Police lock down All Sectors n-ballers

POLICE netballers took the major prizes at the closing ceremony of the All Sectors Netball League at the Eastern Regional Indoor Sports Arena, Tacarigua on Tuesday night. The Caribbean champions opened the ASNL season by marching off with the march past title and later the opening day knockout Championship Division crown. The Policewomen also dominated arch-rivals Defence Force in copping the league and knockout titles in the Championship Division. And the Police cache of awards swelled when they went on to capture the prestigious Jean Pierre Challenge Trophy and later the Courts Trophy knockout series.

In Alternative Division X action, the protective services continued their domination with Fire taking the opening day knockout title, but Police won both the league and knockout. Central Bank took the league title in Alternative Division Y but were edged by Defence Force in the knockout to give the Army-Coast Guard women their only silverware this season, despite the farcical mixed-team crown. Crystal George of Defence Force was voted “Most Valuable Player” of the league for a second successive season, a decision which baffled netball followers. She was also named Best Defender. George, an energetic centre-court performer earned a national call-up. Other players short-listed were Police goal-shoot Donna Elise Charles who was returning after missing last season because of injury; Dianna Pierre, another national call-up; and national goal-shoot Janelle Barker. After last year’s World Netball Championships in Jamaica Barker was eighth best among shooters. Also named were Simone Sandy and Anika La Roche (Police).

Gail Hinds (Fire) was voted best centre-court player in the Championship Division; while the award in this category in the Alternative Division X was Florence Bernard (Police), The best Alternative Division Y players was Nicola Harvey (TSTT). Police Alternative Division X goal-shoot Gushier Grant topped all shooters in the league with an average of 86.45 percent. Attending the ceremony were Police Chief Everald Snaggs, Deputy Commissioner Glen Roach, Central Bank Governor Ewart Williams, Trinidad and Tobago Netball Association president Martha Archer, Ken Butcher and Stephenson Sarjeant, chairmen of the national technical committee.