SVG Under-23 netballers after victory number 12

A powerful ten member St. Vincent and the Grenadines Under-23 netball team will leave here this Sunday for Antigua and Barbuda in defence of the East Caribbean Central Bank OECS title.

The team includes most of the players that lifted this country’s eleventh lien on the sub-regional competition, staged on home soil.{{more}}

Among the players selected are influential captain and goal attack Leanna Lewis and the centre court maestro vice-captain Saska Diamond.

Also making the trip are mid court players Annella Samuel, Ornallie King and Julia Cumberbatch.

Marcia Gordon, Sonia Olliver and Tonique Bowens are the defenders selected.

Jasmine Frank and Tamara Samuel will support Lewis in the shooting circle.

King and Bowens are the new faces in the team that were not part of last year’s set up.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines open their campaign on Sunday evening against St, Kitts, followed by a meeting with Grenada on Monday.

The defending champion plays Anguilla from seven Tuesday morning and returns in the evening to face Nevis.

On Wednesday the Vincentains will match their skills against Dominica and on Thursday they are fixtured against Antigua and Barbuda.

The Vincentians sternest test should come from arch rival St. Lucia. That is the scheduled championship decider set for Friday evening.

St. Vincent and the Grenadines have been the bastions of this age level at the sub region since the competition started in 1991.

Four consecutive titles in 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 established their dominance. St.Lucia plugged the rout with titles in 1995 and 1997.

St.Vincent and the Grenadines after returning to the top in 1996, surged back in 1998, and what followed were triumphs in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002.

Grenada won their lone silverware at this level in 2003, with St.Lucia taking the 2004 and 2005 championships.

Newly installed coach Rose Clair Hall on her first stint at the national level told SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday, “The girls are well on the way, we have a well all-round team, and I am confident we can retain the title”.

Hall wants to make her maiden trip in that capacity a successful one.

Sonja Lewis is the team’s manager. Godfrey Harry is this country’s delegate in the capacity of umpire. (RT)