CADO promises 2014 netball special

The organizers of the 2013 Aycees Calliaqua Area Development Organisation(CADO) netball tournament have delivered on their promise to complete the tournament in one month.{{more}}

They are now planning a special edition for 2014, which marks the tenth anniversary of the tournament.

A beaming president of CADO, Foster Hannibald, told SEARCHLIGHT last Friday night at the Calliaqua hard court at the final of this year’s edition: “We want to make 2014 a special one, as it will be our tenth year of the competition”.

Hannibald projected a return to the format of the first edition, when eighteen teams participated.

He noted that 2013 was a precursor to next year’s grand affair, as the seeds of success have been sowed.

Responding to his detractors, Hannibald noted that the 2013 competition began February 9 and finished last Friday, March 8.

“We said, up front, that the competition will last one month and yes, it did,” the CADO head confirmed.

Hannibald revealed that none of the nine teams which participated in this year’s competition were required to pay a registration fee, as CADO waived that to allow them to prepare for the national competition which opened last Sunday at the Arnos Vale netball complex.

“…Added to that, we are going to give special awards to the teams from Barrouallie and Owia, which participated in the competition for the first time,” Hannibald disclosed.

Hannibald praised the timely intervention of Aycees Trading, a new business establishment operating in Calliaqua, for readily accepting the invitation to sponsor the competition.

Already assured of the top prize of $600 and the winner’s trophy is CC’s Crystals, who, on their return to the competition, dethroned the 2012 champion, Calliaqua United, in a nail-biting finish in front of a partisan Calliaqua crowd.

After leading in the first three quarters: 13-8; 25-21 and 34-29, Calliaqua was confronted by a resurgent Crystals team, who levelled the score at 39 goals apiece.

The two then traded goals, but two timely interceptions by Crystals’ goal keep Keisha Kirby made Calliaqua lose possession, which Crystals put to good use, and goal shoot Juliet Williams finished the moves by successfully converting.

However, at the sound of the whistle from umpire Thelma Foster, the scores confirmed that Crystals had prevailed 44-43.

Juliet Williams was the hot hand for Crystals with 40 goals and Coreen Yorke contributed 4. Gailene Gordon — 35 and Floret Byron — 8 combined in the circles to give Calliaqua its final tally.

Calliaqua will collect $400 and a trophy for placing second.

The third place of $200 and a trophy will go to Young Strugglers, who stopped Aycees Clinchers 30-19, in the third place play-off, which preceded last Friday’s final.

A grand presentation ceremony is planned, following completion of CADO’s other competitions – softball cricket and football.(RT)