Double bubble for Pine Hill Buddy Pak Mitres

Pine Hill Buddy Pak Mitres are the double-crown champions in Division One of the 2006 Cable & Wireless National Netball Tournament.

Mitres added their second title last Sunday evening at the Kingstown Netball Centre taking the knock-out trophy, ending the tournament with an unblemished record.{{more}}

Feeling the weight of the energetic Mitres outfit were Vitamalt Maple, once bastions on the local circuit.

Mitres’ triumph was never in doubt, as they looked more purposeful. They recorded a 50-43 victory to leave Maple second best in both competitions.

Mitres had earlier secured the league crown, derailing last year’s winning team C & R Enterprises Sion Hill.

The 2005 league holders finished third.

Mitres will get another opportunity to represent St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the OECS Club level, if such a championship takes place in 2007.

Also completing the double were Raffles Resorts Canouan Islanders who were part of Sunday’s double-header.

The Division 2A league winners made a definitive statement as debutantes, playing unbeaten in the tournament.

The lone representative team from the Grenadines extended their tally of wins for the season in the knock-out final, beating NCB Valley Netters 34-24.

The other divisional championship saw Vets Sports Club turning back the hands of time to comfortably take the 2A league title, upstaging last year’s winners Roy’s Inn TRAC.

But, the dethroned champions bounced back to win the knock-out crown.

Central Medical Mitresonics carried away the Division Three glory following their triumph last year in the Under-16.They were unable to emulate their Division One club mates. Bop Clinchers captured the knock-out version in Division Three.

A player from each of the 36 teams was selected for the Most Valuable Player award.

New club Xceed were adjudged the Most Disciplined Team. Kingstown Clique copped the award for the Team with the Best Spirit.

With the national tournament out of the way, focus shifts to the regional and sub-regional scene.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines will participate in the 2006 AFNA qualifiers in Barbados, August 9 to 21, for a place at the world tournament in Fiji next year.

Competition comes home with the hosting of the OECS Under-23 tournament August 26 to September 2, with the Caribbean Netball Association Under-16 scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago in November.

These national outfits will have Julian Bailey as their new head coach. Bailey, who was away from the sport for some years, replaces Godfrey Harry who resigned following the senior team’s participation in the Commonwealth Games in Australia in March.