Vincies well represented in NY Netball Competition

The fourteenth Annual Caribbean American Netball Association Inc Tournament shot off at Lincoln Terrace Park, in Brooklyn, New York, last Saturday in grand style.

In this year’s tournament, St. Vincent and the Grenadines has representation from three clubs/teams.{{more}}

One team, Flying Targets, is managed by Tonia Christopher, formerly of Layou, who is a former player of the now defunct Joggers Netball Club.

Another is Islanders Sport Club managed by Karen Bailey Marks, a former national player, while Antillians Sports and Cultural Club managed by Yvonne Peters.

United Club, while it has several vincies in its line up, is made up of other nationalities and is managed by former national player Gloria Lewis

The tournament is sponsored by Lime (formerly Cable and Wireless) and Western Union, and is organized by a new executive which took office last February.

The opening ceremony included a March Past of Clubs/teams, following a lap around the outside of the ground to the music of a Panamanian Marching Band and heard addresses from various officials, including sponsors’ representatives and new President, Cheryl Howell.

Howell reminded the gathering that “the game is bigger than us” and urged all to “let us move forward together and set an example for the young ones.”

The new executive and Board of Directors were introduced to the members of the various clubs, which include several Vincentians.

Vice President of the Association is Yvonne Peters, Recording Secretary Adonna Lewis, and while Bernice Huggins Jacques was not born in SVG, she considers herself a true Vincentian as both parents were born in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Gloria Lewis, one of the founding members of CANA, Karen Marks and Maxine Seales are three Vincentians on the five-member Board of Directors.

SVG was also represented in the judging aspect for Best Uniformed Team, as Gloria Ballantyne, Convener for the Regional Umpiring Committee of the American Federation of Netball Association(AFNA), stood proudly among her two other counterparts to do the honours.

Gailene Windsor, another Vincentian, is also a founding member.

Presentation of trophies won during the 2009 season was also part of Saturday’s package.

United Juniors took the first place in the knock out, while Antillians were third in their division.

At the end of a very long day, which finished with a Netball rally, done in a round robin style, Tonia Christopher and her team were flying high, as they placed third to set the pace for the rest of the tournament.