Team SVG to defend WIFA senior men’s football crown

The four Windward Islands – Dominica, St Lucia, host Grenada, defending champions St Vincent and the Grenadines, plus guest team Barbados, will contest this year’s Windward Islands Football Association (WIFA) senior men’s football tournament.

Installed to carry on the reign of St Vincent and the Grenadines are 20 players.

Selected are goalkeepers Lemus Christopher and Kevan Henry.

Making up the defensive line are Kevin Francis, Jolanshoy Mc Dowall, Akeem Williams, Jahvin Sutherland, Kishawn Johnny and Danroy Edwards, while Wendell Cuffy, Deron Hamlet, Deno John, Kyle Edwards and Dennis Prescott, compose the midfielders.

 Myron Samuel, the team’s most experienced player at age 24, heads up the strikers, which also include Chavel Cunningham, Nazir Mc Burnette, Azinho Solomon, Zenroy Lee, Sherwin Alexander and Kemron Osment.

The SVG management team is comprised of Cornelius Huggins – coach, Wesley Charles – assistant coach, Kevin Richardson – goalkeeper coach, Arrington Burgin – physiotherapist, along with Otnell Douglas – manager and Wayde Jackson – assistant manager.

The tournament kicks off tomorrow, Wednesday, June 28, at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium.

And, the 2015 winners, St Vincent and the Grenadines, will meet St Lucia and Grenada take on Dominica in the opening salvo.

On Friday, June 30, the action shifts to the Fond Playing Field for the second round. First up is Dominica versus Barbados, then Grenada meet St Lucia.

St Vincent and the Grenadines and host Grenada rumble, but preceding them is the clash between Barbados and St Lucia, two hours earlier.

The final two rounds of the tournament take place at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium, with St Vincent and the Grenadines meeting Barbados and St Lucia opposing Dominica on Tuesday, July 4, in that order.

And, St Vincent and the Grenadines take on Dominica, while Grenada will rumble with Barbados on Thursday, July 6. The first of the double-header matches kicks off at 5 p.m. and the second at 7.30 p.m.

A long-standing tournament among the Windward Islands, previously called the Popham Tournament, saw a revival in 2013, after several years of absence.

Grenada won the 2013 tournament, hosted here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

Then only St Lucia, Grenada and SVG participated, as Dominica withdrew, following the deaths of head coach Kurt Hector and defender Noran Jno Hope, who were killed in a car accident on the way to the airport en route to St Vincent and the Grenadines.

St Lucia won the 2014 edition staged in Dominica, with St Vincent and the Grenadines trumping in 2015.

There was no tournament held in 2016.