Under-19 beach soccer teams for Commonwealth Youth Games

The two TT Under-19 teams will form part of the 50-member Trinidad and Tobago contingent that will take part in various events at the Games that runs from Wednesday until next Sunday.

The 2017 Games will feature nine sports and will introduce three new sports - Beach Soccer, Judo and Beach Volleyball whilst dropping Archery, Lawn Bowls, Weightlifting, and Squash. Cycling will also make a return during these games.

The TT Beach Soccer Teams have been preparing for the tournament for just over two months under the guidance of coaches Chad Appoo and Jesse Bailey, two current TT Beach Soccer men’s team players.

The TT Boys team are in Group B alongside hosts Bahamas, St Lucia and Antigua/Barbuda while the Girls team are in Group G with Jamaica, Turks and Caicos and Bahamas.

The TT girls will go into action on Wednesday against Turks and Caicos with the TT boys coming up against Antigua/Barbuda on the same evening. The Final will be played on Saturday.

Appoo described the preparations as satisfying in the lead up to the competition for which the matches will be played at the Malcolm Park Beach Soccer Stadium, the same venue used for the recent FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.

“The preparations have been great thus far. The players have put in the work and ready to express themselves,” Appoo said.

“The entire camp – management and staff included are all just buzzing to get there. We have a few sessions in the Bahamas to fine tune a couple things before the competition kicks off on Wednesday. ‘Great moments are born from great opportunity’ and I think we’re on the brink of something special where Beach Soccer is concerned in TT. Thanks for your continued love and support,” Appoo added.

Bailey meanwhile was also optimistic about the girls’ team chances.

“I think both teams have done well so far an have adapted really well in terms of the understanding an tactics surrounding the game and playing on the sand....

which is new to them but there is always room for improvement.

“They are looking really good and have started jelling really well during these past few weeks and it’s just for them to execute what we did on the training pitch and take each game as a final … from start to finish in the games. God’s willing we will bring home gold for our country,” Bailey said.

The 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games will be the sixth edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games which started in 2000.

With more than 140 countries around the world now playing this fast-paced sport, Beach Soccer will make its debut at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games.