommy Ou, Benjamin Chow Quan; Kester Scanterbury (coach), Jerry Chin Lee (manager/head delegate).