SVG preparing to host inaugural male netball championships

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) male netball team,Vincy Warriors is currently preparing to compete in the inaugural Americas Netball Men’s Championship scheduled for August 31 to September 5 at the Arnos Vale hard courts.

President of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association, Natasha Baptiste said the team has been growing slowly, however after the the Championship it plans “to put a recruitment process in the place to have more persons joining the team, which will then allow us to be able to have a male tournament in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.”

Baptiste added: “We are cognizant of the views of some persons as it relates to males playing the sport. However, we are also aware of the direction of all sporting disciplines working to remove gender bias.

“The mandate of World Netball to make the sport gender inclusive is to ensure that netball is able to be an Olympic sport,” she said.

“ We have had persons who have reached out to us and are willing to join the team and we welcome them, even those who just want to learn the game and develop. We are willing to work with all persons once they show interest in the sport,” Baptise told SEARCHLIGHT.

The inaugural Americas Netball Men’s Championship will see teams coming from Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica, South Africa as guest participants, and host SVG.

Speaking about the home team’s preparation for the upcoming tournament and how the males compare to the national teams, Baptiste said: “The skill set and athletic abilities of male are much different from females. The male players have been for years working along with the national female teams to push them to their true potential physically and mentally, as they prepare for various tournaments. I do not believe that it would be fair to give a comparison of the male and female athletes…”.

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines Netball Association (SVGNA), is expected to announce the full squad by the middle of this month.

Baptiste said Vincy Warriors are confident that this tournament is going to showcase a great display of skills and talent in the sport, and through this, “we believe that more males would be willing to come forward to be a part of the team.”

Vincy Warriors, has been an affiliate of SVGNA from 2019 following the establishment of its constitution, and its registration with the Commerce and Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).